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On Monday April 17, Eastern Kentucky Universitys (EKU) Theatre Program hosted Bard in Drag. Actors Johnathan Hibbard, who played the male role, and Chris Holmes, who played the female role, dressed in Elizabethan costumes and read parts of pieces of Shakespeare out loud.

Matthew Johnson, the director of the Theatre Program, said Bard in Drag was inspired by the push for anti-drag laws in many Southern states.

The anti-drag bill is the one that most readily affects what we do, said Johnson. With the way it was written, it just made any drag functionally illegal.

According to Senate Bill 115, an adult performance means a live sexually explicit performance, or a live performance involving male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest in sexual conduct.

The bill also states that a person is found guilty of engaging in an adult performance when he or she engages in an adult performance on publicly owned property, or in a location where the person knows or should know that the adult performance could be viewed by a person under the age of 18 years old.

During the performance, actresses Paige Harrod, Paige Lambert, and Taylor Drane, dressed up as senators. After screaming that the Shakespeare performance was obscene and a slur, Harrod, Lambert, and Taylor hauled Hibbard and Holmes away from the stage.

This event is part of First Amendment Week held by EKUs chapter of Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).

For more First Amendment Week coverage visit http://www.easternprogress.com or follow the Eastern Progress on social media.

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"The Bard in Drag" event kicks off First Amendment week - The Eastern Progress Online