Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

KPBS Midday Edition

Deconstruction Of A Drag Queen

Meet the Cast of Circle Circle Dot Dot's "Deconstruction of a Drag Queen:" (from left) Julio Jacobo, James P. Darvas, Shaun Tuazon, Melissa Coleman-Reed, Kevane La'Marr Coleman, Justin Warren Martin.
Rich Soublet.
Meet the Cast of Circle Circle Dot Dot's "Deconstruction of a Drag Queen:" (from left) Julio Jacobo, James P. Darvas, Shaun Tuazon, Melissa Coleman-Reed, Kevane La'Marr Coleman, Justin Warren Martin.

Circle Circle Dot Dot's Latest Community Based Production

Deconstruction Of A Drag Queen
GUESTS: Katherine Harroff, artistic director/founder of Circle Circle Dot Dot, and writer/director of "Deconstruction of a Drag Queen" Anthony Diaz, co-choreographer of "Deconstruction of a Drag Queen," Dancer with San Diego Dance Theater, and performs as Grace Towers

Circle Circle Dot Dot calls itself "community based" theater. This means it wants to find stories in the community to share. The latest community it is tapping into is the world of drag queens. Circle Circle Dot Dot's new play is "Deconstruction of a Drag Queen," written by its artistic director Katherine Harroff and in collaboration with members of the Drag Artist Performance Community of San Diego. The play is inspired by the life of Anthony Diaz who is well known in the San DIego drag community as Grace Towers.

In the play, Michael (played by Shaun Tuazon) is the alter ego for Diaz/Grace Towers. Michael's mother dreams of her son growing up to be a doctor, but Michael is busy trying on his sister's dresses and dancing to female pop artists of the 80's. For Circle Circle Dot Dot's next original community-based production they decided to go under the wigs and into the closets of some of the most delicious Drag Performers of San Diego and found that besides the make-up, the glitter, the hip pads, and the heels- the most important ingredient to becoming a true diva is bravery. The play takes audiences into the world of Stilettos, a one-stop gender-bending performance destination to join the Duchess Hunny Mustard (Julio Jacobo) as she puts on a very special production that unveils the crowning of their newest Queen.

According to Harroff, "'Deconstruction of a Drag Queen' tells the timeless tale of forbidden love, but it isn't a love for another person that drives our main character to break all the rules that were set for his life, it's the love of this incredible art form. This play is dedicated to anyone that has had the strength to take risks in the name of love- and I am hopeful that it may inspire others to rise above the binds of intolerance to discover the diva within."

Advertisement

Please note that adult themes and language are used in this production.

Circle Circle Dot Dot's "Deconstruction of a Drag Queen" opens April 6 and runs through April 27 at the 10th Avenue Theater in Downtown San Diego.

Suggested film viewing: "Paris is Burning," "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," "La Cage Aux Folles," and anything by John Waters and starring Divine