NY Premiere of Drama About Gay Mormon Henry Stuart Matis Begins Run Oct. 30

Row Man Productions NYC and LSNelson Productions will present the New York Premiere of Missa Solemnis or The Play About Henry, written by Roman Feeser and directed by Linda S. Nelson. Performances will run from October 30th to November 22nd, 2008 in a limited engagement at The TBG Theatre, located at 312 West 36th Street (3rd Floor) between 8th & 9th Avenues in NYC. Previews begin October 30th for a November 1st opening.

Performances run Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8pm with an added performance on Sunday Nov 2 at 3pm. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at http://www.SmartTix.com or by calling 212-868-4444. Special opening night gala performance on Saturday Nov 1 at 8pm ($50 ticket) includes post-show reception honoring Affirmations, an organization supporting gay Mormons. Please note: This production contains full nudity and may not be appropriate for children. Trains: A,C,E,1,2,3,9 to 34th Street. For more information on the show visit http://www.ThePlayAboutHenry.com.

On the morning of February 25, 2000, a young gay Mormon named Henry Stuart Matis drove to the Mormon Ward House in Los Altos, California, placed a gun to his head, and ended his life. This provocative drama is based on the actual events of his life in which he faced a tragic, false dilemma; either one is gay or one is Christian. Since he believed he was Christian, he thought he could not be gay. Trapped between his same sex attraction and the power of his LDS faith, Henry made the ultimate sacrifice, removing the chains of his mortality.

Missa Solemnis or The Play About Henry had its first reading on January 21, 2008 at Ars Nova in New York City under the direction of Linda S. Nelson. It was presented with the following cast: Julie Halston (Broadway's Hairspray, Sex and the City), Bret Shuford (Broadway's The Little Mermaid), Jason Patrick Sands (Broadway's A Chorus Line), Kevin Meaney (Broadway's Hairspray) and Richard Bekins (Broadway's Love! Valor! Compassion! and The Chaos Theories).

Playwright Roman Feeser is not a Mormon. His last work Craigslist Live and Unauthorized The Musical! played last fall at Mo Pitkins in NYC. Feeser is currently finishing his first book entitled Latter Gay Saints - the Mormon Church and God's Second Class Saints, based on his experience with writing Missa Solemnis or The Play About Henry.

Linda S. Nelson's NYC directing credits include the North American Premiere of The Choice by Claire Luckham, The Boys Next Door and A Loss of Roses. As the founder and Co-Artistic/Producing Director of Shotgun Productions, Inc., she has produced plays, musicals, dance, opera, readings and special events all the way from Long Branch, NJ to Sofia, Bulgaria, and in NYC. Ms. Nelson was born and raised in Utah.

The cast includes Jai Catalano, Bill Fairbairn (Triumph of Love, The Wild Duck, The Bourgeois Gentleman with Jean Cocteau Rep), Matthew Huffman (Strom Thurmond is Not a Racist/Cleansed at The Brick), Warren Katz (UK's Manchester Evening News Theatre Award Winner for Best Actor
in a Supporting Role in The Price) and Gail Winar (Fringe-First Award-winning What I Heard About Iraq at the Edinburgh Fringe).

The design/production team consists of Marisa Merrigan (Set Design), Graham T. Posner (Lighting Design), David B. Thompson (Costume Design), Justin Utley (Sound Design) and Melissa Carroll (Stage Manager).

Running time is one hour and 40 minutes. This production is made possible in part through sponsorship by Shotgun Productions, Inc.

 

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