With the myriad of drag shows that seemed to be birthed throughout the Gayborhood on a weekly basis, there comes a show every now and then that stands out from all of the rest. From Bee Reed, Editor of Drag Official News, come a new, theatrical drag event that guarantees to break away from the cookie cutter drag shows, and bring back the wilder side of drag: Devil Drag.

 

Devil Drag is opening up space for the darker, fringe style of performances, reminiscent of the Party Monster scene that enveloped Philly’s Revival and Black Banana days as well as NYC’s infamous Limelight in the late 80’s/90’s. And I cannot WAIT to see it.

I had a moment to chat with Bee, and find out all the devilish details on this amazing new concept…

 

Ian Morrison: What is Devil Drag?

Bee Reed: Devil Drag is a new fringe drag show that features and celebrates the weirdest of weird and creepiest of creepy in Philadelphia drag. It's a show that brings together drag performers who simply don't want to fall into the perceived "acceptable" or "traditional" styles of drag. From club kids to spook queens to self-proclaimed freaks, this show offers a home to performers who like to get weird, and to audience members who want to see a different side of drag.

 

IM: How did you select your cast for the show?

BR: As a fan of drag in Philadelphia, I have had the joy of seeing many new performers begin to take original and exciting approaches to their drag, and I've witnessed the immense talent that this city has to offer. But as someone privileged enough to call many Philly drag performers friends, I've also heard sentiments of frustration and even discouragement from some of the weirder, darker, more off-the-wall queens and kings. Many have expressed that they felt pressured to conform to a more traditional or comedic type of drag, simply because many audiences in the gayborhood wouldn't find their darker performances palatable. Others have found discouragement in being explicitly told they can't do certain things on the stages of some venues. When I began approaching performers about the show I wanted to pull in queens that would not only enjoy this type of show, but would also thrive with the freedom this show grants its performers. I wanted to get not only queens who branded themselves with shocking or fringe performance styles, such as Pretty Girl and Champagne Showers, but also utilize performers who had a darker side to share in addition to their other styles, like Omyra Lynn and Iris Spectre. Ultimately, we ended up with a cast that not only delighted in their own performances, but truly supported and loved their fellow cast members' work as well.

 

IM: What sets Devil Drag apart from all of the other shows in the area?

BR: I like to think of this show as an escape from the gayborhood, both literally and figuratively. With its performance home being BrainSpunk Theater, you get the added benefits of a drag show in a space that is explicitly built and created to cater to performances. Rather than a bar that threw together a stage, it's a venue that is designed to create high quality performances that the audience can be truly drawn into. Additionally, because it is being held in a theater that specializes in horror genre work, the space is one that really doesn't need to limit their performers in any way. The theater crew and I are all used to working in environments where messes on stage must be cleaned up quickly, set/prop/costume adjustments are just part of our jobs, and lighting and sound tech is an everyday element. Beyond the logistical side, though, the performers get an audience that not only tolerates their limit-pushing style, but lives for it! We had a performer do a number as Jeffrey Dahmer, another force feed an audience member a chunk of watermelon she'd just obliterated with a very real ax, and yet another deep throat a balloon and rip it out of her stomach. And the audiences gave them love, appreciation, and support in exchange. It's one of the first shows I've ever witnessed where there was nothing but genuine love in the room, both backstage and in the audience. There was no cattiness or shade – just tremendous talent and support all around. Devil Drag really is an ANYTHING goes show that transcends boundaries by breaking limits.

 

IM: What can an audience member expect from this show?

BR: It'd be easy to write this off by simply saying to "expect the unexpected," but there are a few things that this show does for its audience. First of all, the audience can expect to be thoroughly entertained. The cast contains both new performers and seasoned queens, and a range of styles. But one thing everyone in this show has in common is their talent. Everyone involved with Devil Drag does their type of drag extraordinarily well. The audience can also expect to truly feel a wide range of emotions. While some performers will do truly shocking things on stage, others will scare the hell out of you, and still others will pour their heart and soul into a raw emotional number that expresses anger, grief, loss, lust, sorrow, rage, sadness, and all those other things that make us human. The audience should expect to walk away thinking about at least one or two of the performances they see for a few days or even weeks, whether it is because it moved them or challenged them in some way, or was simply so outrageous and entertaining that they can't forget it. And, above all, the audience can expect to really see an important side of drag that has only been viewed in quick glimpses in Philadelphia in recent years.

    

IM: Does this show travel and with a different cast?

BR: This is still a very young show and there's certainly potential for expansion, but right now we're solely performing at BrainSpunk Theater in Kenso on the last Friday and Saturday of the month. We do, however, have different casts each night. While we utilize the same core group of performers, spear-headed by our permanent host Iris Spectre, we do bring in different guest performers each night. For instance, we'll be bringing side-show royalty Mister E to our stage as a special guest in May, as he performs alongside a range of talented drag queens and kings.

 

Devil Drag is functioning as a fundraising effort for BrainSpunk Theater to help them fund their first season in their brand new space.

10pm doors/ 11pm showtime (sharp!), May 29th & 30th; BrainSpunk Theater inside The Papermill, 2825 Ormes Street, Philadelphia 

Like Devil Drag on Facebook and Follow us on twitter @thedevildrag  

 

Ian Morrison has been in the heart of the Philadelphia LGBTQ Community since 1993, working as a journalist, performer, event planner, and all around media maven. His drag persona of Brittany has has won numerous titles and community awards, and has been cited from the City Council of Philadelphia for her work with the Philadelphia Mummers Day Parade. Ian currently works closely with seven of the city’s largest LGBTQ charities and was the recipient of the 2015 DVLF Community Hero Award. Currently, he is the Events and Social Director for Tabu. By 2017, Morrison hopes to achieve one day off and be the first drag queen on the Philadelphia City Council.

 

Ian Morrison

aka Brittany Lynn, Don of Philly's Drag Mafia

http://www.phillydragmafia.com