Saints of Failure

Historic Grant Avenue Church, Denver, Colorado | 2021

Holy Trinity Church, Juneau, Alaska | 2020

Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, New York | 2019

If you’ve failed God & God’s failed you, just put on some makeup to make holy what’s profane. … Ryan Conarro's SAINTS OF FAILURE explores the collision of queer and Christian identities in America, through storytelling, original organ music, and live makeup transformations. Ryan's stories weave with Risha Rox’s makeup design and live organ accompaniment to invite audiences into memories of loss, mystery, discovery, and liberation.

Please find a video glimpse of a workshop version of SAINTS OF FAILURE here.

SAINTS is performed in touring, site-specific productions in church sanctuaries.

SAINTS premiered Oct 24-Nov 9, 2019 in a site-specific production in the historic sanctuary of Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, presented by Generator Theater Company with support from Brooklyn Arts Council, and in collaboration with the Brooklyn Pride Center.

Created & performed by Ryan Conarro

Director: Ellie Heyman

Associate director: Ashlin Hatch

Makeup designer and coach: Risha Rox

Lighting design: Mary Ellen Stebbins

Costume design: Haydee Antunaño

Scenic design: Matt Davidson (Juneau) and Haydee Antunaño (Brooklyn)

Sound design: Eric Sluyter

Original music and live accompaniment: Martha Yordy & Mark Middlebrooks (Denver); Laurie Clough (Juneau); Andrew Drannon (Brooklyn)

Construction: Steven McDonald (Denver); Matt Davidson (Juneau); Justin Perkins (Brooklyn)

Technical direction: Steven McDonald (Denver); Dylan Friedman (Brooklyn)

Production stage manager: Chris Luebke & Tess Neel (Denver); Kristin Garot (Juneau); Aoife Hough (Brooklyn)

Associate producer: Ayana Parker Morrison

First created in residency at Goddard College Interdisciplinary Arts Program, and presented at Fort Worden State Park Pitkin Gallery, Port Townsend, Washington. 2015.

Development residency at Gainesville Theatre Alliance Guest Artist Program, Gainesville, GA: Fall 2016.

Presentation and Artist Talk at Claflin University’s Arts & Letters Annual Bash, Orangeburg, SC: April 2017.

Dixon Place HOT! Festival of Queer Culture: July 2017.