Publication Date

Spring 4-28-2025

School

School of Visual and Performing Arts

Major

Theatre: Production

Keywords

LGBT, LGBTQ+, Christian, Shakespeare, queer Christianity, gay Christian, theatre design, scenic design, theatre, Romeo and Juliet, queer, American, Evangelical Christian, Catholicism

Disciplines

Biblical Studies | Catholic Studies | Christianity | Fine Arts | Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication | Illustration | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Other Theatre and Performance Studies | Queer Studies | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion | Sociology of Religion

Abstract

American Christians and the LGBTQ+ community have long been in a cultural war with one another. However, queer Christians – individuals who are both LGBTQ+ and Christian – have rarely found solace in either community, instead being shunned and ostracized for their beliefs and identities. Using the transformative art of theatre to address cultural divides, a theatrical scenic design was developed for Joe Calarco’s Shakespeare’s R & J, a retelling of the traditional Romeo and Juliet script through the lives of four Catholic school girls. This design uses the Greek mythology of Icarus, Catholic culture, the original Romeo and Juliet, and Calarco’s modern retelling to explore the dissonance between faith and identity that queer Christians face continually, sparking conversation between Christians and the LGBTQ+ community on how to show love to the individuals caught in the cultural crossfire.

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