On Indy Drag Theatre show days, with a Red Bull in hand, performer Brentlee Bich enters the dressing room at the District Theatre on Mass Ave, about three hours before showtime. Bich sets their costume changes in the wings, checks on props and walks around the theater. “To wake up the acting bones” and settle in to start their makeup process, they said.
Why so early? Bich has a lot of prep to do. These aren’t your typical shows. Indy Drag Theatre, a nonprofit, combines “traditional” theater with drag, which means performers are typically in full drag, lip-syncing to recorded audio. “Legally Blonde(r)” featured audio from both the 2001 film and the “Original Broadway Musical Cast Recording.”
“We really try to look at what shows could we best reimagine or tell with a queer lens,” said IDT co-founder April Rosé, who choreographed the show.
“Legally Blonde(r)” was directed by IDT co-founder Blair St. Clair. Rosé and St. Clair met at a drag pageant in 2021 and bonded over their love of theater.
“(Rosé) proposed doing kind of like a ‘concert of a musical’ and getting to play roles that we’ve always wanted to,” St. Clair said. “And I’ve always dreamed of playing feminine roles or female roles that I’ve identified with as well.”
Performers like Bich are carefully chosen with the idea of defying the norms of theater, giving performers the chance to play roles they normally wouldn’t be considered for.
It took time to get to that place, though. When St. Clair and Rosé first started IDT, they matched masculine people with masculine characters. “And then we learned over time. Why do we have to do that?” Rosé said. “We’ve broken down those norms ourselves and we are really hopeful that when people experience IDT, they can continue as well.”
St. Clair and Rosé didn’t initially consider calling themselves Indy Drag Theatre. They imagined a monthly showcase at Almost Famous, a tapas-style restaurant on Mass Ave with a stage, which they started doing in 2022.
When the first showcase was announced, it sold out every seat for both of its performances within two hours. “We thought, ‘okay, this is something that we can actually see progressing,’ and we saw a huge draw of people who wanted to audition, specifically in the drag community,” St. Clair said.
Their first full production, also a parody of Legally Blonde, had five performances at the District Theatre, all of which sold out in about 24 to 48 hours. Since then, they have produced shows such as “Mean Queens: A Drag Parody Musical,” “Sweeney Todd: A Drag Parody Musical,” “Shrek: A Drag Parody Musical” and “HairSLAY: A Drag Parody Musical.”
“I had 100% no idea that people would be so excited to not even just be a part of our shows, but just to come and help or just to be around,” St. Clair said.
“It sometimes feels like the real show is behind the scenes because of how wild we can get kiki-ing in the dressing room,”
Brentlee Bich
Bich also spoke to the feeling of community among the performers. “It sometimes feels like the real show is behind the scenes because of how wild we can get kiki-ing in the dressing room,” Bich said. “The energy is usually always high and hyper, we definitely make many memories, inside jokes and form closer bonds with each other during each production.”
Although some performers with Indy Drag Theatre have been doing drag for years, all are welcome to audition, regardless of experience, or to come out to shows.
“We like to say that we’re a place for everyone, by everyone,” St. Clair said. “I think there is a misconception of like, ‘Oh, I’m not queer or anything, so this is not my place.’ Everyone’s invited.”
From left, Vera Vanderwoude St. Clair, Eli Rose and Parker Taylor, or Honey Bunn perform as characters in “Legally Blonde(r): A Drag Parody Revival,” on May 17, 2025, during a performance at The District Theatre in Indianapolis. 
Parker Taylor, also known as Honey Bunn, performs the role of Elle Woods on May 17, 2025, during a performance of “Legally Blonde(r): A Drag Parody Revival,” at The District Theatre in Indianapolis. Credit: Emily Worrell for Mirror Indy 
Parker Taylor (center, being hugged), also known as Honey Bunn, performs the role of Elle Woods on May 17, 2025, during a performance of “Legally Blonde(r): A Drag Parody Revival,” at The District Theatre in Indianapolis. Credit: Emily Worrell for Mirror Indy 
Parker Taylor (center), also known as Honey Bunn, performs the role of Elle Woods on May 17, 2025, during a performance of “Legally Blonde(r): A Drag Parody Revival,” at The District Theatre in Indianapolis. Credit: Emily Worrell for Mirror Indy 
Eli Rose performs the role of Emmett Forrest (left) as Parker Taylor, or Honey Bunn, performs the role of Elle Woods on May 17, 2025, during a performance of “Legally Blonde(r): A Drag Parody Revival,” at The District Theatre in Indianapolis. Credit: Emily Worrell for Mirror Indy
Coming up next for IDT is “Clue: A Drag Parody,” Aug. 1-3 and Aug. 7-10, where actors will lip-sync to the 1985 film. Bich will play Mrs. Peacock.
“Frozen: A Drag Parody Musical,” will hit the stage Nov. 14-16 and Nov. 20-23. (with auditions happening Aug. 29-31)
Bich recommends getting tickets as soon as possible. “Each new season brings a show for everybody and based on the whispers of next season’s lineup, I’d highly encourage getting that IDT Season Pass so you don’t miss a single show because our shows sell out super quick,” they said.
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Emily Worrell is a Mirror Indy freelance contributor and Indy Documenters assistant editor. You can reach her at emily.worrell@mirrorindy.org.
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