A monthly institution in the world of Brooklyn drag and queer performance will celebrate a major milestone this weekend -- two years of bringing nuanced, creatively intelligent shows to the queer community of this New York City borough.
The showcase -- "RITUAL" -- is the brainchild of artist and performer Manifestany Squirtz, featured around the time of the show's inception in the HuffPost Gay Voices series, "Queer New World."
Unlike many other performance showcases in the spectrum of Brooklyn drag, "RITUAL" tends to follow a structure -- and it works. At the beginning of each show, Squirtz and her fellow performers -- Chris of Hur, Tyler Ashley, Boy Georgia and Annie Witch-Way -- enact a dance-heavy "ritual" that ties into the theme of that month's show, giving the vibe of the room an ethereal, other-worldly quality. All of the numbers throughout the showcase tend to also be shaped and informed by the theme.
The Huffington Post chatted with Squirtz this week about the upcoming anniversary, the evolution of "RITUAL" and what we can expect from this showcase in the future.
The Huffington Post: What was your initial concept for RITUAL? How has it changed and developed over the years?
Manifestany Squirtz: "RITUAL" has always been a platform for me and my friends to try out new "work," whatever the context of that word may be for the performer. The #TwistersOfRitual have experimented many times on the "RITUAL" dance floor and done it all for the people who show up to our monthly queer cabaret. Over the past two years, "RITUAL" has always been about the show. Since changing venues, that feeling of actually going to see a show has all been due to Kinfolk 94 for hosting us and totally supporting what we do -- not to mention it's gorgeous inside the venue. I really feel that we as the cast has solidified our little show into a niche within Brooklyn drag... whatever that means.
What do you envision for the future of "RITUAL?"
The future of "RITUAL" is uncertain, but I know as long as Kinfolk is being so awesome to us and giving us a platform to do our show, then we will continue to produce something for you to come see. Maybe one day, the #TwistersOfRitual will all do an evening-length work, one long number of musical, instead of just having a theme. But, God, getting a rehearsal schedule together for that sounds like a nightmare...but who knows?