Keaton Johns

THEA 3733

Scott Knowles

8/2/16

Dramaturgical Plan for Bare: A Pop Opera

Analysis

I feel that a production of Bare: A Pop Opera, or bare for short, is needed here in Cedar

City, Utah. It deals with so many topics that need to be discussed to the audience of Cedar City.

It deals with two gay high school seniors who love each other and attend a private Catholic

boarding school. It is prime examples of topics overlooked in this community (homosexuality,

homosexuality and religion, depression, suicide, drugs, etc.) While they are taboo topics, they

need to be presented to these people so that they can get a better glance of the lives of those they

often dont think about.

The easiest way to analyze bare is obviously through queer theory which states that

social norms do not and should not define who we are, and that is one of the themes of bare

which is identity. The four main characters (Peter, Jason, Nadia, & Ivy) are all high school

seniors about to head into the real world, and they all struggle with what a lot of teenagers

struggle with as they approach into adulthood: finding who they really are, and being true to that

person.

Peter has the most assurance of who he is, but its a scary step for him to say the least. All

he wants is for him and Jason to be open to the world about their relationship and their sexuality;

he is confident in how he wants to approach his life. But being open is easier said than done. He

gets so close to coming out a lot (he almost confesses to the priest in confession, he calls his
mother who is aware of the situation and tries to avoid it, and he tries to be intimate with Jason at

parties that they go to), but the actual action is so bold and scary that it can be a lot for him.

When Sister Chantelle (a very loving nun and maternal figure for all the students) eventually

tells him that he is ok in Gods eyes, he bursts out into tears. A burden has been lifted off his

chest, and it gives him the strength to tell his friends at a climactic moment which Ill discuss

soon.

Jason, on the other hand, is terrified of being open with the world. He is the star child

than anyone would hope to be (incredibly handsome, quarterback on the football team,

valedictorian, etc.), and so, he has an image to uphold.Hes an interesting character because of

this; he defies the stereotype of what a gay man is as he enjoys sports and being manly and such.

He especially is holding up the image of the most moral and righteous of all the seniors as well

as he gets accepted into Notre Dame, so he has a lot to prove. If the secret comes out that he is

gay in a relationship at a Catholic school, it will destroy his whole reputation and his family

name, and that is the worst thought to him. He is terrified at the thought of not being accepted

and loved. As Peter gets more and more determined to have them come out, he gets scared and

decides to call it off. Ivy takes an interest in him, and to prove to himself and to God that he is ok

and straight, he decides to sleep with her. This backfires as he falls desperately in love with him

and even becomes pregnant with his child. She reveals it to everyone at the same time that Peter

reveals about their relationship, so Jason is left shell-shocked and devastated. He is left with no

other option, so he goes to the priest who tells him that he is not ok in Gods eyes. After trying to

save his relationship with Peter who turns him away, he makes the ultimate decision of

committing suicide by overdose. His journey is so tragic, and represents the struggle of many
LGBT teens who live with or without religion in their lives. He is a character for the ages as his

journey to be accepted and accept himself is brutally crushed to the ground.

Ivy is also a great example of a girl trying to find who she is at a young age, but with

detrimental cost. She is the pretty girl on campus; fun, flirtatious, and a catch for anyone. She

implies to have a sexual history with many guys, but she never sparked a connection with

anyone. She is awestruck by Jason, though. She is perplexed by his shyness towards her and her

flirting; she doesn't understand why hes not immediately at her level of play, and she wants to

crack the code. Hes not reciprocating because of Peter and his own sexuality. After they have

sex, she discovers something new inside herself; she has never felt the feeling of love for

someone. She desperately tries to make Jason understand this, but he turns her away because of

his personal reasons. When she learns shes pregnant, her whole world is shattered. She realizes

that she has been so immature and selfish, and now she must grow up and face the consequences.

Ivy never really knew who she was because she was putting on this part of the pretty face for

everyone, and it worked for her. When she falls in love with Jason, she starts to realize what raw

human emotions are; she just finds out way too late.

Nadia is the prime example of someone who hides behind a shell in high school. She is

Jasons twin sister, and she has always been overshadowed by his enormous success. She is

sardonic and goth for this reason. She is very edgy and abrasive and not a lot of people like her.

The only person she lets her guard down for is Jason, who loves and understands her. He is not

as open with her as he should be (with his sexuality and such), but they still make a great pair.

When he comes out, she is right there with him and wants to help him out because she knows

and loves him and she can be her true self with him; she hopes that this can help him in the long

run. She is also Ivys roommate and is jealous of her successes with men and everything. She
generally feels swept under the rug in terms of everything, and so tries to make a name and

identity for herself that is unique from everyone at the school. As the story progresses, she learns

that those who seem to be perfect like Jason and Ivy have their fatal flaws too. She grows from

this and tries to find her true identity behind the sardonic facade.

All four of these kids are archetypes for every student in high school, and any adult as

well. The feelings of insecurity, helplessness, depression, maturing, humility, and insignificance

happen to everyone at least once in a persons life. Even if a 40 year old Mormon man married

with children cant relate to the struggle of being gay in a restrictive environment, he can relate

to the feeling of being rejected and hopeless because that is a human emotion. Thats my take on

this play: that everyone in the play is human, and their struggles are real and should be validated.

With the recent statements made from the LDS church concerning homosexuality, I will

definitely put an emphasis on that in this production. But Utah also has very high depression and

suicide rates, so the struggles of Jason and Peter also exemplify that. For all these reasons, bare

is a wonderfully written show that needs to have its message spread to anyone and everyone who

will hear it.

Outreach and Education Plan

My plan for outreach and education will be focused on the audience members and their

feelings and reactions toward the production. I will have talkbacks with the audience members
after some of the performances including the cast members and representatives from the SUU

Allies on Campus to help moderate the conversation and filter questions and such; these are very

heavy topics to discuss, and its important that every voice be heard on them (whether they be

positive or negative). I will also have lobby displays: one concerning the history of bare and the

many phases its been through, one about the structure of a Catholic high school and its

standards, and one about homosexuality and Christianity (not specifically Catholicism as we are

catering to the LDS audience members in Cedar City as well). We need to make the audience

aware that this show also celebrates religion as well as showing its faults. Its not meant to be

Bible-bashing, but it shows the imperfections of humans. There should be a program note to help

the audience understand this fact.

Three Topics- Identity, Homosexuality, & Religion

One of the key lyrics used in bare that echoes everyones main struggle is Hear my

voice. Everyone wants to be heard, but they are afraid of the consequences of their actions. This

phrase encapsulates the three topics I want to focus on in this production. Like I discussed in my
analysis previously, the four main characters struggle with finding, expressing, or honoring their

identity. This is the most universal topic of all three, and will cover all bases with our audience

members. I want to research cognitive development in high schoolers and see where in their

maturity level they are, and what factors go into all the dysphoria of identity. While this show

can be viewed as another angsty, stick-it-to-the-man, teenager show, the struggles of the

protagonist are relevant to all ages. I want to present these facts to the actors and director to help

them understand the characters better as maybe some of the choices they make are because of

imbalanced hormones or immature cognizance. This will help them find the humanity in the

characters and the story.

The show centers on two gay teenagers, so homosexuality is obviously a big focus. It also

presents homosexuality at a young age; rarely do we see a young gay romance in mainstream

theatre. If someone is gay in a play, it is often revealed for shock factor and they are much older,

but their homosexuality does not drive the story. The romance in this is meant to be understood

as equal to a heterosexual romance, and I want to bring that upfront. It also doesnt present their

relationship as inherently sexual as many would associate a gay relationship that way, and I think

that is super important to the message. Peter and Jason are in love with each other; they dont just

lust after one another. This is a prime message I want to give to those who would only see gay

people as lustful beings. I do want to find research on young gay relationships and gay culture as

a whole for the actors playing Peter and Jason. Maybe theyve been on gay dating apps or have

explored their history; this is a personal decision for the actor to make about their character, but

it could be helpful for them should they use it. I dont want to shove ideals into people's face,

but I want to present the reality and truth of what is written.

 The final focus is religion, which is also a driving force for many of the characters. After

all the trials that Peter goes through (being gay, being misunderstood, and losing Jason), he still

turns to God, and that is one of the most poignant things Ive ever witnessed in a show. Like I

said, bare does celebrate religion and Catholicism; its not meant to slander, its meant to tell a

story set in a Catholic high school. I will do research on Catholic high schools and on

Catholicism in general. This will probably be the most expansive research as there is a lot that

goes into a big religion like Catholicism. I will research Catholic family dynamics, general

expectations of a Catholic person, and such. I really want to understand their culture as I am not

a part of it. I want to make it as accurate as possible with the presentation of all the ceremonies

that happen (morning mass, confession, graduation, funeral, etc.), the attire (habits for Sister

Chantelle, robes for the priest, and uniforms for the students), and the Catholic text that is spoken

through much of the play (the prayers, the verses, the hymns, etc.). This play is a great

representation and immersion of how beautiful Catholicism really is, and I want that story to be

told.

Overall, I want the audience to take away the message of being true to ones self, if

nothing else. This is an astonishing piece of theatre that I wish was more popular. It has changed

my life, and can change the lives of many.