Facing east carol lynn pearson

Jpg author and playwright carol lynn pearson sits onstage before the start of her play facing east at theatre rhinoceros in san francisco, ca, on saturday, august, 11, 2007. May 30, 2007 mormon parents deal with the suicide of their gay son in the new york city premiere of carol lynn pearson s facing east, which opened offbroadway may 29. A member of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church, pearson is best known for her book goodbye, i love you, a memoir of her marriage to a gay man who died of aids in 1984. Broadway star to direct film version of facing east the. That grim statistic is given a name and a troubled family in carol lynn pearson s impassioned facing east, now at the international city theatre in long beach. In facing east, they are stuck between the comfort of. Mormon parents meet their dead gay sons boyfriend in new musical. Carol lynn wright pearson brigham young high school. The show follows an upstanding american mormon couple who unexpectedly meet their gay sons partner whilst dealing with his death. Someone arrives that they have never met, marcus, their sons deeply loved partner. Carol lynn pearson s play about tensions in overlap between the lgbtq community and the church of jesus christ of latterday saints will close its curtain this weekend.

Facing east may well be the best thing carol lynn pearson has ever written, at least for the stage wrote ivan m. Jpg author and playwright carol lynn pearson sits onstage before the start of her play facing east at theatre rhinoceros in san francisco, ca. Directed by julie fulcherdavis, with melissa johnston pric. Facing east a stage play that tells the story of a mormon couple dealing with the suicide of their gay son. Carol lynn pearson s facing east, the drama of a mormon family grappling with the loss of a gay son, will play san francisco aug. This 80minute agitprop takes place at the fresh grave of andy mccormick, the 24yearold gay son of upstanding mormons ruth terry davis. Nov 20, 2012 utah has the countrys highest suicide rate for males between the ages of 14 and 25. Facing east explores rift in lgbt, lds community arts. In facing east, carol lynn pearson likens americas bitter divide over religion and sexuality to a civil war. Theatrix, a studentrun theater company in unls johnny carson school of theatre and film, opens its season oct.

Author and poet carol lynn pearson wrote a groundbreaking book 20 years ago called goodbye, i love you about her gay husband and his death from aids. Calkins saw its encore production the following spring. Carol lynn pearsons most popular book is goodbye, i love you. The poems appear now in a compilation, beginnings and beyond. Her autobiography, goodbye, i love you, tells the story of her marriage to a homosexual man, their divorce, ongoing friendship, and her caring for him as he died of aids. I wanted to do something that could give back and i thought facing east could be that opportunity. Facing east a drama by carol lynn pearson alex and ruth mccormick are an upstanding mormon couple reeling after the suicide of their gay son. Carol lynn pearson mormon author, poet, playwright. The story unfolds at the sons open grave, immediately after the formal funeral.

Facing east delves into diversity and love deseret news. Facing east by carol lynn pearson a mormon couple waits in a cemetery, contemplating the of their gay son, directly after his funeral. I have a strong memory of playing raggedy andy in a primary production at our lds ward chapel. Books by carol lynn pearson author of goodbye, i love you. A middleaged mormon couple have just lost their talented gay son, alex, and have lingered at the gravesite after the funeral to reminisce and struggle with their feelings about his sexuality, their religion, his suicide, andmost importantlythe role they played in all three. It was the story of a mormon family dealing with their gay sons suicide. Based on carol lynn pearsons stirring play, facing east is a new and intimate musical by david rigano and markeugene garcia. Ict artistic director shashin desai directs terry davis, daniel. Richmond triangle players facing east by carol lynn.

For carol lynn pearson, her play, facing east is a personal one and it aims to indict the mormon church on their stand on homosexuality while at the same time, open up discussion in general about a more universal issue of parent and child communication or lack thereof. Facing east sensitively faces the emotional turmoil of gay mormons july 24, 2008 jana j. This 80minute agitprop takes place at the fresh grave of andy mccormick, the 24yearold gay son of upstanding mormons ruth terry davis and alex mccormick christian lebano. Utah has the countrys highest suicide rate for males between the ages of 14 and 25. The show will be presented in a semistaged concert setting in advance of the shows first fullystaged production in vancouver next season. For many years she has tirelessly worked to end the collision between religion and homosexuality. Carol lynn pearson thank you, carol lynn pearson, for reminding us that the task of any religion is to teach us whom were required to love, not whom were entitled to hate. Mar 28, 2011 will swenson, a tony award nominee for his performance in hair 2009 and a star of the new broadway musical priscilla queen of the desert, will direct an independent film adaptation of carol lynn pearsons play facing east. In the play, a mormon couple grapple with their faith after the suicide of their gay son. Facing east is the story of ruth and alex mccormick, an upstanding mormon couple reeling from the suicide of their gay son. Her memoir goodbye, i love you tells the story of her marriage to a gay man, their divorce, ongoing friendship, and her caring for him as he died of aids. At the beginning of her new play, facing east, walnut creek writer carol lynn pearson places her main characters, a middleaged mormon couple, in a cemetery. Facing east, pearsons drama of suicide in a mormon family. The producers of facing east, the new musical based on the play by carol lynn pearson, are thrilled to announce that the musical will bow in londons west end this summer.

Aug 10, 2007 carol lynn pearson s facing east, the drama of a mormon family grappling with the loss of a gay son, plays san francisco aug. Facing east a drama by carol lynn pearson presented by. A new musical by mark eugene garcia and david rigano, based on the play by carol lynn pearson. Featuring charles lynn frost, jayne luke, jay perry. Richmond triangle players facing east by carol lynn pierson. Facing east explores rift in lgbt, lds community arts and. Suddenly someone arrives whom they have never met, marcus, their sons deeplyloved partner. Facing east, the stage play, written by fourthgeneration mormon, american playwright carol lynn pearson, opened offbroadway in 2008 after a not surprisingly soldout run in salt lake city, home of the headquarters of the church of jesus christ of the latterday saints lds. Told in a series of flashbacks as the parents linger at their sons gravesite following his funeral, they attempt to reconcile the link between his sexuality, their. Pearson began her writing career as a poet, with many of her poems being reprinted in such places as the ann landers column and college literary textbooks. Carol lynn pearson has been a professional writer, speaker and performer for many years. Facing east held a workshop in chicago in october, 2011. I fell in love with the theatre when i was six or seven.

Directed by andrew hobgood book and lyrics by markeugene garcia music by david rigano based on the play by carol lynn pearson arrangements and musical direction michael evans. Carol lynn pearson is the author of over 40 books and plays that have together sold over 800,000 copies. She is the author of the stage play, facing east, the story of an lds couple dealing with the suicide of their gay son. Directed by andrew hobgood book and lyrics by markeugene garcia music by david rigano based on the play by carol lynn pearson arrangements and musical direction. That grim statistic is given a name and a troubled family in carol lynn pearsons impassioned play facing east. A rightwing radio talk show hosts life is thrown out of control after the suicide of his gay son, leading him on an unexpected spiritual journey. Facing east may well be the best thing carol lynn pearson has ever written, at least.

It was followed by a concert performance to benefit the trevor project. I had been looking for something that i could foster, grow and build. Carol lynn pearson carol lynn pearson has been a professional writer, speaker and performer for many years. But it was a chance encounter with carol lynn pearson s stage drama facing east that would eventually thrust gardner into the role of producer of a musical.

Based on carol lynn pearsons 2005 play of the same name, this musical version facing east tells the story of a mormon couple coming terms with their gay sons suicide. The heros journey of the gay and lesbian mormon, and the stage play facing east, which received an award from deseret news as best play of the year, and went on to have a limited offbroadway run. The product is directed by chadwick taylor, a secondyear master of fine arts student. Carol lynn pearson s facing east a moving and straightforward look at an lds couple reeling from the suicide of their excommunicated homosexual son is ready for its closeup. May 31, 2015 facing east in concert at shaftesbury avenues lyric theatre will be hosted by the wicked and ab fab regular and will feature rebecca lock, alasdair harvey, peter dicesare and michael vinsen. Photo credit jennifer z zornow 2006 and julie stark 2007. Jun 16, 2009 that grim statistic is given a name and a troubled family in carol lynn pearsons impassioned facing east, now at the international city theatre in long beach. Facing east, the story of a mormon couple dealing with the suicide of their. I was thrilled to see that the play was opening again in salt lake before heading to new york city and an offbroadway run, and then a san francisco run in august. Home about work short writings store contact complete chronology of publishing. Mother wove the morning, onewoman play, dvd and book, sheet music, song tape, carol lynn pearson 1994 the modern magi, gold leaf press 1998 st.

Nowplayingutah is managed by the utah cultural alliance. Author carol lynn pearson shares how she came to write the screenplay. Oct 4 in the lab theatre on the third floor of unls temple building. Facing east was written by carol lynn pearson and debuted in 2006 at the planb theatre company in salt lake city. But it was a chance encounter with carol lynn pearsons stage drama facing east that would eventually thrust gardner into the role of producer of a musical. Weve all been tormented as weve watched good people struggle and families torn apart. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading facing east. The scene is the cemetery directly after the funeral, with alex and ruth trying to understand. Mormon author carol lynn pearson tries to separate church. Facing east was honored by the association for mormon letters as the best mormonthemed play of 2007 for its compassion, its evenhanded wisdom and its tragic power. Monji according to carol lynn pearsons script, facing east is the preferred orientation for graves because one will be ready to rise on the day of resurrection. The musical would be called facing east, based on the play by carol lynn pearson that had its new york premiere at the atlantic theatre company only a year before. I was born in provo, utah to gerald and carol lynn pearson. Mormon author carol lynn pearson tries to separate church and.

At the age of eight years old i was baptized an official, 5th generation, member of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Mormon parents deal with the suicide of their gay son in the new york city premiere of carol lynn pearsons facing east, which opened offbroadway may 29. Mormonism and homosexuality is just as topical, as evidence that much of the proprop 8 funding came from salt lake city. A revered high priestess begins speaking to her sisters and to all of gods children. Harriet thorpe to host and narrate west end concert of new. It will change human hearts and expand human parameters. Years ago when my husband gerald and i made the outrageous decision to selfpublish my poems, i wrote this simple piece that became the title poem of one of the books.

Planb theatre in salt lake city, utah, transfers its world premiere production of facing east by carol lynn pearson from salt lake city to offbroadway for a limited engagement. The names of the playwrights, composer, lyricist, and bookwriter shall be equal in size, type, coloring, boldness, and prominence. In playwright, author, poet carol lynn pearson s newest drama, facing east, the setting is a cemetery somewhere along the wasatch front, where a mother and father are grieving at the burial site of their gay son who has committed suicide on temple square. Facing east by carol lynn pearson is the powerful and poignant story of a mormon couple dealing with the suicide of their gay son. A middleaged mormon couple have just lost their talented gay son, alex, and h. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. A conversation with carol lynn pearson thinkagain faithagain.

That grim statistic is given a name and a troubled family in carol lynn pearson s impassioned play facing east. Facing east is the newest play by carol lynn pearson which premiered last november in salt lake city at plan b theater. Facing east available on kindle a stage play that tells the story of a mormon couple dealing with the suicide of their gay son. Buy online, pick up in store is currently unavailable, but this item may be available for instore purchase. Facing east available on kindle carol lynn pearson. The play depicts a devout mormon couple struggling with the suicide of their gay son andrew. Carol lynn wright pearson born december 1, 1939 is an american poet, author, screenwriter, and playwright. Carol lynn pearson is a native utahan who lives in california. She has earned the right to that comparison, since shes had experience on the front. Carol lynn pearson has 71 books on goodreads with 9253 ratings.

No billing shall appear in type larger or more prominent than. Behind the viewfinder, there, in closeup, was a flower the only possible flower. Directed by julie fulcherdavis, with melissa johnston price, daniel moore and peter oshanick. Buy online, pick up in store is currently unavailable, but. Steven was once married to their daughter, actorwriter emily pearson. Rabbi harold kushner, author of when bad things happen to good people. Books, plays, novelty items does not include minor musical programs and song lyrics 1966 pegora the witch, childrens play, childrens theatre press.