The Walleye Magazine

Confessions of a Drag Dealer

Drag Shows 101—Part 1

Story by Jimmy Wiggins, Photo by Keegan Richard

As the COVID case counts generally drop and vaccine rates go up, restrictions have started to loosen and that light at the end of the tunnel starts to get brighter and brighter, especially for event people. We’re some of the last in line to be allowed to get back to “normal” and do what we love to do—throw a great party. And do you know what makes a really great party? Drag!

For those of you who’ve been to a drag show, you probably know the drill. But for those who’ve never been, or haven’t been very often, there are several things you should know to help make both your own experience and the experience of those around you much more enjoyable. Over the next few issues of The Walleye we’ll be talking about drag, answering some common questions, and clearing up a few misconceptions that some people might have. This series is meant to be a guide and not a rulebook. I don’t consider myself an expert, but I’ll be giving my own perspective as someone who’s both a huge fan of drag as well as someone who’s been organizing drag events for over 15 years in Thunder Bay.

So what is drag anyway? Well, there are several variations of this answer. Some say it dates back to Shakespearian times when women weren’t allowed to act on stage and the female roles were played by men who had to “dress as a girl” to play the part. Others say it began in the late 1800s and early 1900s as female impersonation, where cisgender men would dress as cisgender women for entertainment purposes. In queer communities, men, women, and gender non-conforming individuals, including trans or non-binary folks, have always done drag. It has played a huge role in the LGBTQ+ rights movement, with drag performers being seen by many as the figureheads of Pride. Today, drag is seen as a form of artistic expression that exaggerates, mocks, or plays with traditional gender roles. Through this expression, you get all kinds of different styles of drag, which we’ll get into in another issue. Drag isn’t just gay men dressing up as women. It’s a diverse and creative art form with very few rules and even fewer limitations.

So now you might be thinking, “What will I see at a drag show?”

The answer is, it depends. No two shows are the same, however there are some common aspects you’re more likely to see than others. The big one is lip-syncing. If you’ve ever seen any episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race or Lip Sync Battle, you know what it is. If you haven’t, lip-syncing is the silent movement of the lips in synchronization with a pre-recorded soundtrack to give the illusion that the person performing is actually singing. Think of it as the vocal equivalent of playing air guitar. It’s common practice for singers in music video production and it’s the foundation for a lot of drag performances. A good lip-syncer doesn’t just move their lips to the vocals, they’ll emote the essence of the song to seamlessly give the illusion that they’re singing the song right on stage. These days, some drag performers take it to the next level by creating an audio narrative or a “mix” where multiple pieces of audio are spliced together to tell a story through performance. But not all drag performers lip-sync. Some sing live, some dance, some do stand-up comedy, and some do a combination of all of the above.

As for the performances themselves, they can be all over the map. People do drag for a lot of different reasons and for many, it’s all about personal expression. Sometimes a performance will be a beautiful art piece while others might be bizarre or even shocking. Some performances are serious, political, or thought-provoking, while others might be light-hearted, silly, or absurd. Some performers will do high-energy kicks, flips, and dips (much of which comes from the NYC Ballroom scene), while others might use stunts and costume reveals to wow audiences. Depending on the performer, you might get a family-friendly show or you might get some level of eroticism and the illusion of nudity.

At the end of the day, it’s performance art. If you’re unsure of what to expect, reach out to the show organizers and ask questions. The beauty of drag is that it encompasses so many other art forms and can be interpreted in so many ways. That’s what attracts so many people— there’s something for everyone. If you want to laugh, cry, and scream in one night, go to a drag show.

Next time we’ll be talking about the different types of drag themselves, audience etiquette, and how to support local performers.

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2021-09-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://thewalleye.pressreader.com/article/283596698392227

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