{"id":109018,"date":"2025-05-03T10:34:55","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T17:34:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=109018"},"modified":"2025-05-03T11:42:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T18:42:00","slug":"its-true-its-true-its-true","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/its-true-its-true-its-true\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s True, It\u2019s True, It\u2019s True"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>A theatrical trial that turns pain into power<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Historical Background<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In 1612 Rome, 17-year-old Artemisia Gentileschi<\/strong>\u2014already a gifted Baroque painter\u2014accused fellow artist Agostino Tassi of rape. In a world where a woman\u2019s testimony held little weight, her decision to press charges was not only radical\u2014it was dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\n

What followed was a grueling public trial based on real court transcripts, now dramatized in It\u2019s True, It\u2019s True, It\u2019s True<\/em>. Under Roman legal customs of the time, it was Artemisia\u2014not her attacker\u2014who had to undergo torture to \u201cprove\u201d she was telling the truth. Her fingers were crushed with thumbscrews, a method known as the sibille<\/strong>, designed to test whether she could remain consistent in her testimony under excruciating pain. She did. Repeatedly, she declared, \u201c\u00c8 vero, \u00e8 vero, \u00e8 vero\u201d<\/em>\u2014It\u2019s true, it\u2019s true, it\u2019s true.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Gentileschi\u2019s significance goes far beyond this act of bravery. She became one of the most acclaimed painters of her era, known for her vivid, emotionally charged portrayals of heroic women\u2014often biblical figures exacting justice. Her work, especially Judith Slaying Holofernes<\/em>, is often read as an act of artistic revenge and feminist defiance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2766 \u2766 \u2766\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u2766 \u2766 \u2766\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u2766 \u2766 \u2766\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Marin Theatre\u2019s U.S. premiere of this award-winning Breach Theatre production is <\/span>urgent, intimate, and emotionally arresting.<\/span><\/strong> The script, originally created by playwrights Billy Barrett<\/strong> and Ellice Stevens<\/strong>, fuses classical language with feminist commentary and unexpected theatrical devices.<\/span><\/p>\n

Artemisia is portrayed with restrained strength and rising intensity by Emily Anderson<\/strong>, whose performance is both grounded and electrifying. As Tassi, Maggie Mason<\/strong> delivers a disturbing portrayal with calculated charm and menace. Supporting players Keiko Shimosato Carreiro<\/strong> as Tuzia and Alicia M. P. Nelson<\/strong> as the Judge\/Judith bring clarity and depth to the courtroom ensemble.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<\/span>Photo Credit: David Allen<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

In an unexpected twist, the cast also moonlights as a punk\/goth rock band, delivering bursts of LOUD music between scenes. Where this fits into the dramatic arc is not entirely clear\u2014but it does keep you awake.<\/span>
The story (true) is arresting, but the loud goth band takes getting used to \u2014 you are warned!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Director Rebecca Wear<\/strong> keeps the tempo tight and the tone volatile, drawing tension from every moment. The integration of modern movement, physical confrontation, and sly humor makes this more than a courtroom drama\u2014it\u2019s a reckoning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Set designer Mikiko Uesugi<\/strong> keeps the visuals spare and symbolic, allowing Marshall\u2019s lighting<\/strong> and Matthew Stines\u2019 sound design<\/strong> to fill in the emotional textures. Costumes by Pamela Rodriguez-Montero<\/strong> offer period nods with a contemporary edge. Even the silences in this show speak volumes, thanks in part to intimacy coordinator Maya Herbsman\u2019s<\/strong> precision and care.<\/span>
Stage management is by Kevin Johnson, with production assistance from Sam Hannum.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the final scene, Artemisia repeats \u201cIt\u2019s true\u201d<\/em> not just as testimony, but as a kind of incantation\u2014spoken dozens of times in this production<\/strong>. The sheer volume and repetition turn the phrase into something beyond words: a defiance, a protest, a reclaiming of power.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gentileschi\u2019s story may be centuries old, but It\u2019s True, It\u2019s True, It\u2019s True<\/em> makes it painfully relevant. This is not just about one woman\u2019s testimony\u2014it\u2019s about who gets to tell the story, and who is believed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recommended for those who want their theatre with a pulse, a message, and a righteous fury.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Marin Theatre<\/strong><\/span>
397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley<\/span>
April 16 \u2013 May 4, 2025<\/span>
Tickets: $47\u2013$81<\/span>
www.marintheatre.org<\/a> | 415-388-5208<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0 A theatrical trial that turns pain into power Historical Background In 1612 Rome, 17-year-old Artemisia Gentileschi\u2014already a gifted Baroque painter\u2014accused fellow artist Agostino Tassi of rape. In a world…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":3.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"yes","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[838],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-109018","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-joseph-cillo"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"