I got the opportunity to host a show at San Jose State last Thursday, marking the first time that I have made a "public" appearance outside of performing in a show.
OMG!- I can't remember ever being so nervous in front of a crowd. Normally my skinny ass is hidden by the dark lighting of a bar until I have to dance to a song that is usually no more than six minutes! This time around I had to use the mic and try to keep the crowd entertained.
First of all, my feet were killing me in my heels after I walked across the San Jose State campus. This was probably the most eye opening experience of my drag career. I had a friend escort me (just to be safe) and I couldn't even count the number of double-takes I got. I made the best of all the attention and started inviting anyone who looked at me to the event I was hosting and letting them know I was a drag queen.
This trek wore my legs out and by the time I had to host the show my legs felt weak and were wiggling like spaghetti. I knew I looked fierce but I couldn't help but tense up because of my aching feet.
Never-the-less, the show must go on! And it did. I couldn't believe how scared I was in the beginning. I stumbled over my words and made a mess of some of the jokes I had already planned in my head. I knew I had to do something to loosen up or I was going to be the laughing stock of the week, so I wrote a fun poem (which I accidentally threw away). Thankfully, the poem helped me profoundly and I started to rock the show! I was able to conjure up jokes and witty remarks that made the audience laugh and kept them more entertained. By the time the show was over I didn't feel finished! I wanted to get back at the mic!
Some words of advice from a novice drag host: know a little bit about the audience that you are going to be working with (age, sexual orientation, and interests) and write down some things that will make them laugh!
No comments:
Post a Comment