Goshen College’s theater department debuted its spring play, “Poor Clare” by Chiara Atik, on Friday. While based on a medieval story, this play is anything but old-fashioned.

Set in Assisi, Italy, in the year 1211, the show follows St. Clare, a wealthy teenager, and her interactions with St. Francis. Although she begins the show as a normal teenage girl, she grows throughout the play into a thoughtful, compassionate community member.

“[Clare] was raised as a very strong, independent woman, and is not afraid to talk back or fight for what she believes in,” Mairin Mendoza, a senior theater major playing the role of Clare, said. “She’s this little, fun, cute person at the beginning of the show, and then in act two, she’s kind of sad. That’s when reality really hits her and she starts to really believe in the teachings of St. Francis.”

Francis himself is featured in this play as well, played by Teo Kingsley, a junior theater major. “Francis is a deeply passionate man whose commitment to his ideals can sometimes lead him to losing touch with the real world implications of his or others actions,” Kingsley said of the character.

Both Mendoza and Kingsley have been working hard to live up to these characters in their own performances. “I had to remove myself at one point, just because it got too personal,” Mendoza said. 

Although, she can still find herself in the character. “She’s just very fun and quick-witted.”

Kingsley has enjoyed his time as Francis as well. “I connected very strongly with his energetic, chaotic nature, both of which I see in myself,” he said. 

In addition to portraying these exciting characters, “Poor Clare” leaves audiences with a message just as relevant today as it was in medieval Italy. “It forces you to look inequality dead in the eye and think about the privileges you don’t realize you have,” Kingsley said. “It’s a pretty uncomfortable feeling, but it’s deeply needed for our society right now.”

Alongside forcing audiences to think about the inequality present in our world, now and 800 years ago, the show’s production team is trying to make a difference as well. The set of the play is built from cans of food, all of which will be donated to The Window in downtown Goshen after the show closes. Audiences were also asked to bring in more food donations to join the collection being donated.

The cast and crew of “Poor Clare” are hopeful that this play touches the audience as strongly as it has them. “One of my main things in doing theater is to affect the audience, touch them emotionally,” Mendoza said. “I think that this play does that … —it hits you this is reality.”

While the cast and crew of “Poor Clare” have finished one weekend of shows, they aren’t done yet. There will be two more performances: Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.