The Oberlin Review
<< Front page News April 14, 2006

Off the Cuff: Andy Monk
 

 

If you enjoyed this year’s Drag Ball, you should thank senior Andy Monk. Since enjoying Drag Ball as a first year, Andy has been involved in planning the event every year and he has headed the organization of the last two Drag Balls.

In planning this year’s Drag Ball, did you run into any unforeseen problems or events?
Well, I am an avid procrastinator and I sort of allowed myself to procrastinate a lot more than I had the year before. So I ended up getting a lot of things done at the last minute, and that was kind of stressful. Other than that though, it was really smooth this year – certainly a lot smoother than last year, which was a nightmare. We had, like, lost our celebrity judges at one point – we literally didn’t know where they were when we were trying to get them to crown the winners on the runway. I was running around with the radio screaming, “This is Andy to anyone who is listening! I have lost the judges – where the fuck are they?”

What did you wear to this year’s Drag Ball?
I actually rethought my outfit the day of Drag Ball because I realized there was no way I was going to have time to remove all of my body hair before the event, so I wore black pinstriped pants with these six-inch ridiculous strappy sandals and a black shirt with this amazing bra that I don’t think I’m ever giving back to my housemate because it looked amazing all night, but it was empty. I didn’t have to stuff anything into it.

Who was the hottest Obie in drag?
You know, I’m really sad because I didn’t actually get to see anybody the whole night because I was up in the balcony literally running up and down stairs – my legs are still killing me. But I would have to say it was all of my housemates because they all went as me. They, like, raided my closet and took all of my sunglasses and belt buckles and t-shirts, whatever. I think Christina Jardine was the one who was most convincingly me, because she penciled in the little facial hair that I usually have.

Without any constraints, such as budget or reality, what one thing would you have brought to Drag Ball?
I think I probably would have gone after some big-name drag queens, like maybe RuPaul or something, who I guess is maybe like old news nowadays but still kind of cool. Or maybe Lady Chablis who was here a couple of years ago and MCed two years in a row. She was amazing. I think I might have gone after some other celebrities too. I was trying to get Kim from America’s Next Top Model and Danielle Vosovic from Project Runway to come.

Are you satisfied with how it went?
Yeah. Extremely satisfied – it was much better than last year. Last year, I only had Dionna Reasonover helping with the planning, and this year I had Linda [Jagge] , Nickie [Hill] and Trina Parrish, and a bunch of other people who all helped. But last year there was so much more running and in such higher heels – so just that alone, aside from the fact that it was obviously fabulous this year. As you know, I was so excited that Sharon Gess was here that I had a little bowel control problem, which has been recently brought to my attention. (see Overcoming Challenges, Drag Ball Will Survive in last week’s Review)

What would you tell your Drag Ball coordinating successors, juniors Linda Jagge and Nickie Hill?
I guess just get things done on time. Paige Turner, the MC this year, didn’t get paid on time. I’m actually driving her check out to her tomorrow to Cleveland.

What will you do with all the free time you will have now?
I slept for 14 hours on Sunday night. Oh my God. Because I went to bed at seven on Saturday and then I had to get up at nine to drive Sharon to the airport, so then I was really wasted on Sunday, just totally strung out. I had to go to strike [the event] in Wilder from one to five. I was just comatose for 14 hours. So that’s one thing, sleeping. I sat out in the lawn today and smoked cigarettes and ate salad – that was pretty amazing. Probably going to be a lot of sleeping and eating and smoking mixed in.
 
 

   

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