Zach Paugh, a junior BA theater major with a concentration in costume design and costume construction, is a drag queen. Paugh uses his costume design skills to construct costumes for his persona, Cici Pingpong, has ventured off of campus to compete in drag competitions.
When Paugh was a freshman at Otterbein, he heard that there was a drag show on campus. He decided to dress in drag for the show with a group of friends. Soon after, Paugh became a drag queen. He has been performing in drag shows for the past three years.
Paugh’s first experience with drag was during his senior year of high school, but it was during his time at Otterbein that he discovered his passion for drag. Paugh originally auditioned as a musical theater major at Otterbein but when that did not work out, he enrolled in the theater BA program.
“I still love to perform and through drag you get everything--makeup design, costume design and you get to perform and entertain people,” Paugh said.
Cici Pingpong is a nickname for the full name, Ching Ching Pingpong, Me Love You Long Time. Paugh chose his drag name with help from Julia Ferreri, Otterbein’s costume designer. Paugh describes CiCi as quiet but glamorous, and a total embodiment of a little girl’s fantasy to play dress up.
Paugh does more than wear the elaborate costumes of Cici Pingpong--he designs and constructs them himself. He constructed his first costume when he was a senior in high school. He decided to explore costume design more by making it part of his major at Otterbein.
To create costumes, Paugh said his materials are purchased either from thrift stores or more commonly, Joann Fabrics. To find inspiration for costume designs, he likes to look at pictures of historical outfits. From there, he puts a personal spin on the outfits that he wants to design.
“It’s not really historically accurate,” Paugh said. “But it gives the essence of that, and I think as long as what you’re designing gives that essence, then you can have that heightened sense of reality when it comes to your costume.”
On April 12, Paugh had the opportunity to perform for a much different audience than what he was accustomed to at Otterbein. He was informed that Axis, a nightclub in Columbus known for hosting drag shows, was hosting an amateur drag night. On a whim, he entered Nina West's "Think You Can Drag" amateur competition and was accepted to perform only two days before the show.
Paugh had been preparing for the show at Axis even before he found out he was accepted. He said the opportunity allowed him to experience what professional drag shows are like, with little to no prep time.
Paugh’s costume choice for his Axis performance was a piece he wore previously in a drag show at Otterbein. He chose a new song and choreographed a routine a week before the competition, where he won second place.
Paugh said that the costume he wore at Axis took him about four months to create. Other costumes vary in the time it takes him to construct them.
“It really depends on what you make because in class you can make a corset in three weeks, but it all depends on the person and how much time you invest in making it,” he said.
Paugh said his makeup experience started in seventh grade when his mom gave him some of her makeup. It was through a makeup class at Otterbein that Paugh learned about shading, highlighting, contouring and other aspects of costume makeup. He also learned through watching other queens and performers, watching YouTube videos and looking at pictures.
He said it takes an average of about three hours for Cici Pingpong to come to life. This includes applying makeup, fingernail painting, shaving and getting into costume.
Paugh also talked about the difference between on-campus and professional performances.
“Here you get to perform in front of your classmates and friends and it’s just once a semester,” he said. “Doing it professionally is a completely different world, and doing it at a club is completely different too.”
Besides the performance experience he gained from competing in a professional drag show, Paugh has benefited through networking with other professionals. He will have the chance to perform again at Union Cafe on May 8.
Currently, Paugh considers drag a hobby and a performance outlet rather than a career aspiration.
“For me to use drag as a long term career, it would require a lot more time and drive than I really have right now,” he said. “I just use it as a performance aspect, but the people who use it as a career--that’s what their heart is set on.”
