Language: Vehicle for Change
Language (and literature) has often been used as an effective means of conveyance: eliciting change, advocating change, perpetuating a discourse/conversation, even setting out a message that the writer feels strongly needs to be heard.
Known first to Mormons for her moving and lucid poetry, Carol Lynn Pearson attained new fame with the publication of Goodbye, I Love You, the tale of her life and marriage to her homosexual husband Gerald who dies from AIDS. Since his death, Pearson’s main goal has been to reach out and embrace gays and lesbians everywhere, especially those caught in the confusion and often paradoxical predicament of finding oneself gay and Mormon.
Using her literature and language for all they offer as a vehicle of help and healing for gay Mormons, it’s no wonder Carol Lynn Pearson was selected as the 2008 AML award winner for best new drama, “Facing East.”
The premiere of “Facing East” was in Salt Lake City November 16-26th, 2006 and originally performed by Charles Lynn Frost as Alex, Jayne Luke as Ruth, and Jay Perry as Marcus. The play revolves around the parents of a homosexual man, Andrew, and his suicide. Carol Lynn does away with elaborate scenery and costuming in order to bring the focus to the dialogue — the words, and the impact she purposely instilled in them. Alex and Ruth have just come from Andrew’s funeral at the beginning of the play, and Alex decides that Andrew’s funeral was not honest enough. They did not tell who Andrew really was, what he really felt. Marcus enters the scene, thinking that the parents would have left by now, and the three are thrust into an awkward, beautiful situation of reconciliation and understanding at the graveside of the boy who linked them all together.
Because “Facing East” addresses very controversial and emotional topics with regard to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Pearson had every opportunity (and some would argue the right) to specifically and heavy-handedly attack Church leaders and the apparent “oppressive” doctrines surrounding these issues. However, being an active member herself, Pearson does none of these things; rather, she approaches and addresses homosexuality very tastefully and in the way that I personally feel it needs to be done. With a message of hope, love, and understanding — exactly the way Jesus taught us to love.
The character of Marcus juxtaposed with the character of Ruth tellingly reveals many of the deeply emotional issues at the heart of the gay Mormon struggle:
“Marcus: I watched his glorious light fight for life under the blanket you and your church threw on him. Yeah, that’s the crazy part. You and your Church created the man I loved. And destroyed him. For that I will always hate you.
(Pause).
And always love you.
Love you for all the good things you taught your son. Noticing if people were okay and thinking what he could do about it. Wanting to make the world better. Striving so hard for…perfection. Killing himself to be what God wanted him to be and what he could never, never be because what he was and what he could not stop being was an abomination in the eyes of his God!
[…]
He’d hear the Tabernacle Choir sing, of he’d see a family walking by on their way to church, or he’d read in the paper the latest local push against gay marriage, all those things your church that made him crazy. And of course, after the excommunication, every day, that look. That damned by the God that he loved lok. That damned by the church that he loved look.
(Furious).
I’ll tell you why your son died. He believed in your church more than he believed in himself.”
Carol Lynn Pearson has never balked in the face of confronting the difficult issues, and “Facing East” definitely does. Likewise, her most recent book, No More Goodbyes captures and conveys the stories of specific individuals within the Mormon community who have dealt with homosexuality either first-hand or in their families.
Much, much more could be said about this book and this play. Suffice it to say that Carol Lynn Pearson’s work is testament to the power of language as a vehicle of conveyance, for helping, healing, and getting us to stop and reconsider the way we think about other people who may not be just “like” us.
Upcoming shows for “Facing East”:
Buffalo, New York — Buffalo United Artists
April 4-26th
www.buffalobua.org
St. George, Ut –Space Between Theatre Company, using Dixie College Venue
May 8-24th
www.tsbtc.org
Baltimore, Maryland — Spotlighters Theatre
2nd and 3rd weeks of June
www.spotlighters.org
Los Angeles, CA — Stillspeaking Theatre
July 11-Aug 3
www.stillspeakingtheatre.org
For more information about other upcoming events, as well as the author and her works, please visit www.clpearson.com
April 1st, 2008 at 9:09 pm
David,
Thanks for sharing your reflections of “Facing East.” I haven’t seen it yet, but from the details you’ve shared about it, I’m very interested.
April 26th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
What drew me to him was the pain in his eyes
Though he was pleasant, he did not oft smile
Of his membership, he said, “I’m not worthy
I am attracted to men -I’ve strong feelings
Just why am I this way? With feelings so real?”
However, he’d not acted on how he’d feel
He would not violate the law of chastity
For he sought to keep his life in harmony
He spoke for a while we each were in relief
This man showed courage to live within beliefs
For he did not act upon what was in him
I assured him that attraction’s not in sin
Whatever the cause of how he now does feel
It does not matter his worthiness was real
He’s worthy to serve and enjoy fellowship
He still did belong and with his membership
I told him much more from spirit to spirit
And of every single word, he wanted to hear it
I told him thank you for wanting to be clean
That this attraction was not differently seen
Heterosexuals and homosexuals, too
Have the same requirements that they must do
I gave him assurance and he sat up straighter
Sex is a small part, On Christ we must center
With hope in his eyes, newly detected
Not feeling rejected, next steps were directed
With a recommend, he could simply endure
For during this life, there might not be a cure
God loves his children, we don’t know all meanings
And what we now feel may not be as it’s seemings
When we’re unworthy, may we act to repent
Let’s love each other, we’re all so different
To you who struggle :
When we’ve fears we’re quick to feel offended
Please recognize that to harm was not intended
We can do things to keep weeds from choking
And when we’ve faith, great blessings we’re invoking
Like anyone else there’s lessons in gardening
And things to do to keep soils from hardening
For spiritual nourishment there’s things we must do
Like scripture reading, worship, fasting and prayer, too.
The Lord’s aware of each current circumstance
Fight the good fight. We can take a stance
We can promote the law of chastity
Whatever our situations here might be
Dear Father, in regards to those who have this struggle
Help them overcome all the thoughts that juggle
We weep for them. We’ve admiration and respect
Of what we can do to show love, let us detect
poetry based on
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Helping Those Who Struggle With
Same Gender Attraction
Ensign, Oct 2007
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Kelly,
Thanks for your poetry. That’s really neat that you would put that up for everyone to read. Thank you.