Drag Show raises funds, aids awareness
Freshman Nathan Pellow stripped down as Half-Naked-Boy at the show in an impromptu performance.
By Haley Vannarsdall | Staff Writer
University of Indianapolis hosted the fourth Drag Show sponsored by the PRIDE and Alpha Psi Omega, a theatre honorary fraternity, in Ransburg Auditorium on March 20. PRIDE, an organization founded to recognize gay-straight alliances, began intensive planning with weekly meetings beginning in January.
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Greta Pennell, the UIndy PRIDE faculty adviser said she was very pleased with the outcome.
“I am particularly proud of the way the students worked together and built on each other’s expertise and talents to put together a very entertaining and professional show,” Pennell said.
The Drag Show consisted of students and faculty dressing in over-the-top clothing of the opposite sex and performing a song and dance for the crowd. Although the show got off to a late start, the laughs to come were well worth the extra wait. The $715 in proceeds went to Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS, a nonprofit organization that raises money every year to fulfill their mission.
The show began with the star of the night, alias Jessica Lynn Hepburn (Jeff Barnes), lip-synching and dancing, intensifying the laughter in the room. Tips were given out to the participants on parts of their bodies that rarely see the light of day, and an act even included a stripper who collected not only tips but free feels for men eager to show their appreciation. With names such as Ivana Dohit (Lucas Souder) and Robyn DaCradle (Rico Ewing), it was hard to suppress a chuckle. Seeing men dressed in heels and the satisfaction of knowing they were feeling the same pain many women go through each day was enough to win applause.
“I thought being a part of the UIndy Drag Show would be something fun to do and try, it’s kind of a way to get away from the too serious world,” said senior Ryan Hallett.
Many of the males pulled off unimaginable dance moves, that even the most experienced dancer would have to respect. The females imitated masculinity to perfection and even planted their lips on the mouths of admiring fans. The emcee of the night Mary Mayhem (David West), kept the laughter flowing with his rendition of a menopausal woman. Dressed in a black sequined dress, and a headdress he made out of peacock feathers, West honored June Stanely, the evening cashier for the UIndy Marketplace, with a porcelain teapot.
West and Rico Ewing were the creative minds behind the UIndy Drag Show.
“I was sitting at a club and said, ‘What if we had a drag show?’ and here we are,” West said.
The audience responded most enthusiastically to Kayla Warren’s dance to “I’m In Love With a Stripper” and Ewing’s dance performance. Ewing even made his own silk Kimono.
“This year was different than the last in that it was bigger, more energetic, and everyone came out and wanted to be a part of it,” West said.
Senior David West speaks at the beginning of the evening explaining the goals of the Pride Drag Show.
