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Christology and The Semiotics of Theater
Isn't that a wonderfully pretentious title??
My dear friend![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
queenofhalves posted this entry about attending a performance of Jesus Christ Superstar in which a woman had been cast as Jesus. I started to respond in comments, but soon realized it merited an entry of my own.
One of my big unfulfilled ambitions is to direct Godspell, and cast Jesus as a woman, and play with the gender dynamic, especially with John/Judas, the woman caught in adultery, and the woman who sings "Turn Back O Man." It wouldn't be a male Jesus played by a woman (as women sometimes play Hamlet, or other male roles), it would be Jesus as as female, with feminine costuming and a feminine sensibility. Which I think Godspell can handle better as a text/show than Superstar.
Why? Most importantly, I believe that the Divine is without gender, and that The Good News, the message of the life and words, and death and resurrection, of the Christ remains the same, irregardless of the gender of the avatar. In a world where women are denied full participation in many churches because they are not male (something I think violates the example of Christ), this is a real, crucial issue. And I have a big issue with the Catholic Church denying ordination to women in part because they can not project "the image of Christ" when they preside at the Eucharist. How does one project the "image" of Christ? Is it about gonads, or about living in the presence of God and radiating God's love?
Second, I believe that while Godspell is a very good piece of theater, tweaking the gender dynamics can revitalize a text that has become so familiar it is verging on cliched.
After all the uproar over Gibson's The Passion I hesitate to write this, but it's also true that I think that showing a woman being crucified will up the emotional impact. Godspell isn't about blood and guts, so I'm not talking about adding gore. The crucifixion scene in any show is a set-piece, very familiar, a ritual. Executing an innocent woman rather than an innocent man hits different centers of meaning for most of us, whether we want to make those distinctions or not.
I'd also like to move away from the traditional portrayal of the disciples as all younger people, and have more of a range of ages. I'd like to have a gay couple among them. I'd like to have a moderated discussion after at least a couple of the performances, so the audience and the cast and I can talk to each other about what difference, if any, the changes make.
When I originally conceived this idea, I wanted to have my very talented sister,raptures_shadow play Jesus, but I don't think that's going to happen now that she is living on the other side of the country. But she would have been great.
My parents attend a Baptist church that uses gender-inclusive language, and is "welcoming and affirming," which means that they believe being homosexual should not bar anyone from full participation in the church. They have an active theater group, and a rich musical program. One day, perhaps when The Child is a bit older, I'll go to them with a proposal. . .
My own church would be willing to do it, but it's so small it lacks the resources.
I'm suddenly finding that I'm hesitant to push the "Update Journal" button. I feel pretty sure that some of my LJ Friends may strongly disagree with some of what I've written here, and I deal far better with controversy in the abstract than when it means possibly offending or distressing people I care about.
My dear friend
queenofhalves posted this entry about attending a performance of Jesus Christ Superstar in which a woman had been cast as Jesus. I started to respond in comments, but soon realized it merited an entry of my own.One of my big unfulfilled ambitions is to direct Godspell, and cast Jesus as a woman, and play with the gender dynamic, especially with John/Judas, the woman caught in adultery, and the woman who sings "Turn Back O Man." It wouldn't be a male Jesus played by a woman (as women sometimes play Hamlet, or other male roles), it would be Jesus as as female, with feminine costuming and a feminine sensibility. Which I think Godspell can handle better as a text/show than Superstar.
Why? Most importantly, I believe that the Divine is without gender, and that The Good News, the message of the life and words, and death and resurrection, of the Christ remains the same, irregardless of the gender of the avatar. In a world where women are denied full participation in many churches because they are not male (something I think violates the example of Christ), this is a real, crucial issue. And I have a big issue with the Catholic Church denying ordination to women in part because they can not project "the image of Christ" when they preside at the Eucharist. How does one project the "image" of Christ? Is it about gonads, or about living in the presence of God and radiating God's love?
Second, I believe that while Godspell is a very good piece of theater, tweaking the gender dynamics can revitalize a text that has become so familiar it is verging on cliched.
After all the uproar over Gibson's The Passion I hesitate to write this, but it's also true that I think that showing a woman being crucified will up the emotional impact. Godspell isn't about blood and guts, so I'm not talking about adding gore. The crucifixion scene in any show is a set-piece, very familiar, a ritual. Executing an innocent woman rather than an innocent man hits different centers of meaning for most of us, whether we want to make those distinctions or not.
I'd also like to move away from the traditional portrayal of the disciples as all younger people, and have more of a range of ages. I'd like to have a gay couple among them. I'd like to have a moderated discussion after at least a couple of the performances, so the audience and the cast and I can talk to each other about what difference, if any, the changes make.
When I originally conceived this idea, I wanted to have my very talented sister,
raptures_shadow play Jesus, but I don't think that's going to happen now that she is living on the other side of the country. But she would have been great. My parents attend a Baptist church that uses gender-inclusive language, and is "welcoming and affirming," which means that they believe being homosexual should not bar anyone from full participation in the church. They have an active theater group, and a rich musical program. One day, perhaps when The Child is a bit older, I'll go to them with a proposal. . .
My own church would be willing to do it, but it's so small it lacks the resources.
I'm suddenly finding that I'm hesitant to push the "Update Journal" button. I feel pretty sure that some of my LJ Friends may strongly disagree with some of what I've written here, and I deal far better with controversy in the abstract than when it means possibly offending or distressing people I care about.
Re: Wonderful idea and some thoughts
That is one way in which I think casting a female Jesus, playing him as a female would be difficult, because she would be far more shocking to her society than Jesus as a male was. I don't think she would make it to the cross; I think a woman like that might well be stoned to death in the streets, in that culture. Associating with prostitutes, lepers, and the unclean? Living with a lot of men who weren't her husband? *shakes head* I think it would be very difficult to portray that realistically without changing the story in a lot of ways. But it would still be interesting.
Chantal
Re: Wonderful idea and some thoughts
This is an excellent point. I think that one of the most important reasons that Christ was male was that, as you observe, that society would simply not have listened to a woman. That's one reason why Godspell works for the gender-bending. It is set in a modern, urban environment. You don't have to worry about not being true to the historical-cultural details.
Associating with prostitutes, lepers, and the unclean? Living with a lot of men who weren't her husband? *shakes head*
Look what happened to Mary Magdalene's reputation. Tradition associates her with the woman caught in adultery and the "sinful" woman who annointed Jesus' feet -- but there is nothing in the gospels to support that. You hear much more about her as a "repentant prostitute" than as the woman to whom was given the first vision of the risen Christ and then given the task of announcing it to the other disciples.
Of course, in recent years there have been a whole new series of stories about Magdalene, connecting her with the Grail and the sacred marriage, and etc. But the "penitent whore" has been a powerful image for centuries.