New Docuseries To Explore Lives Of Queer Mormon Teens From Wilson Cruz & Big Iron Productions
EXCLUSIVE: The new docuseries Not Part of the Plan exploring the lives of four queer Mormon teens from executive producers Wilson Cruz (Visible: Out on Television), Amy Redford (The Lincoln Project), Xan Parker (Ron Howard’s Rebuilding Paradise) and Hadleigh Arnst, is currently being shopped.
The six-episode project (plus one bonus episode) was directed by Stephen Frandsen (Duck Beach to Eternity). The first season was filmed over two years following the lives of four queer teens in Utah’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Producers focused on spending extensive time getting to know them, to able to showcase their challenges, victories and the support they receive from Utah-based, non-profit organization Encircle. “The personal stories of these young queer people, telling us who they are, will give us an opportunity to hopefully change minds and hearts while educating others so they are more informed, more open, and more caring,” says Cruz, who highlights the urgency for this docuseries at a time when LGBTQIA issues are under attack. “These types of shows, from my experience, save lives.
The urgency is now.” Wilson was the first openly gay actor to play an openly gay character on television with his portrayal Enrique “Rickie” Vasquez in the ’90s series My So-Called Life.
