Date of Submission

Spring 2012

Academic Program

Theater

Project Advisor 1

Jonathan Rosenberg

Abstract/Artist's Statement

For my senior thesis project in theatre, I directed act III of Sarah Ruhl’s Passion Play. Through working on this piece, I explored the way religion and faith play a part in a world that constantly seems to disprove the existence of a higher benevolent power. We live in a world that is constantly consumed by violent warfare and terrorism. We witness mindless crime on a day to day basis and are forced to reconcile this injustice with a belief that someone somewhere is watching over us and constructing a master plan for us all. In this production, I asked the audience to question the role that faith has played in their lives. What defines a higher power that we should believe in? Is a private, specific faith that is informed by personal experience acceptable, or is subscription to an organized religion required to be a religious person? Can the role of a higher authority change based on lessons learned throughout life, or does that directly contradict the concept of unwavering faith? While I would not presume to say that my production answered all of these questions for my audience, I strove to bring these issues to light both for their personal reflection as well as my own.

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