Introducing Project: This is Me
Every time I see a live performance, be it stand-up comedy, a concert, or a full-on Broadway show, I feel like an evil witch sucking up talent and vitality. The energy of it is everything.
For a couple of hours, you share an experience with an individual or a massive team of people, all of whom have trained and studied and rehearsed and planned ceaselessly. And for one night, it’s all just for you. I watch and wonder how one person can give this much of themselves, night after night, and not wear out.
The act of performing live is one of generosity.
Live theater wasn’t a big part of my childhood, but my parents kept me supplied with plenty of recorded shows. My Dad in particular was a fan of River Dance and orchestra recordings; he loved a big show. My Mom and I adore Fiddler on the Roof, which I had the luxury of seeing a couple of years ago on Broadway. Oh, and my Mom took my to see Michael Jackson’s concert when I was 9. Bragging rights for life.
One show that has stuck with me is Paramour, the only Cirque de Soleil musical. Apparently, the critics weren’t too nice about it, but who cares. To me, it was the definition of a feast. Cirque de Soleil acrobatics in a musical about old school Hollywood in all its messy glory? The Art Deco set design, the choreography, the music, every bit of it made for a phenomenal feast for the eyes and ears. Every act was filled with so much talent and precision. It took a few days for my jaw to recover (…Remove mind from gutter, please).
As a self-proclaimed theater lover, I’m sometimes embarrassed by how few shows I have actually seen. But in a way, I am grateful for this ignorance. I had worked as a translator for years, and as a result, I can rarely enjoy a text without instinctively dissecting the sentences, particularly one translated from English into Chinese. It’s an occupational hazard that detracts from the experience. With theater, it’s still pure magic to me. And I never really want to know how the trick is done.
That said, the Shanghai performing arts scene has been an amazingly welcoming one. I’ve dabbled in burlesque and a bit of stand-up comedy, because folks here are nothing short of phenomenal. The international performers and show-runners in this town are rarely making a living off of their craft. Most of us have our day jobs and feed our performing bug on the side. Everyone’s in it because we love what we do and can’t help but share.
And with that, I’d like to introduce you to Project: This is Me. Brought to you by Cocosanti of DKNSTRKT, my favorite bearded drag queen. The video features some of the best drag artists from China and around the world to promote visibility for those in the Shanghai genderbending performance community. And, of course, love, acceptance, and off-the-charts fabulous-ness.
If you’d like to support the Shanghai genderf**king performing arts community, learn how to do your eye makeup like a drag queen, or know what it’s like to sport an epic beard, check out DKNSTRKT’s events and workshops in Shanghai.
It doesn’t matter how you identify, DKNSTRKT is a space to for you to play. Find them on Facebook, Instagram, or WeChat @DKNSTRKT
