THE WORTH OF WOMEN
By Moderata Fonte
Translated by Virginia Cox
Adapted by Jay Stern and Laura Caparrotti
Directed by Jay Stern in collaboration with Laura Caparrotti
With
Carlotta Brentan, Laura Caparrotti,
Tali Custer, Marta Mondelli, Caterina Nonis,
Irene Turri, Annie Watkins.
Seven women dialoguing about gender equality and the responsibility of husbands, fathers, sons and lovers.
“Co-directors Laura Caparrotti and Jay Stern realized, after sifting through pages of the hefty text translated into English by Virginia Cox, that a re-contextualization and revitalizing of the vocabulary was not necessary. The quotes they drew and the lively council of characters they spun into a vibrant, witty play had women in the audience chuckling and nodding their heads fervently in agreement. […] The unrestrained, enthralling performances of the actresses were testimonies to their talent as well as their dedication to the topic.”
Emily Hayes, I-Italy, October 27 2018
Published in 1600, The worth of women takes the form of the latter, with Fonte creating a conversation among seven Venetian noblewomen. The dialogue explores nearly every aspect of women’s experience in both theoretical and practical terms. These women, who differ in age and experience, take as their broad theme men’s curious hostility toward women and possible cures for it.
Through this witty and ambitious work, Fonte seeks to elevate women’s status to that of men, arguing that women have the same innate abilities as men and, when similarly educated, prove their equals. Through this dialogue, Fonte provides a picture of the private and public lives of Renaissance women, ruminating on their roles in the home, in society, and in the arts.
A fine example of Renaissance vernacular literature, this book is also a testament to the enduring issues that women face, including the attempt to reconcile femininity with ambition.
Moderata Fonte was the pseudonym of Modesta Pozzo (1555–92), a Venetian woman who was something of an anomaly. Neither cloistered in a convent nor as liberated from prevailing codes of decorum as a courtesan might be, Pozzo was a respectable, married mother who produced literature in genres that were commonly considered “masculine”—the chivalric romance and the literary dialogue.
