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.