Uncovering the life of a Jewish drag queen
WHAT DOES a Long Island-born, Lubavitch-raised, former yeshiva boy turned drag queen do for Christmas?
He spends it at Limmud educating festival-goers on how to “contour their faces”.
Moshiel Newman Daphna’s standing-room only session — “Life’s a drag, queen” — charted the ups and downs of his time as a drag act, focusing largely on his gruelling two-hour make-up routine.
A ten-minute film clip gave Limmud participants an additional inside track on how he adopts his stage persona, Lady SinaGaga.
The moving session included Moshiel emotionally recalling coming out as gay to his religious family. “It was a difficult time for me and my parents and family but now, five years later, it’s taken a happy turn. They are in a place of acceptance.
He added: “Judaism is so much about identity and how that is expressed — often through clothing. Drag is just a ritual with an outward expression for an inward feeling.”
The process of becoming Lady SinaGaga sees Moshiel spend two hours doing his make-up, hair and outfit, including using medical-grade adhesives on his face.
Four types of foundation are used for highlighting and contouring. Triple-stacked eyelashes consist of three sets of false lashes stuck on top of each other, an admission which made many It takes Moshiel Newman Daphna two hours to transform himself into his drag act, Lady SinaGaga (below)
women in the audience wince.
“I know I look like an extra from the Lion King,” he said, half-way through the video explaining his creation. But it was, Moshiel said, essential to use the heavy-duty make-ups to make his cheeks “really pop” on stage.
With embarrassment, he confessed that his spending on make-up can stretch to hundreds of dollars. Hair, nails and jewellery increase the costs. Foam padding fills out his hips, and fake breasts are used to look more womanly.
What sort of reception did his family give Lady SinaGaga?
“I hid it from them for a long time,”
Moshiel said. “I thought it would be too much for them to swallow. Once my parents became more accepting of me being gay, I showed it to them. I was Facetiming my mother and I was getting ready for a Friday-night show and she was getting ready for Shabbos. She just said, ‘you look beautiful’.”
Having now moved to Chicago, Moshiel is trying to work his way up the city’s “hierarchy” of drag acts with his Jewish-influenced performances.
Asked what is needed to begin a career in drag, he said: “For those thinking of taking up drag, just do it. And then do it again and again. Most people are not amazing at everything the first time they do
it. If you are just starting out don’t give up — take risks and have fun. It’s about getting out into the world and getting reactions from people.”
For more on limmud visit www.thejc.com/ limmud
Drag is a just ritual with an outward expression for an inward feeling’
BEN WEICH