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This play has slowly but surely began to enter the repertory of contemporary theatre.

Some excerpts from a 2005 performance

"Even back in the 17th century playwright John Ford must have had his eye on the box-office when he titled his famous 1633 incest-coated pot-boiler of old Parma 'Tis Pity She's A Whore" 

"... Despite this, the passionate, shocking and doomed love affair between a brother and sister manages to be riveting from start to finish." 

"...Other intriguing performances are given by Helmar Augustus Cooper as Donado, a citizen of Parma (repeating the role he played in the Public Theater production in 1992), Mauricio Tafu Salgado as the sadistic cuckolded nobleman Soranzo, and Mel Cobb as the mercenary unethical Cardinal and also doubling as Bergetto's servant Poggio."

This review even mentions a previous staging at a fairly large theatre (The Public Theatre, one of the largest theatres in new york)

Saltzman, Simon. "'Tis Pity She's A Whore, a CurtainUp Review." CurtainUp.com-- on Line Theater Magazine with Daily Updated News, Reviews and Features in New York, London and Elsewhere. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.curtainup.com/pityshesawhore.html>.

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A quick character relationship breakdown:

BONAVENTURA␣␣a friar. - Counsels Giovanni against his lust for his sister

FLORIO␣ - Father to Giovanni and Annabella

GIOVANNI␣␣ - Son of Florio, Brother and Lover to Annabella

ANNABELLA - Daughter of Florio, Sister and Lover to Giovanni

PUTANA␣ - Annabella's tutor Counsels the siblings in favor to their relationship.

These are the main characters in focusing the story

There are significant suitors to Annabella

Bergetto, Grimaldi and Soranzo

Even though this is his best known work the plays treatment of incest has made it hard for audiences to watch. Also the Theme of 'doom awaiting the damned' in both works; Impact of the fusion of human sympathy and theological condemnation " from "The Unity of John Ford: ' 'Tis Pity She's a Whore ' and 'Christ's Bloody Sweat'"

Ford, John. "'Tis a Pity She's a Whore." Http://talebooks.com/images/bs/7.pdf. Web.

Monsarrat, Gilles D. "The Unity of John Ford: ' 'Tis Pity She's a Whore ' and 'Christ's Bloody Sweat." Studies in Philology (1980). Print.

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The music of the time really captures the mood of the show... There are light comic moments in the show even though over all its a tragedy, so some baroque classical music would fit the show.

"Major composers include Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel; Caravaggio and Rubens are important baroque artists." (ORO, Baroque)

Vivaldi's Four seasons fits the show quite well.

"baroque adjective"  Oxford Dictionary of English. Edited by Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2010. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.  Central Washington University.  10 March 2011  <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e0062180>

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Special Effects are involved in the show. In the final act Giovanni enters his sisters bedroom and stabs her during a kiss. He then enters the banquet hall where everyone has gathered. On him he carries a knife, on which Annabella's heart is skewered. 

We can see here a contemporary staging of that portion.

A cost effective start to that effect can be found here.

http://www.videojug.com/webvideo/how-to-make-your-own-fake-bloody-heart

"How To Make Your Own Fake Bloody Heart (Props & Special Effects)." Videojug - Get Good At Life. The World’s Best How to Videos plus Free Expert Advice and Tutorials.Web. 09 Mar. 2011. <http://www.videojug.com/webvideo/how-to-make-your-own-fake-bloody-heart>.

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John Ford was a contemporary of shakespeare and wrote in a similar style. Most of 'Tis A Pity She's A Whore is written in Iambic Pentameter.

"Two syllables together, or three if it’s a three-syllable construction, is known as a foot. So in a line of poetry the cow would be considered one foot. Because when you say the words, the is unstressed and cow is stressed, it can be represented as da DUM. An unstressed/stressed foot is known as an iamb. That’s where the term iambic comes from.

Pentameter is simply penta, which means 5, meters. So a line of poetry written in pentameter has 5 feet, or 5 sets of stressed and unstressed syllables. In basic iambic pentameter, a line would have 5 feet of iambs, which is an unstressed and then a stressed syllable. For example:

If you would put the key inside the lock

This line has 5 feet, so it’s written in pentameter. And the stressing pattern is all iambs:

if YOU | would PUT | the KEY | inSIDE | the LOCK

da DUM | da DUM | da DUM | da DUM | da DUM"

"Definition." Iambic Pentameter. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. <http://iambicpentameter.net/iambic-pentameter-definition/>.

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Not only will we be doing the show in period dress but also with a period realistic set.

Some examples of period furniture that could be found in FLORIO's House.

category. "Antiques.com | Classifieds| Antiques » Antique Furniture For Sale Catalog 70."Antiques.com | Antiques, Art and Collectibles. Web. 09 Mar. 2011. <http://www.antiques.com/classified_items.php?SeArChItEmS=&startrage=&endrange=&catid=2&GoPageNo=70>.

Stajda,, Sharon. "Jacobean Style - Furniture And Decor." Squidoo : Welcome to Squidoo. Web. 09 Mar. 2011. <http://www.squidoo.com/jacobeanantique>.

"Jacobean Furniture. Part 3." ChestofBooks.com: Read Books Online for Free. Web. 09 Mar. 2011. <http://chestofbooks.com/home-improvement/furniture/How-To-Collect-Old-Furniture/Jacobean-Furniture-Part-3.html>.

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This is the trailer for American Conservatory Theatre's production of the show.


This trailer strongly captures the tone and imagery for the show.