The Art of Drag

Have you ever wondered about the art of drag and what it would be like to play with another gender expression? If so, Episode 4 of Season 2 of “The Positive Fantastic” podcast, “The Art of Drag,” is the perfect listen for you!

Kimber Holmes is a male impersonator, and I invited her to be a guest on my podcast because I completely adore drag and she’s had a lifelong journey loving drag herself!

I believe that I have loved being a voyeur for drag since I was about nine years old when a childhood friend rented the VHS for “The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.” It was perhaps a bit of a bold move on the part of our parents to let us watch a film with so much mature content, at such a young age, but regardless, I was hooked immediately.

The film showcases some amazing acting and some absolutely fabulous drag performed in the Australian outback. It became an instant favorite among my friend and I, and we watched it every weekend that we had a sleepover at each other’s houses. We basically memorized every line. And, ever since, I have had a very soft place in my heart for drag.

I remember in college dressing up as a man for a drag ball event –my first time really posturing as such. A friend was doing a performance piece as Hedwig for the ball, and one of her performers went AWOL. On the fly, she recruited me for a possible stand in, in the event that she couldn’t find her missing drag king. The thrill of the prospect of being on stage in drag was a bit much for me, and I was actually relieved when her king returned in time to go on stage.

In my day to day life, I love playing with my gender expression across the spectrum –although more as a personal journey than as a performance art. As a child I definitely did the high femme princess dress up though, and reveled in all kinds of wacky costumes that I created on the spot by mixing and matching my wardrobe. The spirit of playfulness and gender bending is a perennial favorite of mine.

In recent years the mainstream has really picked up on drag in a bigger way, and so most people now love drag too. Although, most people think of drag queens when they think of drag, and so it felt important to me to include a drag king on the podcast, for the sake of diversity and representation if nothing else. And, I just so happen to be a friend of a renown drag king in Northern California.

Kimber got started doing drag dress up as a kid, and in the last dozen years has really had fun playing with a character by the name of Max Manchester. This episode dives full on into drag, including a brief history of drag kings and a thorough exploration of the process that Kimber uses to become Max. I hope that you will love hearing about the art of drag as much as I did. 

Interestingly, the same week that I recorded this interview with Kimber, I got fitted for my first suit! A friend from high school is getting married later this spring and she wanted me to be one of her bride’s maids.

I agreed. She set a date to go try on dresses, adding “but you could wear a suit if that’s more comfortable for you.” And, honestly, I had to pause to consider, what do I really want? Over the years, I’ve become more and more of a farm girrrrl in jeans and gloves, working outside to get stuff done.

So, I started to really entertain the idea of getting a suit, and it made me happy. I’ve never really worn men’s clothing, but formal wear all feels like drag to me, so why not play with it? Getting a tailor to take my measurements and help me try out my first tie and suspenders was pretty entertaining. And I’m excited to have a new outfit to play with in an era of my life that could use some more fun with costumes.

My own drag play aside, Kimber has created some truly phenomenal pieces over the past several years. Check out my Youtube channel to a see video that Kimber created showcasing her drag talents. 

You can check out all of the videos that Kimber Holmes releases on YouTube on her channel Max Manchester Drag King/Male Illusionist

You can also follow her on Facebook and instagram for fabulous drag content @MaxManchester Drag King

We recommend you visit the Drag History website too.