REMEMBERING FABULOUS
The Complete History of Drag in a Few Mo-mo
APT 3F celebrates “The Complete History of Drag in a Few Mo-mo,” a solo play: part anecdotal memory, part history lesson and part foundation for a better tomorrow.
When performer David LeBarron (First Elders, Achilles, Bossy Bottom) started writing a storytelling piece about doing drag in the 90s, he had no idea it would turn into a full-length solo show fabulously fusing his memories, politics of drag and penchant for history: The Complete History of Drag in a Few Mo-mo.
In the play, Auntie, a dying diva, sits backstage with a newbie-queen and bequeaths to her the legacy of a people. Auntie recounts her own ridiculousness coming of age in NYC in the 90’s, meeting Quentin Crisp, having her nails done, and getting bashed. As a dilettante historian, she reaches across continents and times to weave a broader tale that ties her own adventures into the tapestry of queer history; all in a “shitty little drag bar in North Hollywood.”
LeBarron reflects on how drag has changed. “Some of our in-your-face politics from back in ‘La Day’ would be politically incorrect now – but we did it for a reason. The drag queens on television are very pretty but…” he laughs. “I mean we looked fierce, but we weren’t pretty – we were desperate!”
RuPaul’s Drag Race has brought drag to the mainstream, but its past with stories of resilience and rebellion remains waiting in the wings. In The Complete History of Drag in a Few Mo-mo, Auntie tells her protégé, “You came from a people. A betrayed race of glitter and tucking, of illusion and bone-crushing, throat-throttling reality. Being happy is the most politically threatening thing you can be. Smile all the time.” Now is the time for Americans to hear those stories. We’ve studied the history of kings; now it’s time for the queens.
For more information including bios, photos, video and upcoming dates of The Complete History of Drag in a Few Mo-mo, written by and starring David LeBarron, directed by Marc Silvia and with choreography by Shanna Beauchamp, please see www.HistoryofDrag.com
