The Bangor region’s first group of drag kings, Big Kings, will hold its first performance on Saturday at Queen City Cinema Club in downtown Bangor.
Drag kings are performers who dress and act in exaggeratedly masculine ways, and the show, which has sold out, will include Big King’s five members and two guest performers. Such shows can include anything from dancing to comedy to singing.
The Bangor troupe hopes its show will raise public awareness and increase acceptance of drag kings, who are less well known than drag queens, said April Tomah, who organized the Big Kings troupe and performs as Rez Bone.
“Every time I tell someone I’m a drag king, they say, ‘Oh what’s that?’” Tomah said. “One of the main reasons I wanted to do this is to bring more visibility to the drag king community. There are many drag kings out there, but we’re not as visible.”
In the year Tomah has been performing, they’ve seen backlash from the public, usually in the form of threats or picketing outside of shows.
“We deal with so much hate already because of who we are and what we do,” Tomah said. “I want people to know we’re not a threat. We’re not here to hurt anyone. We just want to entertain you and have fun.”
While shows and events featuring drag queens are common both locally and statewide, drag kings aren’t as well known or widely accepted, said Kam Atwood, one of Big King’s members who performs as Mak the Knife.
“Drag has so many different ways of showing an art form, but people are more comfortable with femininity being presented in a funny way than masculinity being presented in a funny way,” Atwood said.
People who are most critical of and resistant to drag likely have “preconceived notions” of what a show is like, Atwood said, but their views might change if they attend a show with an open mind.
“What I’m hoping is that this will open up an opportunity for people to see how much fun a drag show can be,” Atwood said. “It’s a loving, fun, care-free environment where people can go, enjoy a show and forget their troubles for a while.”
Atwood became interested in performing drag after a friend brought her to a show to lift her spirits after she suffered a series of medical events and personal hardships, including a divorce, breast cancer and a double mastectomy, COVID-19 and a broken back.
“Watching them perform, it looked like they were having the time of their lives and everyone in the room was smiling,” Atwood said. “I wanted to be part of that.”
While Atwood admitted drag “wasn’t even on my radar” prior to being diagnosed with breast cancer last year and breaking her back, the art form has given her a community and encouraged her to move her body to regain her strength and mobility.
“I’ve learned a lot about myself and the importance of empowerment and finding one’s voice,” Atwood said. “Interestingly enough, drag has helped me find who I am. It’s what got me moving again when I was really depressed and inspired me to keep fighting.”
Correction: An earlier version of this report misspelled Connor “King Lyreck” Caron’s last name in a phot caption.