Theatre and Media Arts professor Megan Sanborn Jones will discuss the importance of the physical body in theatre and religion at the December Faith and Works Lecture
The College of Fine Arts and Communications 2018-19 Faith and Works Lecture series will feature Megan Sanborn Jones from the department of Theatre and Media Arts on December 6 at 11 a.m. Her remarks at the December lecture will focus on how performance reframes the commandment in Matthew 5:48 to “be perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” Jones will discuss how acting theories can give insight into the relationship between the spirit and body with a close look at the embodied performance Jesus Christ gave as an example. “The weight of perfection is heavy in modern society, especially perhaps for BYU students who feel the double burden of societal expectations and also religious imperatives,” Jones said. “Bodies are divine gifts and stepping-stones to divinity. Using our bodies in more holy ways, and using our bodies in the way Christ used his body, will therefore help us move in the direction of perfection.” Jones serves as artistic director of BYU Theatre and as the associate chair of the department. She is a director and choreographer with credits at BYU including Shannon Hale’s “Princess Academy,” The Young Company’s “Twelfth Night” and Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties.” Jones has published work in journals such as Theatre Journal, Theatre Topics and Theatre History Studies. She also published her book “Contemporary Mormon Pageantry: Seeking After the Dead” in October 2018. The lecture will take place on Dec. 6 at 11 a.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall.