This Saturday, Drag Ball will grace The ’Sco’s stage for a night full of campy horror and candid artistry, continuing Oberlin’s tradition of over 20 years. The event will be hosted by Comatose, a drag artist based in Kent and Cleveland, and headlining the show will be Megami, a New York City-based drag queen who competed on season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The night will also feature two local drag kings, Riley Poppyseed and Cecil Pulley, OC ’24, “The Twisted Transitioner,” as well as various student performers.

Originating in the late 19th century, drag has given artists the freedom of creative expression and the ability to rebel against societal norms. Whether it is through layers of makeup, an extravagant wig, glamorous clothing, or expressive movement, drag artists are empowered to transform into whoever they want to be.

“I love the art of rebellion that drag gives you because we live in a world where gender roles are highly enforced,” Comatose said. “The second that foundation touches my face, I am actively rebelling against societal norms that were put in place against me. It’s extremely poetic and I think it’s really powerful that I can do that.”

One student performer, College third-year Z Gutierrez, goes by the drag name Cafecito Crema, and will center his act on the recent bathroom bill that has resulted in great distress nationwide.

“With my act, ‘The Bathroom Bill,’ I wanted to both have fun in the drag space but also give a voice to the bill,” Gutierrez said. “Drag is a performance — it’s entertainment — but it’s also a space of sharing your voice and being visible. Obviously, a lot of us are angry about the bathroom bill, but a lot of us are suffering in silence. [I want] to portray that and not only be destructive during my performance but also show the side of it that’s more reserved — that can be turned into resilience and power for change.”

For artists like Gutierrez, drag is a way to make a statement to the audience. For others, like Megami, drag allows introspection.

“Drag is my therapy and allows me to speak into existence the complicated feelings that I can’t verbalize through art and performance,” Megami said. “It’s just so much fun that going through all of the discomfort is worth it every time if I get to make an audience laugh at something — a stupid number that I did or a stupid joke that I told — or if I do some kind of emotional ballad and get to share a part of myself with the audience.”

What separates drag from other methods of performance is the creative and artistic control that it allows. College second-year Susannah Poese, who goes by the drag name Stevie Hicks, expressed this sentiment.

“I was looking for ways to perform where I could have more artistic control,” Poese said. “One of the things that I get frustrated about with acting in musicals and plays is that you are a part of the director’s vision. Drag is decentralized. By definition, it’s a thing that happens on the fringes of society, so I think it provides a lot of opportunities to … be in charge of your own vision.”

When involved in the creative process of drag from start to finish, artists are able to observe the grand and minute changes that occur. For College third-year Henry Feller, “Tryst Deluxe,” this is exactly the case.

“One of the most transformative things about drag is that, because the makeup is often so extreme, you see your face change in the mirror,” Feller said. “It almost feels like you’re wearing a mask in a masquerade ball. I feel very beautiful and elegant in a way that is interesting because it’s me, but it’s not me.”

A drag artist is not complete without their drag persona. For Comatose, getting into drag is more than a physical change. Elements of their personality are amplified to no bounds, and this is crafted through a process of reflection and storytelling.

“I always say when creating your drag persona, give them a backstory,” Comatose said. “‘Who is this person? Why do they exist in this space?’ [When I am Comatose], it is like putting on a suit of armor, and I’m not afraid of anything. I become a lot more unhinged.”

In drag, transformation is not confined by traditional restraints. Pulley emphasizes that, rather than shifting into a defined role, drag is all about its experimentation, its playfulness. 

“You’re not impersonating gender, necessarily; you’re playing with it,” Pulley said. “A lot of the people I know … aren’t trying to perfectly represent an image or idea of a man when they’re being a drag king. A lot of them are going out of their way to be a flamboyant archetype of a man, something comically adjacent to a man. For a lot of us, our experiences as AFAB people or lesbians informs how we think about masculinity and how we play with that as drag kings.”

Another aspect of drag that makes the experience memorable for not only the performers but for audience members is the interactive component. According to College third-year Drew Miller, “Fleur Decour,” what makes drag fun is the energy that is bounced back and forth through the crowd. 

“I want [students] to see the joy of drag,” Miller said. “Performing it is super fun, but I’ve spent years and years just watching it. I love watching it come alive. Lip syncing and performing in drag is so joyous and fun. It’s so much energy, especially with an audience that you can give and get back.”

While the night will be filled with beauty and unrelenting emotion from the drag artists, College second-year Jay Beal, treasurer of Drag Ball, emphasized that, more than anything, he wants audience members to feel like they are in a space where they, too, can freely express themselves.

 “We want students to feel empowered,” Beal said. “We want this to be a place to experiment with gender expression and embrace the campy, weird, fun side of your personality with your friends.”

Megami shared a similar sentiment, asserting that drag is for anyone, not only the performers that will light up the stage tomorrow night.

“Your drag is something that you make and that you’ve brought into this world,” Megami said. “You’re a different person when you put on a wig and some crazy makeup, and I feel like everyone should try that. I do hope people come out and dress up and have a good time because drag is so freeing.”