it all started nearly twenty years ago with the world premiere of steven heard fales' groundbreaking confessions of a mormon boy on november 23, 2001 in salt lake city, utah. this critically acclaimed, award-winning autobiographical solo play has since played off-broadway, across the country, and around the world with mormon boy becoming a celebrated one-man phenomenon and having grown into a truth-telling movement. ahead of its time, mormon boy is now "write" on time with its timeless/universal themes, more-than-ever contemporary relevance, and post postmodern tone.
steven heard fales is a classically trained actor who first started writing when his perfect mormon world fell apart. he was the first gay mormon/bisexual dad and formally excommunicated latter-day saint male to ever tell his story in any kind of mainstage/mainstream way. sharing his poignant and crowd-pleasing oxy-mormon stories is part of an ongoing mission to educate, inspire, and entertain diverse audiences from every corner of the globe. more than mormon, confessions of a mormon boy has become "a human thing" and is now part one in mormon boy trilogy and the cornerstone of his "mormon boy experience" that includes other solos, plays, books, etc.
this new website will continue to be updated in preparation for mormonboy 2.0 launching in 2022. meanwhile, thank you for visiting. and please stay safe during the pandemic. "keep smiling . . ."
"uncommonly powerful" chicago tribune
"epic" washington post
"enlightening" san francisco chronicle
"exceptional" los angeles times
"engrossing" chicago sun-times
"unforgettable" houston chronicle
"sobering" miami herald
"unflinching" salt lake tribune
"compelling" new york times
"breathtaking" san diego union-tribune
"poignant" las vegas review-journal
"uplifting" atlanta journal-constitution
"life-affirming" richmond times-dispatch
"fascinating" village voice
"moving" new york daily news
"a triumph" newsday
"engaging" new york post
"spellbinding" san francisco examiner
"a landmark play" philadelphia gay news
"astonishing" boston globe
"five stars" gay times magazine (uk)
"five stars" dna magazine (aus)
et al.
leslie jordan
"mormon boy has one of the most riveting moments I have ever seen in the theatre. it literally made my jaw drop. being a gay recovering southern baptist, steven fales’s tale of his journey to self-acceptance made me want to jump up in the theatre and holler 'amen!' I have seen mormon boy several times and have brought friends who were considering doing one-person shows to show them an example of how multi-layered a solo piece like his can be. mr. fales is a master at his craft. his work is timely and of utmost importance in these days of religious-based intolerance."
judith light
“steven’s one-man show is a combination of an incredibly emotional and heart-wrenching story, a powerfully written and nuanced script, and a knock-it-out-of-the-ballpark performance. confronting the ‘demons’ within, and seemingly around him, and ending up such an inspiring example of true self-respect and authenticity left me deeply touched and equally inspired.”
lucie arnaz
"when one can be so moved as to laugh till your jaw hurts, wince with a sorry recognition at the pain distorted religion can inflict, cheer with unashamed abandon at an enviable and inspiring bravery so rarely expressed in the face of certain banishment and ridicule, you know you have had a thrilling and emotionally fulfilling theatrical experience. bravo, steven fales and his 'mormon boy!'"
bruce vilanch
"my only regret is that I came so late to this experience. it was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful -- the best gay coming-of-age, grappling-with-being piece I've seen since dan butler's, and you know there have been a thousand of them ever since his. it's really good. this needs to be filmed."
michael childers
"sheer brilliance! No matter what kind of show you think this is, you will be surprised. 'confessions of a mormon boy' pulls together the best aspects of live theater--comedy, tragedy, and song--and then delivers a knockout 'I did not see that coming' finish. steven has created an entertaining show with great emotional impact."
jennifer simard
"as someone who knew Steven at 18 years old, since our freshman year in college, i was overwhelmed in witnessing my friend's journey. it is no easy thing to live in authenticity and it takes enormous strength to look in the mirror and be honest with oneself. confessions of a mormon boy transcends it's singularity with universal themes we can all relate to in our individual search for truth and meaning."
brandon liberati
"steven fales takes you on a compelling journey that leaves you feeling enlightened and empowered."
outer critics circle award nomination, outstanding solo performance
lambda literary award finalist, drama
new york international fringe festival, overall excellence award
edinburgh festival fringe, jack tinker spirit of the fringe award
national arts festival (south africa), main programme
artvoice artie award, outstanding solo performance
atlantic fringe festival (halifax), overall fringe hit award
dublin international gay theatre festival, oscar wilde award nomination, outstanding new playwright
critic's choice, los angeles times
critic's pick, boston globe
mormon boy trilogy
missionary position
prodigal dad
cultaholic
mormon american princess
my mormon valentine
mormon outlaw
etc.
last performed in melbourne, february 2020
palm springs, january 2020
columbus, october 2019
cape town, july 2019
oslo, june 2019
sydney, march 2019
sag harbor (the hamptons), july 2018
oxymormon memoirs
guncle counsel
confessions of a mormon boy: behind the scenes of the off-broadway hit
short bio
extensive bio
