Arts & Entertainment
Drag families support new queens, but D.C. needs more space for young performers
With steep competition, young talent turns to social media for exposure
In a sparkling gold dress with a high-cut bodysuit and fringe draped over her hipline, D.C. drag queen Anamosity rang in the new year with a high-energy performance that carried her off stage and closer to the audience.
Hollers and cheers from the crowd punctuated her fierce hair flips and striking hand gestures as the rookie queen aimed to impress venue hosts, audiences, and other queens to book more gigs in an increasingly competitive D.C. drag scene.
“One of my biggest challenges in drag is just definitely booking gigs,” Anamosity said. “[When I started,] it was difficult not knowing anyone [and] trying to make a name for yourself in the city.”
After a slew of anti-drag legislation was introduced in more than a dozen states, effectively banning performances in public spaces to prohibit minors from watching, anti-drag sentiment has scared some aspiring and veteran queens from participating in the art form. However, as the District experiences its “drag renaissance,” increased competition is challenging new queens trying to book shows.
Until 2018, the popular D.C. drag venue, Town Danceboutique, was the place to get booked for queens trying to make a name for themselves in downtown, LGBTQ nightlife, according to Venus Valhalla, a host at the gay bar Pitcher’s weekly drag show. But when the club closed, queens scrambled to any bar that would let them start new shows.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, entertainers held onto any shows they started and venues they secured. Then, as restaurants and bars reopened, the surge of opportunities led to heightened competition between veteran queens with networks ripe for booking and new queens vying for a chance to prove themselves, Anamosity added.
“The drag queens that want to do drag or are doing drag full time just end up getting more priority,” Animosity said. “It’s definitely a battle trying to get your name out there and develop connections in order to become part of the other [half of the entertainers] that can’t afford to do drag full time, but still want to be out and performing.”
For some queens, having a drag family is the connection that gets them on stage, according to Hennessey, whose drag family consists of a drag mother, drag sisters – including Anamosity – and a drag grandmother. These connections with veteran queens help newer entertainers book shows at venues that require a certain level of professionalism and performance quality.
These beyond-blood family networks also provide emotional and financial support to queens outside of drag, Hennessey noted. Sometimes this comes in the form of housing, but oftentimes, it’s seen through sharing costumes, wigs, and heels.
But between Drag Queen Story Hours and 21-plus night shows, there’s a gap in opportunities for young adults wanting to start in drag. While some family or 18-plus drag brunches offer more chances for young aspiring queens to perform, the digital drag sphere is presenting new ways for youth to find their drag community.
“Bedroom queens” performing from home are building their brand, portfolio, and following on social media platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok. Since younger and newer queens aren’t usually booking multiple shows a week because of high competition, they’re spending time shooting and editing content that advertises their talent.
Social media also supports the exposure and representation of queens who either aren’t ready to perform in front of an audience yet or struggle to find shows.
“There are a lot of Black drag queens in the city, I think that I don’t see them getting as many bookings as queens of other races,” Anamosity said. “I’m grateful for every booking that comes my way. But with the number of people of color in D.C., I just don’t think I see them much on flyers, so their online presence is great.”
These virtual networks also mean younger queens can build digital drag families from around the world, Hennessey added. However, there are still opportunities for D.C.’s drag scene to create spaces for young entertainers.
Last summer, the LGBTQ bar As You Are turned its venue into a cafe to host a day drag show open to all ages, specifically targeted to people under 24 years old. During the show, young folks filled the audience while others took the stage for the first time.
The drag house Casa Sin Miedo is also creating a safe space for young and emerging artists to grow their network. The house supports transgender and Latinx artists through mentorship that is vital to queer youth, who often don’t find similar role models at home, school, and even in the media.
But there’s no formal process to starting or finding a drag family.
“That’s what is the most beautiful part about it,” Hennessey said. “If you want to start your own family, you can really just do it. You just need one other person, and then you suddenly have a drag family.”
The third annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 18.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Equality Prince William Pride kicks off in Manassas, Va. #Pride #LGBTQ . Covering for @WashBlade pic.twitter.com/vC85k8UBye
— Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) May 18, 2024
The Washington Blade held its 17th annual Summer Kickoff Party at the Blue Moon in Rehoboth Beach, Del. on Friday, May 17. Speakers included U.S. House candidate Sarah McBride, Delaware House candidate Marty Rendon, and CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
Theater
Celebrating the 2024 Helen Hayes Awards nominees
38th annual event returns next week ‘building on last year’s success’
2024 Helen Hayes Award
May 20, 2024
For tickets go to theatrewashington.org
It’s that time of year again when the DMV’s theater pros and those who love them getdolled up and show up to celebrate the best of last year’s work.
On Monday (May 20), Theatre Washington’s Helen Hayes Awards marks its 38th year with a splashy ceremony at The Anthem on the District Wharf. With two parts, a non-rushed intermission, and a lively after party, the program is long but the format allows time to celebrate award recipients, enjoy the entertainment, and talk about some serious issues without racing to the end.
Co-directed by Will Gartshore and Raymond O. Caldwell, the show features four terrific hosts — out actor Tom Story, Felicia Curry, Maria Rizzo, and Rayanne Gonzales along with an ensemble of five singer/dancers (dubbed the Fab Five) peppering the show with some fun numbers.
“We’re building on last year’s success,” says Amy Austin, Theatre Washington’s out president and CEO. “Again, dinner will be served during the show à la Golden Globes on the first floor for mostly nominees and their guests, and the second floor offers lots more affordable stadium seating.”
Austin’s approach harks back to the sumptuous Helen Hayes Awards of yesteryear, which she cleverly remembers as the “ice sculpture age.” Ultimately, the goal is to create something fun, memorable, and meaningful: “It’s such a collaborative community and that’s why the Helen Hayes Awards are special; it’s a reunion of people who’ve worked together.”
Still, the doling out of awards remains the focus of the long evening. And that leaves a lot of nominees waiting on tenterhooks to see just who will go home with prizes named for the legendary first lady of American theater, Miss Helen Hayes.
The awards selection process is no simple task, she adds. Recognizing work from 151 eligible productions presented in the 2023 calendar year, nominations were made in 41 categories and grouped in “Helen” or “Hayes” cohorts, depending on the number of Equity members involved in the production with Hayes counting more.
The nods are the result of 49 carefully vetted judges considering 2005 individual pieces of work, such as design, direction, choreography, performances, and more. Productions under consideration in 2023 included 44 musicals, 107 plays, and 36 world premieres.
As one of this year’s nominees, out actor Justin Weaks says he isn’t about beating the competition. He concedes it may sound cliché, but it’s a privilege simply to be nominated, especially with all the work done in the DMV. And certainly, with three wins and multiple nominations under his belt, he’s in a position to know.
And now, he’s nominated for Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Play, for his notable turn as Belize/Mr. Lies in Arena Stage’s production of Tony Kushner’s seminal masterwork “Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches.”
For Weaks, a longtime D.C. actor who relocated to New York in 2021, the “Angels” experience was singular: “It’s one of those great, very American plays that remains relevant, and that it’s centered on the gay experience and HIV/ AIDS makes it especially impactful for the queer community.”
Often noted for creating roles in new plays, Weaks enjoyed being part of a piece that so many hands have touched since its premiere more than 30 years ago. He was thrilled to work with the production’s Hungarian director János Szász who, Weak says, approached the piece as a new work, treating it like fresh text.
And does Weaks have a speech prepared?
“The morning of the awards, I’ll journal about my experience with ‘Angels,’ and if my name is called, I’ll get up and give an abbreviated version of what I wrote. But mostly for me, it’s a reunion, a chance to be cute, get dressed up and celebrate the work.”
In the Outstanding Lighting Design category, Brooklyn-based Venus Gulbranson is nominated for Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company & The Wilma Theater’s “My Mama and the Full-scale Invasion”. It’s the proud and out Filipino designer’s second nomination (last year she received a nod for Monumental Theatre’s “tick, tick… BOOM!”).
“Lighting design is underrated in the eye of theatergoers,” explains Gulbranson who earned her lighting stripes as an Arena Stage fellow. “Scenic and costume design are somehow more tangible to them; they don’t often realize that it’s lighting designers who navigate the mood of the story.
“It’s a very empathetic skill, and a good designer can take you there emotionally. When you’re tearing up watching a scene, the lighting has a lot to do with it. We also spend a lot of time making scenes transition smoothly,” she adds.
“We half-jokingly say ‘a compliment to set design is a compliment to us.’ We are the reason there are beautiful colors on stage. Scenery is our canvas.”
Other queer nominees include Bobby Smith (Studio Theatre’s “Fun House”), Billie Krishawn (Arena’s “Angels in America”), Miss Kitty (Spooky Action Theatre’s “Agreste”), Michael Urie (The Kennedy Center’s “Monty Python’s Spamalot”), costume designer Frank Labovitz (Constellation Theatre Company’s “The School for Lies”), director Jason Loewith and set designer Tony Cisek (Round House Theatre & Olney Theatre Center’s “Ink”), and most likely more.
Both the Helen Hayes Awards’ choreographer and a nominee, David Singleton is up for Outstanding Choreography in a Musical for NextStop Theatre Company’s “Ride the Cyclone,” a wildly entertaining dark comedy.
“The show’s score is eclectic, so I could do a little bit of everything. I had to find anchor points for each number where I draw most inspiration, and go with it. I have a strong jazz background, both street and musical theater jazz, but I’m also really into tap and some ballet.”
Singleton began performing professionally in “Dreamgirls” at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in 2017, but he hit his stride with “really fierce” choreography post pandemic.
A dancer first, Singleton says his energies are divided into thirds: performer, choreographer, and drag queen (Tiara Missou, an “incredibly vain but kind queen” who’s regularly featured at D.C. bars Pitchers and Shakers). When Singleton was 18, he volunteered to work the Helen Hayes Awards. He recalls thinking “I’ll be part of this one day, for what exactly I’m not sure” and now he says, “I’m here and I feel honored.”
And what about a prepared speech? “Oh, definitely. I’m a rambler.”
Break legs nominees!
A full list of award recipients will be available at theatrewashington.org on Tuesday, May 23.
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