The Otterbein University Department of Theatre and Dance's annual drag show is titled Our Body Our Rules: Otterbein Drag Show 2018. The theme this year is about body positivity, individual uniqueness and beauty.
Ethan Wintgens, a senior theater major and drag queen and choreographer for the show, said the theme has been underlying in past shows, but that they wanted to emphasize "owning who you are" this year, especially with it being the last show performed in Otterbein's pit theater.
“I think, politically, it’s super relevant right now," said Wintgens. "Self-confidence is always something people can work on.”
The show this year will incorporate what most people would expect from a drag show, including song, dance and comedy. Wintgens said there will be many “over-the-top performances”, including a lot of "splits, death drops and cartwheels."
Despite this, Wintgens also said there will be performances with deeper messages.
One of Wintgens' pieces is about “setting all the negative comments aside” and "focusing on what you truly have to offer." For this piece, he picked performers with diverse body types and backgrounds.
“It’s more based on the messages as opposed to the quirkiness,” said Wintgens.
Each performance piece is choreographed by the students, who then pick who they believe will best portray the vision of their piece. Performers have been rehearsing once a week since September.
Amanda Sibert, a senior zoo and conservation science and biology double major, is the host of this year's show. She said that to her, the show is a stress reliever, despite the time and energy that goes into it.
“You get to be yourself," said Sibert. "You get to put on different personas that you normally wouldn’t in any other performance. I’m definitely relieved to walk into a drag show rehearsal and just like, let go."
Sibert said the show this year is more of a group effort between the performers and the audience, rather than just a traditional show.
The drag show is on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018 in the Otterbein Pit Theatre. It starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on eventbrite.com.
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