Today we’d like to introduce you to Quinn Tessential.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started to drag after a long dissatisfaction with my experiences in musical theater. I was tired of auditioning for a show to only be outright rejected by directors or being told to put on a dress and stand in the back. I created Quinn Tessential so I could have agency over my performances. As a drag artist, you are the performer, director, sound designer, and costume designer of your number, so I created a drag persona that continuously excites me and inspires me to create.
Quinn Tessential Productions started as a way to give more opportunities to underutilized drag performers in the Twin Cities, but since then it has turned into a personal passion project. My self-produced shows have become integral to who I am as a drag artist and I see them as a medium of artistic expression.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The drag scene, much like our society as a whole, has a problem with misogyny. The tendency to prioritize audiences of white cis gay men by casting primarily skinny white drag queens forces other artists to the margins of the drag world. While drag shows are often used as an excuse to go out with your friends and party, they also send a political message about what sort of queer expression is valued.
As an afab (assigned female at birth) person, I am not typically what people imagine a drag performer looks like. Due to my smaller stature and my upbringing that taught me to be quiet when men speak, it takes extra effort for people like me to be recognized in the Drag world. My drag shows are purposefully cast to display a wide arrange of drag styles and identities outside of what is seen as “traditional drag”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Quinn Tessential’s drag king performances are typically goofy and light-hearted and include a sexy ghillie suit, a bubble-squirting merman, and a leather daddy bigfoot. While Quinn is known for his campy burlesque numbers, I am working on branching out into more expressive performances. Quinn’s looks typically combine the masculine and feminine and venture into the area of “Drag thing” at times. Whatever Quinn is doing, you’ll want to take a bite of the Minneapolis Manwich!
Quinn Tessential Productions brings uniqur drag shows to venues around the Twin Cities metro. No two shows are alike and no two performances in each show are alike! QTP strives to make drag approachable and fun for all audiences while demonstrating the personality and humanity of each of the artists.
Who else deserves credit for your story?
I owe the improvements in my drag and the success of my drag production to all the other drag artists in The Cities who have given me advice booked me in shows or had direct help. Here are a few:
Mr. Mom
India B. West
Nocturna Lee Mission
Xavier (of Dragged Out)
Azalia Iman Diamond
Azalia Selena Cruz
melancholy (sometimes)
Pistachio Creampie
Miz Diagnosis
Rose Nylon
The Other Jeannie Retelle
Miss Ava Cado
Wanda Gag
Jennifer Lopez
Dick Von Dyke
Lady Cummeal
Rustina Phoenix Nuttz
Ben at Forgotten Star Brewing Company
Everyone at Alloy Brewing Company
Payton at Urban Growler Brewing Company
Pricing:
- Alloy Brewing Drag Bingo is FREE every 3rd Sunday
- Tickets for Beers & Queers at Forgotten Star Brewing Company are $20
- More shows to come, follow @qt.productions on Instagram or follow Quinn Tessential Productions on Facebook
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/qt.productions?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082854146593&mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Other: https://instagram.com/qt_drag?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM=
Image Credits
Grinkie Photography, Ryan Coit, Jennifer Lopez, and Pistachio Creampie
