Abstract:
Ideas about the afterlife are prevalent in almost all cultures and have changed significantly since the first person told the first story of where we end up after death. Even though Purgatory was formalized as Catholic doctrine in the 12th century the concept is still common in our culture today. This project seeks to address the change that has occurred in the way in which Purgatory has been artistically represented in the last eight hundred years and specifically how it is represented in the contemporary play, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. I analyzed the purgatorial representation in this play through the completion of a dramaturgy project assigned by the Department of Theatre and Dance. This project included creating a dramaturgy website, lobby display and facilitating a panel discussion and talk back on the themes present in the play in conjunction with another student, Matt Gauen. To compliment this shared project I also wrote a paper on artistic representations of purgatorial punishment and how it has changed in the last eight hundred years due to societal alterations. The dramaturgical project and the research paper combine to give both specific and broad information concerning artistic representations of purgatorial punishment and demonstrate the societal forces that influence these manifestations.
