INTERVIEW: ROGER Q. MASON

Acclaimed Black Filipinx playwright and Kilroys List honoree Roger Q. Mason will premiere their much-anticipated play Lavender Men with Skylight Theatre Company and Playwrights’ Arena in Los Angeles, August 6-September 4. Directed by Lovell Holder, this genre-pushing play courageously re-imagines one of America’s most beloved historical icons, President Abraham Lincoln, through a queer person of color’s storytelling lens.The production will also be accessible to a national audience via streaming performances beginning August 20.

In this Tin Pan L.A. exclusive Roger discusses their new play Lavender Men, queer theatre, his influences and why the world needs this new play.

What are some of your influences as a writer?

When I was growing up, my grandmother wanted my brother and me to become
“Renaissance Men,” which she defined as people who mastered at least seven skills
(artistic, academic, and civic).  I studied the performing arts broadly – from ballet to
classical piano to watercolor painting – well before I even stepped foot on a stage.  My
writing is influenced by my interdisciplinary artistic background: I’m constantly fusing
different disciplines within one theatrical work, and LAVENDER MEN is no exception.

How would you describe your play in a nutshell?

LAVENDER MEN is a threesome.  It’s a historical fantasia in which Taffeta, a
contemporary, genderqueer narrator of color, invades Abe Lincoln’s romance with his
legal secretary Elmer Ellsworth in order to confront the origins of their own queer
loneliness in the present day.

What inspired you to write this show? Why tell this story?

The play really started in the bathroom – the genderqueer bathroom.  Seeing my first
non-conforming water closet 8 years ago in Chicago allowed me to identify myself as
someone who lived outside the gender binary.  I reflected on the rejection genderqueer
people endure from white cisgender male gay society.  What myths emboldened such
bias?  And what if we complicated those mythologies to create new pathways towards
self-love? That’s where LAVENDER MEN began.

What does queer theatre mean to you and where do you think it should head?

All theatre has the potential to be queer.  Within queer theatre there’s a reverence for
wonder and process over product; there’s a constant, radical care for our collaborators
and our audience; and there’s an inclination to make a way out of no way.    We can all
learn from the empathy, resourcefulness, and innovation of queer theatre.  As queer
folks enter the dominant cultural conversation and come into decision-making positions within the American Theatre, we will see more queer stories and storytellers on our
stages.

How has director Lovell Holder helped you shape the play?

Lovell is my right-hand man, my creative partner, and my dear friend.  He literally
finishes my sentences, and I trust him immeasurably.  He’s played a vital role in shaping
not only the story but also the physical life of LAVENDER MEN.  You’ll just have to
come and see his production for yourself in order to learn more.

What is your favorite moment in the show?

Well, I won’t spill ALL the tea – but there are some beautiful movement sequences in the
show that I really love.  And of course, I have a fabulous fainting scene that is exciting
as all get-out, as my grandmother used to say.

What excites you most about this show?

Honey, wait till you see some of these costumes!!

What can audiences expect from your show?

Everyone wants to be seen, acknowledged, and loved as a unique part of this
earth. The character Taffeta is a stand-in for all of our desires to be valued and
appreciated. I hope audiences see themselves and their inner truth in this production.

MORE INFORMATION

LAVENDER MEN by Roger Q. Mason

WORLD PREMIERE
Collaborative 2021/2022 Season

Aug 6 – Sept. 4 (Previews 7/30, 7/31, 8/5)
Sat. 8:30pm, Sun. 3:00pm, Mon. 7:30pm

(no Mon Aug 8)

LGBTQ+ Affinity Performance: Aug. 5
Black Communities Affinity Performance: Aug. 15

ASL performance: Aug. 28

NO LATE SEATING, must be in seat at start

A limited number of Pay-What-You-Can tickets are available for performances 8/7 – 8/29. Use Promo Code: ACCESS to activate.

SKYLIGHT THEATRE
Box Office: (213) 761-7061
1816 1/2 North Vermont Ave, Los Angeles 90027
Entrance is through the dining patio next to Skylight Books.
For more info: PLAN YOUR VISIT

Visit www.LavenderMenPlayLA.com for more information and to purchase tickets.