These two fabulously feline drag performers are actually two halves of the same artist: run through the jungle with Cheetah Quila and Leopard Killa!
Thotyssey: Greetings! How is September treating you so far?
Cheetah Quila aka Leopard Killa: Hello! September has been treating me well so far. There are lots of new beginnings and interesting projects I’ve begun this month, so it’s going great!
Excellent! We are basically in the beginnings of Spooky Season… is that where you thrive?
In general, Halloween is absolutely where I thrive. Cheetah Quila especially is here for all things spooky. For her, I love to mix the immensely sexual with a taste of horror — whether that’s with blood, movement, song choices, etc. Leopard Killa centers around a lot more comedy, but I have some spookier ideas for him this year.
Do you have tons of cheetah and leopard print in your closet?
Haha, I absolutely do own a ton of both prints. Both characters came from me having a long history of owning every type of item I could in cheetah / leopard print. Definitely part of the brand now!
We have lots to discuss with those two characters, but first we better cover the origin story! Where is your hometown, and what were some of your interests growing up that may have led to drag?
I am from sort of all over: Ohio, Atlanta, and Indiana mainly. I grew up with a mother with an acting background in a single parent household. Since I was very little, I have been acting and singing — from watching Cats in the living room as a five year old to watching Hairspray any time I went on a trip. — throughout my entire childhood, up until I went and got my BFA acting degree at Millikin University.
When I moved here, I was a little burnt out with acting and wanted to try something new. I had experimented with burlesque, and that is what I began with at the “Superstar Open Set” at Pink Metal in Brooklyn. This led to me realizing how much more expansive drag was than I thought (my first drag performance ever was in Indiana, and less than welcoming). So, these two personas were born… and I have been doing drag now regularly for almost two years.
What inspired you to perform as these two characters, and aside from gender representation how are they different from each other?
Cheetah and Leopard have both come from what I feel are two separate parts of my identity. Cheetah Quila is very feminine, seductive, and all of the things that until recent years I have felt very uncomfortable expressing. She aligns a lot with my personal aesthetic of dark colors, interest in horror, and dark theatrical numbers. Leopard Killa comes from the straight men I was with before I knew I was gay (and how comically stupid they all were), and also my desire to express masculinity that I never fully understood until recent years. He is crass, confident, and bold.
I have been inspired by drag queens and kings since I can remember. Becoming Cheetah Quila was amazing, but when I discovered the persona of Leopard Killa I felt truly complete in my representation in the drag scene. I don’t feel I could ever not perform as them both, as they are both important parts of myself as well.
What are your thoughts on the current state of the Brooklyn drag community? What’s working, and what needs improvement?
I love the Brooklyn drag community; I think it has some of the most diverse and accepting crowds of people from any scene. There is always a new concept for a show or an act that I think is genius, and I’m always excited to see newcomers join the scene.
I think in general, performers struggle a lot with ego… and it can be hard to navigate how much of that to have in the Brooklyn drag scene. Ego can be a powerful tool, but it can also be a harmful one. I think many drag performers have to be a lot more honest with who they are as people, and what they want to represent both in the community socially and on stage as an artist.
Very well said and true! You have a monthly presence at Pink Metal that returns this week, usually in the guise of Cheetah.
Yes, so this Wednesday is my monthly show at Pink Metal titled “Night Club Jungle.” It is a show where the cast and theme change every month, and the show is always slightly different. This month, Leopard Killa is hosting “Leopard’s Killa Kasino.” This is a Vegas and casino themed night full of showgirls, show boys, games, and an all around good time.
And this weekend, both of your personas have exciting gigs. First off, on Friday Cheetah will be at Parkside Lounge in the East Village for a live shadowcast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show!
Yes! I am so excited to get to play Frank N Furter again with Interlude after my debut performance in February at the same venue. I think that night is going to be full of thrills, chills, and some of the most loving and positive queer communities coming together for one purpose: sluts and assholes, of course! I love doing Rocky Horror, and I am very honored that Interlude asked me to reprise Frank.
Bonus question: there’s another frequently Brooklyn-based performer named Cheetahprint who will be in the cast that night as well… do you two ever get each others’ DMs by mistake, lol?
Haha! Yes, Cheetahprint and I get mistaken for one another over socials all the time. My favorite thing is that usually neither of us will correct it if you tag us wrong, and it has become a sort of bit.
Next up, Leopard will prowl on up to Albatross in Queens on Saturday for the 4th anniversary edition of Mx. LeStrange’s “Astoria’s Kingdom” drag king revue. That should be a special night!
Yes! It’s been almost a year I believe since Leopard had his “Kingdom” debut. It’s such a fun show, and the support for kings in the Astoria drag scene is so powerful. I cannot wait to celebrate this amazing show!
What else is coming up for you?
I have a few gigs coming up this month including Cheetah Quila guesting in Trivia Night at Branded Saloon with Spicy Sprite and Chartreuse Sprite. It is Twilight: Breaking Dawn themed.
What else?
Cheetah Quila will be in three different Pink Metal shows over the course of one weekend with “The Grace Period” starring Grace Period, “Suavamente Mi Gente” starring Mizzaddy, and the roast of my drag mother DropDead Joe. It’s a very fun month! Perfect prep for October.
Okay, lastly… who is the sexiest horror movie monster / killer of all time?
Oh, this is a great question. In terms of appearing incredibly sexy, there’s something about Michael Myers that does it for me. Cheetah Quila’s ideal man is definitely one that doesn’t talk. But I’d say for overall sexual charm, story content, and my own personal intrigue, that Lupita Nyong’o as Red in Jordan Peele’s Us is my ideal woman.
Enjoy your seasonal spookiness, Cheetah / Leopard!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Cheetah Quila’s and Leopard Killa’s upcoming appearances, and follow them on Instagram (Cheetah, Leopard).
Thotyssey 