A dynamic drag performer and live-singing siren with fascinating stage numbers, Masc.Ari is our potential next Mx. Nobody.
Thotyssey: Hi Masc! How is summer treating you so far?
Masc.Ari: Hi! Summer has been busy! Full of twists and turns that has had me on my toes! I hope the summer has been a bit sweeter to you.
It’s been okay, thank you! You performed at Sandy Jack’s last night, how did it go?
It was something of a dream! Not only were two community icons taking their energy and time to create a space for new performers, Ms. Afrosephone and Anne J. Tifah were uplifting performers with an engaging open set structure. Though I was nervous, as soon as I checked in with them I felt my nerves relax. It’s a wonder what a supportive vibe can offer to performers, seasoned and upcoming! I performed a recently debuted water act (my first tarp number) that I wanted to try in a different space to see how the audience reacted… and wow, did they react!
What did that act entail… or is it one of those “you have to be there” situations?
Look, for anybody else, they would just have to be there. But for Thotyssey!? You will always have the play-by-play from me. So as you may know, blue has become my signature color. And as a Pisces, I have been wondering… why don’t I have a water or fish act? Taking a look put together for the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, I created an act focused on sirens. And yes, this act was also inspired by the one and only Queerly Femmetastic.
Glistening with glitter and in desperate need, I moved through the audience while live singing “Boiling” by Disclosure and Sinead Harnett. A reoccurring line in the song is “I need it now.” I thoroughly enjoyed playing with the audiences expectations while swimming through the space (sometimes at uncomfortably close distances), only to find some ice and enjoy a short and sweet satisfaction… which only increases my hunger and need. Boiling up, I grab a glass of water… and depending on the audience, I give a little front or back shot.
Sounds like a showstopper!
Thank you!
Are most of your stage numbers that elaborate and thought out?
All of my numbers have a great amount of thought and layers, and consideration of my audience. I believe that the audience can tell when an act has a lot of soul and heart put into it, so I wanna make sure that I give them what they’re paying for. Whether it starts with a look, a narrative or a song, I will always take the time to write out my act and plan specific moments, reveals and beats. It helps me tie muscle memory to the words that I am speaking or singing or lip syncing. It also helps me slow down when creating an act… because sometimes you’re running around, and you just need to breathe.
Where’s your original hometown, and what was your introduction to art and performance?
I was born in Texas — but I do not call that my hometown, because I was raised in Compton, California and spent my middle school onward in New York.
My introduction to performance-based art was within the church. The choir always kept the energy up, and the praise dancers were always rehearsed and invigorating. As I got older, my friends participated in drill teams and drum lines, and I think back to little me with stars in my eyes, screaming and cheering in the crowd. It was only when I got to New York, I started being immersed in traditional theater. And since music was always my core motivator, I became fixated on musical theater.
And of course a theatre / sociology degree later and a whole atheist, I realized I was never going to get cast in any major main stage production. So I settled for singing to my cats for several years. Look, if I was never going to get cast in a main stage production… at least I could continue to heal and ground myself with song.
Sometimes a memory will pop up when talking about the past, and I just remembered my first play I ever saw was Gem of the Ocean by August Wilson. In terms of stage performance, that was the one that pulled me in.
How did you begin as Masc.Ari?
I took my first steps into drag by being an active and consistent audience member for close to seven years! Over time, performers started asking me if I was in the show — and it led me to asking my best friend and now drag dad, Noctua, how to start.
As are many of the gays, I am a huge fan of Rocky Horror Picture Show, and a shadow cast was being produced by Oliver Herface at Wellness Tea Therapy (of course I had been attending as an audience member), and I said fuck it and applied! He took a chance on me, and suddenly I was tearing up the stage as Eddie and eventually Trixie.
I didn’t start creating my own acts until I took a drag class that explored beyond the gender binary with Theydy Bedbug at BAX ( Brooklyn Arts Exchange). I believe that is when Masc.Ari was truly born.
Theydy has schooled quite a few kings and things in this town! Have you had any all-time favorite gigs or moments as Masc?
My favorite gig of all time is “GrippySock Burlesque – The Mental Health Variety Show.” Supporting this show created by my best friend and drag dad, Noctua, has allowed me to access the feelings side of drag in a way that was healing. That show will forever have a special place in my heart.
I also enjoyed the experience of dragging out an act into long form. I have a sixteen minute rock opera that brings the audience through four songs to tell the story of “Letters to Persephone.” I performed this as Hades singing through the fall of the relationship by going through old letters. This act is important to me because it helps prove to myself that I can captivate an audience for more than ten minutes. I also bring up my “human tissue box” where I live sing, reminding the audience to not forget to cry at their own burial while showering them with the tissues they so need, pulled from my body.
And I cannot forget My Finding Dory act where I live sing “Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds, because that fish forgets everything.
Everyone needs a human tissue box in her life! You have a recurring presence at Young Ethel’s in Brooklyn, where you’ll return this Wednesday for “La Boix!“Tell us more!
“La Boix” started as a goal of Gomorrah and mine: to create an uplifting space that was decentralized from Williamsburg, Bushwick, etc. We knew there needed be more uplifting spaces for upcoming and seasoned drag kings, drag things and cosmic beings alike. And once Gomorrah and I saw each other perform at 3 Dollar Bill for “Smash the Cistem (hosted by Gomorrah),” it was over! We set a date, talked venues, and our show was born (under a dead name).
One of the things that makes our show so special is that we always have a headliner to feature at our show. The goal of this is to offer an opportunity for new performers to see acts from established artists, as well as develop community with them. If the icons of our community are not included in open sets, how can they know who to book? So we do what we can! And as a reminder, our show is open to drag kings, drag things and cosmic beings. If you have the essence of boy/ Boix, you are welcome to our stage.
Then on Friday, you’ll be at Coney Island USA taking part in the first preliminary round of Mx. Nobody 2025. That’s quite exciting!
Yes, I am absolutely thrilled. I remember last year setting a timer and having all of my text pre-written, and having a slightly tiny emotional breakdown because I didn’t get in… but this year, I’m going hard because my application was accepted. Yay! Being accepted into this competition validates my drag as the expansive art form it is. After almost four years of drag, it’s a wonderful feeling to be seen and beheld by the Eyes. My art is not invisible, and my community sees that as a fact!
What else is coming up for you?
There is a “Break the Ice: A Fundraiser” [July 15th at Young Ethel’s], as we must be realistic about the violence being enacted across communities throughout this country, and I’m very excited to work with an amazing group of people who see the world how it truly is.
I was also recently booked for my first Fire Island gig with Broadville Follies. They specifically requested my winning act from the Thezbian competition that I won back in the spring, because a member of the community decided to uplift me in conversation with another producer. That’s how we do it, folks! Include people at the table!
On that note, I should mention to stay tuned for the next round of the Thezbian competition (maybe August / September) as I will be hosting (winner perk)! I can’t wait to see what competitors bring.
I also am thrilled for “Drop the Mic” in August at Sandy Jacks with Insta baddie Robert Garcia, as well as more La Boix and GrippySock!
All amazing! Okay, let’s conclude with my favorite question for drag folks: what’s your favorite item in your drag bag?
Lash glue! From repairing rhinestones on my face / costume piece to laying down the edge of a pastie or a strap, lash glue has saved my life many times. And the times where it didn’t save mine, it definitely saved a friend or a fellow performer. Make sure to not use it on lashes once it hits something unsanitary. Keep those eyes safe!
Sound advice! Thanks, Masc.Ari!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Masc.Ari’s upcoming appearances, and follow them on Instagram and TikTok.
Thotyssey 