Reflection by Karizzma Torres, CityHeART’s Art from Ashes Creative Intern
Last month, CityHeART granted me the opportunity to watch a show performed by a Long Beach legend, Becoming Austin Nation: From Crack to PhD: A Drag Queen’s Story.
Upon entering the Long Beach Playhouse to attend the Sunday matinee, I was blissfully unaware of the kind of show Austin had in store.
I must admit the mindset I had coming into the black box theater before the show, carrying an immense weight of concern for my future: “Am I doing everything right? What if it all falls apart? Am I running out of time?”
Nonetheless, I reminded myself to enjoy the moment of being at a show and being lucky enough to sit in the first two rows as people began piling in to fill the seats.
As my eyes glossed over the stage, they immediately caught onto the show mirror, with bulbous lights around the rectangle border; I then felt a huge smile spread across my face in excitement. The lights dimmed, prompting everyone to begin looking around for Austin to appear. Suddenly, he was in the back of the room in tattered clothes and a backpack, asking for change. I remembered looking at him and looking back at all the sparkling, shimmering props on stage wondering where this story was going.
Austin owned the stage in nothing but sheer sparkly tights and, more often than not, a lab coat. Austin shared his life while weaving a narrative reminiscent of dancing and singing through the reading of a stranger’s diary. I sat back in my seat in awe of Austin’s resilience and perseverance through adversity such as poverty, addiction, and living through the AIDs epidemic.
Heartwarmingly, much of the audience was comprised of Austin’s lifetime friends, colleagues, peers, and students. Moreover, the audience proves that a strong support system can make all the difference during hard times. By the end of the show, I left feeling as though I could overcome any obstacle and achieve dreams I always thought were too high up in the clouds.
Austin’s story sparks hope that regardless of what hurdles life puts in your path, pushing through and coming out the other side is possible.
Becoming Austin Nation: Crack to PhD: A Drag Queen’s Story is a true story of transformation.
Karizzma Torres hosts CityHeART’s Voices from THE HUB | TidBits live on Wednesdays from 10am-2pm. Catch previous episodes in the CityHeARTLove App and tune in Wednesday mornings for the live show!