BY CAROL LYNN PEARSON
October 22-November 8, 2026
in the Studio Theatre @ The Rose
138 W 300 S, downtown SLC
THURSDAYS @ 7PM
FRIDAYS @ 7PM
SATURDAYS @ 4PM
(ASL-INTERPRETED + POST-SHOW DISCUSSION OCTOBER 24)
SUNDAYS @ 2PM
70 minutes
No intermission
No late seating
Ruth & Alex McCormick (Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin & Jay Perry) are the perfect Mormon couple. Or they were. Reeling from their son's suicide, they unexpectedly encounter his partner Marcus (Kaplan Keener) for the first time.
An unforgettable journey of faith and family.
Dedicated to the memories of Bruce Bastian (who made it all possible) and Charles Lynn Frost (the original Alex). And serendipitously, Jay Perry, the original Marcus, now plays Alex.
FACING EAST received its world premiere at Plan-B Theatre (Salt Lake City, November 2006 & May 2007; off-Broadway at Atlantic Stage 2 in New York, May-June 2007; and at Theatre Rhinoceros in San Francisco, August 2007). Directed by Jerry Rapier, it featured Charles Lynn Frost as Alex, Jayne Luke as Ruth, and Jay Perry as Marcus. That nearly year-long production received myriad awards, including Best Drama from Deseret News and Best Original Play from Salt Lake City Weekly. FACING EAST has been produced all over the country and now we're bringing it home.
FACING EAST is produced through special arrangement with Premiére Theatricals, on behalf of Leicester Bay Theatricals. All authorized materials also supplied by LBT.
CAST & CREATIVE
Playwright: Carol Lynn Pearson
Actors: Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin (Ruth), Kaplan Keener (Marcus), Jay Perry (Alex)
Costume Designer: Phil Lowe
Director: Jerry Rapier
Education Coordinator + Photographer: Sharah Meservy
Education Liaison: Aliyah Bacca
Graphic Designer: Aaron Asano Swenson
Intimacy Director: Rebekah Joann Guerra
Lighting Designer: Emma Belnap
Line Notes: Kallie Filanda
Scenic Designer: Janice Chan
Scenic Builder + Electrician: Madison Mattson
Sound Designer: Cheryl Ann Cluff
Stage Manager: Taylor Wallace
A WEEK WITH A PLAY
FACING EAST will serve high school students in grades 11-12 with free student matinees via our A Week With A Play program. Click the button below for details and registration.
