Confessions Of a Drag Dealer

Drag Shows 101 – Part 3

Agood drag show involves two key elements: the performers and the audience. We’ve covered a bit about the performers but there are some things as a member of the audience you should know before attending a drag show, especially if it’s your first time. There are some unspoken rules that we follow to ensure that everyone, on stage and off, has a great time. We’re going to go over some basic drag show etiquette so that you and everyone around you have a great experience the next time you attend a show. As always, these are just the opinions of one person and should be used as a guideline and not taken as hardline rules.

Remember Who Is Performing

While an active audience is a big part of a drag show, it’s important to remember who is performing. Performers feed off the rowdy and enthusiastic energy from the crowd—it helps them get in the zone to put on a jaw-dropping performance, and tells the performers the audience is really enjoying what they’re doing on stage. Cheering, yelling and clapping are all part of the game. But remember not to try to outshine the queens/kings on stage. People are paying to see a drag show, not the “you show.” Be loud, be energetic, and have fun—but be respectful.

Also, fans should never get on stage unless the performer invites them up. It doesn’t matter if it’s your birthday or your bachelorette party, or how drunk and/or funny you think you are—it’s disrespectful to both the performer and the rest of the audience. If there’s one thing that will get you called out during a show, it’s walking on stage without permission. It’s the easiest and quickest way to get kicked out of a show. So don’t do it unless you are invited.

Tipping

It might be gauche to talk about tipping in the regular world, but in the drag world tipping is customary and is part of the whole drag show experience, especially if you’re in the front row with the best view. The cost of wigs, makeup, costumes, accessories, shoes, etc. adds up quickly and while some performers recycle older costume pieces to make new ones, there comes a point for every queen/ king when they need to update their wardrobe. If you want to see more from your favourite performer, the best way to show support is to tip.

How to tip a drag queen/king is an art unto itself. Place the money in your hand and extend your arm towards the performer. Don’t put the cash in your mouth (yuck) or in the performer’s clothing unless expressly directed to do so by the queen/ king. Don’t get on stage or take over a performance space to tip unless the performer invites you. They may not take it right away but be patient. They will get to you. Because of the pandemic, our shows have started offering contactless tipping options for people in the audience who don’t carry cash but still want to show their support. When it comes to how much to tip, in the U.S., a reasonable tip is $1 to $5, but for those queens/ kings who really blow you away with their performance, it never hurts to throw in some extra cheddar. In Canada, we don’t have $1 bills and throwing coins at anyone is always frowned upon so $5 or more is an acceptable amount.

You might be thinking, “Don’t these queens/kings get paid to perform?” Around here, the answer is yes, but there are places where drag performers only get paid in tips, or sometimes only the headlining performers get paid. Is it right? No. Does it happen? More often than it should. So if you can spare it, share it. Think about it like you would a server or bartender in a restaurant who gives you great service. Giving a little extra goes a long way and shows your appreciation for their efforts.

At the end of the day it’s entirely your choice to tip at a show and by no means is it mandatory. But if you like what you see and want to see more of it in the future, show some support and tip your performers.

Touching/Consent

This one should absolutely go without saying but sadly, this is a very common issue at drag shows, especially among people who are attending for the first time. Under no circumstances are you ever touch, poke, prod, fondle, or grab at a drag performer (or anyone else in the audience) unless they have expressly given you permission to do so. These are people performing for your entertainment, not animals at a zoo. Treat them the way you would want to be treated and don’t invade their personal space without invitation. Regardless of how good your intentions are, it is never okay to touch a performer’s body, wig, or makeup. Doing so could result in being asked to leave the show.

Also, tipping does not give you a free pass to cop a feel. If you need to squeeze a silicone breastplate or grab a firmly padded behind, go buy your own. Otherwise, DO NOT TOUCH. I repeat, DO NOT TOUCH. As local queen Mz. Molly Poppinz always says, “Consent is sexy.”

Support Local Performers

RuPaul’s Drag Race has been many people’s introduction to drag. But the fact is Drag Race is a heavily produced reality TV show and only represents a small part of what drag is as an art form in the real world. Many factions of drag haven’t even been seen on the show, which is why it’s so important to support local acts. There are lots of local or regional queens/kings out there pushing the boundaries of drag and coming up with new and innovative ideas. Just because a queen hasn’t been on Drag Race doesn’t mean their drag isn’t valid or that they can’t put on a really great show. Every single queen on Drag Race was a local performer at one point, so give lesser-known queens/kings a chance by going to their shows and supporting them.