Tell us about your drag name?

The Other Jeannie Retelle, and for those of you who are still not in on the joke, Jeannie Retelle is my momma. Like, my actual biological mother. 

How long have you been on the Drag Scene?

I just celebrated my 8th anniversary of performing in drag last May! I started performing in drag by doing a one “woman” improv show dressed as my mother. 

What does the term “drag” mean to you?

Drag means waking up. That’s why whenever anyone sees me, I say “Good morning!” That, and I’m dressed up like Tracy Turnblad a lot. 

But actually, Drag to me is existence. Every day, we are given this amazing opportunity to present ourselves and show the world who we are, what connects us, while also showing off what makes us unique. Drag simply puts a magnifying glass to that by showcasing that on stage (or rooftop or brewery or sidewalk).  

How do you separate your “dual identity”?

I don’t think I separate Jeannie from Spencer, really. I’m sorta the same person regardless if I am in a wig or not. But I think that comes from just actually being exactly like my mother. 

That being said, when I’m wearing specific costumes, a distinct persona creeps out. Like, when I am wearing my Liza or Norman Bates costumes, I enter this kind of fugue state while I’m performing and I feel myself become a totally different person. 

Who is your “go-to” artist?

I don’t really have a go-to artist, but it is a strange show if I am performing and there isn’t a musical or showtune number in the mix. I think that’s because my style of drag is rooted more in the theater/cabaret style. Like Countess Luann and Carol Burnett had a big queer baby.

Greatest performing moment?

That’s tough, because I’ve had so many amazing opportunities over the past few years. But the one that stands out to me in the moment, is from last winter. 

Petty Treason produced an Almost New Years Burlesque Bonanza at the Turf Club, where I did my microphone bit as Liza doing New York, New York. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that performance. The audience was giving me such intense positive energy that I started uncontrollably shaking on stage, and they were cheering so loud, I couldn’t hear my own lyrics so I just had to lip sync to muscle memory. 

Say something nice about one of your fellow performers.

Oh man, there’s no way I’m just gonna pick one. I owe so much of where I am now to Monica West and Utica. Both of them helped me and took me under their wings in different ways when I was first starting. That kind of kindness isn’t a given, so I always cherish their warmth and making me feel welcome as a baby queen. I still wear wigs that Monica gave me from the first time she invited me over to teach me to sew a dress, “She’s a little Reba, isn’t she?”

Nowadays, I would be nowhere without my support system. My chosen family (The Other Cast) keeps me in harmony. Whenever I see Keke Boudreaux or London Darkhorse Escada or Oblivia Nukem Jun or Andre 1000 on the roster with me, I know we are about to turn up and laugh the entire time back stage. My drag kids have also been a big part of my journey the last couple of years. They teach me what it means to be a leader, and to see them grow has completely floored me. It makes me incredibly proud to call myself their mother. And you heard it here first, if you aren’t a fan of Rose Nylon, Blair Kitsch, Alegria D’Cirque or Pistachio Creampie, you have bad taste. 

Any special involvement in the GLBTQ community?

I have been the host of the Red Undie Run for the last three years and have partnered with Aliveness Project across multiple projects during in that time, thanks to the wonderful Dylan Boyer. A couple highlights with them have been the Tour de Luce, or when they conduct rapid HIV testing while I call Bango on Wednesdays at Saloon and we raise money selling jell-o shots. Shia Vaughn has been doing an incredible job as an outreach organizer with Aliveness. The Wednesday before Pride, they conducted over 150 tests in just a couple hours! It’s those moments that remind me why gay bars and queer spaces are sacred. 

Beyond that, as Mx. Trans Minnesota, one of my responsibilities is to team up with local nonprofit and I recently chose Reclaim. My relationship with mental health, especially as an adolescent and young adult, was something I really struggled with, but I learned to thrive because of queer mentorship. Their advocation for queer and trans youth under 25 is a mission that resonates deeply with me. 

Where in the Twin Cities can you be seen?

So *drumroll* I am actually launching my own production company this week! 

In the next month, I have five different shows that I am producing in five separate spaces, so I decided it was high time they lived under the same umbrella, and I do that “branding” thing that all the kids are talking about. All of this is to say, you can see me at one of The Other Productions (or TOP, for short)! 

The Other Show is at Modist Brewing Co. on Friday July 19, and has been going for over two years now. We have put on over 25 shows with over 100 different performers. Major shoutout to them… they took a chance on me when I was a baby producer, I have learned so much from them, and they have helped me create a micro-economy for our community. If you are ever looking for a venue to work with (drag or not), I cannot recommend them enough. 

The Other Haus Party is my monthly, family friendly brunch at Bauhaus Brew Labs, with our next show on Sunday, July 21. Animales Barbeque Co. is our food truck for the show, so between their biscuits & gravy and THC Tetra seltzers, I am a very fat and happy girl. 

We are also remounting Bumpers at LITT on Thursday, August 1! Pairing pinball with drag is definitely an esoteric slice of heaven for me. And hot tip, all three of these shows I’ve mentioned so far have no cover! So bring all the fam, your friends, f*ck it, bring the people you hate and make them tip me & my friends. 

But I am burying the lede here! I am producing my first ever show at The Black Hart on Friday, July 25. The Other Fat Show is going to be a BMI-busting delight where we’ll test to see if that is a load-bearing stage. It’s my first show ever producing at Black Hart, and the Town House was where I saw drag for the very first time in-person, during the summer of 2011. So this opportunity feels like a full circle moment for me. 

I am ALSO writing a show for the Fringe Festival (sorry, I’m almost done, I promise). It’s premiering at HUGE Theater on August 3, which was my drag birth-stage, so this production feels like another homecoming of sorts. Becoming My Mother: The Other Origin Story is a one “woman” show with dual perspectives, where I tell the journey that lead to me performing as my mother, with recordings of her recounting her side of the story. 

And sorry, one last plug (no promo, bro). I am one of the co-producers of Hot Pink at The Saloon. So come up, come out, show up, show out, and party with us every Tuesday & Saturday, or join in the fun for our open stage competition Werk every Thursday. 

All of this begs the questions, are you looking for a TOP? Well, look no further. I always host (my own shows).