Lavender Men
Reviewed by Iris Mann
Skylight Theatre Company/Playwrights’ Arena
Through Sept. 4
RECOMMENDED
Playwright Roger Q. Mason has fashioned a highly entertaining, controversial, and often “over the top” work that upends conventional teachings about the American icon, Abraham Lincoln (Pete Ploszek). Mason also plays Taffeta, the flamboyant narrator of the piece, who self describes as “a fabulous queer creation of color” and who calls the version of history that they are about to unfold a “fantasia.”
The scenic design by Stephen Gifford has the stage bordered by panels plastered with historical photos and magazine pieces. In the center is a table covered with a large American flag. Before the main action begins, Taffeta indicts the straight, White segments of society for shunning people like them who are gay, fat, or of mixed race. They use blank verse to express the attitudes they experience: “Fat bitch, Black queen, Mixed breed mishap, round nosed fag ho. That’s what you think of me…” The slurs from disembodied voices will return periodically to haunt them during their story, and those sequences provide some of Mason’s most realistic, moving moments.
As their particular view of history progresses, Taffeta morphs into several other characters, including a military commander, Mary Todd Lincoln, a cleaning lady named Sadie, even a chandelier. For each of these incarnations designer Wendell Carmichael has costumed the character lavishly.
One of the popular beliefs about Lincoln that Taffeta challenges is that, after he freed the slaves, only in the seceded states, he wanted them to integrate into the larger society. In reality, as the play indicates, President Lincoln promoted the idea of shipping the former slaves to another country, possibly Liberia, believing that, in the interests of peace, the races should be separated.
To further advance their take on history, Taffeta conjures up Lincoln and Elmer Ellsworth (Alex Esola), who was a historical figure and a real life assistant to the president. Described by many sources as a dashing figure, Ellsworth, at age 24, became the first Union soldier to die in the Civil War. He was shot while removing a very large Confederate flag that was flying from the roof of a rooming house in Virginia, a day after that state officially seceded from the Union. Though Lincoln fathered four children and is shown frequently professing his love for his wife, according to Taffeta’s story, the president had a passionate affair with Ellsworth.
There has been ample speculation about Lincoln’s sexuality, with no definite proof that he was gay or bisexual. Much of the discourse stems from the fact that he shared a bed with close friend, Joshua Speed, for four years. But scholars who deny that this is proof of a homosexual relationship argue that, at the time, it was commonplace for men to sleep together without any hint of sexual relations, especially since it was too expensive for many men to have private quarters. Also, Taffeta reminds the audience that their story is just that, a story. What Mason seems to be doing in this work is stripping away the sanitization and hypocrisy they feel are endemic to the general understanding of our history, and even to our present beliefs and biases.
The production glides smoothly from one scene to the next and effortlessly builds to a poignant conclusion under the sure hand of director Lovell Holder. In addition, the performances are all excellent. Mason is outrageous, in the best sense, while occasionally letting us in to see the pain underneath the surface, though they could differentiate more between the various characters. As it is, there is the unmistakable presence of Taffeta in each of the different people they enact.
Ploszek and Esola are both excellent, and each has a very strong stage presence. Ploszek captures the contemplative aspect of Lincoln, while Esola displays the attractive, striking quality said to be characteristic of Ellsworth. Their lovemaking scene, enacted in slow motion, is adroitly choreographed by Jobel Medina, and, with a little more practice, the actors should settle into an even greater seamlessness in their rendering of this pivotal passage.
Dan Weingarten’s lighting, together with the sound design by Erin Bednarz and the original music by David Gonzalez give meaningful context to the proceedings.
Skylight Theatre Company/Playwrights’ Arena at The Skylight Theatre, 1816 ½ N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles; Sat. 8:30 pm; Sun., 3 pm; Mon., 7:30 pm; through Sept. 4. Streaming begins Sat. Aug. 20, 8:30 p.m. ASL interpreted performance Sun., Aug. 28; Running time: approx.90 mins. with no intermission. (213) 761-7061 or https://LavenderMenPlayLA.com/
