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For play inquiries, please contact:
Michael Finkle William Morris Endeavor 212.903.1144 [email protected] |
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Behold, A Negress
Synopsis
Set in Paris at the beginnings of Napoleon's reign, BEHOLD, A NEGRESS imagines an intimate relationship between real-life painter, Marie-Guillemine Benoist, and her muse, Madeleine, a formerly enslaved black woman. Inspired by the execution of eighteenth-century feminist and playwright Olympe de Gouges, Marie and Madeleine maneuver the codes and corridors of women's power in post-revolutionary France in pursuit of their own liberty, equality, and fraternity. However, when Marie's ambition and desire for artistic recognition overshadow Madeleine's sense of justice and personal integrity, the women find themselves at odds just as revolutionary as the political world that surrounds them. BEHOLD, A NEGRESS is a passionate and daring examination of the challenges of intersectional feminism and the role of art during times of great social unrest and political upheaval.
Cast Break Down
2W
Characters
Madeleine (West African, late 30s) – Artist’s companion, model, a revolutionary, formerly enslaved, free.
Marie (French, 30s) – Painter, aristocratic born, feminist, abolitionist, Royalist.
Development History
Set in Paris at the beginnings of Napoleon's reign, BEHOLD, A NEGRESS imagines an intimate relationship between real-life painter, Marie-Guillemine Benoist, and her muse, Madeleine, a formerly enslaved black woman. Inspired by the execution of eighteenth-century feminist and playwright Olympe de Gouges, Marie and Madeleine maneuver the codes and corridors of women's power in post-revolutionary France in pursuit of their own liberty, equality, and fraternity. However, when Marie's ambition and desire for artistic recognition overshadow Madeleine's sense of justice and personal integrity, the women find themselves at odds just as revolutionary as the political world that surrounds them. BEHOLD, A NEGRESS is a passionate and daring examination of the challenges of intersectional feminism and the role of art during times of great social unrest and political upheaval.
Cast Break Down
2W
Characters
Madeleine (West African, late 30s) – Artist’s companion, model, a revolutionary, formerly enslaved, free.
Marie (French, 30s) – Painter, aristocratic born, feminist, abolitionist, Royalist.
Development History
- New Play Development Workshop at UNC's Department of Dramatic Art and PlayMakers Repertory Company - May 2019