For a man resigned to spending an eternity in the Telestial Spiritual Kingdom due to homosexuality, Steven Fales seems pretty chipper. He has no qualms about his situation, except for being denied a visit to the Celestial Kingdom to be with his ex-wife and two children.
That's the premise for Fales' wistfully comic one-man show "Confessions of a Mormon Boy," a theatrical blend of tell-all autobiography and affectionate ribbing of the culture and contradictions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding homosexuality. While coming-out plays are fairly commonplace, the unique LDS twists in Fales' journey from self-denial to acceptance help make "Confessions" a compelling play, even if it doesn't quite have the sheen of being a completely finished product.
Sporting a black and white jumpsuit emblazoned with a huge pink triangle on the back (the symbol used by the Nazis to brand homosexuals during World War II), the 31-year-old author/ actor/ director and producer of "Confessions" plays himself as he recounts his life to St. Peter, who is searching for Fales' name on the guest list for a Celestial Tea Party thrown by a Heavenly Mother (described by F ales as a fabulous blend of "Auntie Mame, Bette Davis, Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey . . . ")
Since St. Peter comes from a Catholic background, Fales must explain the Mormon conception of Heaven and humorously tells of his life in the pre-existence (a clever device to educate those uninitiated with LDS beliefs and to present his background). Jumping among different points in his life, Fales recounts stories of growing up, performing as a Brigham Young University Young Ambassador and eventually marrying Emily, his "best friend" from the pre-existence.
Fales also lays out the strangely coincidental connection he has to the famed LDS poet and author Carol Lynn Pearson, who would become his future mother-in-law. In Pearson's autobiography Goodbye, I Love You, she recounts how she married a gay man, divorced after having four children and later allowed him to come home when he was dying of AIDS.
In many respects, "Confessions" feels like a sequel to Goodbye, I Love You, from the husband's perspective and a generation removed.
Some of the LDS in-humor of Fales' script may be too specialized for audiences outside of Utah (one of his biggest laughs is admitting to a pre-existence crush on Jimmy Flinders, a central character from the corny Mormon musical "Saturday's Warrior"), but he does a good job of finding places for laughs amid the confusion and hurt in his futile struggle to overcome his homosexuality through faith and reparative therapy.
Fales is a fine singer and engaging actor. He bursts with creative enthusiasm in relating an abundance of amusing and heartfelt anecdotes, but "Confessions" could benefit from judicious trimming.
That's not to deny the enormous personal achievement Fales expresses through his own self-acceptance, or the love and longing he still has for his family. The way he performs his "Confessions" proves to be a therapeutic and unflinchingly honest experience. Do Tell
"Confessions of a Mormon Boy" (co-sponsored by Dance Theatre Coalition) continues at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center Black Box Theatre, 138 W. 300 South, Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. with a 3 p.m. matinee Sunday. Tickets are $15, $10 for students and groups. Call 355-ARTS.