It’s a historic first — a series of three hands-on workshops (plus one dress rehearsal) devoted to drag runs Sept. 22 to Oct. 16 in Canmore from 6 to 9pm.
Masterminded by Pine Tree Players and the Fake Mustache Drag Troupe, this tremendous opportunity is free if you attend all four workshops (your $100 deposit will be fully refundable).
“It began last year,” explains Brooke Reid, Pine Tree Players’ board secretary and workshop producer. “Pine Tree Players had teamed up with Canmore Pride to run a small introduction to Stage Makeup and Drag Makeup Workshop and the response was amazing. People loved it and it was clear there was a huge appetite for drag in town so we decided to make this into a series!”
Here’s how the four-part program will work: Each workshop will be taught by experienced drag performers who will begin the program by laying the foundation on how to help discover and develop your character/persona. Next up will be a workshop devoted to transformation, exaggeration and learning how to use makeup to bring your character to life. The focus for the third workshop will be on wigs, costumes and “building the look,” around the character you’ve created. After that, you’ll bring it all together under the guidance of Avalon Divine and James Dean in a dress rehearsal that involves entrances and exits, blocking, music cues and all the practical details of performing a live show. Then, on Oct. 16, the series will wrap with a live drag showcase where you’ll have the chance to sashay on to stage and share what you’ve created in a very supportive live performance alongside experienced members pf the drag community.
Says Reid: “My hope is that by the end of this series, the participants will feel they have all the resources and information needed to be able to perform drag on the stage! I hope they gain a new appreciation for a new art form, and maybe get comfortable enough to feel confident in auditioning for a theatre show with Pine Tree Players! Even if the participants don’t use this workshop to perform after our Showcase is finished, I think art for art’s sake is a worthwhile pursuit.”
One of the high-profile instructors is James Demers, also the coordinator for the Bow Valley Pride Network, and manager/producer of the Fake Mustache Drag Troupe, who has been performing and producing drag and queer events for more than 20 years. He has watched drag change considerably in the last two decades as have his favourite performers.
“Right now, I am really enjoying the Backstreet Butches from Nelson, B.C., and I’m a big fan of Landon Cider,” says Demers. “But then again, I’m also a fan of Joey Jay from RuPaul’s Drag Race … I suppose what I’m especially drawn to are performers who bring their own culture, experiences and point of view into their drag, because those are usually the performances that stick with me.”
If there’s one show that has catapulted drag into the cultural Zeitgeist it’s Ru Paul’s Drag Race, which Reid views as an “accessible entry point for a lot of people. I also think that the conversation of gender in our society is always evolving and so we gravitate towards art that examines that. Drag gives everyone —performer, casual viewer, and super fan an opportunity to analyze and find humour in our traditional understanding of femininity, masculinity, and everything in between. As we start to see young people (and older generations!) decide what it means to express their own gender for themselves, I think drag will continue to be evergreen in its relevance.”
Besides Avalon Divine and James Dean, the team of instructors includes Shane On You, Tana Nuff, Papa Perk and Viola Vendetta, with experience ranging from professional makeup artistry to improv and stage performance across Western Canada. “One of the strengths,” says Demers, “of having so many different instructors is that you learn there isn’t one “right” way to do drag, and participants get to learn from people with very different approaches to the art form.”
It can be a bit of a mind meld to figure out how one develops a persona. Demers explains that “drag gives you a bit of a blank cheque on stage. Some people find their character through makeup, hair and costume, others through music or storytelling, and some use drag to explore a completely different part of themselves. A persona tends to develop as you perform and discover what makes you laugh, what makes you feel confident and what you actually want to communicate to an audience. Ultimately, the best way to find your persona is to start experimenting and see what feels exciting to perform.”
Register by September 22
Drag Workshop Series
Discover your persona by registering here. Don’t delay as there are only 20 spots available. Those wanting more information can email Brooke Reid at brookereid0@gmail.com
RegisterWORKSHOPS
- SEPT 22 Characters & Improv
- SEPT 29 Drag Makeup
- OCT 6 Wigs & Costumes
- OCT 13 Dress Rehearsal
- OCT 16 Live Showcase
- No experience required!
- $100 refundable participation deposit
- Register now as spaces are limited!
Deb Cummings
About the Author: Deb Cummings is a retired journalist (mostly) who is terrified to sit in the front row of any theatre for fear of being called up on stage. She does, however, have aspirations to be a doo- wop girl (although she can’t sing) and spends a surprising amount of time watching plays or reading books that normalize the mortifying experience of being human.