The Real Black Swann: Confessions of America's First Black Drag Queen
Winner of Best International show Colchester Fringe. Patrons pick Orlando Fringe. This is the true story of William Dorsey Swann, former American slave who became the “Queen of Drag“ in the late 1800’s. She threw underground drag parties, she fought racism and she was the first queer activist in the USA.
This was so well done. I learned a bunch of history i didn't know. Moments made me uncomfortable as a white person, which i consider a good thing. It is making me think and consider things i have not had to before
Well I got surprised again by a show labelling itself as comedy/drama instead of storytelling. This was a storytelling show. I was expecting more of a historical, educational play. I don’t know if this is a me problem or an artist description/genre tagging problem but it’s weird that it’s happened twice to me this fest.
This needed more rehearsals. Some lines had strange pacing or needed more time to breathe. There were several moments of hesitation or stumbling over words. We’re pretty close to the end of the fest, so maybe this can be attributed to tiredness.
I was also pretty unimpressed with the stagecraft. I know I’m particularly picky about this, because the theatre community is so robust in Edmonton that even low-budget Fringe shows can have some really amazing lighting and sound. I wanted more from this show. It’s hard to keep people’s attention in a one-person storytelling show, let alone if there’s barely any sound design and only two light settings.
That aside, I liked how the artist connected politicizing moments in his life (primarily interactions with cops) to politicizing moments in William Dorsey Swann’s life. That throughline was a decent way in, even though the setup of a dream during surgery felt pretty ham-fisted. Though I agreed with the message, I wanted less lecturing about racial politics and more embedding of that thesis into the work itself. More artists need to let go of the reigns a bit and trust in the audience to mine the work for intended meaning. Most of the time, we’ll get there.
If you like storytelling, this show delivers two forms simultaneously. We get to learn about A black drag queen from the 1800s and her surprising story, but we also get to learn about the actors own story. He provides a jarring narrative of what it feels like to be a black man in the United States now and of course the interactions with law-enforcement in some ways, haven’t changed from the historical characters time. What I loved about this show was Masterful creation of two very different characters often in conversation with each other with completely different voices and mannerisms. It’s not often at Fringe that you get an SAG carrying actor on stage who delivers a performance that you’ll pay a lot more at a big name theater to see. This piece also leaves you called to action To open your eyes to the injustice that still exists in North America for BIPOC people.
Every Fringer hopes to discover a hidden gem; one that offers more than just an hour of fun, and keeps you thinking for days, if not weeks after. The Real Black Swann: Confessions of America's First Black Drag Queen IS that show and I implore you to check it out.
Beginning in a present-day hospital room, Kurkendaal Barrett is visited by a ghost from the past: William Dorsey Swann, AKA The Queen of Drag, and the first American queer Black activist in the 1800s.
Swann, the most resilient, fierce, and confident trailblazer you've never heard of, is worth the cost of admission. But you'll stay for Kurkendaal Barrett’s captivating storytelling that weaves past and present together so masterfully that you might start to think that he and Swann are old friends. Each contending with racism, police violence, and homophobia together, though more than a hundred years apart.
This show will compel you to conduct your own research and do your part to uplift the stories of Swann and other marginalized folks before they are lost to time. And while you're at it, learn to cake walk and feel comfortable in your own skin, knowing that Swann is right there beside you, cheering you on.
An Old Fashioned Party
The Real Black Swann: Confessions of America's First Black Drag Queen was a beautifully deep production by Les Kurkendaal-Barrett. The story of William Dorsey Swann partially remains unknown to the world, being black, gay, and a drag queen was not a positive thing in the late 1800s, but Kurkendaal-Barrett took the stage representing the beauty and importance of their history.
Kurkendaal-Barrett did an amazing job acting out both himself as he enters a drug induced dream, and portraying Swann. His ability to switch between himself, and the queen that is Swann was unbelievably astonishing. His tone and body language transitioned perfectly with each change.
His use of Glinda the Good witch’s bubble as a representation of protection was a beautiful demonstration of how you can’t always numb your pain. I was surprised at how well he was able to fit it into the show. I don’t know about the rest of the audience, but I felt very seen by this part of the show.
This production was a beautiful look at the hardships of history told in an elegant way. Kurkendaal-Barrett did a wonderful job portraying his hardships and the ones Swann faced. I will not soon forget this sentimental production, as it taught me so much about the history of the first queer activist in the USA.