Bare Analysis

Plot Summary

bare is a story about two gay high school students at a Catholic High
School. The story displays the struggle of teens throughout their high school
years if they have low self-esteem or do not believe they belong . Peter and
Jason are the two boys who fall in love. The two boys have many problems to
face including the fear of being caught together. When Jason cheats on Peter
with the school slut, problems begin to arise when she falls for him . When
Peter wants to come out to his mother and Jason will not do so with him, the
boys begin to fight and their relationship is ended. When Ivy, the school slut,
and Jason had sex; they were unprotected and Ivy got pregnant . Peter is
visited by the “Virgin Mary” and is told that it is ok to be gay, but he must tell
his mother now that he had told Matt. When the children return from break,
tensions are high. Jason has told Ivy that he doesn’t love her and Peter is still
bitter towards Jason. Jason finds out that Ivy is pregnant and chaos ensues
between all the friends when Jason and Peter’s relationship is brought to
public attention. Jason begins to lose hope and after making sure Peter
knows that he will always love him, he overdoses on recreational drugs and
dies during their school musical. bare ends with the teens expressing their
feelings about the loss of Jason.

Title Duality
Bare- to be naked, to be without covering.  A story about showing
your true colors. Archaic simplistic past tense of Bear

Bear- to hold up, to bring forth, to suffer, to lead, to transmit or

spread. The story of putting a teen on display for all to see their flaws, trying
to hold up their confidence. To suffer a great loss: of life or of love. To lead
one to their destruction or to the truth. To transmit or spread rumors,
disease, or beliefs. 

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Themes in Bare
Teen pregnancy
Coping with who you are 
-Gay

Teen death
-By drugs
-Car accidents

School
-Failing
-Stress
-Peer ignorance

Drugs & alcohol

Unsupportive parents
Coming of age
Heartbreak 
Low self-esteem
Religion
Sexual experiences
-Virginity
-STDs

Generational changes
Breaking the status quo
Rejection
Loneliness
Confusion
Racial struggle
Stealing
Abandonment
Depression

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Plot Basis
Romeo and Juliet- forbidden love by parents and by society. Death of
lovers. Light and Dark switch roles. The one specified "dark" character is
accepting and welcoming, while the "pure" and "light" characters and church
are unwelcoming.

The Little Mermaid (fairy tale written by Hans Christian

Andersen)- story of a mermaid who would give up her everything to become
human and win the love of a prince. Peter is willing to give up his faith and
family if necessary to be Jason's one true love. When the mermaid gives up
her tail for legs, she drinks a potion that makes it feel as if she is stepping on
sharp swords any time she steps. This is relative to Peter's pain in losing his
family if he outs himself. 

Character Analysis
Peter- “whose name, significantly, is both a Catholic saint – he was an
original apostle and the first Pope – and a euphemism for the penis” (New
Line Theatre), ~17 year old boy, gay, trying to become comfortable with his
sexuality. Has a secret boyfriend, Jason, who is the class hottie . Sent to a
catholic school because his mother believed it would aid him in steering
straight (in both senses of the word). Confused because though he feels
happy as who he is, he also believes it is wrong due to his religion . He learns
that his sexuality is ok, and comes to terms with it through a dream of an
angel. He is taught that God loves all, and the catholic church, like everyone is
fallible. 

Jason- a ~17 year old boy, gay, who believes his sexuality is wrong .
His secret boyfriend, Peter, but is the school hottie and becomes the school
"slut's", Ivy, love interest. Jason's father is very rich, but uninterested in his
children besides Jason's success in sports and his acceptance to Notre Dame .
When Peter wants to come out, he fears that Peter's mom will tell his parents

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and he will be exiled from his family. Ivy and him have sexual encounters and
they do not use pregnancy. She becomes pregnant and due to her pregnancy,
he becomes overwhelmed with the stress of possible fatherhood and his
outing so he decides to self-medicate with illegal drugs, but they end up
killing him.

Matt- a ~17 year old boy, straight. Hard worker, good kid, dedicated.
Careful and tries to do right. Loses the role of Romeo, though he deserves it,
to Jason. Pressured into stealing the school’s van to drive to rave . Loses again
to Jason with his love interest in Ivy. Peter confides his sexuality in him while
drunk after the rave and keeps the secret until pushed by Jason during a
rehearsal, and then fully when Ivy’s pregnancy is revealed .

Sister Chantelle- a nun at the catholic boarding school and also the musical’s
director. Kind-hearted and intuitive. Understands the struggles that Peter is
going through and confronts him. She teaches him that God makes everyone
in an image He loves. She teaches him self-worth and the value of being who
you are.

Nadia- a ~17 year old girl, Jason’s twin, who struggles with her
weight and self-image. Though she is very talented and has been a part of the
shows every year, she loses the role of Juliet to the “pretty” girl . Nadia sings a
song about her weight and lack of beauty, but tries to prove her confidence .

Ivy- a 17 year old girl, promiscuous, who learns her faults in an

extreme way, pregnancy. Gets things that she wants due to her beauty and is
thought to be extremely happy with herself, though no one sees that she is
never happy because she is never truly loved or cared about, except for by
Matt, whom she rejects because he is not the picture perfect guy .

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 Claire- Peter’s mother. Unwilling to accept her son’s sexuality, so
whenever he tries to talk about it, she finds something else to say or hangs up
on him. Name is a symbol of clarity- the understanding and uninterrupted
viewing or knowledge of something. She is against her name because she
refuses to acknowledge the sexuality.

Peter’s Father- Though not a character seen in the show, he left his
family, and the audience is lead to believe he has done so due to his son’s
apparent sexuality. Abandonment is common for kids of differing sexualities,
and is a theme that is necessary to show a difference in Peter’s family
compared to Jason and Nadia’s.

Jason and Nadia’s Father- a rich man who doesn’t truly care for his
children. He shows his affection through means of money and gifts and
though he doesn’t care for his children, Jason does not want him to know of
his sexuality for fear that he would be exiled from his family .

Priest- a mysterious figure who is a symbol of the Church. Though he

should be there to support and aid the children, he ends up being one of the
causes of Jason’s death. When gone to for support, he shuts down Jason and
tells him that gay is wrong. He denies that God loves him no matter what, but
affirms that the Church is sometimes wrong, however you are to follow their
teachings anyway.

Lucas- a ~17 year old boy, drug dealer. He is the enabler for the kids’
problems and is the one who supplies Jason with his deadly dose .

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Music Analysis
Act I

Epiphany — Company
Song that is based during a dream/nightmare of Peter’s when he falls
asleep during mass. Peter has a nightmare that he is outed by the
congregation during mass and that they sing he is digressing from the norm .
He dreams that he must save his soul and that the way to heaven is personal
discipline. They sing of the shame he will cause for his mother and how he is
the probable cause for their divorce. He is confused as to how his love is
wrong if it is strong. His mother has a reading that speaks of how she
believes she had done something wrong in her parenting and that is the
reason for Peter’s sexuality. She does not believe that sexuality is not a choice
and that he needs to change his beliefs. His peers whom he believes to be
brothers of the church shun Peter throughout the song.

You & I — Jason, Peter and Students

Song that introduces the relationship of Jason and Peter in the show .
Many sexual innuendos are present and the love between them is shown .
Jason is also exposed to be a very popular kid in the school, due to his
attractiveness and his athletic feats. All the girls want him, and all the guys
want to be him. Jason assures Peter of their love and that he will never wrong
him. The want of Peter to tell his mother is first seen in this song. Peter
brings up the musical’s auditions to Jason for the first time, and through this,
we learn that everyday is an act for them since they are unable to be together
and who they truly are.

Role of a Lifetime — Peter

Song of Peter’s that speaks of his hidden self. He speaks of how
everyday is false and that though he wants to speak his thoughts he cannot
because he has to hide his true self and through the whole time smile . He
asks God for guidance because he hates hiding but also hopes that maybe he
can change his love. He exposes his confusion of how something that could

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make him so happy could be so wrong. He then goes on to say he plays the
role of being straight and never indulging in his true thoughts and beliefs . He
knows that Jason doesn’t want to be gay, and doesn’t want to be with him
forever. He knows Jason wants an average family and that Jason thinks that
he can just runaway from his true feelings, though Peter knows they will
never leave. They will always have to play pretend if they don’t want to be
who they are.

Auditions — Sister Chantelle & Students

The auditions for the musical version of Romeo and Juliet come
around. The auditions are not very good for anyone but Matt, who wants the
role of Romeo. Sister Chantelle is disappointed in the kids’ efforts . While she
speaks of the messiness of the auditions, Jason shows up and begins to
audition for the part of Romeo, unknown to anyone beforehand . Matt and
Jason begin to go head to head for the part, and though Matt truly deserves
the part due to his dedication, Jason gets the role. Everyone loves Jason
except Matt. The kids begin to talk about the rave they are going to on Friday
and reminisce of times before they “needed” drugs and that beer was enough .
The kids get their parts and once again, Nadia is screwed out of a part she can
play very well. The children speak to each other, questioning how they did .

Plain Jane Fat Ass — Nadia & Jason

Conversational song between Nadia and Jason (twins). Nadia speaks
of her weight and plain face and how she plays a role as the “ugly” girl so that
other girls feel good about themselves. The song is trying to prove her
strength but is the beginning of her breaking. Her and Jason make fun of their
parents and allow them to expose how they became who they are today .
Nadia reminds Jason that though she is not high on the totem pole now, it is
just high school, and when they get out she will be better off than them . She
exposes that she truly does just want someone to love her, though it won’t
happen. The song leads on to speak of a package that they have received from
their father for their birthday, two weeks late. Jason has gotten into Notre
Dame, and their dad is happy because it is his Alma Mater .

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Wonderland — Lucas & Students
Planning for Ivy’s birthday, but Ivy comes so they begin to talk about
the rave they are going to. They need a way there and convince Matt to steal
the church’s van. They call the rave “Wonderland” because it is somewhere
that no one can find you and you can just have fun. The rave is far away, and
the map isn’t good, but they say that they’d rather the difficult find than what
their parents’ parties were, discos. They joke about how their parents would
never understand the new parties and the kids don’t understand the dances
of the past generation. The kids joke with Matt that he is too dressed for the
rave, so he has to borrow someone else’s clothes. Lucas then takes over and
speaks of the drugs that he has for everyone to get high with . He explains the
power of the drugs and that they must be careful with them because they are
new to them.

A Quiet Night at Home — Nadia

Nadia decides not to go to the rave with everyone else . She decides to
stay home, but does not truly want to, she is just depressed with who she is .
She has a quiet night alone because everyone else is gone. She has no one but
God with her. She speaks of fairytales that she was told when she was
younger, and how there really are no princes. She finally allows herself to
admit to her depression. She believes that if she were just skinnier that she
would be pretty. She refers to Siren’s who sing songs to attract men but hers
does not work. She is upset because God never answers her prayers and
believes that He is ignoring her.

Rolling
A song that plays at the rave, just a techno beat. There is dialogue
heard between Matt and Lucas because Ivy has had too much and is about to
pass out. Matt takes her outside to get some air. Dialogue is also heard
between Peter and Jason. They are dancing together and though Peter didn’t
take anything he is comfortable with kissing Jason, but is pushed away . Jason
says that he wants to go outside for air, but Peter knows that he just can’t
kiss him in public, even if no one would remember.

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Best Kept Secret — Jason & Peter
Conversational song between Jason and Peter. Jason tells Peter he
knows that there has to be somewhere for them, but it isn’t here and until
they find it, they have to hide under the cloak of night . Peter rebuttals that he
thinks that with their love, and with each other’s strength, they could be ok to
be out together in public, but all Jason says back is that “its best kept secret” .
This angers Peter because there were a large about of people in the rave and
no one cared about them being together, he wants to give everyone a chance,
instead of just saying how they will react. Jason’s reaction is that it is just a
rave and when they are back in their CATHOLIC high school and all their
friends are sober, people will care again and he doesn’t want to be hurt by
the world. He wants Peter to think it through, and Peter argues that is what
he is doing. He accuses Jason of being a coward and Jason calls him a fool .
Peter looks to far to the future and Jason wants to just look at today and the
present. They end up keeping their secret, and Peter tells Jason that he loves
him, and gets no response.

Confession — Priest & Students

The kids have to go to confession, but believe it to oppressive and they
do not believe that they will change. They believe that their actions are their
own choices and that God/The Priest should not get involved . Peter and Matt
both ask if the church is failable and that just because something is a sin, does
that mean it must be wrong. Matt had seen Peter and Jason together and
wants to know if it is wrong to expose them, and if hiding it is as bad as
exposing it while Peter wants to know if Jason is wrong, and that the church
and world will accept them. The priest, instead of aiding the boys, tells them
that though it is possible for the church to be wrong, you should always
follow it. All of the kids begin to reprise the “hear my voice” lines and feel lost
and let down. The kids go on to rehearse the opening of the musical and
sound terrible, a symbol of their lost feelings .

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Portrait of a Girl — Ivy & Matt
This song is to show Ivy’s true feelings of the rumors about her . She is
painted as such a person, and now feels that she must live to that portrait,
though inside she is cold at heart because she is looked down upon . Matt is
taken aback by Ivy’s talent it painting and begins to tell her, though Ivy is still
stuck on her coldness. She is a hurt girl, she is broken, and she is bare. She is
truly not confident with herself, she is full of doubt, but is unable to express it
because of her reputation. She compares herself to a pearl, a truly beautiful
thing, hidden by a hideous exterior that she is unable to escape from .

Birthday, Bitch! — Students

“Birthday, Bitch!” shows some of the animosity of the students
towards Ivy. Though they are all friends, save Nadia, they all believe that she
is grossly promiscuous. They make fun of her birth, calling her mother a
hooker and her father just a customer (it is unclear if this is true or just
joking). They call her stupid but acknowledge her sexual features. They all
finish singing, except for Nadia who begins to take it a little too far, but
realizes and ends her verse. Before Ivy had shown up, their friend who was
keeping her busy got her trashed and now she is a wasted mess . Also, Peter
had accidently eaten a pot brownie and is now very high . He loses all self-
control and begins to flirt with Jason publically, wanting to go back to how it
was at the rave; he wants to tell everyone about them. Jason finds an escape
in Ivy, when she goes to try and win him over, unknowing of his sexuality.

One Kiss — Ivy & Jason

Ivy tries to get Jason to be with her. She begins to flirt with him, trying
to get with him; begging for a birthday kiss. She questions if he has realized
that she wants him and wonders if he is scared, which he truly is . She has
wanted to get with him for a while. He tries to deny because he does not like
her and doesn’t want to mess up their friendship, or his relationship . She
believes that he is interested, and looking at her. He has a Freudian slip, and
accidently says “so how bout that French kiss” when he meant French test .
She takes this opportunity to push towards him more, asking him to finish

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her sentence “voulez-vous couche” with “avec moi.” This allows her to make
her move and explain that she isn’t whom he thinks. He just continues to
procrastinate the kiss. He finally gives in because it is her birthday, and there
is nothing more that he wants than to be straight.

Are You There? — Matt & Peter

This song is interesting, because though it is a soliloquy for both
characters, it is also conversational. The first verse is Matt asking God if he
knows how it feels to be alone and to just watch the world go on without him .
He questions why he has to hurt so badly, and why, if God is real, he isn’t
there and if he were, he would question why life is unfair to him. Peter then
asks if He knows what it is like to be scared that everything he does, will
amount to nothing. He talks about how though he knows Jason is gay, it still
hurts to see girls all over him, and not be able to say anything . He also
wonders if it is his own fault because he is a part of the act that is their secret
relationship. The boys both sing calling for help, questioning why God does
nothing about their hurt if it is in his power. At this point they realize that
they are not alone outside, and they sit together and vent . They begin to
drink wine and soon enough they are drunk. They both had left the party
because the one they love was ignoring them, and Matt questions why he is
so lost when all he tries to do is the right thing. Both of them just want a sign
from God that things will be ok, and that they will work out . They begin to
dance, and Peter tells Matt of his relationship with Jason . At this point, Matt
goes to bed, unsure of what to do with the newfound knowledge .

911! Emergency! — Virgin Mary & Cherubs

This song is a vision of Peter’s, of Sister Chantelle as the Virgin Mary.
Mary tells him that now that he has spoken his secret to another, it is truly
time to expose himself to his mother. She tells him that it is time to end the
lies of his life, but to begin this he must come out to his mother . It is time for
him to be an adult and give up on hiding this. She tells him that with the
exposing the truth, he will finally be happy.

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Reputation Stain'd — Students
Another rehearsal scene that becomes a piece of the plot . The boys are
rehearsing the fight scene between Tybalt, Mercutio, and Romeo. After
Mercutio (Peter) is killed, Tybalt (Matt) and Romeo (Jason) begin to fight .
This fight begins to get out of hand. Matt and Jason begin to actually fight and
when it gets to be too much, Matt calls Jason a faggot. At this point, Sister
Chantelle comes in to break it up, and end the rehearsal . Throughout the
fight, Ivy (Juliet) and Nadia (Nurse) rehearse a scene and Nadia keeps adding
a slap to the scene though there is none because she wants to smack Ivy .
After rehearsal, Peter tells Jason of his vision and asks him to come home
with Peter for spring break so that he could come out to his mother . Jason
thinks that he is joking, and when Peter tells him that he is not kidding, Jason
freaks out and makes it to be something bigger than it is. Jason believes that
if Peter’s mom knows she will tell his parents and at that point, he will be
disowned and unable to attend Notre Dame in the fall. Peter admits to almost
telling the priest because he needs to talk about it and that it will not be a big
deal because they will be out of school very soon, but Jason argues that it will
always be a problem. Their relationship ends.

Ever After — Peter & Jason

A song between Peter and Jason, questioning the ease of their break
up. Peter questions if he even knows who Jason truly is . He asks where the
one that loved him went, and who this new Jason is. Jason is deserting him,
after protecting and helping him grow, while never aiding in his own growth .
Peter asks what happened to their forever, what happened to loving each
other, and calls Jason out on being a “straight-acting coward” . Jason gets
extremely angry at this statement, considering the fact that they were ok
when they hid who they were. Jason wasn’t the one who began to change,
Peter did. In the end of the song, Jason makes Peter realize there are not
always happy endings to fairy tales, and this is one of those times . Jason has
Peter promise he won’t tell anybody about him, but it is too late .

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Spring — Nadia
Spring is a pretty self-explanatory song for its lyrics . It is basically just
telling the audience Nadia’s feelings towards the time of year . It is also a way
to show the passage of time, and show it was when Jason was supposed to be
going home with Peter…if they didn’t break up.

One — Ivy, Jason, Nadia, Matt and Peter

A reiteration of Ivy’s feelings towards Jason. She is very interested in
him, and wants to know that the night of her birthday was not just because
she was drunk. She tells him to kiss her if he has feelings for her; he kisses
her once more. At this point, Nadia and Matt begin to sing about their despair
to fit in. Jason and Ivy sing to each other that they are each other’s one and
only. Peter sings of his loneliness as he waits for his mother to answer his
phone call once again.

Act II

Wedding Bells — Company

Another dream-like state of Peter’s in which he about to be married to
Jason. They are on the alter and while they are exchanging vows, the dream
turns bad and he loses Jason. His mother asks where his bride is, but he has
none. Ivy comes and is married by the priest to Jason. Peter tries to keep
Jason, but he leaves with Ivy, and Peter is once again alone .

In The Hallway — Students

Jason and Peter’s friendship is strained, basically over . They are not
roommates anymore, and Peter doesn’t want to be associated with him . Class
ranks go up, and once again, Matt loses his spot on top to someone else .
Lucas is excited to see he is not last, but forgot that the girl who had died
during the semester is the one that is last, so in reality he is the bottom of the
class.

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Touch My Soul — Ivy & Jason
Ivy confronts Jason because they hadn’t spoke all break . She tells him
that things never last long for her, and she is used to it. She tells him of her
past, how she would have relations with someone, and then it would be over .
But it is different this time; his kiss changed her. He is what was missing from
her; she asks him to stay. She truly believes that they are meant to be. She
wants them to be together, and wants him to be a special part of her . He tells
her that he has felt that way once before. And tells her that they cannot be
together anymore, because he does not feel the same way about her that she
feels about him, as much as he wishes he could.

See Me — Peter & Claire

Peter tries once again to talk to his mother about his sexuality; he
didn’t find a way to do it during break. He keeps explaining that he needs to
tell her something though she probably already knows, and she just keeps
talking and trying to drown him out. He tells her that he has sat in silence to
long and it is time he tells her the truth but she won’t let him. She acts as if it
is a burden to her and tells him that she cannot take care of his problems
anymore. All he wants is to tell her, and she won’t even let him do that . She
refuses, and goes to hang up. His last words to her on the phone are “Please
see me.” All he wants is for her to know who she truly is.

Warning — Claire
Claire finally knows the truth, though she never lets him say it . She
knows her son is gay, and is completely broken over the news . She wishes
she had a warning, but his entire life was a warning, his sexuality was always
ever-present. Her name Claire comes into play here, she states that are things
that you don’t let yourself see, and her clarity was skewed when it came to
this fact. She wishes she knew how to handle it. She wants to be there for her
son, but does not know how.

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Pilgrim's Hands — Jason, Peter and Students
Jason tries to talk to Peter once again, but Peter ignores it . Ivy doesn’t
show up to rehearsal so Diane takes her spot, though she does not know the
lines. Jason’s first line of the song is about ruining someone’s purity with an
impure hand. This line refers to his relationship with Peter; he ruined Peter
and cheated on him, and now does not know how to treat him correctly . He
just wants to be back with him. Peter steps in for Diane, because he knows
the lines, and tells Jason through the song that there is no need to worry
anymore, he is blaming himself too much, and that what had happened was
natural. At this point, one of the guys pokes fun at the male on male contact,
but Sister Chantelle rebuttals with the fact that all roles of Shakespeare’s
time were played by males. The song continues on, and Ivy shows up to
rehearsal to take her place as Juliet. Ivy wants to speak to Jason, but he has to
do his work, so he makes a deal with her to meet before rehearsal so that
they can speak. Peter left his bag, so when he goes back to get it, Sister
Chantelle stops him so that they can talk.

God Don't Make No Trash — Sister Chantelle

Sister tells Peter that God makes no mistakes with the people that he
makes. Everyone that he makes is whom he wants and everyone is important
to the world. God will always be there for him and that those against him are
wrong. She tells him that love is what it is, and it will be his freedom from life .
Anyone can fall in love, and it is ok. Sister Chantelle tells him that she is an
advocate for gays because there is “a black woman inside of every gay man .”
Peter admits to just being confused by life, but Sister tells him that it is the
biggest mistake to not be oneself for others. She will always be there for him
as will God.

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All Grown Up — Ivy and Nadia
Nadia and Ivy meet again in their room. Nadia judges her for her
mood because she has always gotten everything that she wanted until now .
Nadia admits her envy of Ivy because of her beauty, but Ivy reveals her
secrets. Ivy misses when they were all younger, they were all just friends,
there was no love, and there was no hurt. Ivy tells Nadia of her pain and
anger that is bubbling within her. Ivy is finally grown up, but life is just
pushing her back down, and always will. She wishes her mother could see
her where she is today: hurt, broken, and confused. She realizes that her
scandalous ways were wrong and that if she had learned to stop before
anything gets too much she would not be in this mess, but it is too late for
her. Her dreams are ending, and she just needs guidance. She questions who
and what she is supposed to be now. Is she supposed to be a loving mother to
her unborn child, or is she to give it up. The world is a cruel place to be on
your own at 17, and that is exactly where she is.

Promise — Jason, Ivy, Matt, Peter and Nadia

Jason is getting ready for his speech. “Promise...Webster's defines
promise as “A declaration that something will or will not be done””.
Something he has not followed, he broke his promise to Peter; that they will
be ever after. Ivy comes in to confront him for evading her attempts to talk to
him. He thinks that she just wants him back so he just blows her off. He tells
her that they had their fling but there is nothing there. They had fun but now
he has too much going on. He wants to move on. She reminds him that they
didn’t use protection when they had sex and asks how to move on . He doesn’t
understand and thinks she is playing around so he tells her again that he has
to work on his speech. She finally comes out and tells him that he has gotten
her pregnant. He blames it on her at first, but they need to pull together to
figure it out. He tells her that he could possibly love her one-day, but at this
time Matt comes in to break this charade up. Matt tells Ivy what Jason never
did, that Jason is gay. At this point Peter and Nadia come in, Nadia telling
Jason that he needs to see Ivy before realizing he is already talking to her .
Matt tells Peter that Ivy is pregnant and that his boyfriend, Jason, is the

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father. Peter, either playing dumb, or because they broke up, questions the
use of the word boyfriend. Matt, playing the antagonist brings it to
everyone’s attention that he saw something at the rave, and Jason denies
anything happening. They are about to fight, but Peter admits to telling Matt
about them being a couple. Once again, the Peter and Jason are in a fight.
Nadia tells her brother, Jason, that she will always be there for him, and that
they will figure out what to do. She tells him to make sure he calls her.

Once Upon a Time — Jason

Jason looks back to when he first fell for Peter. Before he saw any bad
in being in love with Peter, and before he fell as Peter rose to have self-
confidence. Jason sees that there is so much more that he needs to tell Peter,
but everything he has planned is a mess. He is on the outside of the cold
church, but has no home for his soul anywhere else. He looks for aid from
God, who is supposed to love him. He wants to know if Peter and God will
take him back and protect him while he falls. At one point all he needed was
Peter’s love and touch, and now he has no clue what he needs, and hopes to
find something from God.

Cross — Jason & Priest

Jason goes to the Priest for guidance in his struggles. He tries to tell
the Priest of his struggles, but is having a hard time. The Priest tells him that
he is there for him, to understand him, and to help him find what he is
seeking. Jason has always tried to be someone he isn’t and is realizing that he
cannot do that anymore though he doesn’t want to be gay; he doesn’t want to
be different. The Priest doesn’t tell him much besides God will help him find
his way. He refuses to give Jason any true aid, and this pushes Jason over . He
wishes to see the Priest; he knows he doesn’t belong. The Priest keeps
running away from something truly helpful to say, he tells Jason to just
occupy his mind with other matters and to pray for aid . When Jason calls for
a true answer, the Priest offers no sympathy, just saying, “the teachings are
clear,” basically telling Jason that it is wrong to be gay and the only way to
make it through is to not act upon his feelings.

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Two Households — Students
A final rehearsal of the opening of the show. There is no romance
going on between Jason and Ivy as Romeo and Juliet . The prologue of Romeo
and Juliet is recited, as a symbol of the unfortunate love between Peter and
Jason, and the impending doom of one or both of them . Lucas brings Jason
the drugs that he had wanted. Jason tells Peter that he tried to talk to the
Priest about them but it didn’t go well. Jason wants for them to runaway
together, but Peter tells him that they cannot do that anymore . They are over.

Bare — Jason & Peter

Jason and Peter reflect on their beginning. Jason wants to make sure
that Peter will always remember how much he loves him . Jason reminds
Peter that he was and is his everything. He was the question and the answer.
Jason wants Peter to know that he is the only reason he has in the world,
Peter is the only truth, and Peter was his teacher. Peter reminisces on their
first kiss. He says that the world seemed to freeze, and all that mattered were
their lips, but now it is time to move forward. Peter is unsure of what the
correct answer is, and knows that nothing can tell him the true answer
because prayer is no aid. Peter knows that he must move on, and their souls
must split. They both feel exposed or “bare”. They are afraid and they do not
know what to do. They know it is the right thing to move on. Peter doesn’t
want it to be goodbye, just an end to their relationship . Jason foreshadows
that it is by telling Peter that he tried. The play is beginning, but Jason doesn’t
want to leave the moment that they are in. They both loved each other from
the beginning. But now it is over. Jason wants Peter to always remember
their love, and hold on to it forever.

Queen Mab — Peter and Jason

Peter performs the Queen Mab monologue as Mercutio, but Peter as
Romeo is high off his mind. Jason does not know his lines and Peter must
cover. Romeo had a dream that is true. Queen Mab had visited him in his
dream and made him dream of lust and love. The people affected by Queen
Mab are woken up to the wanting of more, but fall back to sleep when they

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realize the feeling is gone. Jason is beginning to fall down. A repeat of the
music of “Bare” is playing in the background but turns sour as Jason falls to
the floor and is pronounced dead.

A Glooming Peace — Students

The lights come back up on the scene of Jason’s funeral . The Priest
that was one of the reasons for Jason’s ultimate demise expresses his sorrow
and tells Peter that many go to the Church to seek guidance during these
hard times.

Absolution — Peter
Continuing off of “A Glooming Peace” the Priest tells Peter that it has
to be hard to “lose a…friend at such a young age” and the word friend is one
of the most hurting words in the show. After seeing their relationship grow,
the Priest being unable to respect Peter and Jason enough to call Jason a love
is hurtful. The Priest tells him that everyone who loses someone asks what
they could have done and bitterly, Peter questions if the Priest does so also .
Peter knows that Jason asked the Priest for guidance, and when he could
have saved Jason by having a little bit of empathy, he turned his back . He
expresses that they were in love, and not only that but that their love was
completely pure. Peter questions how that could be terrible if it brought him
to God. Ironically, the Priest asks for forgiveness that is received .

No Voice — Company
All of the kids express their emotions on the loss of a friend, a lover,
and a brother, Jason. Nadia begins, telling Jason that though they are sad,
they will all make it through. He will always be a figure in their memory and
though he will not be physically present for graduation, she will leave a seat
open for him because he made it. He had always hidden his secret from her,
though she always knew. She wishes that they could have spoken about it
one day. Ivy comes up next, telling Jason of the hurt that he has caused for
her and everyone else. She doesn’t know how to comprehend the loss and the
gain that have come to her, and now she is alone to sort it out . Matt tries to
come up with the right words to say, but is left speechless . He thought maybe

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silence could be asked for, or the right quote could be found, but nothing is
right. Peter is last. He asks how something that began as a relationship
between him and Jason could become some big complicated web,
intertwining all of their friends. Peter wants to know if there was anything he
could have done, was there any voice of reason he could have offered to Jason
in a world that is so lonely. They all sing that there is no voice, no sound, no
words, no song, no heart, no love, no life, and no voice that can be used to
explain the loss. There is just one of all of this aforementioned things, Jason’s .

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Reaction

The pop opera bare is a show that has touched my heart greatly. Being
a gay teenager trying to find their way through life, it is nice to have a show
that I can truly relate to, unlike most romances that are between a man and
woman. Every song in this show can be used to express my emotions at one
point in my life, though not all the characters fit the exact roles to my life . I
have been in relationships that I had to hide who I was truly with because
they were not comfortable with whom they were, I have had to become
comfortable with who I am, and I have lost a friend. All aspects of this show
can be related to for me. This show has helped me understand life much
more than I did before listening to and watching it. To watch something that
could happen in my daily life play out before my own eyes I have learned
how I can react to situations and also how I feel because of certain situations .
The show teaches teens that though everything is not how they are taught it
should be, it doesn’t mean it is wrong. Every generation has a new outlook on
the way things should be, and you should always be there for your friends,
because you may never know their true feelings or their true pain. To lose
someone because of a lack of empathy is a sad thing and to know as a viewer
that one of Jason’s peers or authority figures could have saved him is just as
heart-rending. Empathy is a necessity for daily life and interaction with
others. Also, the show displays the way that teens believe that
everything in their life is fatal and shows that when actions towards
fatal steps are taken many people are hurt even though the fatality was
unnecessary.

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Bibliography
Bare Information
http://www.newlinetheatre.com/barechapter.html

Bare Information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bare:_A_Pop_Opera#

Little Mermaid Fairytale Information

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Mermaid#

Lyrics from St Lyrics

http://www.stlyrics.com/b/bareapopopera.htm

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