A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

The Second Coming of Joan of Arc

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  1w

Carolyn Gage

Defiant, irreverent, more clever than her judges, and unfailingly true to her own visions, Joan of Arc returns to share her story with contemporary women. Recounting her experiences with the highest levels of the church, state and military, she unmasks the brutal misogyny behind male institutions.

The Second Coming of Joan of Arc

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Biography
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! Favorite of the Festival, Favorite Solo Show, Favorite Solo Performance of 2015 DC Fringe Festival

Details

Summary

Joan of Arc led an army to victory at seventeen. At eighteen, she engineered the coronation of a king. At nineteen, she went up against the Catholic church… and lost. Her trial lasted five months, and the testimony by witnesses was carefully transcribed by notaries. Twenty years after her death, a new trial was authorized, and again detailed records were kept. There was testimony by her childhood playmates, by her parents, by the women who slept with her, by the soldiers who served under her, by the priests who confessed her, by those who witnessed and administered her torture. She is the most thoroughly documented figure of the 15th century. So, why do the myths about the simple-minded peasant girl still pervade the history books?

Joan was anorectic. She was a teenage runaway. She had an incestuous, alcoholic father. She loved women. She died for her right to wear men’s clothing. She was defiant, irreverent, more clever than her judges, unrepentant, and unfailingly true to her own visions.

In The Second Coming of Joan of Arc, Joan returns to share her story with contemporary women. She tells her experiences with the highest levels of church, state, and military, and unmasks the brutal misogyny behind male institutions.

History
The Second Coming of Joan of Arc premiered at the Portland Women's Theatre Company in Portland, Oregon in 1988.
Keywords
Performing Groups

JEANNE ROMÉE – A woman with a masculine appearance, any age

  • Time Period Present Day
  • Setting

    Here and now.

  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features No intermission
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Fantastic... Bursts with creative imagination at every turn.” – DC Metro Theatre Arts

“Both rooted in its source material and relevant to the gender concerns of our day. It is a thinking, feeling theatre piece that strikes at the heart of what solo performance can accomplish when it is done with precision and spirit.” – DC Metro Theatre Arts, Read More

“A girl-power epic… Gage is at her best here, as almost every line is scorchingly insightful.” – The University of Buffalo Spectrum 

“A tour de force… delivered with passion, indignation, some humour, connection, opinion and power.” – Gay Community News

“Unparalleled, far superior to George Bernard Shaw’s… The Second Coming of Joan of Arc is high art and revolutionary theatre combined.” – Phyllis Chesler, author of Women and Madness and Mothers on Trial

“Joan of Arc has never been made more real to me, not in the movies, not on stage. This is the woman, not the myth… Brava!” – Z. Budapest, author of The Grandmother of Time

“Passion, humor, rage, insight, regret… This play works on many levels – layers and layers and layers… a highly intelligent piece of work which always remains accessible… an emotional, moving, exciting experience.” – From the Flames, Nottingham, England

“Passionate, witty. Let this Joan be one of your voices.” – Feminist Bookstore News, San Francisco

“Gripping re-exploration of a legendary figure.” – Sing Out!

“Carolyn Gage is a powerful writer who comprehends her character… exhilarating… held my attention fully.” – We the People, Santa Rosa, CA

“Wickedly funny and devastatingly on target.”  – Women’s Voices, Santa Rosa, CA

“Her resuscitation of a strong, sensitive and inspiring character confronting the misogyny of a church, army, and government, was highly inspirational. It comes at a time when so many of us are reflecting on what is the role of a State and how to make this world a better one for everyone. Gage’s one-woman play is a perfect opportunity for all to have a conversation about respect and dignity.” – Dominique Bourque, Associate Professor, Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies, University of Ottawa

“One part provocative writing to one part committed acting, together with a splash of politics and a pinch of lyricism. The result is a delicious if slightly salty soufflé that rises with feminism and is best served piping hot.” – DC Metro Theatre Arts

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

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Authors

Carolyn Gage

Carolyn Gage

Carolyn Gage is a playwright, performer, director and activist. The author of nine books on lesbian theatre and 75 plays, musicals and one-woman shows, she specializes in non-traditional roles for women, especially those reclaiming famous lesbians whose stories have been dist ...

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