| CHASTITY IN THE CITY by Chastity Frustration past issues |
Wow! It has been a year. I realized that May is my one year anniversary hosting the Saturday night show. This has become one of my greatest accomplishments. For years I had dreamed of becoming a great entertainer and at the Embers Avenue that dream is coming true. I had heard of the drag queens of The Embers for many years. I had wanted to become one so bad and never thought I would be up to the quality they required. However, I was dating a man who hated drag and did not want me to have anything to do with it. I love him very much and decided not to do drag any longer. So I buried the dream deep within me and moved forward with my life. A few years had passed and the relationship dissolved into nothing. My desire to do drag again resurfaced strongly. I moved back to the Portland area and started back to my dreams. It was a little rough (okay, more then a little rough) and had very little outfits, but I was determined to make it work. I came down on a Tuesday night, the Shawn Devon Lynn Show, were I performed two numbers. I scared the audience so bad, but I had fun. I continued to do the Tuesday shows for several months, getting to know some of the entertainers. One of the sweetest people I met was Alexandra Paris, she help me get to know my way around the bar and kept pushing me to improve. She has proven to be a great friend and motivator over the years. Other performers I met include; Kelly Cheval, Ciara Delarosa, The Butch Bitch Mitch, Pebbles Campbell-Starr and many others. I was soon told to come down on a Wednesday night, that I would get along great with the hostesses, Miss Dawna Creation. To my surprise, I already knew Dawna as a boy and had never met the drag queen side of him. It was on Dawna’s show " In The Garden of Good and Evil", I met many other performers; Vanessa Lynn, Tamra Marx, Lonnie, Chris, Raven, Pookie J. Bush and again many more. Dawna was moved to the Thursday night show and I moved nights right along with her. With great honor, shortly after the move, I became her co-hostess. We became sisters in the drag world, but she was also a mentor and trusted friend. Little did I know, at that time, I would follow in her footsteps in a long road. I decided to candidate for the title of Miss Sweetheart of Portland XIII that year. With a close race, I won the title and reigned for the year. This was when I met people who altered the crazy Chastity into what we see today; Nikki West, Nicholas Illusion, Kierstie, Mason Carmicheals, Bolivia Carmicheals, Misha Rockafeller, Miss Lynda, Sparky and Robrt Thomas all taught me the ins and outs of the drag world. Six months after I finished my year as Miss Sweetheart XIII, I ran for the title of Miss Gay Portland XXXI. Two months later I became the hostesses of the Tuesday night show. It was one of the most difficult things I had ever done. I was very afraid of talking on the microphone and would have anxiety attacks before every show. Dawna had already retired from hosting and a great amount of change was going through the club. The show was called "The Early Show", with a combination of performance and interviews (kind of like a talk show). I worked hard to over come my fears and moved to the Thursday night show. This was a great accomplishment for myself. This was the show I had co-hosted on and now I was the hostesses. The show was titled "Live in 38DD" and was my baby. The night grew into a show I love very much and the fun I had in this time still brings a smile to my face. The show was renamed, after a year, to "Cheesecake". This marked a whole new creativity level. I had learned to make fun of myself and enjoy the audience more than ever. The announcement of the retirement of the Saturday night hostesses, Patti O’Dora, left the show needing a new hostesses. Pattie had hosted shows at The Embers for 11 ˝ years, most of which were Saturday night. Bolivia Carmicheals would be the next to leave the club, vacating the Friday night show. With two hostesses leaving, this was the biggest change The Embers had seen in years. I was then moved to two half shows. I hosted the first half of both the Friday and Saturday shows. I was followed by Terrika St. James on Fridays and Miss Lynda on Saturdays. My shows where called "Chastity and Company". This did not last very long and I was move only to Saturdays and Terrika only on Fridays. I was given the title of "The First Lady of The Embers". This moved me into the most exclusive group at The Embers, the short list of Saturday night hostesses. It is a great honor to be included in this group of queens. The group includes some of the greatest drag queens in Portland’s history; Dora Jar, Misty Waters, Velvet Monet, Maria, The Pearl, and Patti O’Dora. These queens have paved a road for all the queens to follow. Without anyone one of them, I would not be where I am today. I have to give a great amount of credit to the person who has directed me though my years at the Embers, Robrt Thomas. Robrt Thomas is the director of entertainment at The Embers. He holds the traditions of the club and teaches the queens the history of the great queens that came before us. With his knowledge of theater, he directs each hostesses to bring a high speed and entertaining show. In closing, I want to thank a person who has listened to me for many years, Allen. Allen has become one of my editors for this column, given me challenges for the stage and become my closest friend. As you can see, it takes many people to make what you see at The Embers happen. With the show moving into year two, I’ve changed the name to "Beyond Imagination". The name representing my dreams coming true beyond my imagination. With much love and many more years to come. Chastity Frustration First lady of the Embers Miss Sweetheart XIII Miss Gay Portland XXXI Visit www.chastityfrustration.com |
| THE ROAD TO FIRST LADY |
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