Producer of play about gays faces jail in Uganda

KAMPALA, Uganda – A police officer says the British producer of a play about the condition of Uganda's gays will be charged with "disobeying lawful orders" because his work was staged without authorization.

Detective Simon Kuteesa said late Tuesday that David Cecil, one of the producers of "The River and the Mountain," will appear in court Thursday. The charge carries a maximum sentence of two years.

Cecil said he was interrogated last week by officials who asked why he had staged the play before getting the approval of the Uganda Media Council. Cecil said the play was performed eight times in August at little-known theaters in the Ugandan capital.

The play's main character is a young businessman who loses friends — and then gets killed — after revealing he's gay.