Cast Announced for World Premiere of Roger Q. Mason's LAVENDER MEN at Skylight Theatre
This play re-imagines one of America’s most beloved historical icons, President Abraham Lincoln, through a queer person of color’s storytelling lens.
Acclaimed Black Filipinx playwright and Kilroys List honoree Roger Q. Mason (Welcome to the Blumhouse with Amazon Prime; Jubilee for A New Vision at MCC Theater with Carnegie Hall) will star as Taffeta in the World Premiere of their much-anticipated play Lavender Men with Skylight Theatre Company and Playwrights' Arena in Los Angeles, August 6-September 4. Joining Mason will be Alex Esola as Elmer Ellsworth (Marco in Ivo van Hove's award-winning stage production of A View from the Bridge at The Kennedy Center/Center Theatre Group; Bart Freundlich's After the Wedding with Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore and Billy Crudup) and Pete Ploszek as Abe Lincoln (Trofimov in Kate Burton's The Cherry Orchard; Damien Chazelle's film Babylon
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. Taffeta, a self-proclaimed "fabulous queer creation of color," invades Honest Abe's private world to confront issues of visibility, race and LGBTQ+ inclusion that still challenge us today.
"If our craft is going to survive, we need the characters in our plays to reflect the diversity of the people in our audiences," said playwright Roger Q, Mason. "When I was growing up, I never saw people like me as the leads on stage, and that weighed on my spirit. It made me feel that there were limited opportunities for me in our storytelling world. This play is my prayer, plea, and demand for the contrary. Lavender Men imagines a space for the Black, Queer, plus-sized body as the center of America's theatrical narrative. My hope is that somebody watches this show and feels seen, valued, and affirmed in their own journey."
The production will open on Saturday, August 6 at 8:30pm following preview performances on Saturday, July 30 at 8:30pm and Sunday, July 31 at 3pm. Additional performances will take place on Saturday, August 6 at 8:30pm, Sunday, August 7 at 3pm, Saturday, August 13 at 8:30pm, Sunday, August 14 at 3pm, Monday, August 15 at 7:30pm, Saturday, August 20 at 8:30pm, Sunday, August 21 at 3pm, Monday, August 22 at 7:30pm, Saturday, August 27 at 8:30pm, Sunday, August 28 at 3pm, Monday, August 29 at 7:30pm, Saturday, September 3 at 8:30pm, and Sunday, September 4 at 3pm at Skylight Theatre (1816 ½ North Vermont Los Angeles, CA 90027). The production will also be accessible to a national audience via streaming performances beginning August 20. Tickets ($20) are available for advance purchase at www.LavenderMenPlayLA.com. The performance will run approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission.
The creative team will include Scenic Design by Stephen Gifford, Lighting Design by Dan Weingarten, Costume Design by Wendell Carmichael, Sound Design by Erin Bednarz, Original Music by David Gonzalez, Choreography by Jobel Medina, Intimacy Director Ann James, and Properties Design by Michael O'Hara with Casting by Raul Clayton Staggs and Production Management by Cedes Sifuentes.
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