Sage Sherlock
August 13, 2025
It’s not too often you’re given the opportunity to witness an interpretation of modern queer party culture in the intimate setting of a playwright’s own dining room. Everything about People You Do Drugs With felt raw, real and dripping with hot summer feels. This is Lavender Morin’s first original production. I first saw the play advertised on Instagram with an eye-catching flyer. When I asked Lavender about it, they said they threw it together with an impromptu photoshoot: “baking-flour spelling out the name of the play among other various party paraphernalia splayed out in a ‘What’s in Your Bag’ type of scene”. They sold tickets solely through an Instagram campaign. It worked! Generating buzz amongst the Detroit party scenes, garnering an impressive three weekend sold-out run. Thankfully, Lavender is working on a follow-up play.
The gritty dramedy tells stories personal to the playwright as well as experiences they’ve heard from others over the years. Plenty of us who live alternative lifestyles in the underground party scene share similar experiences. They can feel unique, at times isolating. Many of us grapple with pursuing life-goals and balancing much needed relief from existing in the “diet-fascism” reality of America. As shown in the play, at times we’ve stayed up late yapping into the sunrise like wind-up dolls powered by powders. Speaking of dolls, this is a trans story as well. I don’t want to spill too many beans because the mystery of the play is a large chunk of the allure. Trust me when I say lots of emotions are felt when witnessing this DIY Detroit original production. The play felt authentic, like a rippled mirror of our own lives, even from the original confirmation ticket email which poses as an invitation to a surprise birthday.
Lavender was born and raised in Detroit, their family has lived on the East Side for numerous generations. They’re very interested in the history and culture of the city. When they started writing this piece, they asked themself “can I write a play that I can perform in my dining room?” I guess the answer is yes!! When asked about drugs in general, they had to say, “Drugs are here, it’s something people do. Whether it’s safe use or abuse.” I would have to absolutely agree. There is no singular solution for addiction or abuse, but the more we talk about it the more we can untangle the mess that some of us are bound to get into. People You Do Drugs With offers us an entertaining and much needed conversation about the sticky underbelly of nightlife.
I want to say a huge thank you to the cast for providing such realistic theatre: Helana Georgis as Niki, Tea Montgomery as Isis, Alanna Kemorah (AK) as Ava, Noah Askew as Adam, and Ryan Jordan as June. Thank you as well to Harm:Less for donating harm reduction supplies for us to take home after the show.
You can follow Lavender’s personal instagram @the_lavender_scare
or their production page @lavenderlivearts
-Sage Sherlock
Images courtesy of Lavender Morin