Intro to Capstone Topic.
Under the circumstances of not being sure what my capstone will be, I chose one of the most interesting options that I have thus far, Drag Show. Every year Shepherd University host a Drag Show, that I have not yet had the pleasure of attending, so when I was presented with an opportunity to get my hands in the Drag Show that is being hosted this year; I made sure to snag it. I have little knowledge of what a Drag Show is so; I decided to collect some resources on both the origins of which Drag Shows derived, and the contemporary aspect of what a Drag Queen/King performance what consist of.
Source One- The Great Drag Queen Hype
While reviewing my first source, I learned that Drag was a taboo thing back when it first became known in the 1960's. It comes as no surprise how unaccepting people were during this time, in fact, a well renowned Drag Queen that went by the name "Flawless Sabrina" was arrested three times on the account of dressing in Drag to promote her award winning film "The Queen." In following years, Drag has emerged into various subcultures and, while reading this article, I have learned that to understand the art of Drag means to understand the social construct of gender identity and the evolution to which it has become today. There are a range of identities discussed and you can make the conclusion that Drag is not, only, just for the contemporary aspect but is an essential factor in the globalisation of subcultures and deep expression of gender identity which isn't a new concept but a concept that is still in development. Staging the Image
In this article, it lays out the contemporary performance of which the Drag Queen/King embodies. It tells me all about the imagery and the movements which are crucial to the drag performance, a Drag Show is meant to draw you into an exotic, ethereal, otherworldly space. Emphasis on movement is evident in this article, as it seems to be on of, if not the most, important aspect of the contemporary draw of a Drag performance. The example they use throughout this is the stage production of "Pent Up," they dissect the production to highlight the important characteristics of what a Drag Show look like, should feel like.
Concluding
What I believe is most important in going through these sources is that I'm learning, way more in depth than anticipated, what being apart of Drag really means and how important it is for those with various gender identities. This helps with my capstone, because in helping with the Drag Show, I will be in charge of the strategic social media plan and it is helpful for me to have a deep understanding of Drag. Without that understanding, I wouldn't know where to start when it comes to the creative process and many other aspects that come with it.
