Edu Díaz in
A DRAG
IS BORN
it's never too late to embrace yourself
a nonverbal show
that speaks volumes
In a twist of fate, a man is thrust into the spotlight to become the Queen of the Carnival. With advanced age, abundant body hair, and limited talents, he is an unlikely candidate.
Clown and magical realism fuel a nonverbal and whimsical quest accompanied by delightful music and colorful outfits, conveying a hopeful message: it’s never too late to embrace yourself.
'A Drag Is Born' is a
multi-awarded celebration of Queer discovery created and performed by
Edu Díaz, a
Fulbright-awarded
artist from
The Canary Islands.
'A TOUR DE FORCE'
Orlando Weekly
'PURE MAGIC'
HL Sin Censura
'A STAR EMERGES'
Manhattan Digest
from a 5-min sketch... to Off-Broadway
After its premiere, the show got three encore extensions in New York City at
'The Queerly Festival'
(Under St. Marks), on
Off-Broadway ('Turn The Lights On' Festival at Playhouse 46), and at
'The Evolution Festival'
(The Center at West Park)
It has won five awards, including the
Critics Choice for Best Solo Show
and Best Solo Clown, and received
beautiful reviews.
EDU DÍAZ
Creator, producer, performer (he/him)
Edu Díaz is a Fulbright-awarded actor, theater producer, and writer from The Canary Islands. He is the creator and performer in 'A Drag Is Born,' a show to premiere in April at the NYC Fringe and in May at the Orlando Fringe Festival. Edu is part of two improv companies with recurrent shows and produces and hosts the Clown Open Mic, a monthly show at Pine Box Rock Shop.
RACHEL RESNIK
Director (she/her)
Rachel is a seasoned producer, director, and performer with extensive clown training. Rachel holds a certificate in mask work & physical theater from PadovArts Academy (formerly The School for Theater Creators) under Paola Coletto. She has also trained with Philippe Gaulier. Rachel is the Production Manager and a Resident Clown Teacher at Clown Gym. She directs and produces a monthly clownprov show at Pine Box Rock Shop in New York City with her company, A Really Real Serious Collective.
TINNA HOFFMANN
Assistant director (she/her)
Tinna is an internationally awarded dancer, choreographer, and actress from Denmark with decades of training and experience based in New York City. A finalist in the World Dance Championship, she choreographed and danced in 'Dancing With The Stars' (Italy) for three seasons until 2020. She has danced in concerts with international singers such as 3T (Michael Jackson's nephews), the guitarist Jennifer Batten, and the singer Alexia. She founded 'The Best Dance,' an Italian hub for dance champions and theatrical productions, which she directs and choreographs. In New York, Tinna has performed in legendary venues such as the Apollo Theater as she becomes part of the City's professional artistic environment.
JESS DUCEY
Production Manager (they/them)
Jess is a writer, producer, fundraiser, and aspiring clown. They are co-chair of the board of the National Queer Theater and a member of Moxie Arts’ 2024 Incubator for new work, as well as a producer for Clown Gym. Jess produced queer musicals Antonio! and A Bit Too Much Hair in NYC and at Edinburgh Fringe 2023 for Butch Mermaid Productions. They are also the co-founder of Queer AF, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand's first festival of queer art.
JEN LENO
Lighting Designer (she/they)
Jen Leno (she/they) is an MFA-holding Lighting Designer (Brooklyn College) and multi-disciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Jen's work is characterized by their creative use of color to enhance all kinds of staged works, including plays, musicals, dance, drag, and performance art. Her recent work includes Sasha Velour's Nightgowns the Musical (The Connelly Theater), Mi Abuela Queen of Nightmares by Christine Stoddard (The Tank), When Jesus Divorced Me by Laura Young (Carnegie Stage), Is My Microphone On by Jordan Tannahill (Center at West Park), and others. You can find her work at jenlenodesign.com and on Instagram: @jdl.lxd.
BRI COLOMBO
Stage Designer (they/them)
Bri Colombo (they/them) is a props person extraordinaire, cat dad, and drag enthusiast. Over the years, Bri has worked with many clowns, from high school street performances with friends to Blue Man Group. Bri left theatre during the pandemic, but the clowns just weren't willing to accept that. Bri was dragged back in by the clowns' whimsy enthusiasm for life and storytelling. Bri is happy to have been brought back into the fold to help Edu tell this story.
JOSE BOTELLA FILMS
Photo production
Arantza Quinto (she/her) and Jose Botella (he/him) are two Spanish video makers based in New York City with more than ten years of experience in creating exquisite content. Although their main area is weddings, the adventurous character of this partner has lead led to work for brands, events, influencers... and Edu's shows :)
THANK YOU❤️
To the first drag queens I met when I was 16 years old in Tenerife (Aroa Jilton, Anastasia Letal, Nuba, and so on) for being brave and authentic and the main inspiration for this show.
To Jose Ramos Arteaga for inoculating the sweet venom of theatre, queerness, and social justice.
To all my friends, because they have seen shows like this one MANY times in private.
To every single curator and host in NYC that allowed me to perform and discover new possibilities.
To Susan Campanaro, DJ Chauncey, and The Stonewall Inn for providing opportunities that change paths.
To Marisa Miranda for her valuable wardrobe insights and fantastic references.
To Madeleine Joyce for her fantastic live pictures.
To Kayankit Keocharoen, because having professional footage of my debut at The Stonewall Inn is priceless.
To Mónica Naranjo and every single Spanish and international diva, for being the shelter and voice of queer people.
To the Clown Gym community for being the joyful and supportive place I needed when I found them.
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60
minutes
+13
partial nudity
nonverbal
LOUD
& BRIGHT
lights