The Gospel According to Matthew is a one-man tour-de-force. Delivering a virtuosic performance with tremendous heart and sincerity, Matthew Francis gives voice to the gay activist and Christian fundamentalist alike. In the spirit of traditional evangelical testimonies, he portrays real people using their actual words and tells his own story about the struggle to reconcile his faith and sexuality.

Drawing from more than 12 years of research and hundreds of interviews, Matthew performs over 20 different real people whose love of God spans the Christian/homosexual divide. At the same time, he relates his own poignant, often humorous account of spiritual awakening and dawning homosexuality. More than a traditional play, The Gospel According to Matthew is an evangelical event. Matthew is at once sinner, believer, teacher, confessor and preacher and the audience his congregation. A professionally trained singer, Matthew also offers soaring renditions of the gospel tunes that first brought him the emotional catharsis he sought in the church. The Gospel is not just a story but an experience of church itself.

What at first glance seems to be a look at a life on the margins is a universal story about trying to live in two irreconcilable places at the same time, about hoping you won’t have to leave the other behind, about moving on and carrying them with you. As our nation negotiates issues of religious freedom, civil rights and gay marriage, The Gospel According to Matthew is a moving portrait of individual crisis that has long-range implications for our communities at large.