Life Without Instruction

Judith Rudakoff is an associate professor of theatre arts at York
University at the co-editor of Dangerous Traditions: A Passe Muraille
Anthology.

Known for her mordant wit and biting humor, Clark draws her targets from
upper- or middle-class society. In this play, she juxtaposes the tales
of the biblical Judith (who acted selflessly, for her people) and the
historical Artemesia Gentileschi, a painter in 17th-century Rome who, in
this recounting of her life, is motivated by selfishness and hatred of
men. Betrayal and aggression seem to taint even the most sanctified of
relationships, and in the play’s strangely asexual scenes of
lovemaking, rape, and seduction, the characters carry out their
functions like pawns in a chess game. Every move is akin to a strategic
assault on beauty, sexuality, and truth. Judith and Artemesia (played by
the same actress) are strong, creative, and fascinating women tragically
defeated by personal fears and their need to look outside themselves for
approval, guidance, and permission.