A few years ago, a weekend in Northeast Ohio meant juggling drag shows across Lakewood, Cleveland and Akron. Now, many performers are crossing state lines and heading to places like Pittsburgh – not for adventure, but because they feel the local scene is no longer sustainable.
I’m one of them. My stage name is Ariyah Fuego.
I used to measure my success by how many shows I could do in one week. Three to four bookings, several outfit changes and a couple of anxiety attacks later was the best kind of weekend…