One 8-inch heel at a time, Winona State University holds its annual drag show performance. Winona State’s students can anticipate the Drag Show performance every year. Part of the Kryzsko After Dark experience students can engage with on-campus, the drag show was easily one of the most highly anticipated events of the night.
“I always love coming down to these shows every fucking year. I’m so happy you are all here for a fun-filled show,” returning drag queen Allota Shots announced to the audience as she opened the event. Hands shot up and cheers broke out in the room as she asked “Now who has never been to a drag show before? Hello new people…You’re going to give me all the money you have.”
The show took place on the evening of Nov. 15, and while the stage could be put up and taken down that night, the preparation for this show has taken some years. Four years ago, a first-year student stood in Krzysko ballroom and watched as drag queens took the stage and lip-synced. That person in that crowd cheering is now a fourth-year nursing student and RA for Sheehan Hall, Nate Dolan.
“The fact that it was here and was so accessible, I absolutely loved it and all of the people who performed in that one were amazing,” Dolan said. “Once I knew that was something that they did on campus here, I was like, ‘Okay I need to be in this’. I absolutely need to do this.”
Dolan had intended to perform in last year’s show but couldn’t attend the date. Dolan laughed as he commented that he probably asked about the show about 20 times to his friend who worked to put on the show and was excited to confirm he had the opportunity to perform. This year Dolan made his first debut as a drag performer with three prepared lip-sync performances.
“They did it last year, they’re doing it this year, and they’re going to do it next year. It’s kind of like a dream come true because I’ve been wanting to do this for actually forever,” Dolan said. “I’ve been in various types of performances all my life.”
A word to describe how Dolan felt as he sat down to get ready for the show was ‘finally.’ Using a trashcan and Stanley Cup to hold up a mirror, Dolan opened his makeup bag. Next to a pink cowboy hat, on a wig headstand laid a blonde synthetic wig that was starting to get brushed out.
“Basically this is RuPaul’s Drag Race. There is no competition, but I’m lip-syncing for my life,” Dolan said. “[Drag] is not something that I always knew I wanted to do. It’s super fun and I love dressing up. I love the idea of it and I don’t know if there’s that much more to it.”
Going through the process of coming up with a name for the performance, he thought of many different names and got opinions from others, but he felt that the drag name he came up with early on was fitting. Dolan is close to graduating and he’s hoping to work in the ICU since he hopes to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).
“It’s just that it’s Ana-sthesia. That plays to who I am but like at the same time I don’t know if it’s 100% like ‘oh I’m in love with this name,’ but like it’s one that like I recognize as my own,” Dolan said. “I wouldn’t care if people know me by my drag name but I’m also me and I’m very independent in that sense, I’m going to go to school on Monday and I’m still Nate. Not that I expect anyone to go out there and be like ‘Oh my gosh I saw you,’ but if it happens, yes thank you, but that was her.”
The audience fell to a hush as they waited for the first drag queen to perform. The starting notes of “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan were heard in the ballroom and cheers immediately erupted from the audience as they recognized the song and they cheered even louder when Ana-sthesia stepped onto the stage for the first time in her 8-inch heels.
“I got them last summer thinking that I was going to be doing this last year, but then that ended up falling through, so I’ve just had them sitting around. I’ve used them for various other things, but this [performance] is their true purpose,” Dolan said. “The power that I feel in them, and it’s not a power over people it’s just like no one can touch me. I’m 5’11”-6 feet, on a good day, and those are 8-inch heels…It just feels good having them on.”
Once Shots asked the audience for four volunteers for a dance-off, one member in the crowd took off their shirt to reveal a pink corset top underneath as he was invited onstage. Over two rounds the group lip-synced a song and based on the amount of applause a winner was decided.
Dressed in blue and wearing a blue cowboy hat, the next student drag performer, Silvie Bullet, took the stage lip-syncing to “Material Girl” by Madonna.
“If it’s their very first time ever on a stage you need to show them a lot of love because It takes a lot of guts and whatnot to get up and do this for you all tonight.” Shots said.
As Bullet left the stage with more singles with her, the audience was left in awe (and with lighter wallets).
“When I put on makeup it’s not like it’s me doing all of this. I’m becoming a different person right now, I don’t remember what the effect is called but Madonna could do this thing apparently,” Dolan said. “No one was really seeing her in this New York street and then she was like ‘You want to see something cool?’ and she changed her posture and like everyone started swarming to her and I just think that’s super cool, but it’s like I’m becoming a different person right now.”
Weeks before the show, Dolan was asked if he wanted to do one or two songs and in Dolan’s words ‘two would be great, but a third would be incredible’.
“I’ve told a lot of people that I’m performing tonight they were like, ‘oh my gosh, I was already going, but now that I know you’re going it makes it so much better.’ That’s obviously really nice to hear especially after the election we just had,” Dolan said. “It’s a little scary, I’m not going to lie. Like who’s going to show up, who’s going to be saying what? But at the same time, I don’t give a fuck.”
Dolan had asked to switch one of his songs and during the exchange of emails the election took place and Dolan felt he had a new purpose for his third song.
“The big part of it is when I first was going to do the drag show, it was supposed to be I’m having fun, I’m performing on stage. But then this is going to now be about boosting morale and about making a stronger community…I went with Part of Me by Katy Perry because this is ‘the part of me that you’re never going to take away from me,’ which is what everyone’s worried about, losing our rights right now,” Dolan said. “I’m not 100 percent doing it for myself, if I hadn’t had everyone doing it my freshman year, who knows, I probably would not be doing this right now… I think the world needs to be a better place right now and if I can help people get there, I’m going to.”
A member from PRISM spoke to thank the talent and to say they were grateful they came to this event. They also highlighted that the gender and sexuality alliance organization on campus is a space for anyone. For more information their Instagram handle is @WSU_Prism.
“It’s always important to know that we’re all humans at the end of the day and we all deserve to have a good life.” Shots said.
