From Mormonism to Hedonism

Brother Fales may be aptly named in the world of the Mormon Church, but in the world of theater, he is anything but that.

Confessions of a Mormon Boy is the autobiographical story of Steven Fales, a former Mormon who was removed from the Church on account of his homosexuality. The one-man show stars Fales as himself, recounting his excommunication, divorce, and drug-abuse. Confessions combines humor, emotion, and personal struggle into 90 minutes of dramatic success.

The production is intimate from the start, as the audience is packed into a cramped, claustrophobia-inducing theater in which the amount of leg room is only suited for Danny DeVito. As the lights dim, one is immediately immersed into Fales' childhood-a courtesy announcement made about cell phones is addressed to the "brothers and sisters" of the audience.

Every aspect of the production manages to submerge the audience into the story itself. Even Fales' occasional music numbers are reminiscent of sitting in a sanctuary. He sings in an angelic voice that anyone who's ever been in a church would recognize as that of a former choir boy.

It does not take long after he has walked onstage for Fales to reveal the overarching subject matter for the rest of the play. After having the audience listen to a recording of him singing as a young boy, he asks, "Could there be a question in anyone's mind that I was gay?" About five minutes into the show, one realizes this to be a valid question. Fales is extremely open about his homosexuality, allowing for the play's witty comic aspect. He injects his humor at all the right moments, never letting the play slip into any kind of self-pitying drama.

Who wouldn't laugh at an excommunicated Mormon saying that he was once a "tightly coiled homophobic homosexual"?

Fales' humor contrasts nicely with the play's more serious, touching moments. Fales manages to captivate his audience with emotionally powerful stories ranging in focus from hugging his children to his fear of contracting AIDS.

Theatrically, comically, and emotionally, this show reaches heights that most Off-Broadway productions could only hope to achieve. But beware: though Fales' ability to talk openly about the reality of his life is always admirable, it sometimes borders on distasteful.

Audiences may become uncomfortable once the performance ventures into his time as a male prostitute in New York City. Fales goes so far as to vividly reenact some of his erotic sexual encounters onstage. He holds little back, at one point even standing on stage practically nude. Simply put, in order to fully appreciate Confessions, one has to go in with an open mind and be ready for whatever Fales will throw at you.

The real beauty of the show lies within Fales' ability to manage such a limiting subject matter appeal to everyone. His theatrical prowess allows him to take specific categorizations like Mormonism and homosexuality and turn them into larger themes of tolerance and personal struggle.

It is the story itself that makes Fales' production so enthralling, regardless of whether you're a homosexual Mormon or a heterosexual atheist.

So if you're looking for a night of somewhat unconventional theater, go see Confessions of a Mormon Boy. Deal with the occasional awkwardness and the fact that some of the jokes are geared specifically towards the stereotypical West Village theatergoing crowd, and you will walk out of the theater feeling completely and utterly satisfied.