Playwrights’ Arena and Skylight Theatre Company present the world premiere of Lavender Men. Written by Roger Q. Mason and directed by Lovell Holder.
In Roger Q. Mason’s Lavender Men, history is rewritten to include the LGBT community, largely ignored in the US history books. This play is a fantasia about a gay Abraham Lincoln (Pete Ploszek) and the people around him. The character Taffeta (Roger Q. Mason) invades Abraham Lincoln’s personal space to give history a spin.
The rumors about Abraham Lincoln’s sexuality play a central role in Lavender Men as much as his relationship with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln (Roger Q. Mason). By some historians’ accounts, although never really proven, Lincoln had romantic relationships with Joshua Fry Speed and Captain David Derickson, often sleeping with them in the same bed—this was a common practice in those days though without any sexual overtones. In Mason’s script however, Lincoln has a sexual relationship with Elmer Ellsworth (Alex Esola), a soldier and Lincoln’s law apprentice.
That relationship ignites Mary Todd’s jealousy and, at the same time, her envy as she is overweight and feels powerless before the passionate bond between her husband and his apprentice. This disconnection between President Lincoln and his wife in the play also reflects the apparent discord between both figures in real life. Mary Todd was wealthy, educated, refined, and her family owned slaves. Abraham Lincoln, on the other hand, grew up in a farm, self-educated, and disliked slavery, not to mention his lack of skills on the dance floor.
In real life, Mary Todd’s misery was due to the death of her children and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln before her eyes. She had episodes of depression, not fully understood at the time. In the play, Mary’s misery stems from the lack of attention from Abraham Lincoln towards her and his relationship with Elmer.
In the meantime, Taffeta continues to be amused by the vibrant relationship by Abraham and Elmer, but also revealing the insecurities and struggles of the undeserved communities the play represents. Taffeta also fights back the apparent innocuous reasoning of those who excluded the people of color and queer from the history books: “There is some beauty being lost in a sea of nothing”.
Mason’s writing is able to connect overweight, queer, and people of color with such fluidity within the story that they all become a coherent and powerful testament of the resilience of those underserved communities who are not willing to be silenced anymore. This is why Lavender Men, a smart, funny, and engaging play resonates in this era where society is trying to make amends for past mistakes.
In addition to the performances of the three thespians and the excellent direction of Lovell Holder, the artisans working on this production deserve a special recognition. Dan Weingarten (Lighting Design) displays an impressive and elaborate collection of colors, intensities, and textures in such a way that the lighting itself becomes a character throughout the story. Sound Designer is Erin Bednarz, Scenic Designer is Stephen Gifford, Costume Designer is Wendell Carmichael, Original Music by David Gonzalez, Choreography by Jobel Medina, Properties Design by Michael O’Hara, Casting by Raul Clayton Staggs, and the Production Manager is Cedes Sifuentes.
Lavender Men
Presented by Playwrights’ Arena and Skylight Theatre Company.
Playwright: Roger Q. Mason. Director: Lovell Holder. Producers: Gary Grossman and Jon Lawrence Rivera. Associate Producers: Tyree Marshall and Michael Kearns.
Skylight Theatre
1816 1⁄2 North Vermont
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Opening at 8:30 pm on Saturday, August 6
Schedule: Saturday 8:30 pm, Sunday 3 pm, Monday 7:30 pm
Closing: Sunday September 4, 2022
Tickets: LavenderMenPlayLA.com
