Awaiting space near the Great White Way (off Broadway), Steven Fales continues to polish and refine his one man show called Confessions of a Mormon Boy. It’s an autobiographical journey that has much to do with, well, Steven Fales.

When I contacted Steven at his Salt Lake City residence, things were busy, busy, busy. There was packing in process, orders being given, and a timetable laid out for the journey. But the hustle and bustle going on within his residence was geared toward a summer camping trip with his two kids and his father. Somehow I didn’t expect this response when I dialed up this gay, excommunicated (from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), divorced, recovering prostitute.

GLT: You still find time to be a family man, even with a pending off Broadway show and a five-week run of your show at Diversionary Theatre beginning mid-July.

Steven Fales: Family has always been the most important thing in my life, and it remains that way. My ex-wife and I have a fantastic, loving relationship, and she allows me to be a father to our children with no strings attached, and with no bitterness attached, either.

The acceptance on the part of Steven may have had an assist from his mother-in-law, Carol Lynn Pearson, who penned the 1980’s memoir Goodbye, I Love You, which opened up a page or two in her life about her gay ex-husband’s exit from the straight world and his death from AIDS.

GLT: Did you find it easier telling your wife that you were gay, knowing that your mother-in-law suffered a like turn from her own husband?

SF: In the beginning, although my former mother-in-law may have had her gay-radar activated when I was in her presence, I had never spoken a word to her about my gay inclinations. My wife and I talked about it and we jointly decided that we would get rid of this devil together with prayer and counseling and family support.

GLT: It seems like you tried very hard to be an upright, straight, Mormon father and husband.

SF: My wife and I were thoroughly convinced that with the help of my faith [Mormonism] and “reparative therapy,” that I would be able to rid myself of the heavy burden of being gay and to leave behind this same-sex attraction. Everything in my life depended upon it. I was in a heterosexual marriage for seven years, and I really wanted it to work.

GLT: Although the “reparative therapy” failed in your case, the idea is still heralded as a cure and encouraged by many religious organizations, correct?

SF: Yes, unfortunately, the therapy to rid you of the gay devil still marches forward; however, it appears that most have left the shock treatments to the past.

GLT: Once you realized your therapy wasn’t ever going to work, what happened?

SF: I asked for a divorce and headed straight into the land of hedonism. I went to New York and started working as a high-priced Manhattan escort.

GLT: Why the drastic change from former Missionary to uninhibited exhibitionist?

SF: Well, for one thing, I could earn enough money to support myself and pursue acting at the same time. The other thing was that it was a way to redirect my anger toward the world.

GLT: Was your anger mostly directed at the Mormon Church?

SF: Yes. After I was excommunicated from the church, I threw God out of my life for awhile. Now I am able to take God back into my life, but on my own terms. The anger had to dissipate to the point that I was able to do that.

Steven admits to suffering from “spiritual abuse.” What that means is not being loved by your chosen God. He is quick to say that all religions have their own spiritual abuse, in large part because it is, after all, the mortal man who wrote and decided how to define their religiosity. Steven Fales is neither a religious nor an academic slouch. He studied at Brigham Young University (sixth generation) and has an M.F.A. in acting. Although he spent time in Portugal as a missionary, he’s always been a singer, dancer and writer.

GLT: How long have you been working on your one-man show, Confessions of a Mormon Boy?

SF: I premiered the show in Salt Lake City in November of 2001.

GLT: That sounds like a brave thing to do; open up in Salt Lake City, the loving community that had just excommunicated you from participation in your religion.

SF: Believe it or not, it was somewhat therapeutic opening in Salt Lake City. There’s actually a lot of Mormon “in-humor,” and it was a great success. It attracted many individuals from the counterculture – what I call the “fringe Mormons.”

GLT: What obstacles have you encountered in your attempt to get your show to an off Broadway house?

SF: Well, my first attempt failed because they insisted upon full frontal nudity and profanity. I declined several offers … because I wanted the message to speak louder than a carnal attraction.

GLT: It must be difficult to mount a show in New York while you reside in Salt Lake City.

SF: I separate my home life in Salt Lake City – where I have unlimited access to my two children, ages 8 and 10 – from my professional base of New York City.

GLT: Do you have any other projects in development?

SF: Mormon Boy Productions is obviously focused upon the off Broadway debut, hopefully in the fall of 2005, depending upon theater availability. The show is being fueled by the recent reviews from the New York Fringe Festival, where it received an award for overall excellence. I am currently working on another production called Mormon American Princess that deals with narcissism.

GLT: Is there any room in your busy life for a gay partner?

SF: At the present time I am simply too busy to work on a relationship. And my kids are very important to me. I just attended the baptism of my 8 year old.

GLT: So you were welcomed back into the church?

SF: I’m allowed to observe; not to participate. It’s ironic that during one of my last visits to the church the bishop who excommunicated me walked over to me and told me what a great dad I was. Ironic, isn’t it?

GLT: In wishing you success with your show at Diversionary Theatre, we welcome you to “break your leg” on Broadway as well. In conclusion, what message, if any, would you offer gay fathers?

SF: I would simply encourage all gay fathers to be generous to ex-wives. I would ask them to clean up your side of the street as much as possible and get rid of any victim mentality that remains on the surface.

Confessions of a Mormon Boy opens Thursday, July 14, and plays through Aug. 21. For tickets, call (619) 220-0097.