About the Play:

Articles of Faith is a full-length drama by Mark Leiren-Young. An exploration of the issue of the blessing of same sex unions through the real-life drama of one Canadian church. This play is not a petition to change your stance on this divisive issue. Articles of Faith is more a springboard into the minds of real people trying to diffuse a spiritual time bomb.

Articles of Faith is about same-sex unions in the Anglican Church. Based on a series of interviews conducted by the author in a small Vancouver Island community, Articles of Faith aims to promote respectful dialogue about the contentious issue of same-sex marriages. The first act tells the story of the St. Alban's congregation in Port Alberni, which left the Anglican Church after warring with the denomination over same-sex blessings and what it saw as the liberalization of the Church. The second act is a facilitated discussion, during which actors as well as audience members are encouraged to share their thoughts and feelings about the issue.

Articles of Faith premiered in 2001 at Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver directed by John Juliani and performed by Savage God, an actors' collective. It then travelled to various Anglican parishes.

Cast: 1 woman, 4 men

What people say:

"…tackles an issue that has bedeviled Christian denominations for years." — MacLean's Magazine

About the Playwright:

Mark Leiren-Young is a Canadian author, screenwriter, playwright, satirist, performer, and environmentalist. After graduating receiving his BFA in Creative Writing and Theatre at the University of Victoria, he was hired as a reporter at the venerable Williams Lake Tribune (a stint that inspired his first book, Never Shoot a Stampede Queen). Since then he has been a full-time freelance writer working in a variety of mediums and genres. His plays have been produced throughout Canada and the US as well as in Europe and Australia. He has written over a hundred hours of television for shows including adult dramas like Psi Factor and The Collector.