On this week’s TQC intro, Jonah reports on seeing Oprah and Michelle Obama at Oprah’s 2020 Vision tour, and Renessa reports on an (unofficially) queer yoga class. Queer News & Culture topics include Black History Month, Zaya Wade’s coming out, and Ru Paul on SNL. We also share the winners of the Shaquanda Will Feed You hot sauce contest!
Our guest this week is Roger Q. Mason, who is a Black, Irish, Filipino, queer, gender non-conforming writer/performer, director and producer. His work has been shown at theatres like the New York Theatre Workshop, New Group Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, and the American Theatre of Actors. He’s the 2020 recipient of the Chuck Rowland Pioneer Award, presented by Celebration Theatre and the City of West Hollywood. We hear about his love for stories, use of gender pronoun identification as an act of protest, and the rebirth of his inner showgirl, Taffeta, who he plays in his 2020 play “Lavender Men.” The play is a historical fantasia which follows Taffeta, a self-proclaimed "fabulous queer creation of color," who invades the private world of Abe Lincoln to confront issues of visibility, race and LGBTQ+ inclusion that still challenge us today. Donate by March 7th to the GoFundMe to help support the “Lavender Men” production at Skylight Theatre: https://tinyurl.com/rkmnppw. Roger’s charisma is undeniable, and his storytelling is colorful. Buckle up because you’re in for a ride for this interview!
*****INTERVIEW BEGINS AT 00:23:05*****
Song: "American Pie" by Shea Diamond
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