Creating Your Drag King Act

Advice from Tuna Melt the Drag King

Drag is an art form. Full stop.

There are many ways to define drag. For me, drag is an art form where I can express gender through various artistic mediums as a trans masculine person of color. Theydy Bedbug, my drag mentor (and actual biological father) taught my drag class at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange that forever changed my relationship to my gender and creative expression. I didn’t choose drag, drag chose me. I’m forever grateful to Theydy for changing my life.

Before this class, I was a stiff corporate employee working in the Music Tech Industry. I wasn’t fully comfortable in my transgender identity. I felt alone yearning for trans community and creativity. I had dreams of becoming a singer when I was young that eventually withered away as I grew older. I thought that no one would want to hear from a fat and trans performer.

That all changed when my drag dad nudged me to compete in the first season of Takes the Cake, the largest Drag King and Drag Thing competition in NYC produced by The Cake Boys, and I placed as runner-up out of 40 contestants. Not bad for a drag debut as a baby king! Tuna Melt is a drag king that takes up space in a way Theo could never on stage. I reclaimed my dream to perform.

I have met some of NYC’s most innovative and creative drag kings and things since this competition. I LOVE being a Drag King. Uncle Freak, Juno Stardust, Theydy Bedbug, Klondyke, Richard, Muscles Monty, Sweaty Eddie, God Complex, Mx Rara Darling, Xaddy Addy, Mx Mel E Kiki, King Perka $exxx just to name a few of my faves and inspirations. I have fallen in love with this community that is growing and booming. This group gave me the courage to perform again as a live singing and rapping Drag King. This is how I found and transitioned to Theo. Theo rhymes with tío which means “uncle” in Spanish. I am a father figure in NYC drag and my heart is in my community.

However, the entertainment industry is not ready to support us the way we deserve to be supported. A lot of tools, resources, and funding are gate kept or out of reach for us. You are lucky to make 100–150 in base pay starting out in drag. That is a really low number considering the investment in this art form.

Yes, venues and companies will expect you to perform for less or for free. It’s up to you to decide your own worth and if the experience adds value. Be flexible with producers in our community. They are often working with limited funds, their own funds, and/or little to no support from the venue. I will tell you to never take a corporate gig for less than 500 USD. Especially from a FAANG. Exposure does not pay your rent, but it better be worth it if you take a free act. We’ve all taken a free act, open set, or tip set to get started. Stay humble, stay kind, but LORDY! LORDY! WE NEED BETTER PAY FROM VENUES!

This is why I left my job and started Haus of Melt productions. A trans owned and operated production company for our community that specializes in Drag King and Drag Thing talent. I’m taking everything I know from working at YouTube to give to my trans performance community. I want to use my skills in talent booking, rate negotiation, event planning, operations, and content strategy to uplift and represent Drag Kings.

It all started with one act. So here’s what I think is a crucial part of your act development.

Vision and Storytelling

Inspiration can come in many forms. Movies, galleries, music, lived experience, inside jokes, favorite TV shows. Inspiration is infinite. There is no set way to be inspired and I think there is no set way to do drag. There are artists that believe drag should be strictly lip-syncing. I think you should express yourself however you want once your face is painted. As long as you make a point in your act. I’m team story.

Audience retention is the name of the game when you want to perform drag professionally. In 2023, Audience Retention is short, so get good at editing down to serve your act. What message are you trying to convey in drag? What is your goal with this act? Why should the audience f*cking care?

When you perform you want those dollar tips. People aren’t going to give them just because you’re on stage. These are your customers, current or future fans, so you need to provide value to take it to the next stage. My act structure typically has a beginning, middle, end.

Take my Walter Mercado act. This act is my money maker. It doesn’t matter if I perform it at a brunch, on a stage, or outdoors. People love this act. It’s because it’s an act that is strongly emphasizing the unspoken queer and trans expression of Walter Mercado and Juan Gabriel. I had this idea, “What if I sang this iconic latine song as an iconic latine star to a trans and queer audience?”

From there I got to work. My end goal was to reimagine Walter Mercado from the grave to express Walter’s trans identity to Walter fans. I knew I wanted to be grand, I knew “Querida” was a song that is multi-generational in latine culture, and I knew I could do it. I structured my act to tell this story of trans acceptance in the latine community.

Let me tell you, the work behind the act development was worth it.

Editing Your Mix

I am a music snob when it comes to drag. I’m a firm believer that what song you choose and which parts you use are everything. Music and drag are like peanut butter and jelly. It’s hard to have one without the other. This makes your music choice critical.

It’s okay if people don’t know the song, but you need to ask yourself a couple of questions when you pick your mix:

1. Is this song dynamic? Does it have highs and lows? Are there differences in volume, tone, expressions?
2. Does this song enhance my idea? Are there strong elements that I can build an act around?
3. Does this song tell a story that everyone in the audience can understand?
4. Can I easily edit this song? Older songs are hard to edit since acoustic sounds were recorded live and newer songs have cleaner edit points but lack warmth.
5. What does this song make me feel? How will it leave the audience? Will they be gagged, hopeful, excited, tender, laughing, or all of the above?
6. For live singers, is there a comparable karaoke track or instrumental track that I can buy? I’m confident in my singing ability, but singing live is not as simple as getting up on a mic and performing. The sound person at your local bar or venue, if there is one, does not have “making your vocals sound good” on the top of the priority list. This is why I add background vocals to all of my tracks.
7. Is this track available to purchase as a MP3 or M4A? I wish there was a better way to have access to high quality music, but ripping songs off of platform like YouTube run the risk of sounding low quality on venue speakers. Hearing “low quality” tracks that are crunchy, staticky, or lower in volume bring the overall quality of your act down. Invest in buying the tracks.

A lot of things can go wrong when performing, your mix is the one constant you can count on. Don’t sleep on your mix. Period.

Putting it all together

I open up Google docs and start developing my act once I have all of my ideas, notes, and mix. I enter all lyrics, words, and cues. The beginning of my doc has a costume list and prop list so I know what to bring every time. This is also helpful when you pack your things after a performance. My document is color coded AF. Visual is key when memorizing lyrics and choreography.

Speaking of choreo, add it. You don’t need to be the world’s greatest dancer to have choreo. This is coming from a performer that always struggled learning choreography and made wonders work with a box step. Your movement needs to match your words. Mark the moments in your act that are good to grab tips from the audience. Tip money is life. It adds incredible value if you add basic movements and utilize the stage. For the love of God, please utilize all of the stage.

Other things to consider while sitting with your act:

1. Where can I add production value? Fog, lights, confetti poppers. I f*cking love a confetti popper but venues tend to hate glitter and confetti due to people slipping or clean up. Also, bubbles are universally loved. A good background video can make you feel like Beyoncé. Mapping it out allows you to plan better with your producer and working with what the venue allows or has available. Be ready to tailor your act depending on the venue space.
2. What reveals can I add in my act? If you’re interested in drag please research reveals. Some things are just bread and butter in drag. A good well-thought and intentional drag reveal at the right time is unbeatable.
3. What interesting ways can I can engage the audience? Note, with consent! Never touch someone without consent!
4. Consider your costuming and make up. Consider how the right look can enhance this act. I’m sorry, this is where drag gets really expensive. I can’t sew so I’m an “Etsy King” which means I can’t pursue drag full time without some sort of stable income until it becomes profitable (see: Haus of Melt.)
5. Rehearse. Rehearse. Rehearse. I invested in a huge mirror and threw it in my kitchen. I now have my own rehearsal space. If your act is complicated, rent a local studio space. Again, no matter what people pay you NEVER think your drag is cheap. All acts require investment and time. Drill your act. No venue is the same and you’ll need a good foundation to improvise different spaces, audiences, and venues.

The most important thing you can do in your act is to never take your eyes of the audience. Look at people. Never turn your back to the audience unless you absolutely must turn around and walk to the back of the stage. Having the courage to stand firm, look someone in the eye when you perform, make them feel your act, is more powerful then adding a split for the sake of it. People fear public speaking more than they fear death, it’s a bold thing to be on stage so OWN IT. With that being said, if you can do a split, you’re guaranteed people will scream and throw money. You will be the envy of all Drag Kings and Drag Things with bad knees.

This is just a drop in the ocean of drag performance and just one voice. I highly recommend going to shows of drag artists that inspire you. It’s keeps money circulating in our community and it supports local producers that are keeping our drag culture alive. I am by no means insinuating my method is right. I only want to help and support you in your drag journey. I hope this has been helpful.

Now is the time to be a Drag King. We’re booming.