It’s not too early to start preparing your mind, heart and soul for the holiday season, and one way to do that is to purchase large blocks of tickets for David Sexton’s It’s a Fabulous Life, Diversionary Theatre’s latest musical offering that opens Friday, Nov. 17, to gift to family and friends.

Sexton’s musical play follows the Lavender Players as they run into a few problems while rehearsing their annual Christmas show, Randolph the Rainbow Reindeer. The writer, actors, director, stage techs and others scream and bitch about the show until Joe, the writer, wonders what it would be like if he wasn’t gay. You get the picture.

Along with this fun storyline, you’ll be entertained with some great musical numbers including “Don’t Drag Me Through the Holidays,” “No Us in Christmas” and “What I Wish for Christmas.”

Playwright Sexton has formed his NOTB Productions (Nature of the Beach) to promote gay authors. He’s writing full time now after selling his interest in a business called Ironworks (a gym). A while back, David was diagnosed with colon cancer and became gravely ill, weighing in at just 79 pounds. With his full recovery, he wanted to share just how good it is to be gay, alive, productive and happy.

I missed David when he visited Diversionary Theatre in October as part of the screening of Be Real, a 52-minute film that profiles the lives of six men and women from the GLBT community across the country. But after speaking with him recently, I can tell you that David Sexton has a message for all of us: It’s good to be gay.

Gay & Lesbian Times: How do you feel about being a part of the film Be Real?

David Sexton: It’s been a fantastic experience, to say the least. The underlying message is simply to feel good about being who you are, much like the message in It’s a Fabulous Life. Logo will premiere the show on TV.

GLT: Where did the inspiration for It’s a Fabulous Life come from?

DS: I was at a point in my life where I was feeling the stress of both the personal as well as the business sides of my life, and ended up in the emergency room one night. I was diagnosed with colon cancer, but with an aggressive treatment I am now cancer free. After that experience I wanted to share my joy about being gay.

GLT: Had you done much writing in the past?

DS: I was a contributing writer for a number of gay magazines, but owning and operating a gym with 2,000 members for eight years didn’t allow for much time at the keyboard for creative writing. After working at the gym as an employee for five years and owning it for another eight, I sold it. I thought it was time to try my hand at writing full time.

GLT: How has that idea worked out?

DS: I’ve found out that you have to be quite resourceful in finding work that will pay the rent. I’ve recently completed some illustrations for a line of tarot cards that are sold on Amazon.com. And, as fate would have it, after hooking up with a friend during a screening of Be Real, I ended up pitching an idea to the editor of Marvel Comics that resulted in an ongoing paid writing assignment. You might say that this year has been a year of glorious chaos for me.

GLT: Tell us about your fascination with comic books.

DS: My childhood ambition was to be a comic book artist. It was how I learned to read, actually. I feel that this market is quite similar to the art form of film, what with their focus upon the visual and verbal [dialogue]. And the comic industry has come a long way, recently introducing a [Batwoman] character as a lesbian.

GLT: Were you schooled as an illustrator?

DS: I received an MFA from the University of Texas [Austin] with an emphasis in acting. When I discovered that acting wasn’t paying the bills, I entered the field of aerobics where I could at least support myself. That led to eventual employment at Ironworks….

GLT: If it wasn’t for your recent battle with cancer, would you be a full-time writer today?

DS: Probably not. It’s a Fabulous Life came about as an indirect result of the illness and also as a result of a conversation I had with my mother. I have an older sister who is a lesbian and a younger straight brother. And my mother, during a conversation one day, rather insinuated that being gay was not quite something to be proud of. I thought that I should write about this misconception and that resulted in a holiday musical.

GLT: Is It’s a Fabulous Life your first produced play?

DS: The first play that I produced was a musical called Nothing Less Than Love. That led to a self-produced venture called The Nature of the Beach, which dealt with complications in three unique relationships. It starred Billy Bean, who was one of the first baseball players to come out.

GLT: Do you feel writing for a strictly gay audience is restrictive?

DS: I believe you have to write what you know, although in the future I’d like to expand my writing into more universal themes.

GLT: What does the future hold for David Sexton, the writer?

DS: Well, I want to continue with Marvel Comics because writing for them seems to be only restricted by one’s own imagination. I am also working on a project for a musical that underscores the online global dating service called Manhunt.

GLT: Who are some of the people who have influenced your career in a positive way?

DS: One of my mentors is David Leddick, author of Bon Vivant, and another is Richard J. Alexander, who is currently directing Barbra Streisand in her current concert tour.

GLT: Where’s your retreat?

DS: My mind.

GLT: What’s your biggest indulgence?

DS: Comic books.

GLT: What motivates you?

DS: Seeing how I can affect others with my writing.

It’s a Fabulous Life plays Nov. 17-Dec. 10 at Diversionary Theatre, located at 4545 Park Blvd. For tickets, call (619) 220-0097 or log on to www.diversionary.org.