The original name of Joan of Arc was Jeanette, or just Jeanne. Or just "the maid."
The new piece by Akropolis, Jeanne the Maid, is a performance created by the director, Joe Lavy, together with the ensemble, taking its text from transcripts of Jeanne's trials and other related snippets, including the Lewis Allen song, "Strange Fruit." The result is an interesting portrait of an incredibly strong spirit, and the religious/juridical entity that first imprisoned her, then tortured her, then destroyed her, and later co-opted her memory for its own purposes (nominating her a saint).
At the end of the performance Jeanne is left on stage, while the doors are opened and the lights come on. It is not obvious how or when to leave; the spectator gets the impression he should stay forever in penance for the injustice. Today when I saw the piece, we in the audience (there were about a dozen of us) sat for just about two minutes before a woman got up, went on stage, picked up the bible/trial record, and took Jeanne's hand in an effort to lead her offstage. Jeanne lay limp. The woman from the audience redoubled her efforts by setting down the book and using two hands to attempt to drag Jeanne away. Jeanne proved a heavy, limp body. The woman wrapped her arm around Jeanne and managed to drag her off of the small platform on which she had been lying. One foot remained on the platform. For a bit longer the woman struggled, and finally she set Jeanne's foot carefully on the stage floor, folded the "dead" girl's hands on her chest, and set the red book underneath the platform. She walked quickly out of the room.
The rest of us waited another five minutes or so before anyone got up.
I saw the woman later walking down the street toward the theatre, with three feathers in her hand.