Gay Church To Present Controversial Play

By Bill Zeeble, KERA News

Dallas, TX – The Cathedral of Hope in Dallas has announced it will present a touring production of the controversial play, Corpus Christ, written by Texan Terrence McNally. Since its 1998 New York premiere, protests have surrounded the play because its gay characters resemble Jesus and his disciples.

The decision by the world's largest gay church to present Corpus Christi follows the refusal by Fort Worth's Rose Marine Theatre to stage the play. That one-act version was a student production and was offered to the Rose Marine after it was cancelled last month at Tarleton State University in Stephenville. Cathedral of Hope Senior Pastor Jo Hudson says THIS show will go on.

Hudson: Our worshipping congregation felt positive that this is an important move for us to bring this play. No doubt there will be people who send hate mail or hate e-mail, or make threatening phone calls, and we're prepared to respond to people who are offended in some way by it.

Hudson says the church has long had plans in place to deal with protests and protestors.