Courtesy Photos | Carolyn Brown                                 Ryan Conarro, who stars in and created “Saints of Failure,” applies makeup during a performance of the show that is coming to Juneau Friday and Saturday. Below, Conarro speaks during a performance.

Courtesy Photos | Carolyn Brown Ryan Conarro, who stars in and created “Saints of Failure,” applies makeup during a performance of the show that is coming to Juneau Friday and Saturday. Below, Conarro speaks during a performance.

New show confronts clash between church and sexual orientation

The ‘Saints’ are coming.

‘Saints of Failure” could have been performed some place secular — it has been before — but Ryan Conarro who stars in and created the new show is glad it will be performed in a Juneau church.

The show, which blends theater and performance art, examines Conarro’s layered identity as both a gay man and a Christian through storytelling and self-applied makeup. It’s coming Friday and Saturday to Juneau’s Church of the Holy Trinity.

“The piece belongs in the sanctuary of a worship space,” Conarro said in an interview. “It could be done in a less evocative space or a more sort of ‘neutral’ space, but it does belong in a space where we can be in the questions of the piece.”

Ryan Conarro, who stars in and created “Saints of Failure” speaks during a performance of the show. Conarro’s appearance changes during the course of the performance. (Courtesy Photo | Carolyn Brown)

Ryan Conarro, who stars in and created “Saints of Failure” speaks during a performance of the show. Conarro’s appearance changes during the course of the performance. (Courtesy Photo | Carolyn Brown)

“I really enjoy being in the questions, which is what the piece is about, and I really enjoy sharing those questions in a community setting,” he added.

[More than just a Gold Rush town]

In “Saints of Failure” Conarro, who grew up as a Catholic Army brat and spent a significant portion of his childhood in north Georgia, shares his lived experiences, explores the stories of saints canonized by the Catholic Church and creates a titular pantheon of saints that celebrate what Conarro said could be considered failures.

“In a way that’s kind of the conversation of the piece, what is the friction between LGBTQ identity and the christian experience,” Conarro said. “Another piece of the story is my experience getting married as a gay man, obviously not within the Catholic church, and then getting divorced.”

That conversation is coupled with a visual transformation as Conarro applies makeup in layers designed by corporeal artist Risha Rox.

“The makeup sort of becomes a metaphor for accumulating layers of identity,” Conarro said.

He said before “Saints of Failure” he did not have experience using his face and body as a canvas for a multi-hued, multi-layered transformation.

“Physically, I’m seated at a makeup table for most of the show at the altar of a church,” Conarro said. “At the same time, it’s actually quite a physically demanding experience to perform it because of the focused energy and coordination it requires to speak and express the storytelling and do the makeup. It’s makeup choreography really. It’s exciting, I like the demand.”

Courtesy Photo | Carolyn Brown                                Ryan Conarro, who stars in and created “Saints of Failure” dons makeup during a performance of the show. The makeup, which is applied during autobiographical stories in part represents multiple layers of identity.

Courtesy Photo | Carolyn Brown Ryan Conarro, who stars in and created “Saints of Failure” dons makeup during a performance of the show. The makeup, which is applied during autobiographical stories in part represents multiple layers of identity.

Plus, Rox had to come up with a design that Conarro could learn and apply himself.

He credited both Rox and the show’s director Ellie Heyman for “Saints of Failure” progressing from a gallery installation to its current state.

The piece is a production of Generator Theater, a theater company cofounded by Conarro and other Juneau artists in 2007, and it will feature Laurie Clough on the organ.

Conarro said the storytelling aspect of “Saints of Failure” lasts about 50 minutes and is followed by a community conversation. Friday’s conversation will be moderated by Saralyn Tabachnick and Ricky Tagaban. Saturday’s will be moderated by Austin Tagaban and a co-moderator to be named.

“They’re there to kind of zoom out and say, ‘Let’s make an opportunity for other people to share,’ ” Conarro said.

• Contact reporter Ben Hohenstatt at (907)523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.

Know & Go

What: “Saints of Failure”

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Where: Church of the Holy Trinity, 325 Gold St.

Admission: General admission costs $25, $18 for seniors, $15 for kindergarten-high school students, $5 for children 5 and younger and University of Alaska Southeast students. Conarro said he was reluctant to advise an age restriction for the show but said parents of young children should be prepared to have conversations with their children about the show’s subject matter.

More in News

The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Ships in port for the week of June 15

This information comes from the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska’s 2025 schedule.… Continue reading

Sunlight gleams through the Tongass National Forest in Juneau on Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Trump land sale plan draws protest in Sitka

Sitka residents are mounting a strong response to a draft provision of… Continue reading

In this still image from a video provided to the Alaska Beacon, the cruise ship Celebrity Edge (at right) is seen drifting toward the Carnival Luminosa (at left). Three other cruise ships are seen moored to the Juneau docks. (Video screenshot)
Coast Guard investigates storm-caused near-collision between two cruise ships in Juneau

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating a near-collision between two cruise ships… Continue reading

A ferry worker ties up the Hubbard on Sunday, April 21, 2024, as it docks in Haines, Alaska. (Rashah McChesney / Chilkat Valley News)
Weekend ferry cancellation complicates travel for bike relay, solstice

A ferry cancellation will affect travel plans for some participants of the… Continue reading

Chris Storey shows where he found an incapacitated man in an embankment along Glacier Highway in Lemon Creek during the early morning hours of Monday, June 16, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Man who collapses near roadside rescued in early morning hours by passerby

Chris Storey, a former adult care worker who was homeless until April, assists man in distress.

Families write messages in chalk outside the governor's mansion on Friday, June 13, 2025. (Natalie Buttner / Juneau Empire)
Chalking up education funding outrage on the sidewalk at the governor’s mansion

Families protest Dunleavy’s vetoes to education funding with colorful pictures and words.

Boats at Douglas Harbor under mostly clear skies on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
80°F in Juneau will trigger first-ever National Weather Service heat advisories

Officials say sun’s angle in Alaska makes temperatures feel higher compared to other states.

Christina Love leads the audience in raising their fist, symbolizing telling the truth despite fear on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Natalie Buttner / Juneau Empire)
Juneau joins nation in ‘No Kings’ protest

More than 1,000 protestors join millions nationwide opposing Trump as he presides over military parade.

Most Read