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Drag-king troupe Nappy Grooves to visit MIT

Cambridge, MA... Nappy Grooves, an all-Black drag king troupe will be artists-in-residence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) October 31 through November 3.

They will hold a public talk titled "Too Hot to Handle: A Lecture/Demonstration by Nappy Grooves" on Wednesday, Oct. 31 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Broad Institute Auditorium (NE30, 7 Cambridge Center). This is an adult performance.

Founded by Nia Hamilton, Matt Richardson and three other Bay Area residents in 2004 and based in Oakland, Calif., Nappy Grooves was formed to give black drag kings an opportunity to perform. Richardson, who was previously a member of the Disposable Boy Toys, a predominantly white drag king troupe, said she grew tired of only being invited to perform skits on affirmative action.

The troupe, dedicated to fun, sexy, anti-racist, feminist gender performance, features Bill Dagger, Corn Bread, and Tyrone Peaches (aka Nepharious Vulvaleen). They have performed a variety of genders and sexualities for audiences across California and New York.

Richardson and Hamilton have provided tutorials on becoming drag kings, applying facial hair and assuming a masculine stride while physically evolving into Bill Dagger and Tyrone Peaches, their respective male characters. Richardson described Dagger as a womanizer who is closeted about his attraction to men, while Hamilton depicted Peaches as a questioning jock. Both said their characters reflect gender personalities or stereotypes within the African-American community. Richardson said her particular interest is "making commentary on black masculinities by placing them at odds with each other."

Nappy Grooves' residency is sponsored through the MIT Office of the Arts' Alan W. Katzenstein Memorial Fund, established in 1998 in memory of Alan Katzenstein (MIT Class of 1942), a long-time supporter of the arts at MIT.