A Mary Magdelene Experience
Actor Jordanne Jones as Tina in ‘A Mary Magdalene Experience’ image by Jaro Waldeck
Mary Magdalene; A prostitute, a mad bitch, a woman only important because Jesus forgave her.
Up until now, men have painted the picture of Mary Magdalene.
Tina Malone is on a mission to clear her name.
It’s 2022, we’re in an imaginary Tallaght. Neoliberalism is the prevailing faith based religion and money gives men the power to buy any experience they want.
John Brophy TD, a community activist with a Jesus complex, orders Tina to deliver ‘A Mary Magdalene Experience’.
He wants Tina to play her as a fallen woman that he can save, but she won’t play that part. She’s discovered the ‘lost’ Gospel of Mary Magdalene and she has a better idea.
She has no sermon, she’s trying not to play Jesus, but she will share her Experience.
Artworks about Mary Magdalene start popping up all over Tallaght. A piece of glowing Rose Quartz proclaims that it contains ‘Mary Magdalene Essence’ It feels to Tina like everything is synchronous, like its all meant to be. Bernie Brophy, John’s mother - keeps getting in her way. That one thinks she’s the mother of God.
John get’s “me-tooed on the fucking internet”. He has what feels like a slow, painful public death. Tina watches it all play out online, conflicted. Then a performance artist invites John to be publicly crucified as a durational artwork in a Gallery. The work is called “If you keep acting like a saviour, eventually you will be crucified” John agrees to do it to show everyone how awful it is that he’s being cancelled, in the hopes that he will be forgiven. Jesus forgave Mary Magdalene after all.
Tina seizes the opportunity, she bursts into the gallery to disrupt the performance and clear her name once and for all.
Mary Magdalene: Spiritual Leader. Powerful Woman. Equal to Jesus.
‘A Mary Magdalene Experience’ is a new film installation by Grace Dyas, trying to correct the record once and for all.
Up until now, men have painted the picture of Mary Magdalene, Grace Dyas’s new film installation ‘A Mary Magdalene Experience’ tries to correct the record once and for all.
The film is grounded in a mythical Tallaght, starring Jordanne Jones (I USED TO LIVE HERE, METAL HEART, YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER) who plays Tina Malone, a woman determined to clear her name.
‘Grace uses the lost gnostic gospel of Mary Magdalene as a jumping off point for her script and cleverly steers the audience through an abstract, contemporary retelling of a familiar narrative exploring the female experience. Visual composition, poise and lighting spark visual memory of historical painting references throughout.’ (Maolíosa Boyle)
Grace wrote, directed, and designed the work, inviting a creative team of women artists and activists to collaborate with her including Clare O’Connor, Susan Quirke, Ella Clarke, and Jaro Waldeck.
The result is an interpretation of Mary Magdalene, finally told by women.
A Mary Magdalene Experience is the final instalment in The Magdalene Series at Rua Red, curated by Maolíosa Boyle. The series features the work of five of Ireland’s leading artists Amanda Coogan, Jesse Jones, Grace Dyas, Alice Maher and Rachel Fallon. They were commissioned by Rua Red in 2018 to create work in response to the history and legacy of Mary Magdalene and to propose a new world uncurbed by religious, political, and societal doctrine; a world viewed through the lens of contemporary feminism and feminist theology.
The Magdalene Series is generously supported by the Creative Ireland Programme South Dublin, The Arts Council and South Dublin County Arts Office
A Mary Magdalene Experience
Starring
Jordanne Jones
James O’Driscoll, Louise Lewis
Pom Boyd, Sean Dyas, Ciara Byrne
Writer/Director Grace Dyas
Producer Clare O Connor
Director of Photography Jaro Waldeck Movement Director Ella Clarke
Production Manager Rowan McDonagh Sound Recordist Anthony Egan
1st Assistant Director Jack O’Higgins Editor Allyn Quigley
Production and Costume Designer Grace Dyas
