Millennial Notes

Roger Q. Mason Illuminates 1928 Mae West Drag Show

by Eli N.T.

“We are all individual lions, but we must never forget that we are one pride.”
—Gaven D. Trinidad

“The Pride of Lions” takes a snippet of LGBTQ history and gives it an attention-grabbing update. It’s 1928, and anti-cross-dressing laws suppress any kind of gender variance.

“The Pride of Lions” reminds us that gender expansiveness is not new, and neither is the bigotry that follows. Police harassment still continues, nearly 100 years after this story is set.

We see  two figures, playfully hidden by dim lighting and a sheer curtain, connected by an embrace that slowly turns more primal. Gracie (Brendan Looney), a “female impersonator,” is a working girl with big dreams. Her lover, Hammer (Nic Moore), is a straight-passing police officer who is optimistic about improving the force from the inside.

Gracie is preparing to perform with legendary Mae West and several male and female impersonators, whom we  now call drag queens, kings, transgender, and non-binary people. Hammer is not enthusiastic about her performance, but Gracie doesn’t care.

We do not get to see Mae West or her show, but there is a raid and Gracie is arrested along with four others.

Madam Red Hook (Michael DeMartini), an older queen, has seen it all. Madam serves as  “mother” to Shasta (Frances Domingos), a tiny but tough male impersonator. The two make an unlikely but inseparable pair–old world and new.

Molasses (Sean Prescott), a Black queen, joins them– she oozes charisma and stays stylish even in a prison uniform. Each character is distinct, and although there isn’t much growth by the end of the play, their dynamics are believable and heartfelt.

Initially, there is a struggle for the group to find common ground. Marla (Patrick Chico), a part-time female impersonator, is nearly iced out as the group learns she leads a double life. While not performing, Marla holds a cushy job on Wall Street and has a straight girlfriend.

Although the others choose to live as authentically as they can off the stage, Marla stands-in for  countless others who survived by staying closeted.

The group is taken to jail to be watched over by a brutal guard named Gray (Kim Larsen). We watch the group bond over their defiance of Gray, who is sometimes surprisingly cooperative as the group teases and taunts him.

As gender nonconforming teens are murdered and states like Florida and Texas pass trans healthcare bans, it’s important to remember that resilience is ingrained in our community. An intolerant minority may try to squash our spirits, but our strength still stems from our Pride.

 

“The Pride of Lions” by Roger Q. Mason, directed by Ely Sonny Orquiza, at Theatre Rhinoceros, 4229 18th St, San Francisco. Info: therhino.org – to April 21, 2024.

Cast: Patrick Chico, Frances Domingos, Michael DeMartini, Kim Larsen, Brendan Looney, Nic Moore, Sean Prescott, and Mama Ganuush.

Banner photo: Brendan Looney, Sean Prescott, Frances Domingos, Michael DeMartini. Photos by Seth Dorcey.