Drag shows and “woke” productions may be banned from the stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which is now chaired by President Donald Trump following his purge of the traditionally bipartisan organization after returning to the White House.
But a quartet of drag performers still made a bold statement at the Washington, D.C., venue Wednesday night.
Just ahead of the president’s attendance at a performance of “Les Misérables,” four drag artists entered the auditorium to a wave of applause from fellow theatergoers.
Videos shared by The Washington Post’s Matt Viser and The New York Times’ Shawn McCreesh captured the moment the group ― Tara Hoot, Mari Con Carne, Ricky Rosé and Vagenesis ― took their seats.
Trump had not yet arrived; he later entered to a mix of cheers and boos from the audience.
In a video shared on Instagram after the show, Tara Hoot hailed the “delightful time” and said the group “had so much fun.”
“Unfortunately there were some other people there,” Hoot said, appearing to zing Trump and his party, while also admitting to being “a little scared” beforehand.
