Nec Spe / Nec Metu (Preview Performances)

Nec Spe / Nec Metu is a collection of two dovetailing monodramas.

In “Nec Spe,” the great Baroque painter Caravaggio confesses his hideous sins to an imagined or ethereal priest after his own brutal and untimely death, possibly searching for forgiveness. But his swagger and violent personality leave audiences to question whether he truly wants his sins washed away or whether he would rather justify his actions in the eyes of God and man.

In “Nec Metu,” the great Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi recounts her notorious rape and torture in order to reclaim her legacy and illuminate her brilliant life and art. She tells her story with wry wit and humor, offering an alternative and often neglected perspective on art history and her intimate relationships with some of the world’s greatest artists.