We’re within the car parking zone of the New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church on a sizzling Good Friday afternoon in Dallas, Texas. We’re additionally on stage within the Pamela Brown Auditorium of the Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky – and on pc and smartphone screens in New York, and wherever else in the USA, by way of the League of Stay Stream Theater. 

On the lot, and the stage, and the display, a quarted devoted churchgoers, all 4 of whom are Black and queer, open up complete worlds to outsiders —  of a church custom filled with Usher Boards and Holy Spirit seizures at Seven Final Phrase providers, and of queer life inside that custom. The visibility and acceptance of LGBT worshippers – which is a battle in organized denominations all through the U.S. – will get an insiders’ airing in “I Am Delivered’T,” written by Jonathan Norton, who grew up the son of two members of his church’s Usher Board. The manufacturing, directed by Robert Barry Fleming, the creative director of the Actors Theatre of Louisville, ends its run this afternoon.

Even the unusual title of the play is an insider reference, to an previous video of a then-21-year-old church member declaring.“I’m not homosexual no extra! I’m delivert!”

When the play begins, three individuals burst into the car parking zone, one among them leaning just about unconscious on the opposite two. Throughout the service, Jackie Breedlove — E. Faye Butler*) had been overcome with the Holy Spirit – she fainted – and two ushers are bringing her to contemporary air.  As she involves her senses, we sense a stress between Sister Breedlove and Rosie Franklin, the Vice-President of the church’s Usher Board, whom all people calls Sis. (Liz Mikel, acquainted to New York audiences for her roles within the latest Broadway revival of 1776, and her phenomenal efficiency Off-Broadway in Fruit Trilogy)  We ultimately be taught that, twelve years earlier, the 2 had been lovers, that Breedlove left New Jerusalem shortly afterwards, and has come again for the primary time this afternoon to listen to her new pastor ship a visitor sermon as a part of the Seven Final Phrases service.

“Of all of the church buildings doing Seven Final Phrases tonight, you need to stroll up in mine,”  Sis sighs.

“Alright, Humphrey Bogart,” Breedlove cracks.

By Sis’s aspect is her assistant and protégé, the latest member of Usher Board # 1, Ivan Shamar Pickles, whom all people  calls Pickles (Zachary Willis.) Pickles has his personal love-related problems. Ephraim Love (Naiquai Macabroad.), whose homosexual associates name him Effie (in homage to Dreamgirls), has come to the church, hoping to reclaim his boyfriend Zeno, who left him for Pickles.

If the symmetry may appear pat, the journey they take in direction of reconciliation is not any extra straight or clean than the tough highway they traveled to each the church and self-acceptance.

I Am Delivered’T is performing one final time this afternoon.