CARNAL NATION

Gay Jesus is coming. And he's coming in a passion play to a church in Orange County, California, of all places. Yes, a church in the OC. The Church of the Foothills, located in Santa Ana, is staging Terrence McNally's controversial play "Corpus Christi," which imagines Jesus as a gay man living in 1950s Texas. The play was originally produced in New York in 1998, garnering criticism, bomb threats, and death threats. A 2000 production in London received a fatwa. So why would a Christian church in one of the most conservatives areas of the United States choose such an obviously provocative and controversial play?

Well, the Church of the Foothills, a union of the protestant denominations United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ, describes itself as "an open and affirming, progressive Christian Congregation." Its mission statement reads as follows: "We seek to keep this a Christ-centered church with a warm and friendly heart, an open mind, and an adventurous spirit." Indeed, all three of those qualities seem well displayed in their choice of theatrical production. Church Vice President Josh Carr told the Orange County Register, "This is just another opportunity to introduce who we are as a Christian church. If it takes something controversial to do that, we're willing to do it to get the attention so then we can talk to people."

The play, which has only a single scheduled performance this Saturday, will undoubtedly inspire protests. But actor James Brandon believes that the production can unite rather than divide viewers. "If people only hear the word 'gay' and 'Jesus' put together without knowing anything else about it, I can see why that is controversial," Brandon said. "But if you're to see the play, you'll see how respectfully the playwright deals with this issue." Respect and subtlety are two elements that are often lost in passionate discussions of religion; such interchanges tend more toward emotion and proselytizing. Brandon adds, "We're not at all saying this is what we think Jesus was, or this is what we believe. We're just asking the question, 'Why not?'" Why not, indeed.

The show begins at 7 pm with a $20 suggested donation. The box office can be reached at 714-731-8320.