Lavender Men
Written by Roger Q. Mason
Directed by Lucky Stiff
May 9 – June 8, 2024
Tickets
The full price of a ticket is $35. If you’re able to support us at that level, we greatly appreciate it. If a $25, $15, or $5 ticket is right for you, please take advantage of that price. We want you in the audience! Please note, there are limited quantities available at each level.
Location
The Den Theatre
1331 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Learn more about The Den Theatre…
About The Show
Taffeta is a fat, multi-racial femme with a unique form of queer magic: she can conjure dead historical figures. In this energetic and surreal play, Taffeta invites audiences along as she summons none other than President Abraham Lincoln and his handsome young law clerk Elmer Ellsworth to her stage. Playing every other character in Abe and Elmer’s gay narrative, Taffeta uses this fantasia to confront issues of visibility, race, and LGBTQ+ inclusion. But is any of this historically accurate? Sit down, honey, that’s not what we’re here for. Lavender Men is an embrace to every queer, fat person of color who has been ignored, neglected, or erased for unapologetically being themselves.
“Lavender Men was born from my time living and studying in Chicago, almost 10 years ago. The city’s vibrant embrace of LGBTQIA+ life liberated me personally and artistically, and I emerged a proud plus-sized, queer, POC playwright in the American Theatre. About Face Theatre is a leader, locally and nationally, in queer storytelling, and I am honored to partner with them to bring Lavender Men home to its birthplace—Chicago.”
–Playwright playwright Roger Q. Mason
Show Events
OPEN CAPTION PERFORMANCES
These performances will display the show’s dialogue and sound effects on a video screen.
TBA
MASKS REQUIRED
Face masks will be required for all attendees of these performances. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided for you.
Sat, May 25 @ 3:00pm
Sat, June 1 @ 3:00pm
UNDERSTUDY PERFORMANCE
Wed, June 5 @ 8:00pm
Artists
Cast
- Abe Lincoln Matt Martin
- Elmer Ellsworth Shea Petersen
- Taffeta Julian “joolz” Stroop
- u/s Abe Loren Jones
- u/s Elmer Garvin van Dernoot
- u/s Taffeta Luke Halpern
Crew
- Director Lucky Stiff
- Intimacy & Violence Designer Courtney Abbott
- Choreographer Jacinda Ratcliffe
- Asst. Director John Payne
- Scenic Designer Caitlin McLeod
- Lighting Designer Ben Carne
- Costume Designer Anna Wooden
- Sound Designer Dee Etti-WIlliams
- Properties Designer Amanda Herrmann
- Technical Director Becca Venable
- Stage Manager Isabel Patt*
- Asst. Stage Manager Theo Wampuszyc
- Casting Director Catherine Miller
- Production Manager Audrey Kleine
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union
of professional actors and stage managers