Excerpts from Off-Broadway Reviews
"Compelling, perceptive, enormously appealing...as moving as it is funny!"
--Howard Kissel, New York Daily News
“A Brokeback Mormon…a rare blast of lyricism! Shocking…unrelenting!”
--Frank Rizzo, Variety
“Fales life is the stuff of great theatre. The former Mormon boy has an easy and refined stage presence…riveting…surprising…remarkable…a strangely intriguing dichotomy that Fales expertly brings to the stage…buoyant…lively…painfully honest!”
--Justin Bergman, Associated Press
“Compelling confessional theatre. Carefully honed zingers…an appealing stage presence…Fales knows how to sell it!”
--Jason Zinoman, New York Times
“Fales holds the stage…honest…His willingness to literally strip away his own defenses will leave you breathless.”
--Amy Benfer, Metro New York
“Fales, personable and sexy…telling a quintessentially American once-upon-a-time of sexual-identity crisis and selfhood.”
–Michael Feingold, Village Voice
“A fascinating turn…a jolting climax…a triumph! What elevates this show to the next level is that it probes deeper. Fales is appealing from the beginning.”
--Zachary Pincus-Roth, Newsday
“The colorful tale is related with much brio by Fales, who strips himself bare, both emotionally and physically, in the course of the evening…engaging…with an audience-pleasing sensibility…great material.”
--Frank Scheck, New York Post
“Riveting…a gripping hybrid of memoir and theatre…succeeds as non-fiction theater thanks to the writing and acting talent of a true survivor.”
--Connecticut Post
“Confessions combines humor, emotion, and personal struggle into 90 minutes of dramatic success. Theatrically, comically, and emotionally, this show reaches heights that most Off-Broadway productions could only hope to achieve…enthralling.”
--Dan Blank, Columbia Daily Spectator
“This dark, disturbing tale is as humorous as it is heartbreaking. Fales is a marvelously campy performer. Thoroughly engrossing…a razor-sharp pace…a surprising twist”
--Scott Harrah, Downtown Express
“Vibrant…electric…juicy, hilarious, and disarmingly poignant. Humor and song over self pity.”
--Eva Sandoval, The L Magazine
“Alternately funny and sad—and at its best moments, both. Honest and fascinating.”
--Ryan James Kim, The Advocate
“Oft-comic…compelling…entertaining…with a surprising and cathartic finale!”
--Mekado Murphy, Out.com
“Earnestly engaging tragicomedy…courageous coming-out tale…powerful stuff…the miracle of his liberation…equally impressive is the physicality of Fales himself…awe-worthy…writing is often sharp and wryly insightful…more than just a pretty face.”
--David Kennerly, Gay City News
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
"Family Secrets" could be the title of anything from "Hamlet" to "You Can't Take it With You." Now running are two compelling one-person plays that fall under this heading...but it also could apply to "Confessions of a Mormon Boy" written and performed by Steven Fales. In the openly autobiographical, "Confessions of a Mormon Boy," Fales, a sixth-generation Utah Mormon, tells about growing up gay in Salt Lake City. He tries to adhere to his religion, marries and has two kids, but ultimately knows he can't deny his instincts. he comes to new York, where his looks enable him to succeed as a street hustler. Eventually, however, he is able to reconcile the conflicting elements of his life. At times the show seems like stand-up comedy, which is disappointing because Fales is such a perceptive writer. Nevertheless, he is an enormously appealing performer, and his struggle to make his life cohere is as moving as it is funny."
--Howard Kissel, New York Daily News (headline: "Two 1-person plays--from gay to oy vey!")
VARIETY
“A Brokeback Mormon…a rare blast of lyricism! Shocking…unrelenting!”
“Just when you thought the gay coming-out tale had exhausted itself, Steven Fales’ solo show gives it a twist with the perspective of a Brokeback Mormon. But don’t expect much rueful angst of a Western soul trying to resist what local folks can’t abide. With a prepossessing smile, a musical-comedy persona and the fervor of a proselyte on a decidedly different mission, Fales’ Confessions of a Mormon Boy revels in his eventful autobiography while giving the audience…a glimpse into the mysterious intersection of faith and sexuality…A final personal reveal at show’s end may be the most shocking bit of self-exposure to the stylish SoHo audience….the buff Fales is unrelenting in his charm, determination, and smiles. A shovel full of irony arrives in his courtship and marriage to Emily Pearson, daughter of Mormon poet Carol Lynn Pearson…The mood darkens slightly with recollections of Fales’ excommunication. It then shifts again when he becomes a latter-day sinner, embracing “my own personal Moulin Rouge” as a gay escort in New York City…Fales is eminently likable and can be winning in his considerable force of charm. The show gets a rare blast of lyricism with his account of a dream that had him galloping on horseback over the Western land along with his male ancestors. It’s a lyrical moment—more grace and less will—that briefly shows the soul behind the smile.”
--Frank Rizzo, Variety
ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Fales life is the stuff of great theatre. The former Mormon boy has an easy and refined stage presence…riveting…surprising…remarkable…a strangely intriguing dichotomy that Fales expertly brings to the stage…buoyant…lively…painfully honest!”
“A true story, Fales’ life is the stuff of great theater. Fortunately, the former Mormon boy with the penchant for singing Donny and Marie Osmond songs also has an easy and refined stage presence, making his tale all the more riveting to watch in his solo off-Broadway show….Eventually, Fales’ experimentation leads him to being excommunicated from the church, which causes his good Mormon life to unravel. He leaves his wife and goes to New York, where he becomes a gay escort—seemingly in an attempt to make up for lost time. Not lost, however, is Fales’ strict, moral upbringing, which rears itself in a surprising way and makes him question and ultimately reject certain aspects of his new life. Frankly, Fales’ story would not be as interesting or even novel without the remarkable transformation he undergoes from Utah husband and father to New York City prostitute. It’s a strangely intriguing dichotomy that Fales expertly brings to the stage; in a sense, he is reliving his own Madonna-whore complex. Clearly questions remain…The lingering sense of an unresolved story gives the play a depth that it may not appear to have at the outset. Fales has a buoyant personality that easily engages an audience, and director Jack Hofsiss keeps the pacing brisk and the staging lively. Were it not for Fales’ decision to divulge all the sordid details of his past in such a painfully honest way, though, the show may not have worked as well.”
--Justin Bergman, Associated Press (headline: “An ‘oxy-Mormon’ struggles to find his real self”)
NEW YORK TIMES
“Compelling confessional theatre. Carefully honed zingers…an appealing stage presence…Fales knows how to sell it!”
“Who would have thought that the Mormon Church could be a perfect training ground for a life of prostitution? In the autobiographical solo show “Confessions of a Mormon Boy”, a hit at the 2004 New York International Fringe Festival, Steven Fales, a sixth-generation Mormon, describes his losing battle against his homosexual impulses. This being a fairly conventional, although admittedly compelling, piece of confessional theater, there are eventually lessons to be learned….carefully honed zingers…an appealing stage presence…Mr. Fales learns to stop being a victim…his gleaming smile…and puffed-up muscles…he strips to his underwear, illustrating his transformation into a sex worker, while also giving his audience some beefcake. Say this for Fales: he knows how to sell it.”
--Jason Zinoman, New York Times (headline: “Gay Escort: Hunky, Likes Vaudeville, Mormon Background”)
METRO NEW YORK
“Fales holds the stage…honest…His willingness to literally strip away his own defenses will leave you breathless.”
“A single, well-sculpted man stands on a nearly bare stage accompanied by a tiny tape-recording of a small child's singing about flowers…For 90 minutes, with no intermission, Fales holds the stage by himself, playing all his former selves and those who loved him…Fales takes nearly a decade to realize that his desires are irreconcilable with the rules of his religion and his marriage. It would be easy to make such material—Mormon Eagle Scout turns high priced Manhattan call boy—into farce. But Fales is too honest. Each separation in his life, even from the hypocritical church, is given the weight it deserves. Fales has called this play a “valentine” to his own children. It’s certainly that. But his willingness to literally strip away his own defenses will leave you breathless.”
--Amy Benfer, Metro New York (headline: “Baring it all: ‘Mormon Boy’ is raw and honest”)
VILLAGE VOICE
“Fales, personable and sexy…telling a quintessentially American once-upon-a-time of sexual-identity crisis and selfhood.”
“You never get away from the religion of your childhood. Excommunication may keep the boy out of the tabernacle, but it can’t keep the tabernacle, spiritually speaking, out of the boy. As evidence, take Steven Fales’ Confessions of a Mormon Boy…After the crash, naturally come rehab, reform, political awakening, awareness of responsibility, and a newly secularized clean-living gospel, all preached as sincerely as the toddler’s hymns of latter-day sainthood were sung. Fales, personable and even still sexy despite what sounds like years of bodily over employment, makes the tale easy to take, a sort of story hour for grown-up children, telling a quintessentially American once-upon-a-time of sexual-identity crisis and selfhood.”
–Michael Feingold, Village Voice (headline: “Hunka-burnin’ closet: A tell-all Mormon Boy comes out still preaching”)
NEWSDAY
“A fascinating turn…a jolting climax…a triumph! What elevates this show to the next level is that it probes deeper. Fales is appealing from the beginning.”
“Confessions of a Mormon Boy might appear to be a familiar coming-out-of-the-closet story, a triumph of one’s true nature over the stifling confines of a big, bad, backward religion. Shooting Latter-day Saints in a barrel might be satisfying to some know-it-all New Yorkers, but what elevates this autobiographical one-man show to the next level is that it probes deeper. Writer-star Steven Fales is appealing from the beginning: a good-looking, well-built man with the smooth voice of a trained actor. There’s a lot of ground to cover. Fales and director Jack Hofsiss keep things bouncing along quickly. Dramatic moments start to fly by. Fales’ manner isn’t sober and reflective; he’s detached from his story, often flippant. That is part of his point. Mormonism, he explains, teaches its followers to smile and press on despite the underlying pain, and Fales takes an analogous approach here. His intentions become clearer at the play’s jolting climax, when the story takes a fascinating turn. Even after Fales is free to explore the new York gay scene, he realizes that playing fast and loose also has its limitations….he recalls “hugging time,” a tradition he used to have with his kids. He wonders aloud, “I gave up hugging time for this?” Fales know that the conflict in his life isn’t just homosexuality versus Mormonism. As in all good theater, the protagonist must confront his own shortcomings and overcome them.”
--Zachary Pincus-Roth, Newsday (headline: “Probing more deeply into Latter-day yearning”)
NEW YORK POST
“The colorful tale is related with much brio by Fales, who strips himself bare, both emotionally and physically, in the course of the evening…engaging…with an audience-pleasing sensibility…great material.”
“Gay-themed monologues are hardly an endangered species around here…but Steven Fales’ one-man show manages to inject some freshness to the genre. After all, it’s not every show that tracks the evolution of a young Mormon husband and father to male hustler. That unlikely story is the subject of the piece, performed by its fresh-faced author with an enthusiasm and energy that makes his self-comparisons with Donny Osmond seem apt. This colorful tale is related with much brio by Fales, who strips himself bare, both emotionally and physically, in the course of the evening….downplaying the darker aspects of his story in favor of a sitcom-style lightness, he’s an engaging performer who’s crafted his piece with an audience-pleasing sensibility. Fales’ journey may have been a difficult one, but it sure makes for some great material.”
--Frank Scheck, New York Post (headline: “Mormon to hustler: Missionary repositioned”)
CONNECTICUT POST
“Riveting…a gripping hybrid of memoir and theatre…succeeds as non-fiction theater thanks to the writing and acting talent of a true survivor.”
“…The riveting one-man play…opened last night. Recent season have brought us many shows in which one actor has played a wide variety of characters—with I Am My Own Wife and Bridge & Tunnel among the most successful examples—but Fales’ play is a gripping hybrid of memoir and theater in which he re-enacts his own struggle to deny his homosexuality in the ultra-repressive atmosphere of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints…Confessions could have been maudlin and self-pitying but Fales sees the black comedy in his predicament and also allows us to share the rage he felt at the Catch-22 of being ‘excommunicated for something that the Church said didn’t exist.’ Confessions of a Mormon Boy succeeds as non-fiction theater thanks to the writing and acting talent of a true survivor.”
COLUMBIA SPECTATOR
“Confessions combines humor, emotion, and personal struggle into 90 minutes of dramatic success. Theatrically, comically, and emotionally, this show reaches heights that most Off-Broadway productions could only hope to achieve…enthralling.”
“Confessions combines humor, emotion, and personal struggle into 90 minutes of dramatic success. The production is intimate from the start…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….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. 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…The real beauty of the show lies with Fales’ ability to manage such a limiting subject matter to 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…unconventional theatre…you will walk out of the theater feeling completely and utterly satisfied.”
--Dan Blank, Columbia Daily Spectator (headline: “From Mormonism to Hedonism”)
DOWNTOWN EXPRESS
“This dark, disturbing tale is as humorous as it is heartbreaking. Fales is a marvelously campy performer. Thoroughly engrossing…a razor-sharp pace…a surprising twist”
“Steven Fales had all the makings of a ‘model’ Mormon…Confessions of a Mormon Boy unveils Fales’s painful journey from being a perfect Mormon to his subsequent sad life in New York as a male prostitute and drug addict. This dark, disturbing tale is as humorous as it is heartbreaking, and ultimately Fales learns to reclaim himself and ‘Donny Osmond’ smile. Fales is a gifted and marvelously campy performer. He can quote verses from the Book of Mormon and then segue flawlessly into an ABBA song or Rodgers and Hammerstien show tune…the latest production at the SoHo Playhouse is thoroughly engrossing. Director Jack Hofsiss keeps Fales’s quirky stories of religious brainwashing moving along at a razor-sharp pace…one begins to think the show is becoming a pedestrian cautionary tale about “Chelsea boys” and drugs. However, the show quickly redeems itself and has a surprising twist when the lights are turned on brighter and Fales shows us that he’s a middle-aged man, not the muscular Mormon “boy” we’ve think we’ve been watching the last 90 minutes. (You’ll have to see the show if you want to know exactly how he fools the audience.) We come to see this self-proclaimed ‘Mormon American princess’ as someone who has learned to stop being a victim, to move beyond the fallacies of his religion, not indulge in self-destructive behavior, and to believe there is a God that understands human sexuality.”
--Scott Harrah, Downtown Express (headline: “Live, from Utah, a story of survival”)
THE L MAGAZINE
“Vibrant…electric…juicy, hilarious, and disarmingly poignant. Humor and song over self pity.”
“Knowing that somebody suffered for my entertainment…there’s something vaguely New Testament about that. In the vibrant one-man show, Confessions of a Mormon Boy, however, Steven Fales—a self-described “Mormon American Princess”—diminishes that sense of exploitation by choosing humor and song over self pity to tell the story of his struggle with “Same Sex Attraction,” excommunication from his beloved Mormon church, his “gay adolescence” and, ultimately, reclaiming his smile. And what an electric smile it is, rivaled perhaps only by the smiles of Fales’ boyfriends, for which he saucily credits his Greek great-grandfather. As for that, the audience can vouch; Fales not only takes off the gloves when telling his tale but his pants as well (impressive. Smile away, boys!). Created by Fales to help his children understand his life…Confessions of a Mormon Boy is juicy, hilarious, and often disarmingly poignant.”
--Eva Sandoval, The L Magazine
THE ADVOCATE
“Alternately funny and sad—and at its best moments, both. Honest and fascinating.”
“The play is alternately funny and sad—and at its best moments, both. Confessions is mostly an animated presentation of answers to questions such as when Fales first realized he was gay and whether he still is a faithful Mormon. But it is also a self-examination about accepting responsibility. Rather than blame his community or church, Fales sees his struggles as the result of his own obsessive desire to fit in and be accepted, whether by his Mormon “brothers and sisters” or his wealthy tricks. The play is nevertheless an honest and fascinating…glimpse into one Mormon boy’s life.”
--Ryan James Kim, The Advocate (headline: “Out of Utah”)
OUT.COM
“Oft-comic…compelling…entertaining…with a surprising and cathartic finale!”
“Perhaps for its ability to generate controversy over the past decade, the combo of homosexuality and Mormonism has frequently woven its way into the tapestry of queer art. (Angels in America, Latter Days) And now performer Steven Fales travels back down the road to Utah with his oft-comic…Confessions of a Mormon Boy. Fales’ tales of his life in the Mormon Church, his marriage and ultimate excommunication from the church for being gay are compelling…the show overall is quite entertaining…The story comes alive the most (and separates itself from Tim Miller and David Drake stylings) when Fales discusses his unique connections to spirituality through his religious path and laments what was taken away from him. These moments, along with a surprising and cathartic finale, are among the show’s best, as they ring the most honest, and get to the heart of the man behind the Mormonism.
--Mekado Murphy, Out.com
GAY CITY NEWS
“Earnestly engaging tragicomedy…courageous coming-out tale…powerful stuff…the miracle of his liberation…equally impressive is the physicality of Fales himself…awe-worthy…writing is often sharp and wryly insightful…more than just a pretty face.”
“During the past few years, Steven Fales toured the country with his unassuming one-boy show, Confessions of a Mormon Boy, playing to packed, enthusiastic houses. But one questions bedeviled him wherever he went, “Is the story fact or fiction.” The earnestly engaging tragicomedy is finally making its Off-Broadway debut…the perky playwright/actor playwright/actor hoped to quell any curiosity by adding the tagline “a true story” to the play’s title. But still, for some, the courageous coming-out tale may seem beyond belief…powerful stuff…the miracle of his liberation from such turmoil, coming to terms with his true nature, is at the heart of the play. Equally impressive is the physicality of Fales himself. With corn-fed good looks, Mormon ultra-brite smile, and chiseled Chelsea physique, he seems made-to-order from Central Casting. This presence is particularly handy during the steamy New York portion of the play, where the actor swaps his sacred temple priesthood undergarments for a skimpy pair of black 2(x)ist undies. Also awe-worthy are the actual recordings of Fales as a child, singing a ditty he invented or a Mormon hymn, which punch up the poignancy at key moments…Fales must be commended for revealing such achingly personal intimacies and for packing such a vast amount of convoluted plot into a cohesive, mere 90 minutes. The writing is often sharp and wryly insightful…Fales peppers his performance with snippets of vocals and zippy dance moves, which prove he’s more than just a pretty face…the set provides the ideal backdrop allowing Fales to shine. It’s not until the play’s end, when he literally steps off the stage and sheds his Mormon Boy persona, that we fully connect with this tortured soul.”
David Kennerly, Gay city News (headline: “True Calling: a gay ex-Mormon seeks his truth and nearly finds it”)
REVIEWS FROM PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS
BACKSTAGE.COM
"Steven Fales, a sixth-generation Mormon, recounts…events in his hilarious, tragically moving, and deeply affecting one-man show…a remarkable journey through his life…resulting in this amazing stage confessional. Under the deft direction of Jack Hofsiss, Fales creates a mesmerizing experience. Funny, heartbreaking, and revelatory, this show is very much along the lines of others by gay entertainers: Dan Butler, Colin Martin, and Leslie Jordan. There is much humor mixed with the pathos of their lives before their triumphant will to be themselves succeeds. But Fales also rips open his soul and leaves nothing unexposed to the audience. Although the stage may be littered with his entrails, Fales is able to smile his Mormon smile, this time with true sincerity. He is able at last to accept his humanism, his humanity, and his humanness. And the audience is better for bearing witness."
--Rob Stevens, Backstage.com (Backstage West)
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
"When Steven Fales gestures as if cradling a baby, the angle of his arms is so precise—and the expression so tender—you can tell he’s cradled a real baby dozens of times. You can almost see the child in his arms—and its absence. Fales was unable to keep living with his family, as he relates in the poignant autobiographical Confessions of a Mormon Boy, about the struggle between his two irreconcilable identities, as a Mormon and as a gay man. For all its real pain, Mormon Boy delivers humor and considerable charm. Fales is a born performer with musical theatre sparkle—the show includes recordings of him singing in a piping voice as a child, and one of the highlights is when he sings his own wistful ‘Utah and You.’... it’s a gem—funny, sad and illuminated by Fales’ love for his children, his deep respect for Emily and his understanding of his motives and actions. It all leads up to a moment of vulnerability so simple and powerful, it suggests a kind of grace. All is forgiven…with his final breathtaking, self-revelatory gesture. Fales describes his work as ‘ultimately a prayer,’ and, at that moment, Confessions of a Mormon Boy makes you want to say amen." CRITIC'S CHOICE
--Janice Steinberg, San Diego Union-Tribune
GAY & LESBIAN TIMES
"Confessions of a Mormon Boy details the comic, harrowing, poignant and thought-provoking aspects of the life of playwright/performer Steven Fales…Twice Fales reported himself to the bishop for illicit liaisons; twice he was assigned to ‘reparative therapy,’ which Fales describes hilariously. Confessions is funny, sad, and poignant, but always honest. Fales is a terrific storyteller, populating his story with spot-on-imitations of others who have crossed his path. Fales is preparing this terrific show for a fall off-Broadway opening. See it here while you can."
--Jean Lowerison, Gay & Lesbian Times
ROCKET
"It sounds straight out of a Lifetime movie, and I mean that in a positive way. Steven Fales is a talented and good-looking 30-something from Provo, Utah…Do not be disappointed, however, because even though Fales might not have a full-frontal nude moment, he does show his head. If you want to get what I mean, go and see the play to find out for yourself."
--Fernando Pichardo, Rocket
BUZZ MAGAZINE
"This is an atypical gay story told with humor, passion and song from the heart of the writer. It’s a rollercoaster of experiences…all of these adventures led him to the most satisfying conclusion that being at peace with one’s self is what life is all about."
--Cesar Reyes, Buzz Magazine
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
"A GAY MORMON’S HARD ROAD TO REDEMPTION: What a rare and skillful thing is Confessions of a Mormon Boy, Steven Fales’ engrossing, funny and often quite harrowing tale... Fales’ tumble from grace and his road to redemption peg him as the male counterpart of the fallen woman of the screen melodramas of the 1930s and 40s; think Joan Crawford or Bette Davis playing outcasts at their most glamorously vulnerable. There’s no denying the power of this admittedly purple material... Expelled from Zion as if with the mark of Cain, the penniless Fales becomes a struggling actor who turns to prostitution to pay for, among other things, child support. (He’s a male Mildred Pierce, except that it’s real life.) With crackerjack direction from Broadway veteran Jack Hofsiss, Fales delivers the dramatic goods with considerable economy, crisp pacing and, in the end, a simple gesture of self-revelation that’s as effective a coup de theatre as you’ll find in a dozen shows jampacked with special effects. Best of all, we don’t see Fales’ ultimate moment of catharsis coming; it hits us between the eyes like a shot with a two-by-four. Fales is a good mimic, capable of vivid and hilarious impersonations, including his nutty Mormon psychologist and, later, his first john. Fales has lived a stunningly eventful, almost Dickensian life, and he is, by happy coincidence, a fine writer and actor. Let him make the most of it."
--Kevin Nance, Chicago Sun-Times
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
"'MORMON RISES ABOVE FORMULA THROUGH FAITH': Staying away would be a mistake. Confessions of a Mormon Boy is an uncommonly powerful, gripping and very moving piece of theater. It’s far, far better than you’d guess. It’s unusually well-written and shaped. Fales is not only an actor but also a very good one. And, onstage, he is both provocative and intensely empathetic. But there also are deeper reasons. As with Elaine Stritch, Fales’ life simply went further to the extremes than most. And thus it’s more dramatic. His show is about finding a sane, rational middle and about understanding that self-fulfillment is not innately destructive. Fales does not do a hatchet job on the Christian Right in general, or on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in particular. On the contrary, he’s unafraid to reveal that his alienation from his initial identity—his spiritual core, still—is what ripped him apart. Along with some truly wrenching scenes involving issues of fatherhood and childhood vulnerability, this palpable sense of spiritual longing is what makes this show so remarkably powerful. Just as he deserves personal happiness, he also merits a professional chance at the big time, in all its glory."
--Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO FREE PRESS
"TOUR DE TRUTH: The Great Salt Lake just got some more salt. Sex, drugs and Mormonism make a potent cocktail in Steven Fales’ 90-minute tour de truth. This real-life confessional comes as close to an emotional strip show as most audiences can handle. Full of false denial and lacerating self-exposure (including a physical one that’s absolutely chilling), this is a roller coaster of a reclamation saga. You really sense the pain behind Fales’ dazzling ‘Mormon smile.’"
--Lawrence Bommer, Chicago Free Press
WINDY CITY TIMES
"Despite having been formally excommunicated from his brethren for the sin of homosexuality, Steven Fales is no secular humanist thumping crusader. This is HIS story, not ours, and in telling it honestly and candidly, he provides us an insider’s view into one of society’s most high-profile and misunderstood subcultures. Fales’ confession includes a moment of self-revelation that drew gasps from spectators long inured to the sight of exposed flesh."
--Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City Times
CHICAGO CRITIC
"Steven Fales is a Boy Scout, missionary, husband, father, escort…and terrific writer. Armed with a toothy smile complete with head cocked to the right, Steven Fales’ triumphant one-man show, Confessions of a Mormon Boy, unfolds like an engaging homily and extremely honest confessional without a trace of malice or bitterness. This surprisingly uplifting and thoroughly compelling story of the author’s life is part sermon, part candid admission, and part self-portrait of a personal struggle toward self-acceptance. Fales is a fellow who is so charming and charismatic that we easily warm up to his story. The last few minutes in this marvelous 90-minute piece are a moving testament to the human spirit. This optimistic tale is inspirational. Steven is a terrific entertainer with a worthy story. This is an important show about tolerance and redemption. Highly Recommended."
--Tom Williams, ChicagoCritic.com
SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
"CONFESSIONS DELIVERS TRUE POIGNANCY: The 90-minute performance flew by with speedy tempo and many changes of subject, never getting bogged down or boring. On a simple set with few props, Fales appeared comfortable in the space and confident in his story. Throughout, the play bears the stamp of Fales’ upbringing in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with a neat structure and style that occasionally verges, like many official church productions, into near-cheesy territory. But there are moments of true poignancy, especially when Fales discusses his relationship with his wife and her family... Even while treading on this sensitive territory, Fales can be awfully funny, too, especially when he recounts trying to become straight by, among other things, beating drums in the woods of Pennsylvania while naked and calling himself Buck. It is a balance of humor and pathos that is hard to achieve and even more difficult to sustain, and Fales succeeds... Rather than taking the easy route of attacking the church, he castigates its leaders yet speaks of it with respect and even affection. Fales has crafted an absorbing tale that, in the end, is less about a gay Mormon than about the universal human search for belonging. Mormon or not, gay or not, it’s something we can all relate to."
--Christy Karras, Salt Lake Tribune
BROADWAY.COM
"The title pretty much says it all: Steven Fales’ autobiographical one-man play is a confessional of a Mormon who tried to repress his homosexuality, failed and was excommunicated. Both touching and funny, Confessions is extremely honest and nearly always engaging. The FringeNYC production is directed by Jack Hofsiss (The Elephant Man), who has done an excellent job with the pacing and the shifts in tone from comedy to near tragedy. The recordings—ranging from childhood singing to a thumping Madonna track—add to the production. Besides speaking as himself, he also plays about 25 other people... a Japanese escort client and Hispanic woman at a health clinic are among his best characterizations. Above all, though, Fales is himself—warts and all—in this deeply revealing one-man show. The journey from devout Mormon to out gay man (and devoted father) hasn’t been an easy one, but it does make for a captivating story."
--William Stevenson, Broadway.com
NEWYORKMETRO.COM
"While it’s a familiar story—young man raised in a religious household can’t accept that he’s gay, and when he does, turns to hedonism in the Big Apple—it’s unexpectedly heartbreaking to hear it from a Mormon. Financed by the church, Steven Fales searched for a cure to his gayness through prayer, a hypnotist who blamed his sexual orientation on masturbation, and a Catholic telephone therapist who claimed it was his mother’s fault. Fales gave up an acting career in New York for the lesser temptations of Salt Lake City, married a Mormon woman (whose mother had famously brought her gay husband home to die of AIDS), and had two children. And until the church excommunicated him, he always thought that he was the one with the problem. Director Jack Hofsiss, a Tony-winner for the original The Elephant Man, keeps the production lively with disco lights and touching recordings of Fales singing spirituals as a child. But it would be just a riveting with Fales alone, delivering his tale with humor, and most importantly, empathy, something he never received from the church he still loves."
--Jada Yuan, NewYorkMetro.com
NYTHEATRE.COM
"Confessions is an autobiography of a sixth-generation Mormon whose transformation goes against everything he has known. Although the title implies that this show is about Mormonism, the story merely begins there—Confessions is really an epic about being gay and about allowing oneself to be imperfect. Fales performance comes deeply from his heart and is admirably honest. Stories of self-discovery are often told, but this one has a rare humility. Jack Hofsiss directs Confessions simply, allowing Fales to explore his story as himself. The show is magnetic when Fales acts out his most vulnerable moments, such as when he is drunk at the Roxy (a Manhattan gay bar) or when he speaks of his children. He shows a bravado through his body, but a simple sadness in his eyes. His plastic “Mormon smile” becomes a metaphor, lost when Fales feels lost and found again as he grows. Confessions of a Mormon Boy is from a courageous soul who is willing to share what he has learned through the wild journey of life. Steven Fales came through a metamorphosis to realize that it is all right to be himself. He made me feel grateful to be imperfect."
--Maggie Bell, NYTheatre.com
NEW YORK BLADE
"With more than 200 shows, the Eighth Annual New York International Fringe Festival is a theater maven's dream come true, especially if you like your art a little off kilter and not so annoyingly middle-of-the-road. Confessions of a Mormon Boy is generating this year's biggest buzz of the gay offerings."
--Ettore Toppi, New York Blade
THEATREMANIA.COM
"Steven Fales has a great smile. In his solo performance piece Confessions of a Mormon Boy, the writer-performer chronicles his life story, which tells the tale of that smile—where it came from, when he lost it, and how he got it back. The actor possesses plenty of confidence, sex appeal, and charisma, yet he’s also able to let down his defenses and show the audience his vulnerable side. Directed by Tony-winner Jack Hofsiss, the piece has a good rhythm. Onstage costume changes are handled smoothly and the transitions between the different sections of the narrative work well. Fales, a fine singer, includes a few musical interludes; one of them is a catchy original song, reminiscent of a Dan Fogleberg tune, about going home to Utah. It’s an engaging true-life story that’s funny, poignant, and life-affirming."
--Dan Bacalzo, Theatremania.com
THEATRE REVIEWS LIMITED
"Ex-sex worker, ex-addict, ex-passing-for-straight Steven Fales presents his amazing life story in a tour-de-force one-person show at this year’s New York International Fringe Festival. Confessions is Steven’s generous offering to all of us who have struggles with what it means to be gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, transgender, human. His classy, inspiring, omni-sexual performance moves from grace to grace and traverses his, and Everyperson’s (like Everyman but better) journey from the “depths of unhappiness” to self-acceptance and complete personhood. Mr. Fales, under Jack Hofsiss’ brilliant direction (as usual) encourages us to begin to clear up and clean up the messes we are in, to not “sell our smiles”, and to be who we are. Steven’s choice of Confessions is relevant and visionary. Thank you and Jack for one of the most brilliant pieces of theatre I have seen. You showed us a Creator who “knows who we are” and who is “so much bigger” than any church, any temple, any mosque, any home worship center. You, Steven, are what a blessing is. Indeed, you are what is bless-ed."
--David Roberts, Theatre Reviews Limited
GAY CITY NEWS
"I AM MY OWN BROTHER: Ex-Mormon Steven Fales expounds on his own tragicomic one-man sensation: When Steven Fales emerges onstage in his one-man bio-play Confessions of a Mormon Boy, the audience is blinded by his ultra-bright smile. But it’s not one of those smugly fake ‘come and join us or you’ll be damned’ fundamentalist Mormon grins. It’s a genuine smile, one that took many years, and excommunication from the Church of Latter-day Saints, to achieve. After well-received stagings in Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Miami, the show landed at the New York International Fringe Festival, where it’s so popular they expanded the performance schedule. The wry, absorbing monologue, which Fales originated as a stand-up routine at Caroline’s Comedy Club in New York, is directed by the supremely talented Jack Hofsiss, best known for the Tony-award winning The Elephant Man."
--David Kennerly, Gay City News
(America's Largest Gay and Lesbian Weekly Publication)
THE VILLAGE VOICE
"Steven Fales, square-jawed and twinkly-eyed, styles himself an “Oxy-Mormon”—both a homosexual and a believer in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His autobiographical one-man show suffers, unsurprisingly, from some Utah-bred hokiness, but the tale’s fascinating and Fales is engaging. Besides, that Fales should go from Salt Lake father to Manhattan escort to clean-living comic is easier to swallow than plenty of Mormon doctrine. Part of the New York International Fringe Festival."
--Alexis Soloski, The Village Voice
MIAMI HERALD
"Fales is taking audiences with him on [a] pendulum swing, from uncomfortable piety to uncontrolled sensuality, and finally to the stillness and peace of finding his authentic self. Tony Award-winning director Jack Hofsiss has helped sculpt the piece into something that’s honest, moving, whimsical, sobering, tender, and cathartic. [Fales] morphs from innocent Mormon dad in a BYU T-shirt into a hard-bodied hottie in black bikini briefs. Neither look, as it turns out, really suits him. What works for him is something he finds only after exposing his soul and revealing his truths: He is, at last, comfortable in his own skin."
--Christine Dolen, Miami Herald
SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL
"Fales switches The Smile on and off throughout Confessions. In the first half, The Smile is as flat and artificial as the false-front Main Street at Disney World. For most of the second half, The Smile almost manic, barely masking the panic. And in the cathartic finale The Smile loses its broad toothiness, relaxing into a reflection of inner peace. The Smile charts Fales’ internal Pilgrim’s Progress from devout Mormon missionary to in-the-closet family man to self-destructive Manhattan prostitute to a human being finally comfortable in his own skin. [The play] builds in power until it crests in a warm and satisfying wave that lifts theatergoers to their feet... generously sprinkled with witty one-liners. As he comes to peace with himself, Fales provides a simple but startling coup de theatre to signal the emergence of the real human... his play shoots skyward in dramatic content and emotional payoff. In the end, Confessions is not about coping with a repressive world, but about getting past personal baggage and loving yourself."
--Bill Hirschman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
FLORIDA SUN POST
"[A] self-revelatory one-man show... based on Fales own highly distinctive life journey. In Confessions, the cataclysmic event is Fales’ excommunication by his local ‘Court of Love,’ having his name blotted off ‘the rolls of Heaven,’ and the conclusive disintegration of his, on the surface, ‘perfect’ Mormon marriage. With easygoing humor—and not a little of that in-your-face upbeatness seemingly inculcated into Mormons’ very cores—Fales recounts the story of a youth and manhood struggling against his anathematic same-sex attraction, including all manner of ‘reparative therapy.’ Fales himself upped the ante exponentially, pressure-wise, by marrying into ‘Mormon royalty’—his ex-wife is the daughter of Mormondom’s leading literary light, Carol Lynn Pearson, whose husband (the plot thickens excruciatingly for Fales in terms of the pain potential for his wife and two children) was also gay and died of AIDS. His life a shambles of guilt and crushing financial debt, stripped of his ‘magic Mormon underwear,’ Fales moves to New York and the frenzied, club-hopping life of a highly paid male prostitute. Weary at last of living ‘trick to trick’, Fales conceived of Confessions as a way out, so to speak, so that the play, ironically, might well be subtitled Going Straight (After All, Sort Of). Good luck in New York, Steven."
--Tony Guzman, Florida Sun Post
OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE NY
"You’ll see [Fales] in his most amazing role: himself. In Confessions he teaches us that the real meaning of ‘good’ and ‘right’ is having the ability to love. His compelling one-man show... is a valentine to living and loving, honestly and authentically. He has emerged from his pain and anger, loving and unembittered. Early in the play, we hear a five-year old Steven making up a song. ‘If you are singing, sing about the whole world...’ How wonderful it would be if all people would ‘sing’ about the whole world, not just about those who look, act and love like they do."
--Howard A. Kerner, Outer Critics Circle NY
SAN FRANSISCO EXAMINER
"A story that must be told! One of the best new plays...seen in a very long time. Fales is an endearing performer, a masterful storyteller, and one hell of a writer. Throughout the play, his belief in god and his desire to be 'good' make him an extremely compelling hero. Evocative detail, humor and moments of spellbinding drama...great theatre...sexy and harrowing. A play that transcends religion, gender, and sexuality. Anyone who has ever lived a life they thought they should live, as opposed to the life they were meant to live, needs to see this show."
--Adam Sandel, San Fransisco Examiner
SAN FANSISCO CHRONICLE
"Fales is undeniably charming, his boyish good looks easily metamorphosing from clean-cut exuberance to flirty suggestiveness. He can sing ... he can dance ... and narrates his tale with comfortable ease and well-honed comic timing. He's endearing in his candor. Affecting, enlightening. The story couldn't be more timely!"
--Robert Hurwitt, San Fransisco Chronicle
BAY AREA REPORTER
"Frank, entertaining... What sets this solo performance apart from other coming-out stories is Mormonism, an implausible, mysterious and ominous religion to outsiders, which Fales portrays alternately with affection and contempt. When Fales sings live, he reveals a fine voice in several songs, including a self-penned paean to Utah that is sappily uplifting until he douses it with a verbal bucket of cold water. These clever reversals, creating expectations that he upends, add facets to a story that is on its way to becoming a small gem."
--Richard Dodds, Bay Area Reporter
TALKINBROADWAY.COM
"There is an old axiom that says ‘confession is good for the soul’ and Steven Fales most certainly bares his soul in his intermissionless monologue. The audience witnesses sarcastic humor, songs, and a soulful monologue. He’s an accomplished actor and singer and he looks like the all-American boy next door. He has a lovely voice when singing a Portuguese prayer and one of his own country ballads about Utah. He is engaging."
--Richard Connema, talkinbroadway.com
SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
"Unflinchingly honest... wistfully comic... a compelling play. In many respects, Confessions feels like a sequel to Good-bye, I Love You, from the husband’s perspective and a generation removed. Fales is a fine singer and an engaging actor. He bursts with creative enthusiasm. [An] enormous achievement... the way he performs his Confessions proves to be a therapeutic and unflinchingly honest experience."
--Scott C. Morgan, Salt Lake Tribune
THE OREGONIAN
"While questioning Mormon doctrine on sexuality, he feels genuine warmth toward the people of the faith. Fales mixes earnest confession, witty commentary and a number of playful sketches of people he has met on his life journey... his performance is polished. He is engaging as the Mormon with a toothy Donny Osmond smile and sparkling eyes as he is as the low-keyed genuine individual he becomes at the play’s end."
--Richard Wattenberg, The Oregonian
LAS VEGAS CITY LIFE
"Fales’ achievement as a writer and actor... is in his ability to find the humor and three-dimensional shadings in his story. Riveting, funny, poignant... it’s about the discovery of goodness. And it’s not a snob’s play. It’s spiritually generous and mature enough to acknowledge that everyone needs to make their own discoveries, and that no one person’s conclusions are necessarily truth. Any human being who cares about other human beings should find the play nourishing. Full of moments likely to keep turning in your head... for years. Its themes are deeper than the immediate concerns of its subject matter."
--Anthony Del Valle, Las Vegas City Life
KUEERKULTUR.COM
"Fales drew a well deserved standing ovation after more than ninety minutes of scorching humor, song and soul baring monologue. Fales brilliantly portrays the depths of human complexity of which we all are made. His play is more than a mere confession, it is a testimony, a witnessing of ignorance and intolerance... more than an important educational affirmation for emergent queer youth; it is a poignant part of the GLBT history. The segue from indescribably tragic personal agony to commentary eliciting tittering humor is what makes this play so cleverly brilliant. The details of his experience are what comprise the profound gestalt of his performance. His courage is inspiring. One can identify with so much of what he tells, whether one is a Mormon, a Jew, a Catholic, a Muslim, or a Hindu."
--Ruben Lipshitz, KueerKultur.com
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"Steven Fales jokes that he's an 'oxy-Mormon', because his sexual identity and religious background don't mesh. He's gay. He's Mormon. And based on the account he gives in the one-man show he wrote, 'Confessions of a Mormon Boy,' it would be hard to imagine a more splintered existence.
How did the Utah native and sixth-generation member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints come to be a pricey New York call boy with a taste for Prada and crystal meth?
Fales struggle to reconcile his same-sex attraction with his strict upbringing is the defining conflict of his 90-minute autobiographical play, which should spark some thoughtful conversations around this weekend's Gay Pride events. Fales may be a social provocateur, but his ultimate concern is healing.
Though fascinating and highly likable, 'Confessions' is built on a thin premise--what homosexual doesn't suffer stigman and alienation? -- and told in straightforward chronological order in plodding past tense. Fales gets so bogged down in making his case about the painted-on smiles, hyposcrisy and lies of his Mormon existence that you almost feel a rush when he crashes out of the closet and into the steamy underworld of Manhattan prostitution.
Party time. Whoo-hoo.
But beyond Fales' own considerable misery, 'Confessions' gains emotional texture from his harrowing account of the pain he inflicted on his wife and two children. In a weird twist of fate, his wife's father was a closeted homosexual who died of AIDS, and his mother-in-law a noted author who wrote about the experience in a memoir.
"What kind of a joke were the gods playing on us?" he wonders.
As directed by Tony Award winner Jack Hofsiss ("The Elephant Man"), Fales is a superb technician who does skillful impersonations of the various characters he encounters along his journey -- from a ditsy "reparative" therapist to his first wealthy john to his broken-hearted son.
Unlike Leslie Jordan, who recently brought his own confessional sctick to this same 14th Street Playhouse space, Fales is not an outrageous comic show-off. (He'd probably blame this on being a Mormon.) He's more ironic though. He's beefier. And he has a few surprises about courage that will endear him to audience members.
By the end of his unflinching self-examination, Fales has gained his family's forgiveness, reclaimed his gift as an actor and found peace with his role as a dad. If he wants to sing Abba tunes to his kids or take them to the Jackie O exhibit at the Met, that's his business.
This is a tale about finding redemption in honesty.
The verdict: At once provocative and uplifting.
Wendell Brock, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Headline and Photo Caption: Honesty ultimately best policy for "Mormon Boy": Utah native Steven Fales recounts his heartbreaking yet often humorous struggle to come to terms with his sexuality in his one-man show. The characters he impersonates range from one of his call-boy clients to his broken-hearted young son.)
Austin American-Statesman
"Steven Fales has a gripping story. And he tells it well. The quintessential good Mormon boy, he married to avoid same-sex attraction, only to stray, bringing down excommunication, which led to prostitution and addiction, and later a kind of earthly redemption with his children and family back in Salt Lake City. Everything about "Confessions of a Mormon Boy" is carefully calibrated to appeal to multiple audiences, and Fales plies an unfailingly attractive onstage persona. (He appears genuinely warm and grounded offstage as well.) Although gay comin-of-age stories are among the Top 10 topics of modern solo shows, this one comes with enough twists and turns to keep the viewer engaged for more than 90 minutes . . . the coup-detheatre revelation near the end of the show at Arts on Real is startling, but ultimately strangely comforting. The Mormon boy is a man. Fales, who has spread the word about his show across the continent, ought to recruit a whole new set of fans in Austin."
Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman ("Doing 'Mormon Boy'")
