Review: Drag Queen Magic

Review: Drag Queen Magic | Local Theater Company | Boulder, Co | Curtain Up | Gina Robertson

Let us watch as Local Theatre premieres a new play at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder. Let us laugh at the witty banter. Let us get to know Nancy and her new friend, a drag queen with a heart of gold. Letta Celebrate.

Well, Letta doesn’t really start off with a heart of gold. She’s kind of crabby, and she has things to do. She doesn’t have time for this silly young woman sitting on the bus stop bench, sobbing in despair at the collapse of everything in her life. Eventually, through a series of magical resets that bring them back to the bus stop over and over again, Letta realizes that she must help her fellow human, and Nancy learns to take control of her life to make things happen the way she needs them to. A feel-good story. It’s a very dangerous intersection for pedestrians, though, so be careful.

D.Q.M. or Drag Queen Magic or The Torturous Purgatorial Experience of One Miss Letta Celebrate, written by Ian August and directed by M. Graham Smith, is a clever, funny little story that follows the adventures of Letta (Steven J. Burge) and Nancy (Cicely Galm) as they become enmeshed in some sort of cosmic, magical connection that won’t allow Letta to abandon Nancy until she helps her find her way. Burge is divine in purple and pink drag, sassy and confident, with an elastic face that is made for comedy. He comes through with emotional depth when he drops the yas-queen diva persona and lets us meet the “Brian” underneath.   

As Nancy, Galm plays an airhead, too naïve to be alone in the world. She is often little more than a prop or a punchline in the story, but Galm’s performance is wholesome and real enough to make us want more from the character. Mary Quinn energetically performs every other role in the play, from Nancy’s obnoxious bro-dude boyfriend to the little boy who answers the door at the landlord’s house, to the sad old man in the wheelchair at the old folks’ home. She is a delight in every scene, relishing every silly drop of comedy in each situation.

Cicely Galm and Mary Quinn; Photo Credit: Michael Ensminger Photography

The message of the play is one of community. As Smith’s director’s note says, the obstacles in life only diminish when we put ourselves in service to people around us in need, especially when it’s not convenient. Playwright Ian August has a wonderful sense of absurdity, and all of the jokes and gags are great. At times, the feeling is that the show is working hard for the laugh at the expense of something more emotional. The character of Nancy, in particular, just begs to be less stupid and more likeable at various times.

Overall, it’s a zany, entertaining adventure where a lot of magic happens without anything elaborate or complex in the way of set or props. Scene changes are accomplished sometimes with just a shift in lighting. Lighting design is by Brett Maughan. Credit to Jeff Jesmer, Jeff Rusnak, and all the technicians involved in the fantastically funny climax where we see that Letta really is a magic drag queen, and she won’t allow Nancy to tolerate being mistreated again.

Mary Quinn and Steven J. Burge; Photo Credit: Michael Ensminger Photography

Let us see this wonderful show, and truly, let us celebrate. Local Theatre Company produces new plays exclusively, making theater a local experience by cultivating audiences and including them in all stages of development.

Let us appreciate drag queens and queer people and timid, lost young folks who need a little help. The show will appear in Boulder at the Dairy through October 17 and in Denver at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center October 30-November 1.

Information and Tickets: https://www.localtheaterco.org/dragqueenmagic