One Body
a satirical Eucharist
ONE BODY
is a satirical Eucharist written and performed by Heather Jones. ONE BODY involves scripted comedy and poetry, improvised audience participation, and new music composed for voice and electronics. In a typical Eucharist, there is communion, but in ONE BODY it’s not bread and wine. In church there are lessons and a gospel reading, but in fake church they don’t have to be from the the bible. One identical element is that there’s sitting, standing, and singing, so please come warmed up and ready to actively participate in worship.
Heather comes from a long line of Southern Baptist and Episcopalian clergy and has been dutifully singing in church choirs - now professionally - for several decades. Their parents listened to them dramatically recite the Lord’s Prayer every night before bed and Heather peaked when they won the coveted title of Head Chorister in their church's Royal School of Church Music program in Charleston, SC. There’s been a lot of nihilism/depression/therapy since then, but Heather has come to appreciate the the ironic balance in the theatricality of church and the religious practice of creating theatre.
The concept for ONE BODY arose during Heather’s gender transition when they were pondering how to shed their old identity to make space for a new, more authentic life. Death and resurrection - sound familiar? That’s a liturgically-informed Christ complex.
Watch NYC workshop excerpts ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
The Gospel of Some Dude I Dated in my Twenties, according to Heather
Opening Hymn Medley
“Sparrow” - arranged for Omnichord, loop station, and live vocals
What people are saying about ONE BODY
“It was phenomenal!! It was so wittingly wittily conceived and both your theatrical humor and exquisite vocal talent were truly appreciated. ”
“You took religious trauma and served it up in a beautifully human and compassionate way”
“I have always thought, as I’m sure so many of our colleagues have, wouldn’t it be fun to keep the good parts of church but make it not churchy? And you did exactly that. It was so much fun.”
To book this show or donate to future productions, please spend some time with the buttons below.
The development of ONE BODY in 2024-2025 was made possible by the Episcopal Mission in Sunnyside, Avaloch Farm Music Institute, the Bechdel Project, and Sour Grapes Productions’ In the Works Series. These organizations have provided mentorship, financial backing, musical instruments and gear, rehearsal space, performance opportunities, advertising, and most importantly, trust in me and this piece. Thank you.
