Meet: Shaunna Rai

You're probably thinking, "Wait, you're dating Shaunna Rai, how come she's the third Meet: Insert Drag Queen Name Here installment?"

That, my friends, is because Shaunna Rai didn't answer any of the questions until after Bunny Wonderland, and Vanila Honey-Bush.  And, I'm going in order of how I received them.

How did you get your start in drag?
I was 20 years old, my roommate, one night, said, "You would make a pretty queen." So, we had a painting party, and Shaunna Rai was born.  I got into a bar, Metro, in Lewiston, at the time, and stayed 20 minutes, and left.  I felt weird.




How did Shaunna Rai get her name?
My roomie, who painted my face, his name was Kevin, named me.

What is your favorite part of doing drag?
The painting.  I love becoming a work of art.
 I have to say, that's my favorite part of watching Shaunna get into character, too. Between the smells of the makeup, and just watching the work that goes into the look, it's just amazing to watch.

Queens tend to get categorized (ie. Comedy, Club Kid, Pageant Queen, etc.) What category do you consider yourself to be?
I am not sure. I have done pageants, but would say show girl queen, fishy queen (real looking).
After getting multiple answers on more than one of this question, I realize that drag queens don't necessarily just fit into one category.  

Have you ever experienced stage fright while performing? How did you overcome it?
No, as Shaunna Rai, never. I love it. It's like a drug for me. As Shaunna, I am never scared. It's weird.  I guess, I feel she can do anything Dan can't. 

Have you ever won any titles or awards?
Yes, First Runner Up at PJ's for Miss Newcomers 1997, Queen of Southern Maine Pride. I was Miss LA (Lewiston/Auburn) Pride 2004 and Miss Androscoggan, as well. 

Tell me about some of your (good or bad) backstage experiences with other queens.
Stealing queens are shady,  but I am known as one to not fuck with 'cause I will not let anyone leave til I check a bitch.  Also, you learn about the girls backstage. It's small talk. The day we had. Things going on in life. Not at all what you think the talk would be.

Do you do your own hair, makeup, costuming? Or do you have help with some or all of the above?
Hair and makeup, yes, I do my own. Costumes are by BGB. Miss E'on if you're nasty....lol. But, I am teaching myself to sew, with help.

Tell me about a memorable adventure that you've had that you would not have had, if not for drag.

Traveling of any kind. I think food runs to Denny's at night.  The most fun, was the First Friday Art Walk shows that I did with Vanila.  Also, all the fun queens I meet and have met. It's kind of like a family. We are dysfunctional, but we are a family.

When you're out of drag, what do you do? (ie. Work, fun, etc.)

I am a hair stylist/makeup artist. For fun, no drag things. I love cars, the beach, road trips, adventures.

Tell me anything else that you think might be important for me to know, to get inside the head of a drag queen.

I think most do it as an escape. To be something they aren't in everyday life. Drag doesn't make me less of a man, and I don't want to be alone for the rest of my life, because of drag.

That last sentence, is probably the most powerful thing that I've come across, so far in my exploration of drag.  I've never believed that drag would make anyone less of a man.  As far as I'm concerned, it takes more balls, to put on a dress, and put yourself out there as someone of the opposite gender, than it does to be a "real man."  

And, maybe, I'm just open minded, or something, but I can't see anyone not being able to deal with someone because they do drag.  Why would you get over a relationship, over something that makes the other person happy?  So what if it means that he puts on makeup and a dress? A happy relationship comes about, when all parties involved are happy.

Meet: Vanila Honey-Bush

So, as most of you know, Vanila Honey-Bush is my roommate. When I first met Ryan (Vanila) he was with Dan, at a Khris Francis show.  And, if I'd realized at that time, that they were not a couple, I could have saved myself some poor decisions made during singlehood...I can't remember if I met Vanila before or after Ryan moved to Connecticut.  I want to say it was before, and I know I'll be corrected later, if I'm wrong about it. 

Anyway, Vanila was the second person to respond to my plea for research help.  And, it's always good to find out more about people you live with anyway, right? Especially, those with multiple personalities...

If you read the Meet: Bunny Wonderland post, you'll recognize the questions, as it's a set set of questions, that I put out there.

How did you get your start in drag?

I started drag when I was 19. My mother had a fascination with wigs and make-up. When she died, I entered a drag competition in Yboy City Florida wearing her hair and clothes.  I started really to pay homage to her but then discovered I loved it!

How did you get your drag name? (I should've, and probably will later, asked who named Delani?)

My original drag name was Delani Stevens. Didn't really have any meaning to it. I changed my drag name in 2012 to Vanila Honey-Bush at the request of my roommates at the time. I was drinking a tea and the name of the tea was Vanilla Honeybush and they said that it was me!

What is your favorite part of doing drag? 

My favorite part of doing drag is the social reactions. I love being the center of attention no matter where I go. Lets face it, queens certainly get noticed.

That's for sure.  Queens definitely get noticed, for a myriad of reasons.  

Queens tend to get categorized (ie. Comedy, Club Kid, Pageant Queen) What category do you consider yourself to be?

 I would probably get thrown into pageant queen strictly for my more "fishy" look, but I like to think I can be a healthy combo of many categories.

Have you ever experienced stage fright while performing? How did you overcome it?

 I have always been ok with the stage and spotlight. Don't ever really have to overcome that.

Have you ever won any titles/awards?

 I have won one title and currently still hold the title of Miss Blackstones 2013

Tell me about some of your (good or bad) backstage experiences with other queens.

Backstage with queens is not pretty. Think about it, most of the time back stage is spent changing and re-applying so tucks are popping and wigs are off.

Is it sad that I was almost disappointed by this answer. I was hoping to hear more horror stories, like the boots freakout. But, I get it. This is a good way to stay on everyone's good side.  Besides, if I grill her more, I'm sure I can get some dirt on some bad backstage experiences...something worse than seeing someone pop a tuck...

Do you do your own hair, makeup, costuming? Or do you have help with some or all of the above?

 I do my own make-up and buy my own clothes. Haven't really been a huge costume kind of girl. When it comes to hair, I buy. I could style my own if I wanted, however I have an awesome friend... Shaunna Rai who helps with that.

Tell me about a memorable adventure that you've had that you would not have had if not for drag. 

Most memorable drag adventure.... hmmmm thats a hard one.  I may have to come back to you on that as most of the times are quite memorable.

She's right with this. In just the year plus, that I've known her, there have been some very memorable times.  I think the one that stands out the most (for me), was when she and Shaunna Rai faced off as Kelly Clarkson and Pink, respectively, in Boston, within days of the Boston Marathon bombing...

When you're out of drag, what do you do? (ie. Work, fun,etc.)

 I tend to be in drag a lot.. I enjoy it. My boss the other day, said to me... I am a 9-5 boy, so I can be an 8-1 girl. I work in International Travel and will be out and about almost every night. Im extremely social.

Tell me anything else that you think might be important for me to know to get inside the head of a drag queen. 

When it comes to a queen don't ever assume you know the reasoning behind why they dress. I find it best just to let it ride.

Meet: Bunny Wonderland

Bunny Wonderland

If you recall, a couple of weeks ago, I decided that I needed to do some research into what it's like to be a drag queen, because I intend to try to make a graphic novel about it...at some point.  And, I wrote down a bunch of interview questions, and posted it all over the place.  Because, when you live with drag queens, you know a lot of other drag queens, and therefore it should be easy to get a whole lot of answers, right?  Wrong.  I literally got two responses.  Well, three, because Dan/Shaunna Rai will answer any questions I have any time I ask.

So, as a way of keeping track of who answered, and a way of promoting for them, I'm going to go out on a limb, and give out some of the answers that I received.

The first, and fastest, to get back to me was Bunny Wonderland.  I met Bunny for the first time, at the Lewistunning Dragapalooza, last summer, when Shaunna Rai co-hosted it.  I'd heard her name, but knew nothing about what of drag she would be categorized in, and so went in totally unprepared for the act.  What came through, was immediately clear, she is hilarious.  The act started with A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, and moved through The Sound of Music, right on to a demonic possession from The Exorcist.  In short, my mind was blown.

So, who is Bunny Wonderland?

Amber Snow, Bunny Wonderland, Shaunna Rai

Bunny's portrayer, Knate, actually got his start, doing drag, hosting Rocky Horror Picture Show, at the Movies at Exchange Street, in Portland, back in 2001. Bunny made her first appearance at an AIDS Benefit Drag Show, in 2005. Now that I've paraphrased some of her bio, I'll let her speak. "As usual, my first time out of the gate was...well...less than polished. But, I had a taste of the freeness that Drag brings, and with it a happy outlet for gender expression, and needless to say, I was hooked. I was approached by Southern Maine Pride, to be the Princess of Pride in 2006, and to act as a Youth Ambassador. I gave Bunny a full makeover, bought some "cute" dresses and started hanging with other queens (Shaunna Rai, Ariel Gibbs, Amber Snow, etc.) I learned a few tricks of the trade, and developed my character.  Bunny slowly transitioned from a retro kitsch queen to full blown punk debutante in a matter of months. She still to this day has a touch of retro style, and mouth of a sailor. I always wanted Bunny to be sweet as pie, and community oriented. I always have Bunny be the one when someone else says "NO," she says, "Yes, and?""

My personal favorite part of learning about drag queens is how they got their names.  Because, I don't know, it's just fun.  They run the gamut of "First Pets Name+Street You Grew Up On=Drag Name" (In my case, it would be Spice Andrews.)How'd Bunny get hers?
"I've been a vegetarian for close to 15 years. Vegetarian=Bunny.  I have always had an affinity for strong fictional female characters, and my first show was at the hookah bar in Portland, ME. Combined=Wonderland"

What's your favorite part of doing drag?
"The ability to make people laugh, think and be moved by a smart and clever performance is the reason I do drag. Hands down, nothing is more important to me than having someone walk away from a performance and go, "That was fucking awesome." I could lip sync to Beyonce for 7 mins and collect a fistful of tips, but honestly...that's not my speed. I also love the pomp and circumstance that comes with "putting on the mask." People treat you very differently while in drag, and I kinda like it. I can do, say, and be something I normally wouldn't be."

Queens tend to get categorized. (ie. Comedy, Club kid, Pageant Queen) What category do you consider yourself to be?
Campy, Esotreric Punk Debutant

Bunny Wonderland

I have experiened stage fright every time that I've ever done anything on stage.  Have you ever experienced stage fright while performing? How did you overcome it?
I have only experienced stage fright as Bunny once. In 2007, I performed my largest performance to date, hosting Oberlin Drag Ball in Ohio, close to 2000 people. I was to be sent down an elevator for my opening appearance and I was terrified. I waited for close to 30 mins for the damn thing to go down and for the show to start. I kept saying "Let's get this started, I'm scared being up here!" but the show never started. Finally, someone came to me, up in the stage grid and said, "We're waiting for your call to start!" I had no idea that I was supposed to give the word. I said go, and I felt the thing go down to the stage and I almost died of fright.

Have you ever won any titles/awards?
Princess of Southern Maine Pride 2006-2008.

Good or bad, tell me about some of your backstage experiences with other queens.
I have always had an easy time getting along with other queens. I have seen everything from catty comments, to full blown fights but I have never been on the receiving end of them (thankfully). There was one time backstage, while I was hosting an amateur drag competition that a queen competing threw a HUGE hissy fit trying to get a thigh high boot on. She literally lost her damn mind, screaming, crying, kicking, swearing, hitting her friend to help her. I remember thingking to myself, "I will never take drag as seriously as that girl..." (btw, this is NO one we know, this girl lasted very shortly on the scene, mostly due to her bad attitude). I was in shock at what I was seeing, and couldn't believe that someone would react so violently to putting on a fucking boot...

Shaunna Rai does her own makeup, and hair. She sometimes hires out Benni Bernard for costumes, when it's not something that she can do on her own.  Do you do all your own hair, makeup and costuming? Or, do you have help with some or all of the above?
"I do my own makeup, hair and costumes. I usually buy wigs online and then style them myself, add hair, additions. Costumes, I buy a silhouette I think works well for me, and add to it. Makeup has pretty much always been the same "palate" if you will. With tweaks and the like thrown in over the years.

I've had so many "adventures, since I started hanging out with Dan/Shaunna Rai. Tell me about a memorable adventure that you've had that you would not have had if not for drag.
What I'm doing now would not be possible without my yeats as Bunny. I currently run a series at a professional theatre that combines drag, burlesque, film and onstage industry professionals from film. Basically, I host a night of cult films, and we have someone from that film do an onstage interview with Bunny. I've worked with everyone from Lloyd Kaufman (Toxic Avenger), Rae Dawn Chong (Color Purple, Commando) to Michael Finnell (Gremlins) and Noah Hathaway (The Neverending Story).

When you're out of drag, what do you do? (ie. Work, fun, etc.)
I work as a producer/arts programmer for Seacoast Repertory Theatre. I also am a resident actor for the Rep as well. I serve on a bunch of Arts boards including NHPTA (New Hampshire Professional Theatre Association) and the NH Chapter of TED Talks.

Obviously, I am not a drag queen, and I'm doing this to research what it is like to be one.  Tell me anything else that you think might be important for me to know, to get inside the head of a drag queen.
We crave attention. It is what fuels us. No matter what anyone says, it's always about attention and intention. And that, kind sir, is not a bad thing at all.

Happy Birthday, Dear Gay Guy

You would think that the nights of a drag show are the most fun for me.  While I enjoy them, this is mostly false.  The drag nights that are the most fun, are the impromptu, "I just wanna be pretty" nights. Friday night, was one such night.

The reason I enjoy these nights, more than drag shows, is because there's a lot less stress involved.  Every show night, there's the "Which outfits/wigs/accessories do I need to bring? Does my makeup look amazing? Am I drop dead gorgeous?" The stress leads to snappiness, and a general time where I avoid saying/doing anything, and making myself scarce.  If there's one thing that I've learned, in the past year, it's that you on't argue with a queen.  It's not in your best interest.

On, "I just wanna be pretty nights," all of that stress is gone.  The hardest decisions are still, what outfit and hair am I going to wear? But, there's not the same sense of urgency, to painting, and getting dressed up to go out.

Anyway, partway through the day, we decided that we were going to go out. And, then we were contacted by Andy, our new friend, who I talked about last time. It was his partner's birthday on Friday. So, the night on the town, was going to turn into a birthday party! What fun.

I'd deposited my check earlier in the day, so I figured that it was going to be all set.  When the girls started painting, I'd go out, and pick up a cake, and get a little extra money for drinks, and, everything would be all set.  I picked up the cake, and a couple of other things, and headed to the checkout.  The lines were full of people with carts full of crap.  And, here I am, with 3 things.  And, I hate lines. I hate shopping, in general, unless I can get in and out in less than 10 minutes. Finally, the lady in front of me gets up to the conveyor belt, and then says, "You go ahead of me." Shocked? Yes. People don't do that anymore.  I thanked her profusely, and then went to pay for my purchases.  I ran my card, and asked for cash back. And, it declined.  And, I started to freak out a little.  I ran it again, without the cash back, and it went through.  Weird, but okay.  At least I could leave now.  I thanked the lady again, and wished her a good evening.

I finally, decide, before I go home, I'm going to check the ATM, and see what's going on with my deposit?  And, it's not there.  I can't find anywhere that I actually deposited money into my account, despite the fact that I have a receipt from the teller saying that I did.  And, so I start panicking.  What the hell happened to the money?

I got home, and at this point, I'm freaking out.  And, I kinda exploded.  I was ready to murder the teller, for stealing my money, and the person who tried cutting me off on the way home. And, I just can't think at this point. Dan tells me, call the bank.  Nothing's going to get taken care of if you're just yelling about it.  Half an hour later, I'm actually talking to someone from the bank, who says, "Yes, the money was deposited into your account, the system just hasn't updated yet. It'll be there at midnight."  And, I'm just all like, I don't even get it, because I've never had NONE of my check available use immediately.

Anyway, Shaunna Rai finally was ready, with her new hair, that she had literally only had for hours, before wearing it.  And, we were on our way to Blackstones to meet Andy and Tommy.  Before they arrived, I talked to JR, about hiding the cake, and getting utensils, and paper plates...because it never crossed my mind to pick them up while I was out...not that I would have been able to afford them anyway.  The boys showed up, and we chatted for a while, and then it was time to bring out the cake.

I went and got the cake, and brought it out with candles lit, and people started singing.  I remembered from my birthday, when I walked in, and everyone sang to me.  And, as I'm walking, I hear the people who know them, say, "Happy Birthday, dear Tommy," and this one guy, on the other side of me, singing, "Happy Birthday, Dear Gay Guy." And, at that point, I realized that I'd had enough to drink to actually relax...which is something difficult enough for me to do.  I just let loose after that.  I felt bad, because I bought a cake that I knew I wouldn't be able to eat, because of my gluten thing...but I knew that it would be bad if I had cake, period.

The night seemed to fly by.  The girls were doing their usual mingling.  And, I was chatting with people.  I was hit with "So, you really thought that we were ax murderers?" Because of my last blog.  Truth is, I think everyone's an ax murderer, until they prove to me otherwise.  But, that's neither here nor there.  I learned about the heirarchy of Bitch, and the way to use it...  "You aren't a bitch just because you can be.  You're a bitch, because they deserve it. And, you don't try to out-bitch those who have paved the way for you to dress in drag, because you will be taken down."  (I'm paraphrasing, but you get the picture.)

At some point, I had had a bit more to drink than I should have, and became a nuisance.  Our local "Tina Turner" Thomas, went into his dance, when Proud Mary came on.  And, I had had just enough to drink, to think that he just wanted to dance.  And, I just wanted to dance.  And, yeah... it wasn't pretty.  Or so, I hear.

At the end of the night, we went to Denny's with the birthday boy, and his other half.  I don't remember much from that point.  I remember eating, and drinking my coke.  At some point, the girls took pictures with someone at Denny's.  I think they said the winner of the 80's night at Bubba's.  And, some girl said later to Shaunna Rai, that she liked her hair, and asked if she could touch it, and Shaunna Rai ripped the wig off, and held it out to her.  Most of this, I heard about yesterday, because I didn't remember it.

I knew that I'd had too much of a good time, when I woke up yesterday though. The first words out of my mouth, were, "I have a head...and it hurts." But, it was totally worth it.  The boys had fun. The girls had fun, and most of all, I had fun.  

Upcoming Events for 2014

Because I happen to live with both Shaunna Rai, and Vanila Honey-Bush, I promote for both of them, and other friends.  Here's what's coming up in the next few months:

And these are the ones that have passed:

Posted via Blogaway

Posted via Blogaway

Posted via Blogaway

I Don't Know How to Thank You...

Danielle Renee Phillips

So, last night, was the benefit show, at Blackstones, to raise money for the victims of last Sunday's fire on Irving Street.  With less than a week's notice, I wasn't sure what to expect for a crowd.  Shaunna, Vanila, Dan, Ryan and I were promoting via Facebook, as was Blackstones.

Vanila Honey-Bush

We got there early, as the show itself was early in the night.  There was a good sized crowd.  And, as it got closer to show time, the crowd grew a bit.

The girls mingle with the crowd, on show nights, before shows.  It's an awesome way to build a fan base, and let people get to know who you are.  And, to show that you're a real person under all the masking of drag.  So, while the ladies were mingling, I was finding my usual seat, to get the best pictures during the show.  This is normally the time, when I get all anti-social, and only talk to people I know, and avoid contact with everyone that I don't know, in hopes that they'll leave me alone. (I say that half joking, because I know subconsciously that's exactly what I do.)

Shaunna Rai

For whatever reason, though, last night was a different night for me.  A guy I didn't know, started chatting with me.  He kinda buttered me up, and made me talk to him, by telling me that I was the best looking thing in the bar. (It was nice to hear...) I got nervous, so I immediately brought up the fact that I am not a single man. He continued the conversation, and it was a nice change. A good way to experiment with breaking out of my comfort zone.  He eventually moved on, to order a drink, and continue making his way through the bar.

Cherry Lemonade

It turns out, that the lady who was sitting next to me, was there in support of her brother...one of the victims of the fire.  She and I spent a bit of time talking.  She was impressed that the community would pull together something like this.  And, said that her brother couldn't believe that the queens would put on a show, to help raise money to help him out.  The final count, I believe that I heard from Dan, was $500 was raised to help out the fire victims, both from raffles, and tips that the queens received.

Danielle Renee Phillips

During, and after the show, I spent some time getting to know a couple who has recently moved to Maine, who had friended Shaunna Rai on Facebook.  Andy and Tommy were really good company, after the show, while Shaunna Rai was off mingling again.  They were friendly, and nice.  You know, all the qualities that I look for in people who I'm hoping aren't going to turn out to be ax murderers.  (Just kidding.  My list of qualities that I look for in an ax murderer is much, much, much longer than that.)

Cherry Lemonade

 I personally want to thank everyone who came out to support the show, because this is the kind of thing that helps us to remind people that we're good guys too.  Aside from our witty sarcasm, and anal sex, the gay community, is known for their contributions to charitable causes.  And, given that we as a community raised $500 in one night, we were on our game.

Shaunna Rai

 And, I want to thank Ralph, the owner of Blackstones.  Every time he sees me without my camera, when I'm out with Shaunna and Vanila, he asks me where it is.  This time, I actually got vouchers for free drinks.  It was a very sweet gesture, given that while I do promote shows, I don't do nearly as much promotion for the bar as Shaunna and Dan do.

Vanila Honey-Bush

 Contrary to what usually happens, it was an early night.  I had to work at 5am, so bed was calling my name.  As was a gluten free half pizza, that I hadn't eaten at lunch.

A Part of My Childhood Has Died...Literally

I know I owe you guys a blog article about the show at Blackstones, from last weekend.  And, it's in the process of being written.  Or, at least it was, until I heard about the passing of a friend's mother.  The news kind of took all the wind out of my sails, and has kept me kind of quiet.

How do you write about a woman who was practically a second mother to you?  How do you impress upon the world how big an impact someone has had on you, just by being a part of your life?

I first met Mrs. Eaton, roughly around the time that we moved to Warren. I was 5 back then.  She lived in the house up on the hill, from my parents' house.  She was the mother to Ari and Alyssa...although, Alyssa at that point, hadn't been born yet.

I spent so much time at Crystal's house...although, growing up, it was always Ari's house, never Crystal and Ed's. Because, you never think that way when you're a kid.  You always go to your friends' houses, never their parents.  You only go to the parents' houses, when you're older, and start dating, and it gets serious. We even spent time at their house, when we weren't supposed to be...like the one time that we went to see Ari, and Crystal had gone shopping, and Ed was at work...and the doors were just unlocked, so we went in to hang out.  We got in trouble.  But, we were allowed back.

I loved spending time there, because it was so much different than at home.  The atmosphere was so much different.  Crystal was like the anti-mom to my mom. She smoked, she would have a drink every night, while my mom partook in neither.  The house always smelled like a combination of woodstove and cigarette smoke, and though it has never been confirmed for me, a scent that I swear is a fully female scent.

I remember Crystal being pregnant with Alyssa.
I remember the night that we spent at Ari's house, with my parents, because Crystal's father had passed away.

And then, I grew up.  And, I went away to school, and then made a life for myself.  Or at least, I thought at the time that I had...I'm still working on that, in general.  I played some of the same Facebook games as Crystal, and we were friends on Facebook.  But, aside from the occasional, "Hey, can you send me this, or that?" or a comment on a picture, or the yearly, "Happy Birthday!" I lost contact with her.

When I first heard that she had Cancer, I was terrified for her, and for the entire family. Most of the families that I grew up around had a strong maternal head.  Crystal was that.  And she beat it.  And then, it came back.  And, it got worse.  And, I never knew what to say, because I knew that nothing I could say, could make it go away.  So, I said nothing.  In my heart, I prayed that there would be a miracle for her, and that it would just magically be gone.  And, she never knew that.

Crystal sadly, lost her fight on Monday, January 27th.  She was 49.  I never told her how much I loved and respected her for everything that she did for us when I was a kid.

So, how do you tell the world about someone that they'll never know, and get across the point of why they should've known her?  I'm hoping it's like this.  You lay yourself bare, and write through the tears.  You remember everything good that you ever knew about her.  You focus on the fact that she was a parent...though not my own...who has that parental intuition.  And, hope that some of that kicked in, and that she somehow knew how much she meant to me.

What's Community Got to Do With It?

The gay community as a whole, tends to be a little more giving than your average community.  Part of this, is that there is more disposable income.  Part of this, is that we tend to band together to support our own.  This however, can be a double edged sword for the community.  If we're banding together for the right reasons, we can make things happen.  We can raise money for our causes.  We can donate enough food to stock a food pantry, completely, without the help of our hetero friends and family.

Tomorrow night, at Blackstone's, at 9pm, there is a benefit drag show.  Four of the Portland favorites will be performing, and there's potential for some other guests. Vanila Honey-Bush, Shaunna Rai, Danielle Renee Phillips, and Cherry Lemonade will be the performers for the evening.

Blackstone's shows are usually on Sundays, with JR playing DJ and bartender.  So, why on a Saturday?

Last Sunday, Shaunna Rai, Vanila Honey-Bush and I went to Styxx, to watch the Lip Synch For Your Life event, with DJ Cherry Lemonade. While there, between making fun of the performers, OR being surprised at how well they'd done, I happened to check my Facebook.  Front and center, there was a story about a house in Portland that was ablaze as of 9:30pm.  Now we'd just left the house, prior to that. There was a non-descript picture of where it was.  And, for a minute, I thought, "God, that could be our place." And, I quickly ran through my memory, to make sure that I remembered blowing out all the candles, and everything before we left.

Anyway, we came home to a home.  Some others in our community were not so lucky.  Three of our own were living in the building that had caught fire.

The show tomorrow night, is a benefit for those who were not as lucky as we were, to be able to come home to a home.  There will be a 50/50 and raffles. And, I encourage anyone who will be in the area tomorrow, to come out for this show.  Help us show those effected that we're behind them, and willing to help them out.  And, help us prove again, why the drag community is among the top of the fund raisers in the LGBT community as a whole.  

Fact Finding Mission...

Back in the days BDS (Before Dan and Shaunna) I ran a little webcomic, called Got Pride? It was an homage to everything queer that I could come up with. And, a story about my family life...more or less. I did very little research into some of the stuff that I tackled. One of the unfinished, unresolved stories that I started was the transitioning of a transgendered character.  Why was it unfinished? Well, for the most part, I don't know what it's like to be transgendered.  Nor did I know anyone who identified as transgendered, who I could ask, in order to do some research, and actually get the story right.

I may take that story back up someday.  I just need to find some people who I can collaborate with, to get it right.  Because, I'm pretty sure that there's a lot more to the story than just deciding one day as a woman that you're going to go to CVS, buy hair clippers, hair dye, and men's clothes, and boom, you're a man. I've heard that it's an easier transition than the transition from male to female, but, still.  I handled it ignorantly, and then wrote the character off, because I knew I didn't know, what I didn't know.

That being said, with the successful interest in the drawings that I have been doing on commissions, it got me back in the mindset of, I want to tell a story.  But, I don't want it to be my story.  I want it to be the story of a drag queen.  Or a group of queens.  It'll tell about what it's like to be a boy, and a girl, without having to deal with all the stresses of telling the transition story...at least at first.  Because as I've noticed throughout my year living with Dan, the transgender community is intertwined with that of the drag community. (And, yes, I'm still quite ignorant about the trans community, so I'm going to get things wrong, and apologize in advance.)

What I decided this time though, is that I need to do my research first.  I want to know the experience of being a drag queen, through a drag queen's eyes. (And, if any transgendered people want to help me research their side of things, I'd love to hear that as well.)  So, I've come up with a list of questions that I'm hoping will help me get some answers that will help me decide if I really can go through with the comic/graphic novel about drag life.  As of now, it's all still in planning.  No set characters, no storyline (as such), just an idea in my head that I need help figuring out how to best get it on paper.

So, the list of questions, in no particular order:

How did you get your start in drag?
How did you get your drag name?
What is your favorite part of doing drag?
Queens tend to get categorized (ie. Comedy, Club Kid, Pageant Queen) What category do you consider yourself to be?
Have you ever experienced stage fright while performing? How did you overcome it?
Have you ever won any titles/awards?
Tell me about some of your (good or bad) backstage experiences with other queens.
Do you do your own hair, makeup, costuming? Or do you have help with some or all of the above?
Tell me about a memorable adventure that you've had that you would not have had if not for drag.
When you're out of drag, what do you do? (ie. Work, fun,etc.)
Tell me anything else that you think might be important for me to know to get inside the head of a drag queen.

If you feel like answering these questions, I greatly appreciate your answers.  You can leave comments below, or email me, Steve at swd8880@yahoo.com. I will also be posting this on Facebook, so answers can be shot to me through my like page, or through my inbox. 

Happy New Year!

Shaunna Rai

The period between Halloween and New Year's, was kind of a slow time for Shaunna Rai. And, it's been an interesting time for me. 

I gave up my job, in an attempt to eliminate some stress from my life.  Of course, immediately, I picked up some new stressors...like being broke, and the search for a new job.  Because, at the moment, the blog isn't making me any money...nor are any of my other talents.

Right around Christmas, though, Shaunna Rai started making appearances again.  The first was for the USM Drag Show. Then, an event at Styxx to promote World Aids Day in affiliation with the Frannie Peabody Center.  This was a bit of a disappointment, because there was very little interest in free testing. Shaunna and I both got tested, and I believe that Vanila did as well. And, the good news is that the tests came back negative.  This was the culmination of a few other events around town with the Peabody Center.  And, gave me more of a human face to the disease.  This of course, makes me sound like I didn't know anyone who has it.  The truth of the matter is, that the event prior to the Styxx event, held at the Salt Museum, was the first time that I heard a first hand experience of what it was like to have it, from the beginning of the epidemic.  It was the first time that I felt like I wanted to do something more to contribute toward finding a cure, or even assisting people who are afflicted with it.

Mercadies Chanel

Christmas came, and this was when Shaunna started really making her weekly appearances around town. Dan has been working less hours, and has had a lot more time at home, to work with wigs.  So, over the last couple months, Shaunna Rai, and Vanila Honey-Bush have gotten new hair.   I got a new camera from my parents for Christmas, so new pictures will be coming.  And, the new pictures have helped me with a new business venture of my own...

The drawings here, are drawings that I have been doing, as commissions for people.  Dan has been encouraging me to do something with my drawings for almost as long as I've known him. And, for the most part, I've avoided it. Why? The same reason that I avoid a lot of things.  Fear.  Fear of not being good enough, fear of having people tell me that I suck.  And, the stupidest fear of all...the fear that I would actually enjoy it, and start drawing again on a regular, full time basis.  And out of them all, the last was the one that has come true. I've drawn more since the start of the new year, than I did the entirety of last year and the year before combined.  Sad but true. Commissions can be requested via my email: swd8880@yahoo.com and can be paid for via paypal using the same email address. Pricing starts at $25, but varies depending on the complexity of the picture.  The drawings will be totally customisable, to the buyer's specifications.

Mizery

Two out of the last 3 weeks, Shaunna Rai has been out of state performing, with the two other queens featured in the drawings, Mercadies Chanel, and Boston's Mizery.  And, she's in fact headed back there this weekend to perform with them again. At the end of the last show, I got a shout out from Mercadies, for the drawings that I had done of her...she called out my name in front of everyone, and told them to check out the drawing that she is using as her profile picture on Facebook, then told them that I am accepting commissions.  It was an awkward, but awesome feeling to hear my name called.

Shaunna Rai will again be performing with Mercadies and Mizery at Club 313 in Manchester, New Hampshire, this Saturday.  She has a show coming up in March, and potentially may have a show on a cruise out of Portland harbor sometime in May.

Her show schedule is starting to fill up, and that means things get a little busier. I kinda love it, because this means I have more to blog about. I never know what to expect.  Shaunna Rai changes up her look all the time. I can't wait to see what she has in store for 2014!