"An intimate exploration of holes…
and the lengths we go to fill them."
At fifteen, Michael R. Speciàle converted himself to Mormonism. No missionaries required. A closeted gay teenager in the Pacific Northwest, he built an entire belief system to contain what he couldn't face. Surprise! It didn't work. Tracing that journey through a kaleidoscope of spiritual absurdity and radical oversharing, Bottoming for Jesus is what Willamette Week calls "an audacious but essential work of art."
Through musical numbers, whiteboard theology, and sharp observational humor, the show traces what happens when the religious, sexual, and familial belief systems we build to survive start to crack, and what gets revealed in the wreckage.
Yes, there are cum dump jokes. Yes, we invoke the spirit of patron saint Judy Garland. But underneath the spectacle, one question, asked out loud in a room of strangers: have I lived a life worth living?
Content Warning — Contains explicit discussions of sexuality, religious themes, and adult language. Recommended 18+.
"A ritualistic cleansing of the soul."
★★★★ The List
"Is this fool really explaining Sniffies to the straights on a whiteboard?"
"A healing and unsettling experience."
"A one person play and musical… on desire and loneliness and filling our spiritual/literal holes and Judy Garland crying 'Fuck 'em all!' before each performance… a stunning piece."
Edinburgh Fringe 2026 · Six four-star reviews
"Speciàle's writing is nuanced and unflinchingly honest"
"A whirlwind ride, blending comedy, cabaret and sermons"
"An incredible, deeply vulnerable piece of autobiographical theatre"
"Transforms the venue into a queer church of longing, doubt, and self-discovery"
"Speciàle gives a show-stopping performance, effortlessly switching between cute and candid confessional comedy and powerful and completely breath-taking singing"
"Speciàle's endearing charisma is perfectly matched by Musical Director and onstage pianist Jeremiah Ginn"
"The absolute joy of the show is Michael"
"The naughtiness is filthy enough to keep you laughing, but there is real heart in his writing"
"A powerful, sharply written exploration of what happens when being gay, finding yourself and a life shaped by God all collide"
"Its perspective feels authentic, its storytelling considered and its message powerful without losing its queer bite"
"For such a bombastic and verbally sexually explicit show, the writing can be surprisingly tender and nuanced"
"He doesn't simply dismiss Mormonism as something terrible he escaped. He understands what it gave him as well as what it suppressed"
"Funny, touching and deeply confessional"
"A surprisingly complex exploration of faith, sexuality, belonging and what it means to reckon with your own past"
"This show isn't what you expect it to be but it's everything you need it to be"
Tiffany · 8 August 2026
"A superb confessional cabaret, performed with charm and vocal pizazz" Terrance Marshman-Edwards · 19 Aug
"So far it has been my favourite show this year" Drew Epp · 12 Aug
"Left lighter than when I came in" austin boykin · 17 Aug
"A window into the human condition" Jordan · 17 Aug
Michael R. Speciàle is a writer, performer, and cultural strategist based in Los Angeles. He grew up between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington, converted himself to the Mormon Church at fifteen, faithfully served a mission in Paraguay, and left the Church at twenty-three. Two decades later, that experience became the catalyst for Bottoming for Jesus.
Before returning to the stage as a solo performer, Speciàle spent a decade building cultural institutions. He is co-founder and former Executive Director of NAVEL (2017–2024), the experimental Los Angeles arts space where he helped develop a model of kinship practice rooted in radical inclusivity and shared decision-making. Earlier, he was Assistant Director of Loyalty Marketing at Lincoln Center. He is the founder of Family Affairs Studio, a Los Angeles production company developing original IP and creative infrastructure, and co-leads LINT, the boutique production space in Downtown LA where Bottoming for Jesus premiered in March 2025.
His curatorial and producing credits span artists including SOPHIE, Mandy Harris Williams, Jermaine Spivey, Spenser Theberge, and Justin Elizabeth Sayre, whose Lottie Platchett Took a Hatchet he co-produced with Outside In Theatre at Edinburgh Fringe 2022, earning four- and five-star reviews.
Bottoming for Jesus is his debut solo work. Edinburgh 2026 is its European premiere.
Choreographer, performer, and educator based in Los Angeles. Collaborations span stage, film, and print: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Juilliard School, LA Dance Project, The Broad Museum, NAVEL, Taylor Swift, Savage x Fenty, and The New York Times Magazine. Former company member with Nederlands Dans Theater and The Forsythe Company. Former faculty, CalArts School of Dance.
NYC-based, California-born actor, pianist, and music director — and uncle to four nieces who are way cuter than yours. NYC: Big Gay Jamboree, A Sign of the Times, The Great Gatsby: The Immersive Show, Murder For Two, Anything Goes. National Tours: Anastasia, Murder For Two, A Chorus Line. Regional: Arena Stage, Goodspeed Opera House, Ogunquit Playhouse, The Muny, Cape Playhouse.
Lighting designer for theater, opera, and television. Credits include WICKED in Concert (PBS), Come From Away at Indiana Repertory and Syracuse Stage, Tituss Burgess at Carnegie Hall, and productions at Roundabout Theatre Company and Berkeley Rep.
UK-based stage and event manager. Former Deputy Head of Stage at Vaults Festival (10+ theatre venues), 50+ Edinburgh Fringe shows, West End credits, and immersive productions including The Great Gatsby.
International communications consultant for the culture and non-profit sectors. Founder of Lisa Baker Associates (est. 2011). Former Media Director, Edinburgh International Television Festival. Past and present clients include Magnum Photos, the Saatchi Gallery, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, War Child UK, Marquee TV, and the Venice Biennale (Syrian Pavilion).
Edinburgh publicity in collaboration with associate Ned Mansfield, a senior communications consultant who specialises in media relations, leading international campaigns across entertainment, culture, and the NGO sector.
Creative production company and management consultancy, founded in 2021. Develops original works, produces ambitious performances, and designs experiences rooted in queer life, critical inquiry, and the stubborn belief that ambitious storytelling has a home in Los Angeles. Operates LINT, a production house in Downtown LA.
