author: Jamie Gerhardt
Fag Gods is a mythic camp comedy making its worldwide performance debut at Spotlighters in their 61st season in Baltimore, and it truly couldn’t have had a better opening. Written by John Bavoso and presented at the Baltimore Playwright’s Festival last year, it was the highest-rated selection of that season, and Spotlighters (very thankfully!) decided to give this wonderful little show its debut. The show is highly representative of the LGBTQIA+ community— as you might be able to discern from its title— and as someone who came out as transgender myself within the past year, the representation of queer and trans folks in its casting and themes made my little heart glow.
Fag Gods is a fantastical story of how the king of the Gods, Zeus, is failing at attracting worshipers and followers due to his past and current brand of toxic masculinity in today’s cultural climate. His uber-fab Pantheon decides to confront him with the news and help him re-brand his image. Disheartened by the news, he finds solace in a drag performance venue themed to Ancient Greece and the Gods (aptly named Ganymede’s Grotto) in Athens, Georgia, run by the fabulous Sissy Fuss, who is on the outs with her performers. Sissy Fuss leaves the club in huff and encounters Zeus. He befriends Sissy Fuss, who teaches him some much-needed lessons on his toxic behavior while watching her fellow performers succeed almost unnaturally due to the assistance of Zeus’ Pantheon. Hilarity, carefully-crafted relationships, lessons we all should be reminded of, and of course, some stunning drag performances ensue. Perhaps one of my favorite things about this show is how it uses true drag performances in its telling and does it fluidly and exceptionally. In a way, the show walks the line between a play and a musical.
Hats should go off to Timoth David Copney, tasked with staging a brand-new piece of theatre, setting the bar for it, and shaping the way this show is performed. It might be a little easier to take a piece that’s been around and performed for a while, with the ability to look back on the original and subsequent performances, and add your own creative flair. To take something new and shape it with the talents of your cast and creative team is something that should be applauded, and Copney’s direction here shines in every aspect of the piece. I could feel the love of the show emanating from the stage the entire time, and the fun being had by both the audience and cast alike was palpable. The full audience on opening night was always smiling and having fun, with hooting and hollering abound. Use of the space, and staging, were always on point, with the message and humor of the piece clear. Copney, the cast, and the entire creative team should be very proud of what they have done here. Copney also doubles as Choreographer, and all of the choreo here is suited perfectly to the cast’s talents in their drag performances.
From a production standpoint, and considering the smaller in-the-round space of Spotlighters’ stage, everything was well-executed and on the minimalistic side, which is honestly perfect for the show. Alan Zemla’s set is fairly minimal with the four built-in stage columns designed to be ancient Greek pillars, and presents as many scenes, including Zeus’ Pantheon in Mt. Olympus, the stage and dressing room at Ganymede’s Grotto, and Zeus’ penthouse. One corner of the theater is designed to be a throne to the Gods floating in the clouds. This was cleverly designed, and I would have liked to seen it utilized more, although being in the round, one does need to be careful of sightlines when using the space off-stage at Spotlighters.
Due to the nature of the set design, there were no real stops for scene changes, which is always nice. Jen Sizer’s Light and Sound Design are both well-done. I think the drag performances could use a little more volume to give it more of a night-club feel, but it did not detract from the drag performances in any way. The lighting was always perfectly complimentary and indicative of which scene we were in on stage, and creatively focused to the performance numbers. Costumes were all stunning, and April Forer should be proud of her work. Using all-white with perfect accessorizing in the Pantheon was a great choice, and the costumes for Ganymede’s Grotto were gorgeous. Same goes out to Tracey Jenkins, who coordinated the drag and make-up for the show!
The cast is a small, yet mighty, group of performers, and as I mentioned earlier, the representation from the LGBTQIA+ (specifically the trans community) in casting made this show a great success in its message. All but Sissy Fuss and Zeus himself are tasked with double roles as members of Zeus’ Pantheon and the performers of Ganymede’s Grotto–and let me tell you, the SHEER SASSAFRAS from this cast had me rolling. The Greek God drag names are also golden. Alexander Velasco, as Aphrodite has some funny moments with Zeus as the goddess of love and beauty, and Daddy Luss’ costuming (pheeeewww boy!) and moves in their drag performance are giving some serious daddy/dom vibes. Alexander’s confidence as a performer shines in both roles, and their talents jive well with everyone they interact with. Louisa Davis as Athena, the Goddess of War and Counsel, and as Sir Bearus, gives a bit of nervous and practical energy that offsets the chaos and sass from the others quite well, creating a sort of through line for the plot. They are a very welcome asset to the Pantheon and Ganymede’s Grotto!
Mica Weiss tackles the role of Hermes, Herald to the Gods, with a completely irreverent and hysterical adolescent attitude, always 100% engrossed in social media and taking selfies. Which, as Herald to the Gods, makes perfect sense! They flit and bounce around the stage with an untamed, contagiously confident energy. As Anne Brosia in Ganymede’s Grotto, the audience gets to see another side of Mica as the young seamstress and performer who views Sissy Fuss as a parent figure due to their abusive past, dealing with a bit of abandonment when Sissy Fuss leaves Ganymede’s Grotto in a huff. Anne Brosia is a softer and far more vulnerable character in comparison to Hermes. Mica effortlessly tackles and switches between the duality of these roles, and lends a boundless chaotic and comedic energy to the show. Their drag performance in those super fine boots was literally to die for.
Austin Bennett as Apollo, God of the Sun (and a bunch of other stuff) brings an uber-fab, relaxed, and at times pleasantly blasé energy to the Pantheon, but Bennett’s performance as Peggy Sis is where they truly shine. Peggy Sis is simultaneously super-sassy, endearing, a teacher, understanding, supportive, a calming presence, and also flawlessly beautiful. There is a feminine delicacy to Peggy Sis that reaches beyond the character and directly into your heart. Their drag performance using the Throne to the Gods was giving pure Goddess, and I wanted to see more of it! Both Bennett and Weiss bring memorable performances and a wide-range of talent to this show.
Joseph “Jae” Jones’ Zeus brings the exact amount of humorous and oblivious toxic masculinity that drives the plot. His complete cluelessness and frustration over why nobody likes him exercising his God powers over others to bring him pleasure is simultaneously cringey (as it should be) and hysterical. Physically, he is perfect for the role, fit as a fiddle, with fine-tuned muscles flexing all over the stage. He has a stoic and unyielding energy on stage, and his budding friendship to Sissy Fuss is believable and palpable. He works together perfectly with Ta’Von Vinson’s Sissy Fuss, and has a plethora of funny moments with the rest of the cast.
And what can one say about Ta’Von Vinson’s Sissy Fuss other than FAAAABULOOOOUS! Vinson takes over the stage immediately and brilliantly, opening the show with a seasoned drag performance that sets the tone for the entire show gets the audience pumped. All of his drag performances in the show are stunning, and I could watch him do drag all night and day. His Sissy Fuss is beyond sassy, but also warm, endearing, and motherly to the performers at Ganymede’s Grotto. Vinson never falters, and the energy is always at 200%, which this show needs. As a performer, he listens always, even while giving off more sass than one could hope for. He leads the cast with a deft hand, knows when to pull back, and knows when to bring it. And bring it he does! I couldn’t picture anyone else setting the bar for Sissy Fuss—these are now some pretty big heels to fill.
All said, this is a charming, unique, hysterical, and important new piece of queer theatre. I think everyone needs to go see this, not just because it’s a really fun time, but because we need to support and normalize queer theatre, as well as new works. I couldn’t be happier that Spotlighters chose this show, and I truly hope that other theatres pick this up and make it a well-produced piece in the years to come.
Running Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes with one intermission
Fag Gods plays through April 28th 2024 at The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre— 817 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore MD. For tickets call the box office at (410) 752-1225 or purchase them online.
