Confessions of a Mormon Boy

Steven Fales - photo by Carol RoseggThe international one-man sensation Confessions of a Mormon Boy returns to Australia after its successful season as part of the 2019 Sydney Mardi Gras to perform at Chapel off Chapel from 7 – 9 February as part of the 2020 Midsumma Festival.

Based on original direction by legendary Tony Award-winner Jack Hofsiss (The Elephant Man) and performed by Outer Critics Circle Award Nominee and controversial LDS outcast Steven Fales, this critically acclaimed 90-minute solo play has educated and entertained audiences across the US and around the world and has been awarded numerous “Critics Choice” awards in many countries.

Ahead of its time for its “unflinching honesty” (Salt Lake Tribune), Confessions of a Mormon Boy is the inspiring true story about how one troubled young dad first learned to wake up and grow up—and kept learning. An emotional rollercoaster of extremes – from perfect Mormon boy in Utah to perfect rent boy in Manhattan – “Oxy-Mormon” storyteller Steven Fales discovers an imperfect middle ground in this reclamation saga about what it means to finally come home.

Told with humour, song, and The Book of Mormon, this life-affirming, transformational tale about how a sixth-generation Latter Gay Saint attempts to reclaim his two kids and Donny Osmond Smile “will leave you breathless” (San Diego Union-Tribune).

Defying respectability politics, the adult themes in Confessions of a Mormon Boy include spiritual abuse/religious violence in the form of excommunication; Reparative “Conversion” Therapy and the Ex-Gay Movement; HIV / AIDS; and mixed-orientation marriages.

Then there’s the drug abuse/ “chemsex” /crystal methamphetamine; prostitution / sex work / human trafficking; recovery / spirituality; family and legacy; divorce; child custody/support; family law; parenthood and parental alienation; non-traditional families; father / son themes, cult detox, and much more pertaining to Mormon Americana… and musical theatre!

Aside from the themes the play touches on, this solo performance is Steven Fales’ initial manifesto of personal transformation. “I am constantly measuring my personal offstage life by what I declare onstage,” says Fales.

“What a rare and skillful thing is Steven Fales’ engrossing, funny, and often quite harrowing tale.” – Chicago Sun-Times


Confessions of a Mormon Boy
The Loft – Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran
Season: 7 – 9 February 2020
Information and Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au

Image: Steven Fales – photo by Carol Rosegg