Jay Rohr
Lavender Men presents a surreal lens. Through it a viewer is given a glimpse of history from a different perspective that reveals a wider world. Yet, its surreal depiction of a larger-than-life icon is also an insightful bit of introversion. Visually, it lacks the ambition of its themes but remains potent thanks to a narrative honesty that’s hard to find.
Taffeta (Roger Q. Mason) is a lonely stage manager working on a meaningless play about Abraham Lincoln. Recovering from the wreckage of a crash and burn one-sided crush, she works thanklessly to give the play some substance. However, after a truly abysmal evening enduring the slings and arrows of outrageously awful cast members, Taffeta finds herself alone in the theater imagining her own fantastical encounter with Lincoln as well as his gay lover.
and Alex Esola as “Elmer”. Courtesy of Matt Plaxco.
What transpires is a surreal exploration of identity, history, and desire. Playing with Edwin Morgan’s poem “Instructions to an Actor”, Lavender Men hits right between the eyes, making the dead walk. However, the deceased aren’t simply historical figures lost one hundred and sixty years ago. Here it’s also Taffeta, someone pantomiming existence rather than living it.
She is a remarkably relatable individual. Being Black, queer, Filipinx, plus-size, and TGNC (transgender and gender non-conforming) may be the idiosyncratic details which make her uniquely Taffeta, but her emotional struggles, like searching for a human connection, perhaps something intimate enough to grow into love, are the kind anyone with feelings can relate to. As such, Lavender Men is partly about a desire to be seen and where the dignity inherent in that acknowledgement can lead.
The thing that makes this journey interesting is that Taffeta doesn’t always see herself positively. This isn’t a glowing, surreal empowerment frolic. Lavender Men occasionally takes a grim look at unpleasant facets. For instance, Taffeta internalizes a lot of the verbal abuse she suffers, mistakenly stumbling into the belief she deserves it, which brings out a bitterness in her that can be downright cruel, her escapist fantasia with Lincoln and his lover turning into her callously toying with their fate.
It’s oddly refreshing to see a story about someone finding the strength to be proud of who they are while acknowledging the rocky road to such a conclusion. Lavender Men presents the unfortunate fact that people aren’t perfect, while also pointing out the myriad ways flaws might develop. Even historical giants are constrained by bias, bigotry, and the truth they could not express for various reasons.
Some might be quick to point out that the historical debate about Lincoln’s sexuality isn’t technically settled. That misses the point of this story. Whether historical fact or fantasy, the narrative shows that the warmth of human kindness, especially when stitching intimate connection, should not be denied to any person.
Lavender Men makes many important points about history. The truth that the past is a tapestry being pulled in every direction by biases is prominent. So is the paradox of historical figures, who are imperfect people yet often gilded to serve an inspirational purpose—follow this cause, embrace that goal, guillotine that CEO, etc. In essence, the past is a narrative, edited and altered to serve a person’s purpose. What’s intriguing is that in doing so herself, Taffeta begins to realize deeper introspective truths she may have been avoiding. As such, Lavender Men shows how exploring the past can be a mirror for others to see themselves more clearly. The trick is having the willingness, however reluctant it may be, to accept the ugly alongside the beautiful.
The film is based on a play of the same name by Roger Q. Mason. Their work has “appeared on Broadway; Off/Off-Off-Broadway; and regionally. Their recent productions have garnered five Barrymore Award nominations in Philadelphia, a Jeff Award Recommendation in Chicago and the San Francisco Chronicle’s prestigious “Datebook Pick”. Despite sliding onto the silver screen, Lavender Men does little to embrace its potential as cinema. The visuals rarely offer more than a live theater watch would allow.
That isn’t to say there aren’t a few additions. Most of the movie, though, is confined to the small theater in which the narrative opens. There’s room to argue that confinement is a theme of the play, so the story never grows beyond the theater. Still, even agreeing with such a perspective doesn’t diminish the sense of lost opportunities by director Lovell Holder. Some obvious colored lighting choices give a little glamor, but again, Lavender Men never really leaves the stage.
Fortunately, the narrative is potent enough on its own to mostly overcome the lackluster stylization. Lincoln with his lover or Taffeta on her own could make interesting stories alone. Combining them creates an interesting surrealism wherein none of the characters are allowed to hide. Lincoln cannot use rhetorical obfuscation but must express genuine sentiments, while Taffeta cannot flee the introspective insinuations of her own fantasy. Roger Q. Mason does an excellent job of weaving humor between these deeper insights, so nothing stings so severely that the audience winces and stops watching.
Pete Ploszek (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) gives Abraham Lincoln a playful quality that presents someone struggling to smile under the weight of myriad burdens. Alex Esola (The Young Pope) as Elmer provides the hesitant but increasingly willing lover the future president seems to desperately need, both characters hesitating because of their uncertainty about how such advances may be received. The two don’t always have the most electrifying chemistry, though they do shine during certain emotional monologues.
Lavender Men is mainly carried by Roger Q. Mason as Taffeta. Being the writer, they certainly have the best sense of how the character should present. And there are several moments where their line delivery can be truly moving.
Maybe some more stylistic risks would help solidify Lavender Men as a potent film visually. For now, it stands firmest on an insightful narrative peppered with clever humor and scathing insights, historical and personal. Lavender Men is a look at the past that passionately informs the present and perhaps inspires tomorrow.
