I wasn't kind, I was Gentileschi

On 15 March 2026, the Teatro Impero in Chiaravalle Centrale will host I was not kind, I was Gentileschi – The life of Artemisia Gentileschi, a play written by Roberto D'Alessandro and Federico Valdi, starring Debora Caprioglio and directed by Roberto D'Alessandro. Costumes by Antonia Petrocelli – An Anna Mode creation, sets by Roda. Produced by Quadrifoglio srl in collaboration with GoodMood.

The play brings to life the figure of Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the most extraordinary painters of the 17th century, a woman and artist who was able to make a name for herself in a world dominated by men. The play opens in her studio: Artemisia is painting and, through a narrative addressed to the audience, she recounts her life, from her childhood in Baroque Rome to her early artistic training under the guidance of her father, Orazio Gentileschi.

Her talent led her to compete with the great masters of the time, but her life was marked by a profound trauma and the trial that followed, an event that had a decisive influence on her personal and creative journey. From that moment on, painting became for Artemisia not only an artistic expression, but also a means of affirmation, redemption and identity.

Through the story of her works, her triumphs and her difficulties, the portrait emerges of a woman who transformed suffering into creative strength, conquering a space in the European artistic landscape and becoming a symbol of determination and freedom.