Scenes From an Execution

Howard Barker’s Scenes From An Execution, set in the seventeenth century, centers around the timeless conflict between an artist’s need to be true to herself and the
demands of her patrons. Barker presents a profound engagement with the moral
responsibilities of an artist, characteristically using a moment from history to
explore ideas and moral questions that still resound with contemporary resonance.

Galactia, a female painter, is commissioned by the Venetian republic to
commemorate the bloody battle of Lepanto. Her honest portrayal of the event,
depicting the true brutality and horror, clashes with the political requirements for
the painting desired by the Venetian authorities that have her condemned as
an enemy of the state and imprisoned. All the while, Galactia finds herself
battling against her lover’s jealousy, her daughters’ unacceptance of her methods,
and her own insurmountable self expectations. Chris Covics directs.