Meet Ella, Saurus and Rex

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ella, Saurus and Rex.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started working at Mary’s deejaying a total request night. It was usually a slow night and I was trying to think of ideas to get more people into the bar. At this time, I had been in Atlanta for about a year and a half. I moved here for a dance company and was looking for more opportunities to perform. I approached the owners of Mary’s about starting a variety show at the bar and they said yes. Nine years later, we have ourselves a tight family of drag performers.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In the nightlife industry, it is never easy. There is a lot of competition and a constant need to keep reinventing your brand. Starting off, we were discounted as some trivial group of misfits. Misfits we are, but we come with a high level of concept and performance ability.

Please tell us more about your work. What do you guys do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
We affectionately label ourselves “Art school drag.” It is important for us to be entertaining with a concept and a message on what we are doing. I feel that we are very inclusive of anyone that wants to do drag and pride ourselves in nurturing young talent. We host a yearly competition called glitz and have seen some of the most amazing performers flourish and thrive throughout Atlanta.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I would like to think that my love of performance and the people who put themselves out there is my biggest strength. I truly care about all of the people in my community and I want to uplift them. We are much stronger when we rise together.

Contact Info:

• Address: Mary’s
  1287 Glenwood Ave SE, Suite B
  Atlanta, GA 30316
• Website: https://www.marysatlanta.com/
• Instagram: marysatl
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marysatlanta/
• Other: Instagram @cel1984

Image Credit:
The two photos not labeled are taken by Mark Morin (Instagram: markmorinii). The other two with labels are taken by Kay Mercer (Instagram: busybody deer).

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