Courtesy of @gagged_pdx on instagram
On Saturday, Oct. 26, enthusiastic and costumed community members crowded into the Agnes Flanagan Chapel to watch students perform spooky drag acts. The event was hosted by Gagged, the campus drag club, which puts on four shows each school year entirely produced and performed by students. The excellent audience turnout and excitement at the performance demonstrated the Halloween event’s overwhelming success and the love of queer art that Gagged has helped foster on campus.
While Gagged shows usually take place in Evans Auditorium, the Halloween show was instead held in the chapel. This gave performers a unique and grand space, which they certainly took advantage of through audience interaction and movement. The lighting was exceptional too — often lights were completely darkened, flashed or colored to add to the creepy atmosphere. The performances showcased the creativity of students with many different styles of drag and interpretations of music and pop culture, including a “Twilight”-themed act and “Monster High” group performance. Many performers prepared multiple acts, with some presenting their debut in drag performance. Throughout, the audience was enthusiastic and supportive of the unique, artistic and energetic student performers.
The organizers and performers were also happy with how the show turned out. Summer Camper ’26, perhaps better known by his stage name, Milquetoast, is one of the organizers of Gagged and shared his excitement for the large audience at the show.
“That’s one of the things that we can’t control, how many people come to the show. So, it’s lovely to hear people, just hearing all the cheers and applause and supportive energy in there is always amazing,” Camper said.
He was also happy to have a Gagged alum host the show. Anya Upson ’23, known onstage as Anyanka, was also happy with the audience turnout, especially on the weekend before Halloween. As host, they introduced the performers, generated excitement in the audience and even performed.
“I’ve done this number before, so I chose something that I’ve done before. Last weekend, I was in four shows, so I did not have a lot of time to do a new number,” Upson said.
One new performer was Benji Evered ’28, known as Ben Sinful or Dr. Worm onstage. He explained that he had some difficulty in creating choreography and finding a costume as he did not have much time to prepare for the show. He also described challenges with finding a piece that was enjoyable for him to perform, but eventually was able to decide on something that spoke to his idea of drag.
“I got to a point where I was like ‘you know what? Drag is supposed to be fun, and I’m not having fun, so I’m just gonna do something wildly silly,’” Evered said.
He also felt general performance nerves and described being a bit intimidated to perform in front of an audience. However, he acknowledged that this sentiment was shared by other new performers, bringing camaraderie and shared experiences to the situation.
Camper also shared insight into how he prepared. In order to have enough material for the show, he prepared two performances, focusing on the Halloween theme in his songs and outfits. Due to his busy schedule, much of Camper’s work is improvised, informed by his dance and theater experience. However, he mentioned the importance of knowing the songs and performance space, especially as it was different from past shows.
“For the past couple days, I’ve been just listening to the song over and over, making sure I know the lyrics, the timing. And then we also have a dress rehearsal the day before and that is a chance for us to get to know the stage,” Camper said.
Camper also had to focus on organizing the show, a process that started in early September. After the New Student Orientation show, Gagged tried to spur student interest in performing in the Halloween show. The organizers always hope to garner enough interest in performing and backstage staffing all while making shows fit into students’ busy schedules. As a leader, Camper acts as a mentor to those new to drag.
“I also just kind of offer myself up as a support resource. So if any of the performers were like, ‘I have no idea how to do my makeup’ or ‘Could you help me with choreography?’ I’d be open to doing that,” Camper said.
The priority of support for blossoming drag artists is integral to Gagged. Upson explained that they see the club as important to queer artists and they want it to be a space of uplift and discovery.
“I think it’s an incredibly important space for people to try drag for the first time because if you are not in school, it’s really hard,” Upson said.
As a new performer, Evered believes that Gagged was a great place to start, because of the support and connection within the school. He even explained how Gagged inspired an interest in him to try drag after he saw the NSO show.
“Seeing the show, seeing all of these dedicated, excited people do that, I was like ‘I have to be doing this. This is so much fun.’ Drag is just fun. Gagged is fun,” said Evered.
There is still a chance to experience the excitement of Gagged this school year. They plan on hosting a Valentine’s Day show and end-of-the-year show, with some performers teasing duets. Upson encourages the LC community to explore the Portland drag scene, urging them to see drag as an art and as a form of queer connection that is always available to students. The open, supportive nature of Gagged and the fun shows they put on are a great way to express oneself and connect with the community.
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