Contact
Plan-B Theatre's 20th Anniversary of 'Facing East'
Special | 3m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
Plan-B Theatre revives "Facing East," a groundbreaking Utah play, 20 years later.
Plan-B Theatre Artistic Director Jerry Rapier discusses the 20th anniversary revival of "Facing East," the acclaimed play by Carol Lynn Pearson that became the first Utah production to transfer off-Broadway. Set in an intimate theater space, the production explores grief, family, faith, and understanding.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Contact is a local public television program presented by PBS Utah
Contact
Plan-B Theatre's 20th Anniversary of 'Facing East'
Special | 3m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
Plan-B Theatre Artistic Director Jerry Rapier discusses the 20th anniversary revival of "Facing East," the acclaimed play by Carol Lynn Pearson that became the first Utah production to transfer off-Broadway. Set in an intimate theater space, the production explores grief, family, faith, and understanding.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Where to Watch Contact
Contact is available to stream on pbs.org and the PBS app.
(bright music) - A powerful story that resonates with audiences even two decades after its world premiere takes center stage in Utah.
The play "Facing East" explores grief, family, and faith.
Jerry Rapier from Plan-B Theatre is here to put the spotlight on this award-winning show.
Welcome, Jerry.
- Thanks for having me.
- It's a little bittersweet celebrating the 20th anniversary and also the playwright who came up with this play, right?
- Yes, yes, the playwright, Carol Lynn Pearson, unfortunately, sadly passed away in late July as we were in pre-production work for this production.
Initially, the plan was she and I had plotted that we would dedicate this production to the memories of Bruce Bastian, dear friend and funder of the original production, and Charles Lynn Frost, who had originated one of the roles in the world premiere.
And now we have the great honor of also honoring her memory with this production.
- What has that been like continuing to put the pieces together to display this performance in her absence?
- Well, the play is just an extension of her incredible advocacy from within the LDS Church for LGBTQ folks and their families.
The play is set at the grave site of a young man named Andrew who has taken his own life.
And his parents, Ruth and Alex, are a seemingly perfect Mormon couple until this moment.
And they have been in denial about their son's sexuality and have avoided meeting his partner, Marcus, and the play captures their first meeting.
They encounter each other at the grave site.
And really, the play shows us that the only way they can really get to know their son is through Marcus, whom they've avoided up to this point.
Carol Lynn, as anyone who knows who she was and what she stood for, was a huge advocate for acceptance and joy and love within the church and the hope for setting issues aside.
- Yeah.
- And just functioning as families.
- I love that.
Well, thank you so much for sharing this information.
If you would like to check out this play, the information for you is on your screen.
Just head to the website, planbtheatre.org/facingeast.
I'm Liz Adeola and thank you for watching "Contact."
(bright music) Philanthropy, Arts, culture.
It's what brings us together.
Hi, I'm Liz Adeola, the host of Contact, a show that connects you with local events and organizations that serve your community.
If you work for a nonprofit and would like to be on Contact, please visit pbs.org/contact
Support for PBS provided by:
Contact is a local public television program presented by PBS Utah