Prospectus

Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Beth Voigt Faculty member Thom Schnarre does Britney at Parkland's Drag Show.

On Friday, February 29, some of Parkland's prettiest boys (and girls) will grace the stage of Parkland's theatre in a show that promises to be the most fun to be had while being politically (and probably biblically) incorrect at the same time. That's right, folks, it's drag show time!

"But, what the heck is a drag show?" you may ask. It's a performance put on by a series of drag queens and/or kings, who often lip-synch and dance to popular songs. A drag queen is usually a man who dresses (or "drags") in female clothes; by the same token, a drag king is a woman in male clothes. A drag performer is not necessarily gay or transgender, but may be a straight person who simply dresses up for the fun of it.

Performers often wear elaborate costumes, sometimes imitating famous singers or celebrities. A drag performer may or may not try to "pass" as the opposite gender; sometimes you would never know that "she" is actually a man, or sometimes he might go all-out to deliberately look outrageous, over-the-top, and most certainly a man in drag.

Drag shows can feature one or more performers, singly or in groups, who may sing, dance, lip-synch to a song while dancing a choreographed routine, or perform skits or monologues. Tips are often accepted by performers who mingle with the crowd while continuing their performance-encouraging audience participation.

This will be the sixth Drag Show to be held at Parkland. In previous shows, there have been around a half-dozen Drag Queens (males as females) and two to four Drag Kings (females as males). Plans for this year's show have been in the works since last October, and there have been rehearsals several times a week since the beginning of January and continuing until the day of the show.

While Parkland's drag show is an uncommon treat, it is not the only performance of its kind in the area. Both the University of Illinois and Eastern Illinois University have their own drag shows, around Halloween and in the spring semester respectively. Closer to home, the C-Street bar in downtown Champaign holds regular drag shows on Sunday nights with professional competitive participants.

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