Midwest Drag 101

10/05/2023

Both our lives have become very busy, and we are sadly (yet joyfully) releasing our last episode today. We want to thank all of our loyal listeners that have tuned in to hear us cackle when we don't know what we're saying, struggle when we're having hard conversations, and hopefully, have learned a thing or two about drag in the Midwest alongside us. Thank you so, so much for all your support! You certainly haven't seen the last of either of us, and we're excited to watch Midwest drag performers continue to explore and define their art. Just because we're ending the podcast doesn't mean there isn't plenty more to say, but for now, class is dismissed!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess close out the series by ...

13/07/2022

It is absolutely BONKERS that this is our fifth season finale and 65th episode, but it's true! We end the season by recapping our Pride months and touching upon a few interesting conversations we had around our celebrations. We'll be back in a few months with season 6, but until then you all have very important homework: Go support local drag!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess recap their Pride 2022 a...

29/06/2022

As we close out Pride month, we are so happy to release this episode with a performer who never fails to impress us with her kindness, Sheridan Steele! Sheridan was kind enough to drop by and discuss what it means to her to be that ever important figure in our community, a drag mother. She gave us plenty of words of wisdom, shared why she tries to stay positive and has never met a stranger, and cracks us up along the way. We can't imagine a better queen or note to end Pride with than her and this! If you don't know Sheridan, you're missing out on a queen with a true heart of gold. Give a listen, share, and review, and don't forget to follow Sheridan and go see her twirl in person!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess continue celebrating Pri...

15/06/2022

In the midst of Pride, we are delighted to release this episode with one of the sparkliest gems in our community, the stunning and hilarious Uma Jewels! Uma chatted with us about inspirations and influences over time in the drag community, her personal icons, and was kind enough to offer some recommendations for those of us who aren't so sharp when it comes to herstory. We could listen to her sweet, lilting voice and enchanting cadence all day, and we're sure you'll feel the same way. Please give a listen, like and review, then follow and go see this charming queen live!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess continue celebrating Pri...

01/06/2022

We are so excited to kick off Pride month with this visiting lecturer, the impressive Vanta Black! Vanta is fresh in the Cincinnati drag scene and is exactly the cool drink of water the Midwest is thirsty for. She joined us to discuss her experiences as a drag performer who is constantly fighting against all sorts of isms as she also works and goes to school full time. If you aren't familiar with Vanta yet, you're only doing yourself a disservice. This queen is EVERYTHING and we can't imagine a better performer to lead us into celebrating exactly who we all are this month. Give a listen, like and review, then go follow Vanta immediately and check out her performances all through Pride and beyond!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess welcome a visiting lect...

18/05/2022

Sometimes lesson plans fall apart but the bell rings and class is in session anyway--much like this episode. But we know how to conduct ourselves on the fly (more or less) so we went back to our roots on this one! The two of us have an extended icebreaker on current reading habits, review a little Drag Vocab, and top it all off with a 90s-themed Pop Quiz! Don't forget to like, share, review, and subscribe!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess improvise their way thro...

04/05/2022

It's important that we give the performers we're unfamiliar with a chance, and this week our visiting lecturer, Jamona R Fever, was quite passionate about this being the topic of discussion. Mona had lots of things to say about including new or unknown performers, both as a queen and now as a show director. If you're trying to break into the drag scene or if you're a show director, this is an episode that will give insight on both. Please give a listen, a like, review, and subscribe, and if you're not familiar with Jamona, go out and see her for her birthday this month!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess welcome a visiting lect...

20/04/2022

We all know that q***r rights are under attack by various politicians and legislation all around the country--that's why we decided to focus this episode on the importance of voting in local and primary elections. We also take a moment to bid auf Wiedersehen, au revoir, farewell to The Cabaret/Below Zero--and yes, one of us gets a little teary-eyed (turns out, P.H. Dee might have the heart she insists she threw out with an old wig). Please remember to like, share, review, and subscribe, and more importantly, go vote this May!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess discuss the importance o...

06/04/2022

We had a blast recording this episode with one of the sweetest performers (and best dancers) we've ever met, the amazing and talented Natalia Marie Milian! Natalia was kind enough to sit down with us and discuss her experiences as a black trans woman in the Midwest, where she learned to move like that, and how to take pride in every moment and experience of our lives. If you aren't familiar with her, listen to this episode, follow her here and other socials (details in the show notes), and go see her at The Cellar pronto!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess welcome a visiting lect...

23/03/2022

Episode 1️⃣8️⃣ | On the syllabus today, we’re discussing how to support 💃🕺 performers as well as get your drag fix during the 😷 lockdown and then we’ll wrap it up on a high note by making fools of ourselves in a 🦠 themed Pop Quiz! 🌈

23/03/2022

We are over the moon to release this episode with one of the most positive, energetically infectious delights in Indy's drag scene, Brentlee B**h! Brentlee was kind enough to share his joy and insights of what it's like being a male entertainer in the drag world, help us understand what that label means, and give us a few details about the upcoming production of Legally Blonde: The Drag Parody Musical opening in April in Indianapolis. If you are unfamiliar with Brentlee, you're missing out on a sparkling good time. Give a listen, don't forget to like and subscribe, and go follow Brentlee!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess welcome a visiting lect...

09/03/2022

We are so thrilled to release this episode with one of our all time favorite performers, The Lady Phaedra (Patrick D. Carnes). Phaedra took time out of her always busy schedule to share her thoughts on the responsibilities of being a drag performer and mother, and along the way, shared many Phaedrisms (and had us going from laughing to crying and back again--we expected nothing less). If you aren't familiar with this queen among queens, you best tune in and then book it to her next show. Don't forget to like and follow her, and us as well!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess welcome a visiting lect...

23/02/2022

One of our very first episodes focused on audience etiquette, but this season we decided it was time to talk about the do's and don'ts on the performing side. How do performers handle conflict backstage? What's the expectation of audience interaction? What should one do when something goes wrong in the middle of a performance? We don't have all the answers (okay, we don't have MOST of the answers), but we certainly understand what not to do and have fun discussing the gaffs we've seen over the years. In addition, we brought back Drag Vocab and take the time to define a few new words. And trust and believe, Dee fully embraced one of these terms as her own. Please give a listen, like, review, and subscribe!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess discuss drag etiquette'...

09/02/2022

We are so excited to release this episode featuring our first guest of season five, Karina Lee Phoenix! Karina was kind enough to spend a little time schooling Jess on the basics of drag pageantry, giving advice for hopeful future title holders, and of course, making us giggle. Please listen, like, review, and subscribe, and be sure to follow Karina to catch her at upcoming shows!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess welcome a visiting lect...

26/01/2022

We're kicking off our FIFTH season with a discussion on performing and/or enjoying drag in typically straight spaces. We share stories of booting people out, convincing bar owners to have our backs, and of course, the differences in these discussions when in different types of towns and cities. Please share, like, review, and subscribe!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess discuss performing and ...

03/11/2021

For our fourth season finale, we recap a little bit of Halloween shenanigans and then shift the focus to it where it should be--the birthday girl! Since P.H. Dee/Joshua B. Jones is officially three years old as a character/performer, we talk a few highlights for our end of the semester party. Please rate, review, and subscribe, have happy holigays, and we'll see you in January!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess recap drag Christmas, a...

20/10/2021

We are thrilled to release this episode with returning guest, Trayla Parks and for the first time, Casey Pond--the Buckeye Empire's new reigning monarchs! Trayla and Casey filled us in on both the changes they're hoping to implement and the traditions they look forward to preserving for this ### Reign. If you want to know more about what's happening in this court or looking for inspiration to better serve your own, these two have great ideas and big hearts. And of course, they're both quick with a joke (especially if it's at Casey's expense). Don't forget to like, review, share, and subscribe!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, we welcome two visiting lecturers, T...

06/10/2021

For our 50th episode (yes, really, 50!), we had the pleasure to sit down and talk with the one and only Benita Bloom. Not only did they educate P.H. Dee on Appalachian delicacies like fried bologna sandwiches and potato candy, they discussed how growing up in Appalachia and their gender identity shaped them as a person and a bearded queen. Benita was an amazing guest that opened their heart while making us laugh and you should get to know her if you don't already! Give a listen and go follow Benita here, on Instagram, and on TikTok!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, we welcome visiting lecturer, Benita...

22/09/2021

Ever wonder how drag performers take care of their skin? Well, this episode won't really help you but we do laugh a lot while talking about skincare and playing a round of Pop Quiz! Whitney Edition! It's short and sweet, but hilarity ensues, as usual. Don't forget to like and share, rate, review, and subscribe!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess briefly talk about heal...

08/09/2021

Ever wondered what the basic steps to starting up your own drag show? Wonder no more! P.H. Dee a.k.a. Joshua B. Jones and Jess break it down simply so anyone who wants to has a basic guide to put on a show in their own cornfield town. Please share, rate, review, and subscribe!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, Dee and Jess give advice on the basic...

25/08/2021

When we reached out to Scarlett Fever, a.k.a. Cameron Dye, and asked what she wanted to talk about for her episode, there was no hesitation--bullying. Scarlett is as passionate about this topic as she is about performing, and this discussion encompasses our own experiences, what we can do to help q***r youth, as well as what bullying looks like in dressing rooms and social media within the drag community. It's an important conversation, and we're so happy to have had Scarlett lead the way for us. Give us a like, listen, subscribe, rate, and review, and be sure you go see Scarlett Fever!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, we welcome visiting lecturer, Scarle...

11/08/2021

Dee and Jess have been contemplating the intersections of drag and burlesque for some time, so we finally decided to call in some experts! Ginger LeSnapps and Alexander Cameron discuss what these art forms have in common and where they differ in our latest episode (while Jess does her best not to fangirl all over them). They are as articulate as they are talented on stage, as individuals and a truly dynamic duo. Give the episode a listen, then book your tickets for Cin City Burlesque Presents Midwest Undressed on November 6th. Link to the event is in the episode description, and we'll see you there!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, we welcome not one but two visiting l...

28/07/2021

We're so delighted to release this episode with the incomparable visiting lecturer, Aurora Starr. Aurora was kind enough to reach out to ask if she could share how drag was an epiphany that helped her discover who she really was, and no one could say no to that sweet face! Find out in this episode just how sweet Aurora really can be (and how she isn't so sweet all the time), while also laughing, learning, and figuring out how to support one another in the community. Give a listen, a like, review, and subscribe, and be sure you check out this stellar entertainer!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, we welcome visiting lecturer Aurora S...

14/07/2021

After P.H. Dee's very busy Pride month, we decided to do a short, sweet episode of just us two catching up. Remember, just because Pride is over, doesn't mean we can't keep celebrating who we all are, and keep making moves out there!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, we take it easy after a busy month an...

30/06/2021

We love when we get a guest who does all the talking so we can sit back and learn (and ideally, laugh), and Sister Char Cooterié-Board, MBA definitely had a lot to say! Char dropped by to school us and the children in the ways of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as we say goodbye to Pride month. If you're not sure if you know Char, trust us, you don't--you'd remember! Not only did she educate us about the Sisters' history and work, both nationally and locally, she had us in tears with her irreverent wit. If you want to understand more about this fantastic organization, Char, or if you just need something to put a smile on your face, give us a listen, a like, and don't forget to subscribe!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, we finish out Pride with a visiting l...

16/06/2021

Ever want to know more about the history of drag in the Midwest? We sure did, so we invited Stephen Lane to discuss his research on Indianapolis's long history of talented Black drag artists along Indiana Avenue. Stephen is not only informative, but incredibly delightful, and helps break stereotypes and eradicate misinformation along the way.

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, we continue celebrating Pride by wel...

02/06/2021

We're kicking off Pride with one of the most delightful, honest, vulnerable, and stunning performers we know, the one and only, Molly Mormen! Molly joined us to help discuss reconciling faith and q***rness, share a little wisdom, and make us laugh and cry in one supersized episode. Molly Mormen is a gem of a queen that is ready to give you a hug or tell you a dirty joke, whatever the occasion calls for, and if all else fails, she'll do the worm. This episode does contain frank discussion about difficult topics like su***de, struggling with spirituality and family, r**e, and finding acceptance. Molly's here to take the children to church and we live for it. Happy Pride, y'all!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, we welcome a visiting lecturer, Molly...

19/05/2021

Class is in session! We're kicking off our fourth season with a little discussion on lewks, fashion versus function, and some of our own style preferences. This one's just the two of us, but this season we're bringing you more guests than ever before! Please remember to give us a review wherever you listen to podcasts, and we'll be back with a visiting lecturer in two weeks. In the meantime, be sure you're out there looking and feeling your best while you support your local performers!

P.H. Dee and Jess Marshall, two former educators, are here to school the children. One's a queen, the other's a fan, and both want to shed light on the drag scene in the flyover states. On the syllabus today, our season 4 premiere and two-year an...

11/05/2021

Episode 1️⃣7️⃣ | On the syllabus today, we spill the tea on spilling the tea ☕️ with a little Drag Vocab and discuss accessing drag through pop culture by suggesting some of our favorite films 🎥 and series, and how these representations succeed 👍 or fail 👎 in portraying the reality and range of drag performers 💃 🌈

10/05/2021

Episode 1️⃣6️⃣ | This week we welcome a visiting lecturer, ! 😈 She's here to help us school the children in the ways of alternative drag, 👹 how these performers compare to the mainstream, and why this form of drag is ever-gaining popularity. 🙌 Welcome to detention! 🌈