The Blame Game

So, you have this great idea for a drag show. You have a theme. You find the venue. You get your talent. You get promotional materials made for you.

So, you've done everything right. Right?

Then why is there no turn out? What happened to keep people away from the show? Why are your performers leaving with peanuts, instead of a butt load of cash in tips?

Whose fault is it, if a show is a flop?

The short answer, is it's everyone's fault.  But, it's a lot more complicated than that. Especially, when a large number of people are involved.

A drag performer's job is to promote their show. The more people they can bring in, the better the chance of bringing home the money. So, it makes sense for the queen or king to share a poster or event on any social media outlet available to them. And, the best way of creating a buzz is to tell the potential audience why they want to go to the show, so they don't leave, saying, "Yep, just what I was expecting  the same old queens doing the same old, boring numbers. I can't believe I wasted money for that." (Because, I literally have heard that sentiment before.)

A venue should promote a show that is happening there. When the artwork for promoting is built to the venue's specific needs, it should  be used for promotion. When performers begin to feel that the venue is not doing their job, they will talk about it. And, people will listen. What most people don't realize about Drag performers, is that they have captive audiences who hang on what they say. And, venues would do well to remember that any feeling of being slighted, will eventually come out. And, when you don't feel wanted somewhere, you don't go back. And you tell people, who tell people, who tell people. And, then, you have no patrons.

"Wait, there's a cover?" There is nothing that a potential audience member hates more than being surprised at the door with news that they will have to pay to get in. And, it's scary that (here in Maine) that is enough to cause someone to turn around and go elsewhere. If the promo material does not satisfactorily get this information across, it's the graphic artist's fault. If the posts  is delayed  in getting to the performers and the venue, it's the artist's fault.

But, what happens, when everything is said to be going right  And it turns out that it really isn't? What happens when your host says one thing, blaming the bar, and the bar says the exact opposite? Who is then to blame? And, why lie?

It doesn't matter who is lying. If things aren't going as they should be, then there is a problem. The breakdown of communication between all parties involved is problematic.

So, what is the solution? Because you're never going to be  every person involved to do what they need to do. How do you hold people accountable for what they didn't do?

First, all parties, from the host to the performers to the venue to the graphic artist should be a part of the conversation. If any one member is missing from the conversation, there is an issue. If everyone is a part of it, it makes it easier to hold someone accountable, and harder to lie about what you haven't done yet.

Next, be clear, right from the start of what is to be expected. Nothing makes people crazier than a waffler. I  It's ok one day and not the next, how do you expect anyone to know what's going on?

As a host, (in my opinion) if three fourths of your performers promote regularly, and the last doesn't, are you going to still pay them all the same? Especially, if you're splitting the cover? This is a time to put your foot down, and not be "the friend." You didn't promote, everyone else did. Sorry, but it's your own fault. Nobody is going to come see you  if they don't know you're going to be there...

Blame who you like, but the truth of the matter, is, unless there is a really big mistake that can be specifically tracked to one person, it's everyone's fault if a show fails.

Accept your responsibility, and move on, but learn from those mistakes. Know the worth of the show. Know the worth of the performers. Know the worth of the venue. And work together...Because, if you can't work together, why put something together in the first place?

Op-ed: Who Are You, to Have an Opinion?

I want to preface by saying I may be offensive in this post. I do not intend to be, but as it is my opinion, I have the right to feel how I feel, as do you. If you agree or disagree, let me know in the comments. Start a dialogue, because without it, nothing will ever change.

2015 has been a big year for the LGBT community. Marriage has been made legal for same sex couples, nationwide, and in other countries. Laws are being written to include protections for all people, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity. And, trans issues have come out in a big way, with the outing and subsequent emergence of Caitlyn Jenner.
These are all amazing things, and as a whole, we should be happy that progress is being made.

However, (and this is where it gets tricky to not be totally pc, and sugarcoat everything) there is dissent between the LGB's and the T's. There is a difference between having an opinion and forcing your opinion on the rest of humanity.

The last 24 hours have not been good for the USM Royal Majesty Ball.

For a drag show that raises money for LGBT causes, through a sold out show every year, one would think that every part of the community would be glad for the event. However, it happens to fall on Transgender Day of Remembrance this year, November 20th. And with that announcement, all Hell broke loose.

In no way am I saying that TDoR is not important, because it is. The fact that for the last 16 years, the Trans community has banded together for a day to remember those who have been lost to murder or suicide just for being trans, is amazing. The Gay community doesn't even do that... So, yeah, it's a big deal, and super important.

Along with the date announcement, though, was an apology and discussion about trying to move the date.

Apparently, though, people who are in a tizzy over the date believe that it's simple to change the date of an event, when it's a delicate dance to get the venue and the performers booked in the first place, to then, go back and say, "Hey, I fucked up, can we move it to next week?" Venues usually book out quite a while in advance.  (Try to book a wedding somewhere, and then call back and say, "Well, that date actually won't work, can we move it back a week?" and see how kindly they agree to it...)

What started off as an honest discussion, quickly turned into an attack on anyone who had something to say. From, "Drag is distasteful and disrespectful to the trans people," to "I never liked drag anyway," to "This just furthers the idea that drag and trans are the same thing,  and nobody cares about how the trans community feels."  And, further turned to, "Well, if you're not trans, then you don't have any foot to stand on in this conversation, so stay out of it."

It takes a lot to make me angry, but, when the oppressed become the oppressors, and you tell me that I'm wrong to have feelings because I wasn't born as anything other than a cisgender white gay male, you've taken a step too far. I invite conversation, so long as it is constructive. And I would listen to anything said , even if I disagree, without saying, shut up, because you're not like me.  So, I got angry. And I fought back.

The truth of the matter,  is whether it's this or something else, the LGBT community as a whole doesn't function well. Nobody is willing to listen to anyone else, because, "they're not like us." And, this is precisely what is going to tear us apart, and break down progress for future generations.

Give people time to make amends. Understand that it was an innocent oversight that caused this, to begin with. It was never meant to be an editorial on whether the trans people in Maine or anywhere matter. Trans people, like all people matter. In no way was it meant to happen, and it was not done with malicious intent.

But, damage has been done. Shaunna Rai was potentially going to be in the show. Now that true colors of some of the members of the community have been shown, she's appalled at the people who she has raised money for, for the last 23 years. Why keep raising money for people who don't want you around, because your very presence is offensive to them?

What nobody but me is seeing,  is a breakdown in our ability to coexist. We don't have to like each other. But, in a world where you can be killed for being trans, and just as easily for being gay, why continue to fight amongst ourselves.

This is about more than a drag show. This is about internal hatred, and homo/transphobia. And, taking it out on those who do so much to support the community,  be it gay, lesbian or trans, only hurts those who really need the support.  And the only way to resolve it, it to start talking, and listen to all sides before making a final decision on what is right, and wrong.

Let's take a page out of Caitlyn Jenner's play book, and get a number of differing opinions in one place, and hear them all out, before we make our own decisions on what we think.

It's not all about me. And, it's not all about you. It's about all of us working together to make our world a better, safer, friendlier, more accepting place for all of us.

Midsummer Night Queens: Week 2: Joslyn Fox

The trip to Portsmouth, was very uneventful, and conversation was much like it was the prior week...these guys take drag seriously, as a business, these guys don't, and the ones who don't, and go out in drag every night (for fun) ruin paid gigs for the "business-minded" queens.

We got held up again at the York toll. This time, for even longer than the first time.  Sundays, and the end of the summer, lead to mass tourists heading south, to return home. (I know, tourists make or break businesses in Maine, during the summer, but I'm usually glad to see them go home.)

We got to the Rep, and I again dropped the girls off, then drove around trying to figure out where I could park. Unfortunately, the bank parking lot was full, and I didn't want to risk it with the church possibly towing the car. So, I drove around the block three times, and by the grace of all that is good, as I was getting ready to give up and go park in the parking garage a few blocks away, someone pulled out. So, I got a spot right in front of the theater.  Only, Portsmouth runs their parking meters until 7pm on Sundays, so I had to rush to find quarters for two and a half hours worth of parking. Once parked, I took a minute to relax before heading back down.

Because I spend so much time as a man on a mission, I had planned to just head backstage to get drink orders. Only,  I got held up by puppets.  The Avenue Q puppets were again a part of Bunny's number. And I walked in on the rehearsal for it. It was brilliant, and I was so excited to see it actually worked into the show.

During the Jujubee show, Wendy had asked me how to get a backstage pass, to hang out in the dressing room with the girls. I told her that with some begging, and her being there early,  that we could probably get her in.

Once we arrived, though, I had actually forgotten that I was going to talk to Bunny Wonderland about getting her in. And it occurred to me when I saw her outside, that I had forgotten. Fortunately, Cherry Lemonade asked, and it was not a problem.

Because the room is set up with lights and mirrors on both sides of the room, I could stare at myself in the mirror, and see everything that was going on in the rest of the room. (I'm sure everyone knew that I was watching, but, I tried to play it off otherwise.)

Wendy was all aglow, because she had just gotten back from P-Town, where she met John Waters, and saw Jinkx Monsoon and Trixie Mattel. And, she was in all her glory hanging out backstage with the queens. I don't think that the entire time we were downstairs I saw the smile leave her face.

Unlike last year, Joslyn painted at her hotel room instead of the theater. She arrived and they did a quick run through of the introduction staging directions , I did a last drink run, and then Wendy and I went to take our seats.

Our usual seats were reserved...for someone else. When I asked about who they were for, apparently, someone is trying to set up a ferry to P-Town from Portsmouth, and those were the people who stole my seat. Which worked out well enough, because with the puppet number, I wouldn't have managed to get the whole stage from the first row. So, second row it was.

It's always fun, watching the crowd come into the Rep, because, it's like walking into a crater. A very deep crater with very steep sides. (It really sucks carrying suitcases with drag queens in them down the steps, but it's fun to watch other people.) The reaction is usually somewhere along the lines of, "Jesus, could they make these steps any steeper?"

Finally, showtime! All my usual people were there this time, including the new people from Jujubee. The only one missing was the ever stoic Brian, who had to work.

My favorite act, by far, was the Mary Poppins/Avenue Q number,  which I watched in rehearsal after parking. Bunny Wonderland made an amazing stoned Mary Poppins, being greeted by the puppets of Avenue Q, to the tune of "It's a Jolly Holiday With Mary".  Which, incidentally was why I needed to not be in the front row this time...

Joslyn as JLO surprised me. The hair was spot on, and occasionally during the number, I went off into a world where I was watching JLO and not JFO. 

I guess I was in the zone, because, it's rare that I have a conflict of reality, that allows me to suspend disbelief enough to buy a person as another person. (If that makes sense? This is why I could not watch TED...Peter Griffin is not a walking, talking teddy bear...I couldn't deal with the wrong character with the right voice.)

I was excited for Shaunna Rai's "Out Tonight" from RENT, because when we saw the stage the first time, I was like, "YOU NEED TO!"

Cherry Lemonade did a number, that I really didn't get. It started off with a phone call about her dad (presumably) dying, and then launched into a chain of memories about lost time, and that kind of thing. It was amazing, and showed off her vocal projection, because the mic crapped out on her.  It was important to Cherry,  and I later found out that it was one of her "for me" numbers.  A number that the audience doesn't have to "get" because it's about the character, more than it is the audience.

Lili Whiteass did again, her number starting with Elsa Mars singing "Heroes", and transforming into a skeleton tap dancing to "Puttin on the Ritz." And, I accidentally got one of my favorite pictures ever, of her, with the skull mask on.

The numbers kind of run together,  sometimes, for me, because as a photographer, I'm paying more attention to whatever action is happening, than the actual music.

Joslyn, as I expected, did not disappoint. Where her night last year was Broadway based, I has expected at least one Broadway number from her. Instead I got three Pop divas...JLO, Rhianna and Pink. And, I can honestly say I have never heard Pink do "Bohemian Rhapsody", but she's brilliant. And, Joslyn amazed.

Before I knew it, the show was over. I ran backstage to check on Shaunna, and see if she needed any help. We got the corset off, and I headed back up, to be ready for the Meet and Greet. I was there before the queens were, and, so I started to chat with the people I knew.

Andre, Joslyn's husband came up and started setting up merchandise for sale. I, immediately, searched out Wendy, who had said earlier that she was looking for Joslyn t-shirts.

Joslyn and the rest of the girls made their way up, and, as usually happens, the crowd swarmed. "Joslyn, take a selfish with me," and, "You're so (insert any adjective here), can I get a picture with you?"

So, I went around to get shots of people, and began to hand out my business cards to people, explaining that I was the official photographer, and showing where I would be posting photos from all the shows. (Because, what blogger doesn't want to promote their blog along with their photographs?)

Joslyn finally set herself up, with a table, for signing items for people. And I took control of the line. "You're next," and, "Smile," left my mouth more that night, than they ever have in my life. When the line was gone, I got panicky, because, it's my thing to get my picture with the Ru girls, and Shaunna was busy with her own paparazzi, so I had no idea who would take my picture. I didn't need to worry. I got my picture...And only then realized that I had forgotten to get one with Jujubee, the week before.

Finally, the crowd started to peter out, until only the few people who were getting paid were left. (And me, and Andre) Everyone went down to pack up, and leave. Feeling a little awkward, because the dressing room felt very crowded, I stayed outside, and probably made a complete fool of myself. I reintroduced myself to Andre (because I had met him in Ogunquit the day before they got married, and again at last year's show.) And, so, because I was trying to actually have a conversation on my own, I talked about the only thing that I could think of...Facebook...And the fact that we weren't Facebook friends. So,  I asked if I  would be weird to friend request him, since I was already friends with Joslyn's boy page. He said I would be fine, and I was like, this is so cool.

The ride home was a very interesting ride. Apparently, there was a mix up in Shaunna Rai's check and Rainbow Frite's. And, there was a difference in pay scale.

This set up a huge discussion about how the pay scale should've been the same across the board, for all but the Ru girls. I was silent, because I didn't know what to say for one, and I kind of expected that from girls who do this as a living, as opposed to the girls who have day jobs.

When we finally got to Kennebunk, I was ready to get out of the conversation. The Burger King people who worked the previous week were working again, AND recognized us. Shaunna asked Cherry if she wanted to take more pictures in the gazebo. Cherry said she would, and this time, the BK guys gave her a hard time about it.

The rest of the ride home was uneventful, but, I was so glad to finally get home. With these trips, I realized that the only downside to living in Lewiston, is that it's so much longer a ride when we're coming from out of state. That is the only time that I miss living in Portland.

Styxx Presents: Remembering the Underground

Coming Soon to Portland, a one night only event, featuring Shaunna Rai, Miss JoAnn, Valerie Honeywell, Beulah Gale, special guests, and your hostess for the evening, Madame Sheena.  DJ ChrisO is coming out for a night of music from the 90's.  

If you're like me, and know nothing about The Underground, it would be a good night for a little history of the drag scene in Portland.  This was where Shaunna Rai got her start, and where she met a lot of people, who are important to her.  The queens will be remembering some of the good times, and some of the queens from back in the day, who either have passed away, or no longer perform.

It should be a fun night, either way.  I'll be there taking pictures, as usual.  You should be there too!