Queen Out (Verb): To behave in an overly flamboyant way; hilariously topical buddy-comedy starring LA drag staples
Annie Biotixx and Lorelei take the Hollywood Fringe Festival
When historic LA drag bar Redline suddenly announced it would be closing its doors after nine years in operation, socialites Annie Biotixx and Lorelei knew they had to find a never-before-seen way to showcase their love of drag, deep theater education, and dynamic duet.
Inspired by real-life events and in a comedic act of resistance against the external forces causing queer spaces across the country to shutdown, the two wrote a variety show intended to be a farewell to their home bar. Knowing they wanted to take the show to the Hollywood Fringe Festival, the two broadened the story, bolstered the script with some “dramaturgical underpinnings,” and submitted the final version of “Queen Out (Verb)” to the festival.
“The show wouldn't exist without Redline, truthfully, and we have a lot of kind of hidden Easter eggs throughout the script for Redline patrons…The history and lore of Los Angeles drag is in there as well…If you know, you know,” Annie said. “There’s a little more attention to plot development and story arc this time around,” Lorelei added.
The Hollywood Fringe Festival is entirely participant-produced, meaning those entering work directly with independent venues to produce, stage, and promote their projects. Considering the cost of theatrical production, let alone drag itself, Annie and Lorelei applied for the Artist Fund Award.
Recognizing the impact of the pandemic, The Hollywood Fringe Festival established the Annual Artist Fund in 2021 to increase festival access for artists facing financial constraints. In 2023, the festival raised $48,000 to support 24 projects to feature in the 2024 festival, one of those projects being “Queen Out (Verb).”
“It’s not a simple production by any means. We have over 20 wigs and costumes being used throughout the show so, aside from pulling from our closets, we had to get some financial resources to help achieve our vision…we were lucky to be chosen,” Lorelei explained.
And considering the girls were being hunted and harassed by blunt-banged, black-haired bitch, Miss Virginia Slim Waist, they needed all the help they could get.
“We made an effort to produce a show that felt like there was an element of community building…an interactive show so the audience feels like they’re in on whatever Annie and I are doing,” Lorelei said. “We also just wanted to find a way to cram as much of our skills and talents into an hour-long show. So we took that as a challenge,” Annie added
Knowing the two were going to be featuring a range of talent, I was curious how they would balance script, story, and stunt. But staying true to a variety-show style, Annie and Lorelei had individual moments to showcase their unique abilities as entertainers all while working together against their common enemy: big oil (and love triangles).
“Annie and Lorelei are charming, clever, and overwhelmingly talented," drag artist Tierra Dactyl, who was in the audience opening night," said. “They work in perfect, chaotic harmony to create a hilarious and vulnerable story that feels as uniquely grandiose and insane as they are.”
Without spoiling too much, highlights include Lorelei’s deadpan, Shirley Temple off her SSRI tap dancing, a frightening little man named Scuzzy, stellar color coordination, a sexually tense train crash, rollerskating ability only rivaled by the cast of The Starlight Express, and a twist more shocking than your favorite Shyamalan. Intrigued? Buy a ticket.
“When we start rollerskating or tap dancing or pulling out any other talent for the sake of having a more variety-style, we still find a way to incorporate into the logic of the space— that we are these actresses who work at a rundown theater,” Lorelei said.
In addition to historically immaculate 1920s costuming and a Scooby-doo door chase sequence, the show features a cameo, with a different drag king rotating into the role each night. On opening night, Manny Oakly played Exxon oil tycoon Big Dog.
“Drag shows have felt formulaic the last few years, but both Loreli and Annie make shows that get you excited about the art again,” Manny said. “They are a delight to watch because they’re some of the smartest, funniest queens in the city.”
Though Annie and Lorelei kept the show moving with non-stop antics, they truly flexed their theatrical muscles when they came to blows at the show’s climax. Beyond a vast range of performance skills, Annie and Lorelei, in a moment of quiet power amid the chaos of drag, demonstrated a deep love for storytelling and an incredibly admirable love for one another.
“Annie and I are just relishing in the moment of working intimately together and just enjoying performing in a new environment. Whatever opportunities come after that will be a blessing,” Lorelei said. “We're really excited about getting to create more stuff together and to create something from nothing,” Annie added
Beyond buying a ticket, available now for June 20, 22, 25, and 28 at the Broadwater Second Stage, the best way to support the queens is by leaving a review. And if we leave enough, maybe ExxonMobil will let them stay (but probably not).
“This experience has inspired me to encourage other drag artists, specifically, to give themselves the opportunity to grow and build their capacity to do more advanced work,” Lorelei said.