We asked our cast and crew to contribute posts on the subject of marriage equality and how they related. This is one of them.
Hi, I’m a Christian. I love Jesus, pray, take communion, lift up a joyful noise to the Lord in worship and abstain from drugs and premarital sex. I’m an Actor. I curse on stage and wear revealing costumes and I do kissing scenes with men who aren’t my fiancé.
I also believe in Marriage Equality.
Growing up, I was a Christian that I openly admit, am thoroughly embarrassed about now. I wore the Jesus t-shirts (some gems include “Jesus is my boyfriend!” “I’m not afraid to tell the world that I love Jesus.” “I sing for a reason, I sing for Jesus” and last but not least, “Abortion is homicide.”) I listened to strictly Christian music (I’m lookin’ at you, Rebecca St. James) and while others saved up for Warped Tour, I was saving up for CreationFest at the Gorge. I had the Jesus license plate frame that says “Got Jesus?” (Which ironically is still there-those suckers are difficult to get off!) I cringe when I think about my former self. I still love Jesus, but I understand Him a whole lot better now. My best friend from HS told me recently, “I just really have a heart for homosexuals.” My immediate reaction was “People. You mean PEOPLE, right? You have a heart for people.” It was in that moment that I realized we were different. We did everything in the world together, prayed and wept and laughed together. But it wasn’t until that particular moment that I realized: we were different Christians. I don’t think the goal is to get to Heaven, and have Jesus say to you, “You judged all the people I wanted you to hate, good job.” I hope He’ll say, “You loved all the people I wanted you to love, good job.”
I may cringe at the Christian I used to be, but Jesus Christ is still my Lord and Savior, so I often feel like a minority in the theater community. No I don’t live with my fiancé, yes that’s a purity ring on my finger, no I don’t want to smoke weed in the green room and lastly, I can’t rehearse on Easter Sunday. I have been excluded from cast parties, heard whispered insults, the epic backstage discussions as to how all religious people are prudes and bigots and hypocrites and liars—all in front of the one Christian in the room. Don’t they realize that there are different Christians?
I wanted to be a part of this piece because I want our community to realize that not all Christians are the enemy. There are some Christians, like myself, who are different. I’m not praying for you-I’m rooting for you.
Roy is a director, producer, and Artistic Director of Arouet. He has been thrilled about the project from the moment Danny brought the idea of “the marriage play” to the company, and is ecstatic to see it come to fruition with such a talented group of writers and actors. Most recently he directed Anna in the Tropics for Latino Theatre projects and produced and assistant-directed Arouet’s The House of Bernarda Alba. Next he’s directing The Music Man for Driftwood Players, the American premiere of The Hen Night Epiphany, a co-production of the Driftwood Players’ Theatre of Intriguing Possibilities and Arouet, and the Northwest premiere of The Temperamentals.
I am a Guatemalan born and raised, have lived permanently in the U.S.A. for 12 years, a business manager and owner who came into theater by chance, when given the opportunity to write and perform a short monologue for the 2011 Latino Community fund.
Greg is a writer, performance poet and cat fancier who lives in Seattle. He has competed in five consecutive Seattle Poetry Slam Grand Slams, three consecutive Individual World Poetry Slams and was a member of the 2009 Seattle Poetry Slam team competing against teams from across North America. Greg has featured on stages across the U.S.A. and Canada and is the author of two chapbooks called One Lap Around and A Cautionary Tale, both of which he loves like precious kittens. When not on stage, Greg writes relationship advice through his alter ego: 
Jeremy is thrilled to be a part of the Lawfully Wedded project. A Chicago native, Jeremy moved to Seattle in May 2011 to pursue a career as a teaching artist and actor. Currently, he works as a teaching artist for the Seattle Children’s Theatre. Previous Seattle credits include: Yellow Face (NWOAC, et al.) with ReAct Theatre; The Mormon Bird Play (Pipa) with Washington Ensemble Theatre; Trojan Women (Andromache) with quiet Productions. He also worked as properties designer for Bed Snake at Washington Ensemble Theatre. He would like to encourage everyone to vote “yes” on Referendum 74 this November in what will be a ground-breaking election, something Washingtonians should be proud of to say we are the first state to legally recognize marriage equality. Love to all his family and friends who have shown support in every decision he has made.
Alysha is honored to be working with Arouet for the first time. She was recently seen in Henry VIII with GreenStage, and in Amadeus and Tartuffe at SecondStory Rep. She can be seen next Spring performing in Stone Soup Theatre’s Festival of Tennessee Williams One-Act Plays. Alysha is enjoying her most exciting role to date: Bride-to-be! [Love to her fiancé, Geb.]
John is a recording artist. His work appears on many albums, compilations and DVDs as well as television, film and video games. When not making weird noises with synthesizers, Epperson designs sound for theatre. He has previously worked with Arouet, ArtsWest, Driftwood Players, Latino Theatre Projects, Redwood Theatre and Theatre 9/12. 
Bruce is pleased to once again be working with Roy, reunited together after his appearance in The Gene Pool for Arouet. Bruce has been most recently seen on the stage in Edmonds appearing in M*A*S*H 4077th, and Love, Sex and the IRS. He has appeared on stage in over 30 productions, up and down the I-5 corridor. “I am really pleased to be involved with this project. I believe keeping Marriage Equality front and center with help to educate and inform the voting public. It is important to stand up and be counted on such an important issue. I personally have been in a same-sex relationship going on 33 years.” Thank you to the cast and crew and eight little letters to Cliff and our son Noah!
Perry has been playing and writing since college. Grew up in the Midwest & is founding member of Beef Curtans, which last performed at RAGBRAI bicycle rally in Omaha as the first local band (via Seattle) to play Omaha’s largest casino. In Seattle he kept writing and playing with friends just for fun. After a long hiatus, he was persuaded to return to his music for Lawfully Wedded as a songwriter/musician.
Caitlin is delighted to be on the writing team for Lawfully Wedded. Productions include short plays J.D Salinger is My God, which won the audience favorite award at Stone Soup’s Outside the Box festival, and The Scottish Sketch, part of DramaQueen’s recent SWAN day performance. Full lengths include Pretty Girls (co-written with Opal Peachey and Elizabeth Tanner), and a staged reading of My Dear Miss Chancellor, with WET’s New Play Workshop. She is a graduate of Cornish College of the Arts, and a proud company member of Annex Theatre.
Addie is new to the Seattle theatre scene and is thrilled and grateful to be working with Arouet on Lawfully Wedded. She loves that she is able to pursue her passion of collaborative works of art with an amazing group of artists as well as delve into such a prevalent topic in our society today! Her previous experience includes the devised piece “US” with Western Washington U. and “The American Family” in conjunction with Tectonic Theatre Project. She also would like to thank her parents, her sister Katrina, and family and friends for their unlimited support and love in her creative endeavors.
Idalia is grateful to be part of this project, loves to work again with Roy, Morgan and Addie. An artistic spiral. She studied drama at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León in her native México, at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and at Freehold Theatre in Seattle. Her recent projects (which she is very proud of) include: Anna in the Tropics and Timepieces. She also has participated on various projects with “eSe Teatro”, local commercials and independent movies. When not acting, Idalia enjoys contorting her body with yoga and old school roller skating. Idalia wants to thank the fabulous cast and crew for their support and trust.
Morgan is new to Seattle having moved here from San Francisco 2 years ago. His work was last seen at the Ethnic Cultural Center for the Seattle Playwrights’ Collective showcase Timepieces. Morgan founded Wily West Productions in 2008 and has produced more than 20 productions. Here in Seattle Morgan has founded the Pacific Play Company with Daniel Tarker which will be devoted to new plays by local writers. Morgan has had plays performed or read at the Eureka Theatre, the Phoenix Theatre, the Exit Theatre, Stage Werx, the Marsh in San Francisco, Berkeley Rep, Virago Theatre Company, Gaia Performing Arts Center in Berkeley, Ross Valley Players in Marin County, The Pegasus Theatre in Monte Rio, Theatre Works West, Center Stage and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and at the Interborough Rep in New York City. Morgan’s play, Ruth and the Sea, was listed as one of the “top 10 Bay Area productions of 2010” by SF Bay Times and Bay Area Theatre Critics’ Circle chairman, Tom Kelly. His comedies, Nymph O’ Mania, Maidrid’s Bow and The Widow West have all received critical acclaim and played to sold-out houses in San Francisco. Morgan is a member of Theatre Bay Area, The Play Cafe, Theatre Puget Sound and The Dramatists Guild of America. He looks forward to seeing the Seattle premiere of Maidrid’s Bow in the spring of 2013!
Eric is proud to be a part of his first Arouet production. He’s previously worked with Arouet’s Artistic Director, Roy Arauz in These Walls Can Talk. Other local plays include Suddenly Last Summer, Everything in the Garden, and The Cherry Orchard — all at Theatre 9/12. He can also be seen in the upcoming film The Dregs. When not acting, Eric loves spending time with his beautiful wife Mary and rabidly supporting anything related to Washington State Cougar athletics.
Gabriel is excited to be a part of such an enlightening and profound play. He hopes this play will help change and open hearts and minds by allowing everyone to take a glimpse into the trials and tribulations of our fellow human beings. It is an honor for him to be part of what he feels is one of the best plays he has had the privilege of being a part of. A big thank you to a wonderful dichotomy of talented directors and actors and his ever constant support group made up of Sharon Lorenzen, his Uncle Greg and brother Joel. 
