The Ted Haggard Monologues

Based loosely on the scandal surrounding megachurch pastor Ted Haggard and former male escort Mike Jones, The Ted Haggard Monologues is the newest play by Michael Yates Crowley. With the help of The Gospel of Sexual Liberation Singers, Crowley presents a series of sermons and monologues by characters–both real and fictional–involved in the saga. As the scandal deepens and the allegations grow more wild, the family is forced to confront their own buried desires. In language inspired as much by Madonna’s lyrics and Rilke’s poetry as the Bible, they confess themselves and pray for forgiveness, vengeance, or simply a boyfriend. The result is hilarious and ultimately triumphant–as one family member says, “Want is simple, and I understand it, and I think that makes it American, and I know it is right.”