Cheers erupted through University Commons all night as the drag kings and queens of Rhinestone Productions strutted around the Student Union during their performances in EMU’s second annual drag show. 

Five local performers from the Harrisonburg-born drag company performed the night of Dec. 1: queens Genesis Knight, Angelle Zhané, Brooklyn Knight, Jayda Knight, and king B. Miller. The artists sang and danced to hits from a variety of artists, including Demi Lovato, Gwen Stefani, and Jack Harlow. 

Sophomore Genesis Figueroa was one of the drag show attendees, stating that her favorite part of the night was “everything.” She added, “I really enjoyed the way everyone was together and enjoying something that celebrated [inclusivity] and diversity.” 

This year’s drag show took place in the Student Union as opposed to last year’s space, Old Common Grounds. One drag queen even joked that now there are working appliances in the performance area. 

This change in location didn’t stop the new space from being decorated for the occasion, however. The most notable addition to this year’s set was a runway constructed for the drag queens, lined with tables that were topped with colorful lights for a more up-close audience experience with the drag performers.  

Sophomore Shayleigh Sims was one of two students who got the opportunity to perform on this new runway with drag queen Jayda Knight, an experience Sims named as her favorite part of the show. In addition to her time on stage, Sims noted some of her other favorites from the night: “all of the numbers were really great, all of the music was great, being here with my friends, and seeing EMU come together. It’s a really good place to be.”

Jayda Knight was not the only drag queen to interact so closely with members of the audience. Each performer interacted with the crowd in some way, including sitting down amongst the crowd, dancing for cameras pointed at them, and giving hugs. 

In addition to the runway, another new feature of this year’s drag show was a variety of colorful, edible glitter drinks made available for attendees of the drag show. These refreshments were created at the suggestion of senior and Queer Student Alliance (QSA) executive member August France, who described the beverages as one part of the show they were excited about. 

France served as the QSA representative in the group’s collaboration with Student Life to bring the drag show back to EMU’s campus for a second time. A drag show through Rhinestone Productions had originally been planned for the beginning of the school year, but was postponed due to issues in timing, according to Dean of Students Shannon Dycus. 

France highlighted the importance of having a drag show on EMU’s campus, saying “I feel like it is one way of representing a diverse community that we have here in Harrisonburg, and it also brings a little bit of fun for everybody.” 

The drag scene in Harrisonburg hasn’t always thrived, however. Jayda Knight, founder of Rhinestone Productions, describes the group’s growth over the years as “emotional.” In the beginning, the company only performed on the outskirts of Harrisonburg. Now, Rhinestone Productions has greatly expanded, having worked with multiple colleges in the surrounding area. 

“It goes to show that we gotta keep pushing for greatness,” Knight shared. “[D]oing good things for the community through the goodness of your heart, [you] go a long way and it rewards you. We push boundaries in a respectful way just to show the community that we are here for a good cause.”  

To the broader EMU community, Knight shared the following words of advice: “Keep loving yourself and love everyone. Celebrate diversity, celebrate all walks of life, and slay every day. Stay fierce and slay.” 

For our queer population on campus, Knight encourages you all to “stand up tall, keep your head up, and be yourself…don’t hide from anyone, don’t hide anything. Take your fears and turn them into movement.” 

When the idea of Rhinestone Productions returning next year was proposed to the drag show’s audience, cheers immediately followed. The EMU community seems hopeful for another drag show next year, France commenting, “As long as we can get [Rhinestone], absolutely.”