How did this happen?

“Your play’s about hitchhiking in drag… your photo shouldn’t look like your gonna sing Judy Garland.” So went the sage advise of Patrick Goddard, General Manager of the Montreal Fringe Festival.

He was right. And I had 4 days to get my promo photos in to the Festival.

“You should have an outdoor photo” Patrick went on.

“Wait a minute,” I said. “You recommended NOT having outdoor photos.”

“This is an exception.”

So, with four days left before the deadline, and the need for an outdoor shot, I called a photographer I’ve wanted to work with for some time: the brilliant and edgy Danny Portieous. And she specializes in outdoor shots.

“No problem,” she said, after I explained my situation. Two days later I was sitting outdoors on a picnic table, on St. Helen’s Island, with a hot young make-up artist named Kali doin’ my face and Danny at the table with us choosing the palette.

“Pinks,” said Danny to Kali. “I want lots of pinks.”

I really must give credit where it’s due. Not only is Danny a wonderful photographer, she has an eye for colour and a fantastic wardrobe sense. The concept (hitchhiking in drag) was mine, but the look of the rest of the shoot was entirely hers.

“I’ll have 4 hot shots for you by tomorrow,” said Danny. And she did.

I submitted them to the Festival. A few weeks later the hot words reached me by e-mail:

“You’ve been chosen for the cover of the HOUR!!”

It’s been a boost for a drag queen that has often felt on the margins of an already-marginalized sub-culture: the drag scene.

“I find that a bit off-putting,” said Brett Hooton when I pitched the related media stunt to him. As the HOUR’s theatre critic, he’d been tasked with interviewing me. My idea was to conduct the interview while hitchiking in drag (me, not he) in downtown Montreal.

I loved the absurdity of it.

Reading a profile of him on the ‘net, I discovered that he was a fan of Bob Dylan’s.

“What would Dylan say?” I countered. Brett caved.

Trouble is, no one would pick us up. In spite of my legs… or maybe because of them.

Either way, it’s been quite a trip.

The last stage is to make sure that the play itself kicks ass, and I am doing all I can to make that happen. (see next post)

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Venue 6

Mainline: 3997 Boul. St-Laurent (s. of Duluth)

Sat, 14 June, 2008 24h00
Tue, 17 June, 2008 23h00 (Vol. show)
Wed, 18 June, 2008 23h30 (2 for 1 show)
Thur, 19 June, 2008 24h00
Fri, 20 June, 2008 23h15
Sun, 22 June, 2008 14h45

Tix: $8 + $2 (service fee) = $10

See you there!! xoxo

Winner of 2007 “Spirit of the Fringe” at the Montreal Fringe Festival.

#3 Best Drag Queen in Montreal, 2007 Montreal Mirror Reader’s Poll

Voted to Bugs Burnett’s first Hot List.

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I’ve long had this fantasy about fab Montreal bagpipe-playing drag queen Miss Gina: I’m singing the AC/DC classic It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock’n'Roll) and the band is made up of my friends Alex MacSween (formerly of Bionic) on drums and Al Baculis (formerly of Bootsauce) on bass, Montreal drag icons Plastik Patrick and Sheena Hershey on back-up vocals, and virtuoso Steve Hill on guitar. Miss Gina then storms the stage for her bagpipe solo. The band is called DC/DC.

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