St. Joe’s will host second annual Drag Show.
Back by popular demand, St. Joe’s will host its second annual Drag Show on April 28 in The Perch from 8:30 to 11 p.m.
John Aydin ’20, a leader and treasurer of SJUPride, explained that a drag show is a way of showcasing a part of queer culture through the fluidity of gender identity and giving people a creative outlet for expressing and exploring their gender and sexuality.
Last spring, the conversation about bringing a drag show to campus began due to a great amount of student interest from SJUPride, Student Union Board, Student Inclusion and Diversity (SID) and Gender Studies.
As with any new event, a lot of research and planning was required to start moving in the right direction, beginning with bi-weekly to monthly meetings. Securing talent, placing food orders and distributing posters were just a few of the many things the planning committee set up for the show.
Ethan Flanagan ’18, former president of SJUPride, described this process as a labor of love and a lot of learning. Despite living in Washington D.C. last semester, Flanagan was still involved in the behind-the-scenes work of planning the drag show and is currently looking to incorporate additional educational aspects to the event from the gender studies perspective.
While this year’s drag show will contain much of the same content as last year, such as student performances and a Q&A portion of the night, it will also have a different, more inclusive approach.
“This year we’re making it more about the community, not just St. Joe’s, but the Philly gay community in general,” Flanagan said. “So we’re also looking for local talent among the Philly queens and getting more student performers.”
However, one of the most notable changes to the show will be added collaborations with other organizations and individuals on campus to create a more dynamic feeling in the space. Some of these possible collaborations include DJs from Radio 1851 and people in fashion and beauty organizations coming to help the performers with makeup.
Aydin also explained the desire to get to know the performers a bit better during the course of the show, in addition to the overall entertainment and educational aspect of it.
“Last year we did have an amazing show, and we had a really great turnout for it, and that’s been so motivating for us this year to bring even more dynamic aspects to the show this year to include as many talents as we possibly can,” Aydin said. “Any organization that’s interested in providing their support- it could range from Greek life, to Red Shirts, to performance groups.”
As the drag show committee is looking forward to the upcoming show, the thought of the show’s future at St. Joe’s is often a recurring, positive thought. Rachel Cox ’19, a planning committee member and work study student representative of SID, has had these thoughts.
“For this year, I really want to cement it [the Drag Show] as an annual event on SJU’s campus,” Cox said. “This show is meant to help others better understand the drag community and its culture by inviting them to participate. No one needs to have prior experience to participate, just a desire to learn more about drag.”
The student committee hopes to have the evening filled with positive energy and a safe space for everyone attending, as well as those performing.
“Don’t be hesitant to audition,” Flanagan said. “There’s no one way to do drag. Maybe you’re solely comedy, maybe you’re solely look, maybe you can dance your butt off- whatever it is, no one is going to judge you, because that’s not what we’re here for.”
Auditions to participate in the drag show are open now until the end of March. Students who want to audition should send a video submission lip syncing to a song of their choice, preferably in drag, to [email protected].
