A drag performer who serves amusement, athleticism and activism in equal measures, Anna Flactic-Shoqqqq will surely be a showstopper on the Bushwig stage this weekend! [Cover photo: @gxdlyy_[
Thotyssey: Anna, hello! I see that you just did a show with Venus at Sandy Jacks… I believe that’s a home base for you! How did that go?
Anna Flactic-Shoqqqq: I sure did! And it sure is! I love Sandy Jacks because it really feels straight out of Cheers for me. The owner, Mike, does everything behind the scenes to make every show spectacular, and a lot of my favorite performers have regular shows there (Anne J. Tifah, Afrosephone Applegate, and Sorayah D to name a few). Venus’ new show “Drama Club” has been a hoot and a half, and I had so much fun hosting with her for the rock-themed show this month.
Excellent! In general, how might you describe your own drag as far as looks and numbers go?
My drag is a love letter to everything I loved (or wasn’t allowed to love) in my childhood. I grew up idolizing glam rockers, pop princesses, 80s / 90s ballad stars, and everything in the zillennial zeitgeist. I mix my favorite numbers into unforgettable performances, including a Bill Nye baking soda volcano, a crab rave celebrating Ronald Reagan’s death, revealing an absurd amount of windbreakers, and Mothman doing the “YMCA.” Basically, anything that causes…a reaction.
I see that, by day, you’re also a fitness coach! Were fitness and healthy living always parts of your life?
I was a really scrawny kid, so that pushed me to start working out regularly in high school. I was also in the swim team and marching band through college, and all that cardio really helps me out in drag! After I got my personal training certification, I dove into group fitness to help people fall in love with working out and correct the toxic fitness culture perpetuated online. I’m filled with joy anytime someone says they achieved a fitness goal they previously thought was impossible! Catch me as “Coach Conner” at the West Side’s Manhattan Orangetheory studios.
She is the champion! Where did you grow up, and how did you ultimately discover drag and come to NYC?
I grew up in Wichita, KS and went to OU in Norman, OK, but I didn’t go to drag shows until after I came out my senior year of college (2020). I supported one of my good friends Nikita when she started drag, but I didn’t have the courage to perform until December 2021. My very first number was “Chow Down” by Willam, Detox, and Vicky Vox in my old Chick-fil-A uniform (cropped and rhinestoned, of course), and that gave me the perfect base to make drag anything I wanted. After dating my BF Steven Kendall for a year, we moved to NYC July 2023 so he could pursue scenic design and I could do drag in thee greatest city in the world! And I’d say we’ve made quite the splash: he was the assistant scenic designer for Stranger Things: The First Shadow on Broadway, and I’m making my Bushwig debut on 8/23!
How did you decide on four Qs in your name, by the way? Most performers who do repeat letters stop at three, lol!
I guess I’m just extra! I chose my drag name because I’m deathly allergic to horses, and everyone who shares my name is just some sort of spin on “Anna Phylaxis” from what I’ve seen. I decided to go full Shock Factor™ with four Q’s to really really make sure I”d stand out. I think it’s working!
Besides your epic debut, do you have any all time favorite moments / memories as a drag performer?
Too many to count; I just love drag so much! For my own performances, I’d have to go with doing Communist Britney Spears at Oklahoma City Pride 2022, the “Colosseum” lip sync battle at Icon Astoria, and all the Pride events I did in NYC this year (Stuytown with Penny Tration; a queer market show with Hugh Mann Race, Julius Nicoy, and Cheetahprint; and a solo Pride show I did with Espi O’Najj). I’ve seen so much amazing drag here, and just know if I’ve filmed and tagged you, I admire and appreciate your drag!
Which brings us to your next epic gig, Bushwig at Knockdown Center this Saturday!
I’m so excited for Bushwig! Performing on that stage is a recent dream of mine that came true, and I’m absolutely making the most out of my five minute set. It’s my first time with background dancers, and the largest props I’ve concocted so far! Expect peppy energy, and an iconic slept-on Nicki verse. Catch me during the “Mad Mondays” set at 4:10 with fan faves Blue and Boyish Charm wrangling their Metropolitan baddies.
What else is coming up for you?
I’m visiting OKC for Labor Day to visit my drag friends and perform in a few shows! Afterwards my September is pretty open, but I’m always at “Mad Mondays” and the “Superstar Open Set” with Xaddy Addy and Pacha Cunti at Pink Metal! Catch me filming a show near you, or protesting for a free Palestine, Congo, and Sudan.
Lastly, what’s your favorite item in you drag bag, cosmetic or otherwise?
My bag full of liquid eyeliner! I go through so many tubes… and no sponsorship (yet)!
Thanks, Anna! Happy Bushwig!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Anna Flactic-Shoqqqq’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram.
Thotyssey 