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The Future of Justitia

a new play by juliacks

A PLAY IN THREE ACTS

First performed at the Rode Bioscoop in Amsterdam on March 8, 2020

On the eve of the spring equinox, parents of the Goddess Justitia announce that it is time for her coming of age rites. Justitia rejects this proposal, thus commencing a series of visits and transversals through time, where Justitia confronts her past, present and future self.

Gerechtigheid (Justitia), Virgilius Solis, 1524 - 1562

Directed & Written by Juliacks

This play uses 17th century archives and future speculations as means to create narrative portals about Justice.

This play is based upon a few sources :

  • The scenes from the past are based on criminal archives of the 17th century.
  • The scenes from the present and the future are derived from conversations with people living in the Netherlands and their experience of Justice.
  • One song played by Snowapple is from the Dutch Song database written in 1678. The song features a famous true story about a person who ended up in Amsterdam’s Spinhuis, one of the first women’s institutional prison’s in the world. Based on cross references with the song and famous cases of the time, it seems like the story is about Trijn Jurriaens.
Found in the book, The Tradition of Female Transvestism in Early Modern Europe by Rudolf M. Dekker, Lotte van de Pol

Credits

This first performance at the Rode Bioscoop featured

Daniel Vorthuyst as Lady Justitia / Ma’at Goddess of Justice

Kannakee Bhuyan as the Goddess Seshat / Maggie of the Present

Cecile Tafanelli as the 17th century criminal Trijntje / Earth / Future Spirit

Charlott Weise as the 17th century bawd Lijsbeth / Light / Guide

Charlotte Somerville as Guide / Stage Manager

17th century music and sound score by the band Snowapple with members:

Laurien Schreuder (NL), Cellist/Bass-player Cynthia Martinez (MX), allround musician Osito ‘Moro von Ropi'(MX), production support from Merel Vosseberg (NL) drummer/squeekologist Gunga Alan Purves

Produced by Snowapple, the Rode Bioscoop & TAAK

With support from Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst, the Mondriaan Foundation & TAAK.