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By Kurt Schmierer
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The term “drag� refers to the performance of masculinity, femininity, or other forms of gender expression. A drag queen is someone who performs femininity, and a drag king is someone who performs masculinity. Drag Things push the exploration further by blurring the lines of gender and/or including non-human characteristics in their performance. The term may be used as a noun as in the expression in drag, or as an adjective as in drag show.
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Drag Heals is a hybrid stage workshop and documentary TV series that follows eight drag artists over an intensive ten day workshop to build their own show. In each workshop, a guest coach joins stage director Tracey Erin Smith in exploring soul-deep story sharing techniques as well as the unique talents and skills required from a drag performer. The guest coaches include Leon Silvers, who developed drag therapy into a clinical practice, professional makeup artist Kosta MUA who helps refine and elevate the performers looks, a publicist who assists in crafting marketing and social media messaging to cultivate an audience, choreographer Jeff Dimitrios who brings the moves, and community mentors Flarington King, Titus Androgynous, BeardoncĂŠ and Champagna who offer sage advice from their experience working as drag artists in Canada and around the world.
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Over the course of the intensive workshops and story crafting, the participants dive deep into their personal lives to unearth lessons learned and bring them back to the audience as a gift. They are both the pirate and the pirated, the island and treasure. The resulting stories are emotional and cathartic, both for the drag artists and the audience who share in the experience.
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The highly anticipated season two of the hit documentary series DRAG HEALS is set to make its premiere this October 2nd, 2020 at 8pm ET/PT on OUTtv Canada, its digital platform OUTtvGO.com and OUTtv channels on Amazon and Apple TV. DRAG HEALS is a hybrid stage workshop and documentary TV series that follows eight drag artists over an intensive tenday workshop to build their own show. In each workshop, a guest coach joins stage director Tracey Erin Smith in exploring soul-deep story sharing techniques as well as the unique talents and skills required from a drag performer. The guest coachesthisseason include Leon Silvers, who developed drag therapy into a clinical practice, professional makeup artist Kosta MUA who helps refine and elevate the performers looks, choreographer Jeff Dimitrios who brings the moves, and community mentors Flarington King, Titus Androgynous, BeardoncĂŠ and Champagna who offer sage advice from their experience working as drag artists in Canada and around the world. Over the course of the intensive workshops and story crafting, the participants dive deep into their personal lives to unearth lessons learned and bring them back to the audience as a gift. They are both the pirate and the pirated, the island and treasure. The resulting stories are emotional and
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cathartic, both for the drag artists and the audience who share in the experience. “In a time when so many of us are feeling alone, viewers see how a diverse group of strangers can come together, and by sharing their deepest stories, create a beautiful community.” said Creator and Host Tracey Erin Smith. “Drag Heals challenges the conventions of drag dominating television and ushers in something new - an inclusive and diverse ensemble featuring drag kings, queens, things and in-betweens with the youngest cast member eighteen years old and the eldest in their eighties.” said Director Charlie David. “Instead of a competition where negativity may thrive, Drag Heals is a celebration of the uniqueness of each participant. In the series, we tackle tough discussions head-on around the language and culture used in drag and when it can be unknowingly hurtful. An example would be the common use of the term ‘fishy’ as a compliment to a drag queen but how that word may be derogatory to women as it’s assigning a negative attribute to female anatomy. There’s also a lot of Black appropriation in drag used by non-Black people. I hope the series sheds a light on some of these challenges so we as the LGBTQ community can learn and do better. In Drag Heals, the cast isn’t just performing a lip synch, they’re grabbing hold of the mic and saying something important.” “After a successful first season, we’re thrilled to welcome Drag Heals back for a second,” said Philip Webb, Head of Originals and Development at OUTtv. “This documentary series gives drag fans an emotional insight behind the scenes of eight drag artists who are at the very start of their drag journey and explores important topics such as gender expression and queer identity. Drag Heals is moving, relatable and uplifting.” Season Two features 11 episodes that will release weekly in addition to a companion digital series, T with T.E.S., with stage director Tracey Erin Smith that will be released on the Border2Border Entertainment YouTube Channel and OUTtvGO.
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Cyril Cinder has been performing internationally as a drag king for over Hailing from Ottawa, ON, this bad boy next door loves a good adventur of his favourite things is to introduce drag kings to a new audience. A lo accomplishments are the result of a combination of luck and hardwork, Cyril is lucky to know some amazing people, so he would like to thank h drag daughter Freya Frostbite and partner Limerick Lace for their incred contributions to his costume tonight. Follow his shenanigans @cyrilcinder
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r 5 years. re - one ot of , and his dible
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Drag has always been deeply therapeutic for me. In the other five years I’ve been performing in drag I have found so much joy, relief, and authenticity that has meant so much to me. I’m a trauma therapist and I really feel privileged to do the job that I do, but it can also be really emotionally draining some days. Drag is a major part of my own self-care routine. It lets me feel creative and express myself in a way that’s really resourcing for me, and I don’t think I could have predicted how therapeutic that would be for me when I started doing it! I think one of the great loses in our society is that fact that adults are so restricted in how they’re allowed to play. We can be looked down on or shamed for being goofy and silly, and that’s so sad - it’s important to be able to let go and play! I think that drag is a way that a lot of us get around those restrictions and shame. We get up on stage as a character who is big and exaggerated, and they’re allowed to do whatever we want, and that lets us play. We should never have to feel bad for something that brings us
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that kind of joy, even if it might look weird to someone else. I think that every community benefits from diversity. A diversity of voices and experiences allows a community to grow and expand in new directions that they may not have otherwise, and I do not see drag as an exception to that rule. Including more diverse identities along the lines of gender identity and expression, race, ability, background, and styles of drag will only push the boundaries of drag further and make it better! I think that drag runs the risk of being pigeonholed into a very narrow vision of what it can truly be, and therefore stagnating, if the diversity that already exists within the community isn’t seen and respected. Drag has always existed as a way for marginalized people to demand the spotlight in their full glory and dare the audience to blink - expanding diversity and representation within the community is something that comes from the very heart of the origins of drag.
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I was definitely nervous to audition for Drag Heals. I knew it would be an emotional process on a very public forum, and part of me was scared to be that vulnerable to anyone with an Amazon Prime or OutTV account! And at the same time, I’m in the unique position of being one of the very first drag kings on television. I felt a lot of pressure to represent drag kings as a community who are often omitted from the mainstream drag conversation. But I also knew that I was willing to put in the work, and I think that was part of why I decided to follow through. I was scared, but I was also excited by the opportunity to show what a drag king can do. I think one of the most challenging things for me personally about Drag Heals was the time crunch. Working full time in my private practice in Ottawa, driving the 5 hours to Toronto and back each weekend, and creating a number that was totally unique from anything I had done before was a whole new challenge for me! I can take months to create a new act from start to finish,
so doing it all in one month was a lot. I also really wanted to be proud of my performance, which can be hard when you’re more than a bit of a perfectionist. Spending the time was the cast and crew was so much fun! It was great to have these drag filled shooting days. Some of cast and guests I knew before the show, but a lot of them were new faces to me. I hope I’ve made some lifelong friends through the show! I hope that people who watch the show are able to expand their definition and understanding of what drag is and what it can be. And that they see just how much work goes into it! There’s more than just the towering glamazon, as amazing as she is. And I also hope that people can see a bit of themselves reflected back at them in the cast, and that they’re seeing that part being loved, welcomed, and celebrated. I hope they know that they’re worthy of a good and giving life, and that they can expect more than just tolerance from themselves and others.
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Lady Kunterpunt is a spooky clown practitioner hailing from the sewers of Toronto, Ontario.She’s half clown, half ghost, and 100% sugar free. A staple of Toronto’s West End drag scene, Kunterpunt is known for her soft spoken ASMR, questionable fashion choices, and a love for the colour green. It’s been rumoured that on a full moon’s night, if you say her name 3 times in a mirror that your Sims Save File will corrupt
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and all the macaroni from your kitchen will vanish.Kunterpunt, Kunterpunt, Kunterpunt!!! You can find evidence of her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, under the username @ladykunterpunt
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Lady Kunterpunt is like a cartoon villain who’s actually too sweet to do anything evil. Kunterpunt likes to be silly and not take things too seriously, while at the same time producing content that is very serious in its message. She’s an exploration of my trans identity in the sense that Kunterpunt, as a character, is my ideal self. She is confident, beautiful, funny, and she embraces her body. Kunterpunt loves to look sexy but never actually acts on it, which is also part of how I embrace my own complicated sexuality. I think this question is kinda funny, because Kunterpunt and I are exactly the same person, but being in drag somehow emboldens me to live loudly and freely. I think my day form sometimes questions herself, but Kunterpunt knows her true power. Our power, I suppose.
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Drag is MEDICINE. Drag is THERAPY. Drag is probably the single most important thing to my well-being next to food and water. Drag lets me connect with other people in a magic way that my average self just doesn’t feel capable of. It lets me connect with myself, and explore complex feelings and ideas by just playing with them. They say laughter is the best medicine- and as a clown, I couldn’t agree more. I learned how important it is to just say things out-loud. There are many moments on the show where my castmates and I reveal very personal things about ourselves- these are things we always knew, or maybe always felt, but sharing them in a space with people you love and who love you… it was very healing. I think just to be listened to, and know that others hear you, even if
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they don’t fully understand yet. Then taking these things are shouting them on stage- for me personally, it was a momentous, reaffirming occasion in my life. I won’t spoil the show for you, but my final project on Drag Heals is something that will stick with me forever. Inclusivity just makes sense. A diverse cast means a diverse audience, who in turn will bring more people and further diversify the community. When we consciously take action to be inclusive, the community grows and thrives. When we decide to be exclusive, be it intention or unintentional, the gaps in our community grow further, as does the amount of work required to bring us together again. I think all queer people can relate to the feeling of being silenced, which is why specifically we
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MUST be centering the Black and Indigenous Queers in our community who have been pushed aside for hundreds of years. We are only as liberated as our most marginalized. Inclusivity is the only way forward. I absolutely second guessed myself before auditioning! Who doesn’t? There are a LOT of amazing performers across Canada, I didn’t really think I’d stand a chance. What made me follow through was the idea that Drag Heals wouldn’t be a competition. The idea that I could have a chance to work collaboratively with a cast of performers, and having Tracey to guide us as we developed our stories… that really made me want to move forward with my audition. Drag blowing up on a global scale has really escalated this sense of competition amongst performers, and I kinda hate it! I’m honoured that I had a
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chance to participate in drag media (Canadian no less!) that has a different attitude entirely. Lady Kunterpunt’s aesthetic choices could be described as a living cartoon character ripped from the storyboards of classic Hanna-Barbara animations. She loves bright colours and clashing patterns- it’s literally my namesake (Kunterpunt is based on the German word “Kunterbunt”, which would be used to describe a bright motley of colours). She’s a campy mix of 60’s mod and 80’s goth with a skimpy burlesque twist. Kunterpunt LOVES to show skin, simply because the magic of drag allows me to really embrace traditionally feminine styles in a way that isn’t questioned by the average person. When I’m Kunterpunt I don’t have to worry about gender dysphoria because everyone in the room believes in the fantasy, and I can dress as freely as I wish.
The filming process of Drag Heals was tough for me personally for a few different reasons. At the very beginning of filming I had lost my job- so immediately my stress levels were skyrocketed from like day 2 of filming. Now the actual work we do on the show is VERY emotionally heavy at times, and consequently the final products we end up with on the show required a lot of wading in those emotions. I don’t think I could have anticipated just how hard I worked during production, it ended up being a This sounds so cheesy but the FRIENDSHIPS! The cast of Drag Heals are my family forever, we still work together frequently, call each other and check up. We shared some very special moments on set, and it brings me the most joy knowing that we’re still part of one another’s lives and will continue
to be. Not even social distancing could break us apart :o) Tracey really pushed me as a content producer, in the best way possible. I found myself coming in feeling confident about my storytelling abilities, and then having all of that shattered and rebuilt entirely. Tracey was never afraid to give me the critical feedback I needed to grow as a better artist. My experience on Drag Heals wouldn’t have been the same without her at all, and I’ve taken everything I learned from her and applied it to all of my new work. And you know what? I’m making some damned cool stuff. Thanks Tracey!!
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter! @ladykunterpunt On Facebook you can search up Lady Kunterpunt. Let’s be friends! You can also find me on YouTube at my channel DragASMR, as well my collaborative Sims gaming channel FoolProp that I run with my good friend Aura Nova. :o)
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Brian’s creative career started with Buddies In Bad Times Youth Elders Project. He followed that with MotherLoad at the 39th Rhub Festival. As Miss Juwanna DeWitt, his novice drag performances a best forgotten but she has risen to brighten another day! In his pre life he was hostage to lawyers, accountants and bank towers.
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barb are evious
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I am Miss Juwanna DeWitt and we are pretty much integrated. She’s a sweet and energized lady who has a compassionate heart. She speaks her authentic truth as do I. I would say that she is my creative self and is an expression of my desire to leave the world a better place. Perhaps because Juwanna and I are so integrated I see myself as more of a gender performer than a drag queen. I applied to participate in Drag Heals to explore the theatrical work I want to expand. Any performance or expression which is true to oneself is in some way therapeutic I would think. I don’t think drag has any unique role in this regard. I have invested much time over the years to address issues in my life and don’t see drag as therapeutic personally. It is fundamental. I can’t imagine my life without play.
life on my own and with many professionals. I was more gratified to find that I am on solid ground rather than I was surprised about any new aspect of myself. Any community that breaks down walls and builds bridges will benefit in numerous ways. Shared history, growth in understanding, bridge building, wall destruction,compassion, understanding, reduction of judgment, opportunities to reach out and give and the ability to be vulnerable and thus more authentic are important benefits. The Queer community in general and the drag community in particular is comprised of silos in my experience. Drag Heals S2 was a microcosmic example of the benefits which come from bringing together a diverse group of artists. Age, race, style and varied backgrounds nourished each other. We created a new model for what can be.
I discovered that I had not really processed one thing I thought Did you second I had. I have spent decades guess yourself before peeling back the layers of my
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auditioning for Drag Heals? What made you follow through? Never She is evolving and has grown by leaps since the show. She’s glamorous and flashy and loves sparkle but stays in her lane. She is more a gender performer than a drag queen per se which means she embodies femininity which is nonexploitive nor extreme. In general I wasn’t challenged
emotionally or psychologically which is not to say I was not thoroughly engaged the whole time. As the oldest artist I suppose the physical rigors of the shooting schedule were
somewhat challenging. I kept pace and doubt/hope none of my colleagues perceived the effort. I got the most joy and fulfillment from bringing to life a character I had played with for many years. The audience reaction to my truth filled me with humility. I undertook this opportunity for self-development. I was gratified by the connections with colleagues and the audience reaction to the live show. Other than the closing number, I received a standing O. My rawness and authenticity touched people. As I said “I lay it down - how one reacts is out of my hands�.
to put more of myself into my personae. I never hope for any outcome! It would be nice if audiences see the vulnerability, effort and authenticity. And just maybe, embrace the idea of taking risks themselves and setting aside being judgemental as a sad tool employed to feel superior. Instagram #missjuwannadewitt Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ icewine Twitter @brianhcope YouTube https://youtu.be/xicS0bpNofc
I enjoyed Tracey and her insights. The artists brought various levels of stage and drag experience to the process. I had a fairly well-formed persona in mind and a comfortable self-awareness. She was helpful in refining that and in encouraging me
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Miles Carney is a multitalented artist and performer, which now drag! His alter ego "Spectra Vaganza" (read like "extravaganza stepped out during Pride 2019. Drag allows Miles to succeed by him further permission to expand beyond limiting constructs. He his success greatly to his closest friends and family.
You can follow his drag on instagram @spectravaganza. They c wait to meet you.
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w includes a") first y giving e owes
can't
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My drag personas name is Spectra Vaganza (isn’t that fun to say!?). I put on a mask that is and will always be a dream of mine, a beautiful colorful dream that is constantly growing. Spectra highlights the nurturing, feminine and kinder energies of the universe, then injects them into her quirky representative (that’s me!). I love to connect with everyone in my daily life, hear unique stories and experiences. We all represent different colors on the spectrum, hence “Spectra”. I want all of our colors in and out of drag to shine, drag is one of many amazing platform I can use to help this mission succeed!
audience took something from it too! Yay!
In my humble opinion, drag is a beautiful accident, which can be therapeutic and very healing! Such is most original art, am I right? It’s a leap of faith through expression, pulling ideas from within every time. I love to try new things in my drag, keeps me sharp! Drag Heals was good for that, Tracey encouraged me to take an even deeper look at my story and tell it verbally, I really was uncomfortable at first playing outside of my skill set. I never thought myself much of a story teller before, but it helped me see so much more than I thought possible and the
When I first got the call that I was cast in Drag Heals S2 (which I was not expecting in the least given my lack of drag experience) I freaked out! I had been a closeted drag fan for years now and it was MY turn?! I may have downed a six pack of my favorite craft beers from Blood Brothers... Fast forward to the show, everyone was so welcoming, I met Beardoncé and Champagne from season 1, I was star struck! I learned quickly that I could do it too, it was just fear in my way. Thanks to this chance I’ve since performed at some of the best
Who doesn’t love to play?! Walk into a room of puppies and try and stand still. So that’s drag for me... the audience wanting our love and attention and it’s very much mutual! Playing together is love in its purest form, just ask Leon, one of our lovely guests. Do not take yourself too seriously, it’s not good for your mental health! On and off camera I had inside jokes and play time with every member of the cast and crew, it helped when things would get heavy at times. I love my Drag Heals family!
drag bars and clubs around Toronto and made amazing friends. I’m sure my fellow costar and Drag King Cyril Cinder will have this topic nailed down and better explained than me, but from what I’ve learned, Drag is for EVERYONE, it’s not about making new rules that exclude people, it’s about breaking old rules to include people! Pride started with this very concept and all of us would do well to remember that. WE LOVE YOU MARSHA P. JOHNSON. I second guessed myself HARD before submitting for Drag Heals, I actually bailed out of the submission process twice, I bet you didn’t know that! It meant I was taking a step away from the world I had known and a bold step into a new world that may or many not accept me. To risk pushing away any family and friends I had left was scary to say the least, but I believe the truth can work amazing things if given the chance. I chose to submit at the last second, and I’m so glad I did! My life changed forever... Spectra’s aesthetic is feminine, I love the goddess vibes, fun sparkly, light catching clothes I
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didnt allow myself to play with earlier in my life. I fully intend to win that crown one day and that’s going to take much more work, drag gets better with practice, so don’t give up! It now takes me an extra hour to go clothes shopping though, thanks alot Spectra! The thing I found most tricky with Drag Heals... (Please don’t give me the villain edit for this haha!) You’re doing a theatrical based class to learn new skills, infront of artists and guest teachers who have questions and comments which is being filmed at Buddies in Bad Times theatre which is on a strict time schedule. You must come to work everyday ready to go in order to get all this squeezed in, which can be tricky, but not impossible! The director Charlie was patient with us and Tracey made herself available post shoot days too. I sure developed stamina, being a star is hard work! ;) I experienced a lot of joy in the process, one memory that does stick out for me and will
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always is when I got a group hug from all my cast mates. I’m getting emotional typing this right now, that’s how happy it made me! This was the first time I felt I belonged somewhere and it was nice to let my guard down without having a wall up. I was most surprised by how many of my friends from different walks of life came to the show! My sister Myra who has been a rock in my life since coming out was one of the first to buy a ticket too! Its a risk choosing to expose your heart, it’s a good feeling to know they’re coming to support and build with us, magic happens! Working with Tracey was an eye opening experience, she was approachable and I liked that! When you see someone on TV and then meet them in person, you just don’t know who you’re going to get, I’m pleased to say she’s one of the good ones! She hand picked me because of my story to be on this show, then helped me tell that story which changed my life. Ill always be grateful to her for this amazing opportunity to shine!
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I hope the TV audience gets a sense of inspiration from the show, I never want to make someone feel like they can’t achieve what we’ve achieved here. For years I’ve been an audience member only, watching drag artists pursue their dreams while I sit and watch with hearts in my eyes. It’s ok for it to be your turn next, I hope to see you around someday if this is what you want! I’d like to conclude with a giant thank you to the cast, crew, friends, family and viewers who made this all possible! Without you this dream just wouldn’t be happening. Depression hasn’t gotten the best of me since, I have a wonderful life I’ve started to build here and many friends yet to make. Cheers to the journey! XO
My current social handles are: @spectravaganza - Instagram Spectra Vaganza - YouTube Spectra Vaganza - Facebook
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Daniel Ferna from Edmon years of wor wine have he one day use adults alike.
Check Danie Lord knows
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andes is a Toronto based producer, director, writer, and performer hailing nton, Alberta. That’s the short version of it and he’s sticking to it. His five rking in children’s television and his unhealthy obsession with his favorite eavily influenced his drag persona, Miss Rosé Dior. Daniel hopes to e drag to inspire self - expression, acceptance, and joy to both kids and
el out at @danfurd and give Rosé Dior some love at @queenrosedior... she needs it!
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My drag person is Miss Rosé Dior. She transforms me from a shy, introverted nerd, to a glamourous, outgoing diva. She allows me to express my inner self. As Daniel, I feel trapped in a masculine way of life, but with Rosé, I’m able to break out of my shell and just be the most fabulous queen I can be. She’s loud, sassy, and funny, but it all comes from a place of kindness and love…. Basically, everything I hope to be in my regular life.
Very important. I think playing, especially in a creative way, helps with my mental health. I hate to sound like a broken record, but it’s a way to get things out of you, but in a fun safe way that you control.
I discovered that I have a hell lot of learning to do about myself and my community. It’s hard to admit, but I need to educate myself more on the LGBTQ+ community; Yes, it does. Tracey always said its histories, its struggles, its successes. This is my that drag is a mask you put on community who loves and to unmask, and I stand behind supports and accepts that 100%. Through Miss Dior, me, and I need to do the I’ve been able to uncover a lot same. There’s so much of built up shame that I would have never been able to confront I didn’t know that I have learned from each of the myself with otherwise. But with friends I’ve made at drag drag, I’ve also been able to express myself freely. It’s a safe heal that has opened up my mind. And that’s just place for me to show this other the tip of the iceberg. side of me.
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Making the drag community more inclusive opens up the whole damn world of fantastic voices and storytelling. Period. I think drag performers from the entire spectrum all have such unique voices the need to be heard. Coming from the world of only knowing drag queens, Drag Heals was my introduction to different forms of drag. And each artist brought to the stage something I’ve never seen before, and the world needs to see this. I tried to take a more classic pageant approach to my style, taking after my mom in her pageant days. It was very challenging for me not having ever done my make up by myself. Also, I am a pretty big guy who doesn’t fit in woman’s clothes. So that was a huge struggle for me, but in the end, I found something stretchy and
glamourous that worked for my piece. The most challenging thing for me was the constant need to beat myself up. Whenever I made a mistake, no matter how small it was, I immediately retreated into my head. Meeting the people I did, in the cast and crew of drag heals, and sharing the stage with so many great people in a project I was so proud of was a highlight for me. When I looked in the mirror right before my first show, I surprised myself with how far I’ve come. I looked damn good. I surprised myself with how hard I worked for this, and how much I learned from drag.
Insta: @queenrosedior @danfurd Twitter: @danfurd
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Elizabeth Holliday is a Performer, Writer, and Librarian-intraining from SḾwx̹wú7mesh territories in Vancouver. They have been moonlighting as Dank Sinatra since mid-2018, using their vocal, dance, and theatre training to explore non-binary gender drag. You can find them on Instagram at @dank.is.a.drag, and check out more of their work on elizabeth-holliday.com.
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My drag persona is Dank Sinatra, a non-binary Drag Thing with a critical eye and a classic record collection. Dank highlights and reveals the wild combination of aesthetic, political, musical, and intellectual inspirations rattling around in my brain. I see Dank’s personality as Billy Joel’s Piano Man character, simultaneously a performer and a part of the crowd. Absolutely. I know many people who have found significant parts of themselves through the practice of drag, myself included. It offers at once an ability to step away from the tender, traumatized, uncomfortable parts of yourself and to reckon with them in a way that can build a greater sense of self when out of drag. Probably more important than I let myself believe! I live a very anxious and structured life. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve been able to remind myself how much the free space of play is also a necessary facet of the human experience.
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Where do I start! I discovered that I am significantly more afraid of being seen than I realized, but that I can own that discomfort. Can show it for what it is to people. It’s something within my control and there’s great power in that. I also discovered that I’m way more dissociative than I had ever realized. Talking to my cast mates after we had wrapped, there are times where it feels like we were on totally different sets – there’s so much I missed or was tuned out for, all wrapped up in my own head. The more creative, expansive, passionate performers you have around you, in your lineups, and in your communities, the better everyone’s art will be. Oh, definitely. I was sent the casting call by a friend around Halloween, but sort of wrote it off as something I wouldn’t have time for and probably wouldn’t stand a chance of getting. A month or so later, I saw a post that the deadline had been extended to get more Drag King and Thing submissions. I realized if you were actively
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looking for people like me, I probably stood a better chance than I realized. Depends on the day! A little glam, a little cabaret, a little clown. I’m a slow processor. It takes me time to chew on my feelings, mull things over, and understand my reactions to situations. Drag Heals required deep vulnerability in an incredibly public forum, an intense mental and emotional experience for which I wasn’t truly prepared. The rapid-fire schedule of the process wasn’t very conducive to my ability to react to discomforts, concerns, or questions that I had while in this emotional stew. I worry that I was too vulnerable, too much of an open wound, and that the show will reveal more of me to the audience than I’m comfortable with.
The day we worked with Jeff, bringing in my closeto-completed piece and presenting it for the first time, was a true joy. Having crafted something that felt so personal, it was a relief and a delight to show it to our little family and to have it positively received. The after-effects! It was such a whirl wind journey that I’m still noticing new impacts of it everyday. Drag Heals really helped me to solidify a stronger sense of self, both in and out of drag. It was very neat! I appreciate Tracey’s attentiveness to individual experience, it taught me a lot about what creating a one-person show could look like in the future.
a better understanding of the range of drag that has always existed and exists today. I also hope people really listen to our experiences and conversations around race and gender, especially within the drag community. I think there is a lot people could learn if they are paying attention. Socials, website, etc. you’d like to share: @dank.is.a.drag on Instagram, Dank Sinatra on Facebook. Catch me and fellow Drag Heals star Ocean Giovanni on Category Is! Fridays at 7 on Glad Day TV.
I hope people are inspired to sit a bit with their own stories, to wonder what benefit there might be for them to go on a similar journey, whether that is through drag or not. I hope people discover and gain
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Karen Suzuki left performing to pursue film-making many years ago. She is the project manager at animation/VFX house, Electric Square Media and she produces and directs independent projects that she’s passionate about. This is her first time in drag. Karen would like to thank her family and her new drag family for making this possible.
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My drag persona is Sasha Me: serving raw fish since 1974. Sasha is part Japanese, part German and all woman, just like me. Both of us are no nonsense, what you see is what you get. Sasha Me differs from me in how she takes up space and speaks her mind unapologetically. I apologize all the time and feel comfortable in a supporting role on the sidelines. From my point of view, the drag community is THE most inclusive community. As a cis, straight woman, I felt completely welcomed by every single person I had the pleasure of meeting on Drag Heals Season 2. But, like everything in our world right now, even the drag community can benefit from more diversity. The Drag Heals Season 2 cast was diverse in so many ways and I think the show and each of us individually benefitted from that diversity. I learned so much through the lived personal experiences of each cast, crew member and guest. It allowed me to see the true potential of drag as a spectrum of all gender expression beyond the king/
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queen dichotomy and more toward a monarchy. Drag is literally about walking in someone else’s shoes and it has so much potential to create empathy. So, the more diverse the community, the more powerful and far reaching the potential for empathy and understanding in its deepest form which is what we need to make real change happen. Mom ingenuity. My original reason to explore drag was to feel the fantasy of glamour and step outside of my mundane life as a middle-aged mom. But, as we began to explore drag through personal storytelling, I realized that being a middleaged mom was precisely what made me unique as a drag performer. So, Sasha Me evolved into an unapologetically fierce mom who refuses to be ignored. Within the short month we were together, I really felt that I understood what a drag family can be. Every cast and crew member made me feel supported and welcome. As a mom, I always put everyone else first and I keep many
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different balls in the air. But while I was on set during Drag Heals, I felt safe to explore, try new things and make mistakes. Every member of the cast showed me how to be brave and vulnerable and taught me how to be a better ally. I even learned to ask for help when I felt out of my comfort zone and in return, I received make up tips, choreography suggestions and costume and wig loans! It was so heartwarming. I did my best to help too, so I hope I contributed as much as I benefitted.
I hope the audience sees and understands that there is more to drag than queens and competition. Drag Heals proves that drag is limitless in its potential to explore gender expression and that is its power as an art form. The act of using yourself as a blank canvas to create something meaningful is cathartic and it takes bravery, vulnerability, and glitter. Add to that the camaraderie of a drag family and what you get is magical.
www.curiousityshop.ca https://vimeo.com/user25265162 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4yXyZjmWMI Instagram: @suzukiwoman
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Jay Daye (he/him) better known as Ocean Giovanni (they/them) Monarch brand new to Toronto. Jay is originally from Nova Scot and recently made the big move to Toronto to further his drag. O on May third when they made their debut at “Mr Chick Magnet,” a Going by their motto “if there’s cash in the air, my black ass is the has been bouncing between Toronto and Ottawa to take the stag that it’s possible for a gay/trans/black person to be so comfortabl it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a wedding dress or overalls. Y beautiful and you better turn the damn show! You can show them some love @mx.oceangiovanni
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is a 20 year old drag tia but grew up in Ottawa Ocean Giovanni was born a local drag pageant. ere” Ocean Giovanni ge and #letthekidsknow le in their own skin that You’re perfect, you’re
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I discovered that I have a natural talent but that doesn’t mean I can be too easy on myself. If I don’t hone what I do, I’m wasting my gift and that’s not fair because black trans people need and deserve to be seen. My performance on Drag Heals was what I was able to do with a gentle mix of self doubt, fear and natural talent. It made me wonder how far I can go if I switch out self doubt with self love and fear for hard work. I now spend at least three hours a day putting sets together, lip syncing and dancing. I’ll put on a TV show and lip sync what the actors are saying to make sure I can clearly separate character voices with my face and my body. I’m in dance classes, burlesque classes, learning how to sew from mentors and working hard to be able to go to acting school to round myself out. For the first time in my life, I can truly say I believe in myself. I can’t wait to
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inspire other people like me to invest in themselves and love themselves no matter how that may look to them. The drag community would benefit from being more inclusive to a larger variety of drag because we would be able to lead people that are not in our community by example. We can’t fight for inclusivity, acceptance and tolerance if we aren’t modeling that same behaviour. Drag is already not being taken seriously as an art form and when we exclude and devalue each other’s work, we’re really only hurting ourselves. Also, a cast with a mix of races, genders and intersectionality makes for a badass lineup. Why would we protest a fierce production? Apart from that pipe, the most challenging part of Drag Heals was allowing myself to be vulnerable. When we filmed,
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I was at a point where I was so focused on surviving that I couldn’t tell a scar from a wound because I was protecting everything. Working at the homeless shelter, I got used to not speaking at all. I often had to clean the male washroom and I knew that if they heard my voice and read me as gay or even transgender, it could lead me to lose my job, a world of bullying and at some points my life. I knew that the set of Drag Heals was a safe space to put my guard down, but I was scared that I would leave and forget to put it back up. I was scared when my mom and sister drove for five hours to watch our final performances, that they would think it was a waste of their time or chock up my passion for drag as a hobby. When they both came running to me after the show to tell me how excited they were to see where else my drag would take
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me, I felt so validated, the most joyful feeling in the world. I was most surprised to see how quickly I can transition from “Ocean” to “Jay.” I didn’t understand why people were so surprised that I have more of a laid back personality when I’m not ‘on’ because they assumed that I would be loud, extra and sassy. I knew that that’s what I often portray when I’m performing, but after watching back my episode, I realized how quickly and extremely I switch when those stage lights come on. I don’t blame people for being surprised, I shocked myself too!
extremely refreshing. Tracey was there for us around the clock as both emotional and creative support. She really wanted us all to do well, and you could tell. I hope that someone in the TV audience feels seen. I’m not saying it hasn’t happened, but in my 20 years on this earth I have never seen anyone that holds my identities on TV. DEFINITELY not a drag show. I hope that me loving my caramel mocha skin, my durag-afro puff moment and my transgender body helps others do the same.
Working with Tracey Erin Smith was great! Having someone there that genuinely wanted my authentic voice to be heard and totally rooting for me was
Instagram: @mx.oceangiovanni, Co-produce weekly drag show called “Category Is…” with Dank Sinatra
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An acting or drama coach is a teacher who trains performers – typically film, television, theatre and, musical theatre actors–and gives them advice and mentoring to enable them to improve their acting and dramatic performances, prepare for auditions and prepare better for roles. Coaches read people and body language to help the performer become the character they are protraying, to go from an actor in a costume to a real persona. Coaches help a dancer dance better, help an actor act better, and take it to the next level. Let’s meet the coaches who keep the “Heals” on their toes!
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Flare Flarington King aka Flare is an international drag king performer and producer with over twenty years of experience. Headliner at the Austin International Drag Festival 2016, 2018, & 2019; Saturday night headliner at Fierce! Queer Burlesque Festival in Pittsburgh 2015; and, headliner at The Great Big International Drag King Show in Washington DC in 2008. Producer of “World Class Kings” for World Pride in Toronto 2014; IDKE steering committee member for eight years; coproducer/director of “A Drag King Extravaganza” a documentary about drag kings and IDKE distributed by Frameline Studios; and Producer of “The Fabulous Toronto Drag Kings” 1998-2002. Currently, Flare is producing “Drag King Decades” a tribute show to male impersonators and drag kings throughout our times; assisted in the development of the website www.dragkinghistory. com; and, is collecting information on the history of Canadian Drag Kings for The Canadian Theatre Review. Flare is known for twisting gender norms by mixing drag and burlesque in provocative performances. One of the first kings in the world to twirl a tassel. From Toronto, Canada.
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Titus Androgynous Titus Androgynous, “The King Who Sings,” is a multidisciplinary performer from Toronto who has performed and created pieces in genres including burlesque, sketch comedy, red-nose clown and Shakespeare. He has also toured and recorded as a singer. He has been performing nationally and internationally as a drag king since 2013 when he and 4 other Toronto-based drag kings formed The Yes-Men. Other performance creations include his genderqueer rednose clown named Dapper, and several Shakespeare roles, including most recently, his drag take on ‘Heleno,’ in a genderbent and queer AF burlesque version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream called Ill Met By Moonlight. He loves drag character work and has done live-singing pieces as Harry Potter, Newt Scamander, and Lord Petyr (Littlefinger) Baelish, among others. Twitter: @TitusAndrogyn Instagram: @titus.androgynous Photo: Kristy Boyce
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Leon Silvers Leon Silvers is a psychotherapist in New York City. He is the creator of Drag Therapy, a therapeutic modality that helps individuals access and embody various parts of themselves through costume and/or drag. More information on this method can be found at www.Drag-Therapy.com.
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Leelando Mitchell Leelando Mitchell is Toronto’s premier drag costume designer. His work is seen nationwide by many different audiences through TV and Social media worn by many different queer performers! Catch his work on CBC, Drag Race Canada, Space Television and many more!
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Beardoncé Beardoncé was born onstage in Vancouver, but has been performing in Toronto for nearly four years. She hosts and performs at HEY GIRL HEY, a monthly queer dance party in Toronto’s west end, which celebrated its three year anniversary this past year. For the past two years she’s had the opportunity to go to Iqaluit, Nunavut not only to perform, but also to host youth drag workshops. She’s proud to be a Drag Heals alumni, and honoured to get to mentor the new class of performers.
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Kosta Kosta comes to the drag world via theatre and makeup. After studying and performing music theatre professionally for far more years and he cares to admit, quite by accident he fell into the make up world. After studying and graduating from Makeup and Design school, Kosta immediately began working as a makeup artist in film & television and has been lucky enough to have worked on shows such as TITANS, UMBRELLA ACADEMY, SUITS (final episode), DARE ME, GINNY & GEORGIA, and others... Using this new medium, Kosta is taking his drag persona, SheKosta Lott, and his love of character and design and marrying them into a make up tutorial and design brand on social media platforms. Follow and subscribe to Kosta MUA on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for Looks, clips and tutorials.
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Jeff Dimitriou International celebrity choreographer & director Jeff Dimitriou’s artistic projects include creating for film, television, world ceremonies, theatre, live events, and art installations. He is the creator and founder of JDX Creative Entertainment. From Emmy and Oscar winning film and tv to world touring theatre productions, to choreographing and directing for mass ceremonies such as The Pan American Games (Head Choreographer), Parapan Games Opening Ceremonies (Head Choreographer) and FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremonies (Choreographer) with such esteemed organizations as Cirque du Soleil, the NHL, MLB, and Mirvish Productions. He also directed and staged the opening sequence for the 2018 NHL Classic, broadcast across North America. He works extensively in Film & Television as choreographer on such projects as Schitt’s Creek, The Next Step, Blues Clues & You, Frankie Drake Mysteries, ODD Squad, Warehouse 13, Date My Dad, Anne of Green Gables, UnReal, Hemlock Grove, Lucky Seven, Carrie, Degrassi: Next Class, Ishq My Religion (Bollywood), The L.A. Complex, Come Dance With Me, Cowboy for Christmas, Girl Walks Into A Bar, Thy Beauty’s Doom, A New Beginning, amongst others.. Musicals such as Rocky Horror, Phantom of the Opera, Newsies, Return to Grace (Princess of Wales Theatre/Mirvish, World Tour), Cabaret, Evita, Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella (Asian Tour), and many more. He is the creator and founder of JDX Creative Entertainment. @jeffdimitriou @jdxcreative
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Champagna Guest Coach/ Drag Heals alumni Hailing as “Bent Beauty Supreme 2019” of Toronto’s West End, Champagna blends elegance and political satire with a twist of burlesque charm to wow audiences every week. With a weekly residency at The Gladstone Hotel, select credits include: Opening Hayley Elsaesser WMFW SS16, Star of OUTTV’S “Drag Heals”, Host of Xtra’s “Drag Race Tea Party”. She has also opened for numerous RuGirls: Detox, Thorgy Thor, Kimchi, Alyssa Edwards, Bob The Drag Queen. Watch out for Champagna as a lead on the upcoming CBC series “Queens” this summer. Holding a Theatre Arts Diploma from MacEwan University, and most recently a Diploma in Advanced Film & Television (Centennial College) she is most excited about telling queer stories through various web and social platforms.
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Ashley Belmer Arts publicist Ashley Belmer has been working in Publicity in both English and French in the non-profit community for almost 20 years. For five years, Ashley worked as the Marketing, and Publicity Director for Black Theatre Workshop in Montreal, and was also the Marketing Manager for Just For Laughs. In 2014, Ashley joined FLIP Publicity in Toronto as a senior level arts Publicist. Ashley was also the Senior Festival publicist at TIFF for two years. Ashley established her own PR and design agency B-Rebel Communications in 2017, and continues to work on numerous arts clients across Toronto. This includes Factory Theatre, Ross Petty Productions, TIFF, Luminato, Theatre Centre, DanceWorks, Coal Mine, Native Earth, Theatre Passe-Muraille, Next Stage, Dusk Dances, Hot Docs, Toronto Fringe Festival, and many more. Ashley has a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from Queen’s University in Theatre, a Post-Graduate degree in PR from Humber College, and an intensive advanced certificate in Graphic and Web Design from Humber College. www.b-rebelcommunications.com
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Tracey Erin Smith
Creator, Host & Stage Director
Tracey Erin Smith is an international award-winning director, performer and instructor. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of SOULO Theatre in Toronto, New York City and Totnes, England. Tracey directs and performs Off-Broadway and is host/creator of the popular documentary series about her work; DRAG HEALS (OUTtv, Amazon Prime). For her solo shows she has won Best of the Fringe (Toronto and NYC), Broadway World Award (NYC), Audience Choice Award (NYC), and has directed hundreds of solo shows that have been performed in festivals around the world. Tracey also holds two certificates in Narrative Therapy and wishes to thank her partner Sarah Garton Stanley for being awesome and all of you for being here!
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Nico Stagias
Director of Photography & Co-Producer
Nico Stagias is an award-winning queer filmmaker. Nico’s achievements include 2 awards from the Inside Out Film Festival for Best Artistic Achievement in a film and Best Audience Choice Award from the Oregon Queer Film Festival. As an editor, Nico was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for the documentary “Christopher House: Ahead the Curve”. Nico also partners with Border2Border Entertainment and has helped create a slew of TV series and documentaries. Producing and/or DOP credits include: Shadowlands (scripted series), I’m A Stripper (doc series), PopPorn (doc series) and Drag Heals (doc series). Stand-alone documentaries include: Serviced, Studlebrity and Balls.
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Charlie David
Producer & Director
Charlie David has hundreds of hours of television to his credit predominantly exploring the LGBTQI2S experience. He has been selected as the Canadian Filmmaker in Focus by the Kashish Film Festival in Mumbai, an invited guest of the Canadian embassy in South Africa to share Positive Youth; his documentary on HIV+ youth, executive produced Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride; a global look at pride celebrations and winner of multiple awards including the HBO Best Doc award at the Miami International LGBT Film Festival. Charlie was recently nominated for a Golden Sheaf Award for Drama for his scripted miniseries Shadowlands and for a Canadian Screen Award for his documentary work in the OUTspoken series for OUTtv Canada. Charlie is principal and CEO of Border2Border Entertainment and Guts and Gall Productions Inc. www.charliedavid.com PRODUCTION COMPANY Border2Border Entertainment produces and promotes a unique brand of award-winning, critically acclaimed film, television and digital projects. Dedicated to making each production experience enjoyable for our artists, business and broadcast partners, co-workers, and ultimately our audience. Border2Border Entertainment’s films, television shows and new media have been licensed to content providers including OUTtv, VICE, Netflix, Amazon, Showtime, Sundance, HBO, Discovery, Audible, LOGO and many more making our home-grown Canadian content enjoyed by millions around the globe. www.border2border.ca
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Jenny Duckworth
Make-up Artist
I’m a makeup artist living and working out of Toronto, Canada. I feel so lucky everyday to get to do what I love and to work with so many amazing people. And what I love to do is transform people. To create monsters, to make you bleed, to transport you back in time, to make you bald, to make you beautiful, to make you dead, to make you old, to make you scary, happy, sick or crazy! As you can see my heart lies in the film industry. As an avid movie watcher and lover, I can think of no better way to spend my life then by being a part of the industry that creates the stories and tales that we all know and love. Lastly, above all else, I’m an artist. Your face, body, hair, is my canvas. That may be cheesy to say but I can’t deny its truth. We are all beautifully created and unique works of art.
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James M Findlay
Sound Designer
James M Findlay is a Sound Designer, Music Composer and Location Sound Recordist located in Toronto. Working largely in Film, Advertising and Installation Art, James brings an experimental edge to his Productions that draw the listener in and grabs at their attention. Having attended York University and Humber College for Jazz and World Music Composition & Performance and The Harris institute for Audio Production, James’ education covers a diverse range of the Audio and Music spectrum. His credits include Short Films, PSA’s, Art Installations and Advertising for brands such as Playstation, Uber, Canon, 3M, Indigo, TD and Toyota. You’ll find James working out of his Post Production Studio or out in the field. Check out jamesmfindlay.com for links to his work.
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Brian Allen Stewart
Camera Operator
Brian Allan Stewart is an award winning and CSA nominated Canadian-American Toronto based Cinematographer and Drone Operator working primarily in Documentary Series and Feature. He trained at McMaster University, Humber College and Centennial College in Ontario, Canada. Immersing himself in the film and television industry is an amazing journey. It’s taken him around the world many times, and serves as a constant source of inspiration. His latest projects include Salvage Kings, for History Channel, Mister Tachyon, for Vice, the feature documentary, Connecting the Dots, and the short film, Föräldraskap: Swedish for Parenthood. Currently, he’s the Director of Photography for History Channel’s, Salvage Kings season 2.
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ALI AL-DARRAJI JBARA
Camera Operator & DIT
Ali Jbara is an Iraqi Filmmaker and cinematographer who now resides in Toronto, Canada. He was growing up in the chaos of war and post-war trauma in Baghdad, and he found peace in the world of cinema. He started his journey in the film industry from 2014, in Baghdad, by being an active member of IIFC( Iraqi Independent Film Center). In 2015, He did his first short film as cinematographer called “Gift of My Father”, and the film won the Crystal Bear, at the Berlin Film Festival in the same year. Later on, he worked on another short film, “My Bird Tweets”, as a cinematographer which also travels through many international festivals. He moved to Canada in 2017 and he jumped back to his favourite path, film industry, a week after he landed. Right now is working on his first short film. He is now very proud to be part of the Drag Heals family.
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Talking to the LGBTQQIP2SAA world one publication at a time.
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