Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Carole Mikita ReportingA new play that addresses Latter-day Saint homosexuality and suicide premiers tonight in Salt Lake.
Many of you know Carol Lynn Pearson who wrote a book, "Goodbye, I Love You", about caring for her ex-husband, who was gay, as he died of AIDS. Now she says she is very much concerned about a startling statistic in our state.
An LDS couple stands in the cemetery reeling from their son's suicide. A new play takes on this tough topic. Utah's suicide rate is higher than the national average and the ones at greatest risk are young men ages 15 to 19.
Charles Lynn Frost, "Facing East": "My original desire came from a tragedy this past summer. A friend of mine, his nephew killed himself, had just returned home from his LDS mission."
Author Carol Lynn Pearson wrote the play.
Carol Lynn Pearson: "We must do everything we can as human beings, as a community, as a church, as any church, to figure out a way to stop driving our beautiful young men to suicide."
Jayne Luke, "Facing East": "What I love about Carol Lynn's play is that it really doesn't condemn anyone."
The message, they all say, is about finding compassion.
Jay Perry, "Facing East": "It's definitely a play that allows you to go 'Wow, what are my feelings about these subjects?' I'm hoping that people will go away and talk about it."
"Facing East" opens tonight and runs through Nov. 26th at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. Carol Lynn Pearson has a new book, titled "No More Goodbyes" with many families' and individuals' stories on this subject.
