Theatre and religion have often found themselves at opposing spectrums since Thespis stepped out from the chorus. This conflict usually plays out in the audience's response to what is presented on the stage. Fiddler on the Roof relies on the tradition and values of the Jewish faith to create an authentic experience for the audience. Godspell is based on the parables, mostly from the Gospel of St. Matthew. Some people have an issue with the fact that the musical doesn't have a resurrection, but Tebelak and Schwartz meant the play to reflect joy and community. Experiencing The Book of Mormon is less about learning what The Church of Latter Day Saints teaches and is more about how the Church responded to the satirical musical. The LDS used the show as an opportunity to proselytize. The theatrical “covers” of the three books offer audiences an authentic experience for the shows they represent.
","abstract_html":"<p>Theatre and religion have often found themselves at opposing spectrums since Thespis stepped out from the chorus. This conflict usually plays out in the audience's response to what is presented on the stage. <em>Fiddler on the Roof</em> relies on the tradition and values of the Jewish faith to create an authentic experience for the audience. <em>Godspell</em> is based on the parables, mostly from the Gospel of St. Matthew. Some people have an issue with the fact that the musical doesn't have a resurrection, but Tebelak and Schwartz meant the play to reflect joy and community. Experiencing <em>The Book of Mormon</em> is less about learning what The Church of Latter Day Saints teaches and is more about how the Church responded to the satirical musical. The LDS used the show as an opportunity to proselytize. The theatrical “covers” of the three books offer audiences an authentic experience for the shows they represent.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Oliver, Patricia H."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Theatre Education","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Theatre Department","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Brenda May Ito","Dr. Lawrence Dooley","Krystal Kennel"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2018-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:45:01Z","subjects":["Musical Theatre","Religion","The Book of Mormon","Godspell","Fiddler on the Roof","Education","Playwriting","Theatre and Performance Studies"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/340","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Brenda May Ito","Dr. Lawrence Dooley","Krystal Kennel"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Oliver, Patricia H."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2020-01-23T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Theatre Department"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Theatre Education"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Musical Theatre","Religion","The Book of Mormon","Godspell","Fiddler on the Roof","Education","Playwriting","Theatre and Performance Studies"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/340"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Theatre and religion have often found themselves at opposing spectrums since Thespis stepped out from the chorus. This conflict usually plays out in the audience's response to what is presented on the stage. Fiddler on the Roof relies on the tradition and values of the Jewish faith to create an authentic experience for the audience. Godspell is based on the parables, mostly from the Gospel of St. Matthew. Some people have an issue with the fact that the musical doesn't have a resurrection, but Tebelak and Schwartz meant the play to reflect joy and community. Experiencing The Book of Mormon is less about learning what The Church of Latter Day Saints teaches and is more about how the Church responded to the satirical musical. The LDS used the show as an opportunity to proselytize. The theatrical “covers” of the three books offer audiences an authentic experience for the shows they represent.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Should You Judge a Book by its Cover? The Authentic Relationship Between Religion and the Stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Godspell, and the Book of Mormon"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Brenda May Ito","Dr. Lawrence Dooley","Krystal Kennel"],"dc:creator":["Oliver, Patricia H."],"dc:date.available":["2020-01-23T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Theatre and religion have often found themselves at opposing spectrums since Thespis stepped out from the chorus. This conflict usually plays out in the audience's response to what is presented on the stage. Fiddler on the Roof relies on the tradition and values of the Jewish faith to create an authentic experience for the audience. Godspell is based on the parables, mostly from the Gospel of St. Matthew. Some people have an issue with the fact that the musical doesn't have a resurrection, but Tebelak and Schwartz meant the play to reflect joy and community. Experiencing The Book of Mormon is less about learning what The Church of Latter Day Saints teaches and is more about how the Church responded to the satirical musical. The LDS used the show as an opportunity to proselytize. The theatrical “covers” of the three books offer audiences an authentic experience for the shows they represent.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/340"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["Musical Theatre","Religion","The Book of Mormon","Godspell","Fiddler on the Roof","Education","Playwriting","Theatre and Performance Studies"],"dc:title":["Should You Judge a Book by its Cover? The Authentic Relationship Between Religion and the Stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Godspell, and the Book of Mormon"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Theatre Department"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Theatre Education"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:45:01Z"}