Long-Forgotten Artist Reclaims Spotlight in WT Theatre’s ‘Artemisia’

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A painter all but erased by history comes to life again in a new play to be staged by West Texas A&M University Theatre.

“Artemisia” by Lauren Gunderson tells the story of Artemisia Gentileschi—perhaps the most famous female painter of the 17th century, but whose name largely had been consigned to the dustbin of history.

“This is a story that needs to be told,” said director Callie Hisek, the Royal R. Brantley Professor of Theatre Studies. “Artemisia was such a fierce advocate for herself, for those she loved and for her work. She was a fierce woman who has been ignored for far too long.”

The play will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 to 8 and Feb. 13 to 15, as well as 2:30 p.m. Feb. 9 and 16, in the Happy State Bank Studio Theatre in the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex on WT’s Canyon campus.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, and free for WT students, faculty and staff with a Buff Gold Card. Visit cur8.com/17516/project/129169, email artsboxoffice@wtamu.edu or call 806-651-2810.

“I love doing new shows that challenge me, and I’m really excited about this because she’s not talked about enough,” said Kyndal Knapp, a senior theatre major from Pampa who plays the older version of Artemisia, or Artemisia Madre. “I think people will leave and want to know more about her because she’s got such a compelling story.”

Gunderson’s play, written in 2023, introduces the audience to the young Artemisia (played by Tucker McCann, a junior theatre major from San Angelo) who is publicly shamed after being raped. She stands up for herself and her art, becoming a highly in-demand painter whose portrayals of strong women continue to resonate.

“Artemisia is super complex, super nuanced,” said McCann, who also plays Prudenzia Figlia. “I really love the way Lauren Gunderson wrote her. She’s confident and feisty, but she’s also a 17-year-old girl trying to figure out life and how to do it on her own. It’s both emotional and empowering.”

Guest designer Brittany Merenda of Dark Lumen Productions in Cleveland will use large projections that allow audience members to experience the artist’s work for themselves.

WT is the first university and only the fourth theater company in the nation to produce the play, Hisek said.

“I’ve always been drawn to Gunderson’s work,” said Hisek, also citing “Ada and the Engine,” which she directed at WT in November 2019. “She knows the value of both STEAM and STEM education, and always tells these stories in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.”

WT Theatre has assigned an R rating to the play for adult language and themes. A special talkback session will be held following the Feb. 9 performance, featuring Dr. Amy Von Lintel, WT’s professor of art history, and Jon Revett, director of WT’s art program and the Doris Alexander Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts.

Cast members also include Jonah Gonzales, a senior theatre major from Plains, as Orazio; Jayten Berumen, a freshman theatre education major from Plainview, as Francesco; and Makenzie Cohan, a sophomore theatre major from Ropesville, as Prudenzia Madre and Grand Duchess Christina of Lorraine.

Ensemble members, who also will serve as understudies, are Daniel Baggeman, a freshman theatre major from Corpus Christi; Branda Barnett, a sophomore theatre major from Wink; Yvonne Legarreta, a freshman theatre major from Friona; and Emily Ward, a freshman theatre major from Canyon Lake.

Student production team members include Dani Collins, a junior theatre major from Lubbock, as hair and makeup designer; Chesney Jones, a junior theatre major from Gilmer, as properties manager; Makayla Puryear, a junior theatre major from Lubbock, as dramaturg; Riley Harbour, a senior theatre major from Amarillo, as stage manager; Angelica Pantoja, a senior theatre major from Lubbock, as assistant director; Olivia Martin, a senior theatre major from League City, as assistant stage manager and scenic change artist; Rachel House, a senior theatre major from The Colony, as house electrician; Violet Greenhaw, a sophomore theatre major from Sundown as assistant lighting designer and head electrician; Jillian Nuckels, a sophomore theatre major from Allen, as assistant electrician; and Scout Burrus, a freshman theatre major from Melissa, as wardrobe head.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: Kyndal Knapp, left, a senior theatre major from Pampa, and Tucker McCann, a junior theatre major from San Angelo, play the title character in “Artemisia” at different stages of the artist’s life. West Texas A&M University Theatre will stage the comedy-drama about the real-life, but largely forgotten painter from Feb. 6 to 16 in the Happy State Bank Studio Theatre.

—WT—