One of the youngest and newest performers of drag in New York's ever-expanding scene is also one of the most influential. Ataracks (Luna Page) is a "bio-queen" (biological female) who jumped into the drag scene in the Spring of 2018 and since then has created her own house (Haus of Yeoja) and united a group of likeminded performers in multiple cities under one banner in the name of boundary-pushing alternative drag.
At first it was even debatable whether or not what she was doing was drag. She's a woman and she's dressing up... as a female character (Ataracks is described as a haunted doll.) Is it cosplay? Is it drag? Or just live performance? The thought crossed my mind but there was never a doubt in my mind that this was indeed drag, if for no other reason than the community in which she was a part of. Ataracks performs alongside men in drag, women in drag, and in spaces that host drag shows. So, it's drag. Enough said.
With that in mind, the fact that drag has expanded to include not just men but all genders is an important step in retaining its inclusivity. Despite what some may say, all gender experiences have equal stakes in participating in the drag community. "I didn't even think about it at first," Ataracks says about her being a woman. "I'm a fan of drag, I've been a fan of drag, so my choice to participate was a natural one."
Despite this, there have been a few instances of shade thrown her way from other queens who didn't know how to take it. "It's mostly been based around confusion," she says. "There's been a few times where I've had shade thrown at me because they think I'm invading their territory, but it doesn't matter in the long run because the amount of support I have from my friends and fans is more than enough."
Ataracks was nudged into performing in drag after the sudden death of her father from illness in the beginning of 2018. "He was everything, he was my best friend. I was fucking shattered when he died. I still haven't recovered," she says. Her performance reflects this. There is an undercurrent of sadness beneath the doll-like surface of Ataracks. "There's a darkness to queer art and I think it should stay that way. We have a lot of shit to deal with and this is my own personal way of exploring that."
Ataracks is named after an anti-histamine/anti-anxiety medication, Atarax, that Luna was prescribed after the death of her father. The drag persona acts like the medication: a form of medication used to calm her nerves. "Performing as Ataracks allows me to do things I never could do on my own, it's a form of courage. But I also just want to go out there and fucking slay."
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