Work in Progress #6
If you’re not tired yet of hearing about my devising process for Saint Catherine then keep reading. I just want to share the different sources of inspiration I’m looking to:
In visual art
In my explorations I’ve visited The Met, The Met Cloisters, and The Frick Collection to find as much art of Saint Catherine as possible. She’s a pretty popular subject, often featured in works on her own or in portrayals of “Mystical Marriage,” which is her symbolic marriage as a virgin to Jesus. She’s most often portrayed with the wheel that was supposed to be used for her torture, but shattered when she touched it. Like the other Saints she usually has a halo or a palm branch. Below I have photos of the art of her I’ve seen in person.
2. In the work of other playwrights
I originally thought of Joan of Arc when I first approached the Spiritual and Temporal leader. I feel she’s become a more notable historical figure than Saint Catherine, likely because there is proof of her existence and she lived in the 15th Century, much closer to our contemporary era than Saint Catherine who lived in the 3rd Century. I learned about Saint Catherine by reading about Saint Joan. Joan said she was visited by Saint Margaret and Saint Catherine, and that sent me down a hagiography rabbit-hole where I learned about female saints throughout the ages. Saint Catherine is one of the most notable and revered, though Catholicism certainly doesn’t have the same hold on society the way it used to so I hadn’t heard of her prior to beginning this project.
I looked to George Bernard Shaw’s “Saint Joan” for inspiration on how to write martyrdom. The play has the notorious wit of a Shaw play, sprinkled into a holy context. It did often feel like it was more men talking about Joan than Joan speaking herself, but that’s to be expected for the era. Nevertheless, it’s a great example of how to contextualize and flesh out a familiar story. Shaw adds detail and dialogue to the story of Joan. I seek to do the same with Catherine, but I want the story to come from her, not those around her.
3. In music
I posted previously my playlist for Saint Catherine that pretty well articulates my feelings about her and what I imagine she’s thinking. Musically and lyrically the songs I chose approximate what I want to create for Saint Catherine, however I’m still have trouble fully articulating what I want her monologue to be. In the mean time, here’s a poem I cobbled together using the lyrics from the songs for Saint Catherine playlist
I still don’t know what all of this will amount to, but I continue to create.