The making of St. Joe’s first drag show
For the first time in its history, Saint Joseph’s University will be holding a drag show on April 8 at the Perch beginning at 9 p.m.
“I’ve always been interested in events that try to bring awareness to stories that aren’t really told on campus,” said Rachel Cox, ’19, a member of the drag show committee and representative for the Center for Inclusion and Diversity (CID).
Cox first became interested in joining the committee upon hearing about it in the CID.
“My boss at the CID, Natalie Walker Brown, sent out an email that said, ‘We’re trying to get a drag show on campus. Would anyone be interested in working on it?’” Cox said. “And I thought immediately, ‘Yes, sign me up.’”
The performance is a joint initiative between the CID, the Student Union Board, the department of Gender Studies and SJU Pride.
“We’ve been interested [in putting on a show] for a long time,” said Ethan Flanagan, ’18, co-leader of SJU Pride and the group’s representative to the planning committee. “But this year there’s definitely been more and more interest.”
Cox says that the committee is seeking performers who are confident enough to dance onstage.
“We’re not looking for prior experience,” Cox said. “And I know a lot of people think, ‘It’s drag and I don’t want to do it wrong,’ but we’re more than willing to work with students and be like, ‘We see that you want to do this and that you’re a little nervous about it, but we’ll show you the ropes, make sure you know what you’re doing,’ that kind of thing.”
In addition to inviting St. Joe’s students to audition, performers from surrounding Philly schools, including Drexel University and Temple University, will be appearing on the lineup. Additionally, the event will be hosted by drag queen Peppermint, a legend in the New York City drag scene and a contestant on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
The night won’t only be entertainment, but will also contain an educational component to discuss the world where the practice of drag operates.
“We’re going to detail life in the drag community and some of the issues that are faced in the drag community; prejudices, or just topics that aren’t addressed by popular media,” Cox said. “Essentially, our goal is to get rid of the prejudices that are faced and let people know what it truly means to be in drag and not what they might think it means to be in drag.”
In this vein of education, the drag show will also be a fundraiser for the William Way LGBT Community Center in Center City. Named for William Way, a former public servant for the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority and an LGBT activist, the center focuses on advocacy for the rights and acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. For the four decades since its inception, the Way Center has strived to be a place of inclusion, offering peer counseling, spirituality groups and meetings for recovery.
“It’s [the Way Center] definitely an important resource for people within the community to have,” Flanagan said.
Cox hopes the event will encourage students to come to the event, even if they do not plan on performing in the show.
“Even if you’re just curious, we welcome you with open arms to learn more about something you may not have known before,” Cox said.
The show will be held on April 8 at the Perch, with the show itself beginning at 9pm. For now, though, the show is still seeking performers. Flanagan encourages anyone with “good, positive energy” to audition for the show and has some advice for those who are nervous about trying out.
“I would definitely say that they shouldn’t worry about nerves, whether it stems from performing or drag itself,” Flanagan said. “This isn’t a competition or anything, just people having fun and doing drag.”
