The Bent, in partnership with Palm Springs Cultural Center, is completing its second season with a revival run of the play that launched the company in December, 2022: Terry Ray’s The Lincoln Debate, based on historical letters that reveal the true nature of Abraham Lincoln’s relationship with Joshua Speed, the man that history records as his best friend and someone with whom he shared a bed for four years. The letters are surprisingly intimate. Using humor, the play explores their relationship, which happened at the same time as Lincoln’s on again, off again courtship with Mary Todd. Ray’s play asks, “Was their love sexual?” Ultimately, it lets the audience decide for itself.
Jason Reale is reprising his role of Abraham Lincoln. Here’s what Stage and Cinema said about his performance in the remount: “Beautifully portraying Abraham Lincoln, Jason Reale lights up the stage; it is impossible to take your eyes off of him. During the scene regarding the letters Lincoln wrote to Speed, Reale gives so much humanity to the character, especially when reciting excerpts from the letters Lincoln wrote to Speed in a down-to-earth manner, that it never sounds like Lincoln is defending his choices; he simply provides explanations as to why he did what he did. Reale really sells the show.”
Our Coachella Valley writer Jason Mannino chatted with Jason Reale about the production and reprising his award winning turn as Lincoln. .
Stage and Cinema: Lincoln – big shoes to fill (he wore a size 14). How did it feel when you were offered the role?
Jason Reale: Initially I wanted the role of Joshua Speed [played by Alex Price], as he had so much personality, bitchy comebacks and fun interactions with every character… also “the letters” intimidated me. When I finally got over my fear of taking on this personality (sometime between opening night and closing), I felt honored and humbled to have been given an opportunity to push myself and put my stamp on this version of Abraham.
S&C: In a few sentences how would you describe the essence of Abraham Lincoln?
JR: He was a humorous, loving, intelligent and tortured soul … such tragedies befell him from an early age that I don’t believe he ever really got over. I think this contributed to his codependent side and potentially why he didn’t like sleeping alone.
S&C: With a plethora of resources to explore Lincoln, the history, culture, etc. how did you approach the role?
JR: The saving grace of this play is that the character I am portraying is an actor cast as Abraham, not as Lincoln himself. This gives liberties to take chances and give a modern perspective to the character. Not fully walking away from history, as we are always rooted in written documentation, but with more freedom as to how I, the actor, would interpret situations. It also helps that I grew up in Illinois, have been to the locations, and knew much of his history before kicking off new research into his personal life. The book Your Friend Forever was a big help with this specific side of the debate.
S&C: What have been some of the challenges in taking on Lincoln?
JR: How to make the historically documented letters he wrote to Joshua Speed interesting for an audience. Just reciting letters from the 1800s would put anyone to sleep. This is where Steve Rosenbaum’s direction saved us. He was able to add movement and bring life to these long dead letters.
S&C: How have you been personally impacted by playing this role?
JR: I’ve gained a family with The Bent and a group of friends I will always be connected with. We were a ragtag group of actors, writer, director, techies and friends roped together, with nothing but ourselves (literally rehearsed in a parking lot sometimes) and a few props trying to make a difference and build a theater company.
S&C: What are some of Lincoln’s traits that you had to work to embody? What came naturally?
JR: Lincoln was full of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent (might have won RuPaul’s Drag Race). The way he spoke and held himself brought you in, disarmed you and made you feel important or at least made you laugh. My voice had levity already, but evoking his charismatic persona took some work in an effort to make a presence that felt larger than life. That felt 6’4”.
S&C: Given everything going on in the world what is it about this aspect of Lincoln’s story that makes it urgent?
JR: Our LGBTQIA+ family is under attack all over the world. Every day it seems as though we are slipping backwards in time, erasing the rights and progressions we have made. This play revisits history that opens questions that aren’t easily answered and shed new light on Lincoln, a name that has become a symbol for conservatives that actively work against our family.
S&C: Was Lincoln gay? Was he in love with Joshua Speed? Was he in love with Mary Todd? Why yes or no?
JR: We live in a world where opinions are as common as grains of sand. I, the actor playing an actor playing Lincoln, have my opinion, which I play out on stage, but I believe it is important that the audience be able to make up their own minds. I ask you to come see and judge for yourself.
S&C: This run will be the third iteration following an encore performance early last spring. How have you evolved in the role?
JR: I’m more comfortable in my own skin, had to be with how much of it gets shown on stage. Every performance is different and I learn,even in the third iteration, new meanings and depths to each line.
S&C: What do you hope people will take with them when they leave the theater after seeing the play?
JR: Whatever you walk away believing about Lincoln’s sexual inclinations, the most important thing I take from my time as Lincoln is his capacity to love. Showing that his true nature went against the onslaught of toxic masculinity that seems to be on the rise currently.
photos by Jim Cox
for more on Jason Reale, visit his website
The Lincoln Debate
The Bent Theatre
in association with The Palm Springs Cultural Center
Camelot Theatres, 2300 East Baristo Road in Palm Springs
Thurs-Sat at 7; Sun at 2; ends on May 12, 2024; for tickets, visit The Bent or Eventbrite
