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Suicide-themed Play to Be Staged in Salt Lake City “Missa Solemnis” Recounts the Suicide of Gay Mormon Man by Hugo Salinas June 2008 For one night only, Missa Solemnis or The Play About Henry will be staged on July 2 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City. Written by Roman Feeser and directed by Linda S. Nelson, Missa Solemnis is based on the story of Stuart Matis, a young gay Mormon man who committed suicide on the steps of his stake center in Los Altos, California, in 2000. In a recent interview, Feeser said that he got the idea for the play after reading a Newsweek article about the suicide of Stuart Matis. In order to research Matis’s life, Feeser, who is gay but not LDS, traveled to Utah, got acquainted with Mormon culture, and interviewed LDS leaders and officials, one of whom personally knew Matis. Feeser hopes his play will help raise awareness about difficult issues in a culture where both homosexuality and suicide continue to be taboo topics. “I am totally open to the idea of bringing the play to Salt Lake,” he recently said in an interview. “Mormon families that are dealing with a son or daughter, a sister or brother that are gay might see this and a light might go on.” The staging is a fundraiser for a future production of the play in New York. Fifty-dollar tickets include a cocktail reception and the premier performance. One-hundred dollar tickets include preferred seating and an after-party with the cast, playwright, and director. Tickets are available through www.ArtTix.org. For more information about Missa Solemnis, visit www.theplayabouthenry.com.
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