Bangor drag queen troupe schedule 1st present in Dover-Foxcroft
DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — A well-liked drag group that performs at venues throughout the state will likely be in Piscataquis County for the primary time in April.
Scrumptious Drag Divas, based in Bangor by Lloyd Tracy and his husband, Tony, a.ok.a. LaDonya Lovelace, is coming to the Heart Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft on April 15.
For the reason that theater introduced the present Jan. 18 on Fb, about half the tickets have been offered, which is outstanding for a present a couple of months away, Government Director Patrick Myers mentioned Monday.
The Divas group is renting area on the theater, and the auditorium’s capability is 264 folks, he mentioned.
Drag queens have carried out at sold-out venues in Bangor and drawn audiences of all backgrounds, although the Divas’ reveals are for these 18 and older due to language and costumes, mentioned Tracy, who performs as Woman D. The occasion has generated pleasure for residents in Dover-Foxcroft and the encircling space, excluding a handful of detrimental responses.
“I’d say there’s much more enthusiastic assist than there’s negativity surrounding the occasion,” Myers mentioned, noting that those that expressed their dissatisfaction seem like a part of a vocal minority.
The theater obtained a voicemail and some emails and Fb messages from folks opposing the occasion, Myers mentioned. The one negativity that Tracy has skilled tied to the occasion is being tagged on Fb by a bunch that urged companies supporting the theater to withdraw their funding instantly. Tracy merely untagged the Divas from the publish, he mentioned.
“The handful of people that have contacted the [Center] Theatre have mentioned {that a} drag present doesn’t replicate their values,” Myers mentioned. “Some have mentioned they won’t be supporting the [theater], and others don’t assume anybody ought to be capable to attend the efficiency.”
An analogous factor occurred in Presque Isle when Pleasure Aroostook sponsored the Divas at an area sports activities bar, which ended up transferring the occasion to a venue in Fort Fairfield. Presque Isle residents shared considerations about whether or not town ought to stay welcoming or exclude sure teams of individuals.
The Divas have occasions lined up about each two weeks, Tracy mentioned. Among the drag queens additionally carry out on their very own at different areas.
The Divas have been performing continuously on the Downunder Lounge at Seasons, nevertheless it stopped after the sports activities bar determined to not renew its music licensing, Tracy mentioned. He hopes the Brewer Eagles Membership, the place the Divas have a Mardis Gras efficiency developing, can grow to be extra of an everyday spot.
In Dover-Foxcroft, the group is contemplating a second efficiency if the primary one is well-received. One other native venue has reached out to Tracy about coordinating an occasion, he mentioned.
“More often than not, it’s constructive [responses],” Tracy mentioned. “We get the occasional individual saying, ‘not for me,’ or ‘gross.’ However no person has gone to the extent of this one who created a Fb group to attempt to get us kicked out.”
Tracy is referring to Samuel Bridges, who’s behind a YouTube channel known as The Bridge and created a bunch on Fb that pushes for a “drag-free” Dover-Foxcroft. The brand new group, known as DF, Drag Free Dover, had about 50 members Monday, together with Piscataquis County’s treasurer, in accordance with its web page.
Bridges was not instantly obtainable to debate the group’s function and whether or not it has reached out to the theater with its considerations.
Final week, Bridges wrote on his web page that anybody who has bought a ticket to the present ought to receive a refund and journey to Bangor as a substitute. He urged folks to affix him in combating “in opposition to the sickening ideologies which can be accepted as ‘inclusive.’”
“My solely concern is that now we have seen the outcomes when troubled people are impressed by irresponsible social media rhetoric,” Myers mentioned. “There have been quite a few acts of vandalism linked to pull reveals across the nation just lately, and we definitely don’t wish to see that occur right here.”
Individuals with questions or considerations ought to contact Tracy, who’s joyful to debate the Divas and their performances, he mentioned.
The occasion is scheduled for six p.m. April 15 on the Heart Theatre, 20 E. Principal St. in Dover-Foxcroft. Tickets are $15, and so they’re obtainable on the theater’s field workplace or on-line.
