Let’s get Bromantic with this Brooklyn based, live singing drag up-and-comer! [Cover photo: Andrew Bisdale]
Thotyssey: Hi Kraven! It already feels like ancient history, but I was curious how your Halloween went… you look like the sort that could pull off some creative, spooky looks.
Kraven Strange: Hello! This Halloween was certainly one for the books for little ol’ me! I got to spend the weekend out of drag caravanning with my drag family. We went to a series of Halloween parties in Connecticut, Philly, and New Jersey! I had to go a little subtler this year with packing and travel restrictions (five drag artists can certainly fill up a car trunk). So no Kraven-worthy looks, necessarily. I spent the weekend in Human Mode flipping between Barf from Spaceballs and Red from Mandy, two of my favorite characters from two of my favorite movies!
Sounds fun! Now Christmas Drag is on the horizon… do you do Santa / Elf / Krampus looks at all?
I haven’t in the past, but there’s definitely a wealth of inspiration for me to draw from with holiday concepts! I’m a lifelong cartoon enthusiast, and have always looked forward to holiday specials. I love when shows take well-known characters like Santa and turn them on their head to fit the world a show exists in. My favorite example is probably Futurama’s evil robot Santa Claus. Who doesn’t love a nice character gone naughty?
Definitely a fun take!
Where are you from originally, and what sort of art and performance did you grow up with?
I was born and raised in Delray Beach, Florida. I, very thankfully, found musical theatre as an outlet when I was just a kiddo. My first role was actually in drag! I was Grimsby, Prince Eric’s manservant, in The Little Mermaid Jr. I remember being so shaken as a kid, who was already struggling with my gender. I was trying so hard to prove to everyone around me that I was Definitely a Straight Girl TM, so getting cast in a male role rattled that protective facade I was trying to put up from a young age. It ultimately ended up being for the very best! I remember putting that costume on and finally feeling the freedom to explore my gender without having to ascribe any kind of identity to myself. I wasn’t a girl and I wasn’t a boy. I was an Actor!
As a nonbinary kid in Florida, that realization was very powerful and kept me alive, honestly. From then on I knew that performance was going to be an integral part of my existence. I started playing around with drag in a more intentional way in college. My last semester I showed up for my musical theatre final in full king drag and sang “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees in three different octaves while hitting myself in the crotch with a baseball bat. My professors were… mostly confused, but enthusiastically supportive nonetheless!
How did you ultimately become a New Yorker, and Kraven?
In all honesty, I was drawn here by a long distance relationship that was way over before it ever really started. C’est la lesbian vie! But I had a lot of friends and close family in the city, so that ultimately tipped the scale regarding the decision. Well, that and the increasingly alarming anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation running rampant in Florida. I always knew I was never gonna spend my life there. if I had any choice in the matter. I’m very lucky that I did; not everyone has the privilege of leaving these ultra conservative states, which is why it’s so important that we do our best to support and engage in pushback on these legislators hell-bent on snuffing out queer existence and expression.
Kraven Strange finally came to life about a year after I moved here at Purgatory’s open stage. Xaddy Addy was hosting at the time, and I’m forever grateful to him for encouraging me to push past the fear I had to start. As scary as that official debut was for me, my life would have probably been a hell of a lot scarier without it. Purg’s open stage is now hosted by Mx. Signals and Selena Surreal as “ReVision!”
How would you describe your drag today?
I’ve been sewing since I was in high school, so I knew when I started drag that I wanted to create my own looks! I feel like there are a lot of misconceptions out there about drag kings and fashion. Particularly the idea that men’s fashion is boring, so how can anyone make that interesting? While sure, there are a lot of boring suits out in the forefront of men’s fashion in general, there are also many more unique ways to present masculinity and do it with style! My biggest drag inspirations are Elton John and Liberace, two men who completely smashed the notion that men’s fashion has to be boring. I try to emulate them as best I can, and even made my own Strange version of Liberace’s iconic piano suit! As far as numbers go, I always try to bring something stupid to the table that caters to my music taste. Tom Jones is another icon of mine, so I always love an excuse to shove “It’s Not Unusual” or “What’s New Pussycat?” into a mix.
All I’m trying to do when I perform these days is make me and my friends laugh. And if I don’t know you and you laughed at my silly little show? We’re friends now!
Whether I’m lip syncing or giving you a live rendition, my goal is to entertain. Drag is a really powerful way to foster community, and I hope that I can give the scene as much as it’s given to me.
You’ll be co-hosting a new show at Sandy Jack’s with Leopard Killa called “Bromantics.” Tell us more!
Yes! We’ll be taking over Sandy Jack’s this Saturday, the 15th at 8pm! “Bromantics” is a fraternity for brethren and thethren alike. We’ll be giving you an all drag king and thing show, the first of its kind at SJ’s! I’m so jazzed to be creating a space for kings and things, and to do so at such a community forward space as Sandy Jack’s is a total dream come true. As two lesbian kings, Leopard and I are especially looking forward to making this show a space for sapphics who love drag to come win some raffle prizes, drink a beer (or in my case, a Sandy Jack’s nonalcoholic margarita), and bro out with us! We have a stacked cast for this month with Benedick, Valentine, Salaam Kitty, Fappell Roan and Sir Spence!
What else is coming up for you?
I’ve got a few things that have yet to be announced, so keep your eyes peeled on those Instagram feeds! “Bromantics” will also be back for December on the 20th and January on the 17th. Themes TBA!
Okay, to close: what’s the most essential item in your drag bag?
Definitely my makeup wipes, lol! I always say my favorite part of drag is getting out of it. While that’s definitely a hyperbole, there are few things more satisfying than a clean face after hours with your eyebrows pasted to your hairline!
Thanks, Kraven!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Kraven Strange’s upcoming appearances, and follow him on Instagram.
Thotyssey 