(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) A play about Joan of Arc will portray the saint as “gender neutral” and will refer to her using “they/them” pronouns in a production that’s been hailed as “alive, queer and full of hope.”
The Globe Theater in London will be hosting the play, titled I, Joan, which is opening in late August and will run through October, The Daily Wire reported.
“A cry for courage erupts in the Globe Theatre this summer with the premiere of I, Joan, a powerful and joyous new play which tells Joan of Arc’s story anew,” the website proclaimed.
“The men are all fighting, again. An endless war. From nowhere, an unexpected leader emerges. Young, poor and about to spark a revolution. This is Joan. Rebelling against the world’s expectations, questioning the gender binary, Joan finds their power and their belief spreads like fire.”
Director Michelle Terry said the presentation of Joan as gender neutral is not a stretch of the character, and posited that “they/them” pronouns were used “as early as 1375.”
“We are not the first to present Joan in this way, and we will not be the last. We can’t wait to share this production with everyone and discover this cultural icon,” The Globe shared on Twitter.
Our new play I, Joan shows Joan as a legendary leader who uses the pronouns ‘they/them’. We are not the first to present Joan in this way, and we will not be the last. We can’t wait to share this production with everyone and discover this cultural icon.https://t.co/19T7baWsRk pic.twitter.com/lrgOC59TvQ
— Shakespeare’s Globe (@The_Globe) August 11, 2022
The Globe stated that it is “unequivocally pro-human rights,” which “includes trans people, non-binary people, black and minority ethnic people, and people with disabilities. Trans men and woman and non-binary identities exist and are valid.”
It is unclear whether the showrunners know anything about Joan of Arc herself. Saint Joan was a young, patriotic military leader for France during the 100 Years War. She was captured and burned at the stake, but was later found to be innocent.
Joan of Arc was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1920.
