The Broken Heart

By John Ford
Directed by Selina Cartmell

The Broken Heart, a 1629 tragic-comic gem written by John Ford, (Tis Pity She’s a Whore), is set in ancient Sparta, but Ford’s world more closely resembles the 17th Century court of Charles I. A young woman forced to marry a ridiculously jealous codger. A cruel nobleman bent on frustrating his sister’s happiness. A princess who tries to stand aloof from the emotional discord, but lives to feel love ruining her composure. These are the main plot engines.
The Broken Heart will be directed by Selina Cartmell in her American debut. Ms. Cartmell, a British artist living in Ireland, was the 2007 protégé to Julie Taymor as part of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. Ms. Cartmell has directed at the Royal Shakespeare Company (Marina Carr’s Cordelia’s Dream) and has been commissioned by the Abbey Theatre to create a new version of W.B. Yeat’s Deidre. For her production of Medea, she was the Winner of the 2010 Irish Times Best Director Award.
Ms. Cartmell calls The Broken Heart Ford’s “most experimental play,” pointing to its unique “black humor” and surprising twists on the revenge genre that steer the action to ―places the audience never anticipates. It confronts timeless issues of ‘perverse’ sexual and gender relationships. The play is both ancient and modern – it’s a world where dance, music and silence are interwoven seamlessly with the text, voice and character.”