As the lights dimmed, over 200 people began to cheer for Loyola’s second annual Drag Show. Hosted by Loyola’s very own Ben Napolitano ’26, who performs as the drag persona Retra-Celeste, the event became a space for love, acceptance, and celebration for the queer community. Pride flags and dollar bills flew up in the air as Retra-Celeste took the stage. After the introduction featuring the do’s and don’ts of drag along with shoutouts to those responsible for the event, the next drag persona, Manic, took the stage with a clown-inspired performance that garnered a lot of attention from the crowd and their wallets. Soon after came Stealya Manz-Blue and Sapphire Dupree who lit up the stage in flashy outfits and fierce make-up looks.
Each performer gave two performances with a brief intermission midway through the event, a time when audience members could get refreshments and connect. Connection is a concept that Napolitano says is the whole purpose of drag.
“Drag for me will forever be a source of connection. My drag specifically is very historically rooted… almost everything I wear is second-hand because I really want it to be a sustainable art form going forward. I mean the first couple things I wore in drag were either my friend’s or they were my grandma’s old clothing and connecting with her on that level was just incredible and made me feel very close to her,” Napolitano said.
This was all possible due to the work of the LGBTQ+ Student Services which only opened at the start of the year. Director Pat Cassidy played a huge role in the event and at Loyola in the short time he has been in his position. He opened up about the joy he has found while working with Loyola and the queer community.
“I feel really lucky to be able to have a job where I’m able to work alongside students and local talent to provide that experience for students and community members. So, it brings me a lot of joy and I see the joy that other people experience in the midst of the show,” Cassidy said.
In terms of the event, Cassidy explained that the timing of the drag show was coincidental regarding the political landscape that has now surrounded the LGBTQ+ community since the election. He talked about drag as an art but also an act of resistance.
“It is an opportunity for community building, for celebration. I also think it’s an educational experience as well in terms of drag being such a big part of queer culture both historically and in modern day. I think it creates an environment where LGBTQ+ students, employees, and guests, feel seen and feel like they’re taking up space in a culture and society that particularly, at this moment in time, is constantly looking to ignore or push out these identities,” Cassidy said.
After the show, the drag performers were able to connect with the audience even more with a Q&A session. They talked about how they got into drag, tips on how to start, and even why they continue to do it.
The drag performer Manic emphasized their stance on the importance of drag and what it does for others.
“I think anytime you’re someone who is different and you stand up and say, ‘I’m going to embrace myself; I’m going to take up as much space being my most radically authentic self, the most expressive version of myself,’ you make that space for others as well,” Manic said.
With this only being the 2nd show Loyola has held, there are lots of new ideas flowing for future events. Both Cassidy and Napolitano mentioned wanting more participation from the campus community to perform on stage. With the department growing, there is hope that more people will want to put themselves out there.
“I think it shows the best of who we are as a university and as an institution. It shows us living into our values in ways that are relevant to today,” Manic said.