Today we’d like to introduce you to Ennis F.W.
Hi Ennis, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The year was 2009. I was a new student at DePaul University in Chicago, IL, pursuing a degree in Theatre. I combed through Craigslist every now and then for odd jobs to make extra money when I stumbled upon a posting looking for stagehands for a local burlesque show. They needed girls to walk around in a cute costume and solicit tips while the performers did their thing. Easy peasy. Except like any performer, the moment I saw a show, I was like, “I want to do THAT.”
So I put together a routine auditioned for the troupe and became a regular feature. I started playing with a drag king persona after reading about kings on the internet and eventually grew to love performing as a dude more than performing as a woman. I took a small break from burlesque to teach, but I found myself being asked to emcee a lesbian Pride party while I was living and working in China. It seemed like a good opportunity to break out my boylesque persona again. That party led to a producing partnership with burlesque star Anna Fur Laxis where we ended up putting on two years worth of cabarets at a historic 200-seat theater in Shanghai. I started networking with different performers online which eventually led to opportunities to perform in various cities around the world, including New York, Tokyo, Seoul, London, and Berlin, as well as being able to work and perform as part of the local LA burlesque and drag scenes.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Sometimes audiences really don’t know what to make of me. Although burlesque really just means “parody,” for most people burlesque is synonymous with beautiful women in fishnets presenting a kind of exaggerated, glamorous femininity on stage. I’ll give you the glamour and exaggeration but in a mustachioed, sparkly package. (Sparkly packages are par for the course in boylesque.) I think if you’re a performer who’s giving it your all, though, audiences want to go there with you. I’ve had many people– men and women– tell me that my persona has made them question their sexuality.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m the “Cure for Bi-Curiosity,” a sparkly, gender-bending drag king, boylesque performer, and emcee. I specialize in comedic performances meant to simultaneously amuse and titillate. I’m a firm believer that can funny can be sexy, which is why you’ll find me presenting a variety of ridiculous characters in my work– a giant vibrator, an evil rabbit a la Monty Python, Severus Snape, and the man himself, Jesus Christ. In addition to performing, I and two other drag kings (KLAUS and Malcolm Xtasy) revived the LA king scene by producing a monthly cabaret called Man Candy. I’ve also produced a yearly benefit show in Long Beach called “The NSFW Show” and performed as a guest at Hamburger Mary’s in Long Beach.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Instagram is a continuous source of inspiration for drag performers like me. I’m also a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell’s books and his “Revisionist History” podcast. I love popular psychology and trying to figure out what makes people tick.
Contact Info:
- Email: ennis@ennisfw.com
- Website: www.ennisfw.com
- Instagram: @ennisfw
- Facebook: facebook.com/mrennisfw
Image Credits
Safi Alia Shabaik, Simon Stepniak, Abbe Drake, Galadriel Gevey, Grant-OH! Buchwald
