sins with all my heart: Autobiography and Performance as Activist Intervention

Abstract

sins with all my heart is a live solo autobiographical performance exploring contemporary themes of gay identity, HIV/AIDS, spirituality, community, and social surveillance that uses confession as a metaphoric framing device. In this M.F.A. thesis document, the performance is contextualized within the aesthetic and narrative concerns of queer solo autobiographical performance. This paper discusses the motivating factors behind the work, and describes how autobiographical performance can engage the broader social issues of a community.