siuDE.com

Media Credit: James Durbin David Fitzgerald, a sophmore from Chicago studying Computer Science, accepts a dollar from an audience member during the Suicide Drag, a part of the drag show where two members of the audience were chosen at random to dress in drag and perform in front of the crowd.

Fans crowded around the lighted stage, eager to give their $1 bills to the queens and kings.

The Saluki Rainbow Network hosted its bi-annual drag show 8 p.m. Friday in the Student Center ballrooms.

For David Fitzgerald, it was a night full of firsts.

Fitzgerald, a sophomore from Chicago studying computer science, attended his first drag show and was chosen to be turned into a drag queen in the night's "suicide drag" drawing. "Suicide drag" gives audience members a chance to put their names in a drawing when they pay admission to the show. About halfway through the performance two names are picked, one to be turned into a drag queen and the other, a drag king. After the transformation, the drawing winners give a performance dressed in drag.

Fitzgerald said he enjoyed the experience.

"It's pretty much me," Fitzgerald said. "I'm crazy, I have no dignity and I have nothing to lose."

The dancing queens and kings of drag used all the space available, with some performers bringing audience members on stage to dance. One performer received a bouquet of flowers from a fan and gave a flower to each person gathered around the stage tipping him.

A drag king known as Rydyr said the show went well, but he noticed a few people who looked confused by the performance.

"For a college town, though, everyone was pretty receptive," Rydyr said.

Brittany Rice, a junior from Flossmoor studying health care management, said it was her first time at a drag show and Jaida Kiss, a drag queen, was her favorite performer.

"I loved her," Rice said. "She was so exciting."

Jasmine Cavalli, a drag queen, said the purpose of the show is fun and entertainment, both for the audience and the performers. Cavalli has performed in the drag show five years and said most of the fun for the performers is the transformation.

"Sometimes we look better than real women," Cavalli said.

Madeleine Leroux can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 270 or mleroux@siu.edu.

Article Tools