Playwright Roger Q. Mason Unveils Upcoming Productions In San Francisco, Chicago, And Philadelphia

Acclaimed Black Filipinx playwright and Kilroys List honoree Roger Q. Mason will receive major regional premieres in San Francisco with Theatre Rhinoceros, Chicago with About Face Theatre, and Philadelphia with Philadelphia Theatre Company, as part of the 2023-24 season. 

Mason is a recent recipient of The Dramatists Guild Catalyst Fellowship. This unique fellowship was developed to create an opportunity to support dramatists that identify as the global ethnic majority who are interested in using their platform to incite political and social change in their communities. Through this fellowship, which includes a grant of $30k each year over a period of 2 years, the Dramatists Guild Foundation hopes that each fellow can continue to address key issues around disrupting marginalization, inequity and disenfranchisement—and boldly create and pilot courageous ideas that transform theatre. 
“Theatre is local, and we cut our teeth when traveling with our shows around America, building collectives of audiences, collaborators and champions along the way,” said playwright Roger Q. Mason. “This year, I am blessed that three different plays of mine will have either world or regional premieres in different parts of the country. It is an honor to share the messages of freedom, unity and love that these works represent with our country right now - goodness knows we need some joyful news.  And my earnest prayer is to make folks from coast to coast laugh, think, and dream together this year.” 

The Pride of Lions World Premiere presented by Theatre Rhinoceros - San Francisco, CA Directed by Ely Sonny Orquiza March 28 – April 21, 2024 In 1928, five female impersonators were imprisoned for indecency after performing in Mae West's The Pleasure Man. This is what happened on their first night in jail. www.therhino.org/the-pride-of-lions

Lavender Men Presented by About Face Theatre - Chicago, IL Directed by Lucky Stiff May  9 – June 8, 2024 The Den Theatre (1331 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622)  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. https://aboutfacetheatre.com/show/lavender-men/

The Duat World Premiere presented by Philadelphia Theatre Company - Philadelphia, PA Directed by Taibi Magar June 7 – 23, 2024 Taking its title from the mythical Egyptian afterlife, The Duat is a psychological portrait of Cornelius Johnson, a FBI counterintelligence officer, in a battle for his very soul. Using spoken word, North African drumming, and gorgeous choreography, this one-person world premiere is a poetic and virtuosic story of redemption. https://philadelphiatheatrecompany.org/the-duat/

Roger Q. Mason

(they/them) is a writer and performer who uses the lens of history to disrupt the biases that divide rather than unite us. Their playwriting has been seen on Broadway (Circle in the Square Reading Series); Off and Off-Off-Broadway; and regionally. Mason's World Premiere of Lavender Men was lauded by the Los Angeles Times as "evoking the mingled visions of Suzan-Lori Parks, Jeremy O. Harris and Michael R. Jackson." As a filmmaker, Mason has been recognized by the British Film Institute, Lonely Wolf International Film Festival, SCAD Film Festival, AT&T Film Award and Atlanta International Film Festival. Their films have screened in the US, UK, Poland, Brazil, and Asia. Mason holds degrees from Princeton University, Middlebury College, and Northwestern University. They are a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and Ma-Yi's Writing Lab, as well as an alum of Page 73's Interstate 73 Writers Group and Primary Stages Writing Cohort. Mason has co-hosted the podcast Sister Roger's Gayborhood and hosted This Way Out Radio's Queerly Yours: Portraits in Courage. They are a lead mentor of The Marsha P. Johnson Institute's Starship Fellowship, the New Visions Fellowship and the Shay Foundation Fellowship. Instagram: @rogerq.mason

Photo by Bronwen Sharp 

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