The Birth of Jawn: Exploring Philly with a King

Overview

Follow in the footsteps of Jawn Wooders, drag king and “Philly’s Finest Person, Place, or Thing”, as he walks home after his first drag set – just as the pandemic arrives.  Jawn will guide you on a real-life/digital journey from the 9th St. Market to the Gayborhood in this immersive audio experience.

Explore Philly through the eyes of a drag king and see our city through a queer lens.  Find artwork hidden in plain sight.  Navigate memories of the past and look for what still remains.  Follow Jawn’s story on your journey in a performance that mixes story-telling with real-life/digital exploration.  

What have we lost in the past year?  What comes next as we rebuild our creative lives?

The performance runs roughly 90 minutes.  There is no formal intermission, but audio can be paused as needed. The performance can be completed all at once or in multiple segments. It is available on demand and can be completed at any time.  

The real-life experience includes 60 minutes of casual walking. The digital (Google Maps) experience does not require any walking.   

This show is Pay What You Can and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.  All ticket proceeds will be split 50/50 between the artist and The Painted Mug Cafe, a new venue run by queer artists for queer artists.  More information can be found at www.thepaintedmugcafe.com.

A video promo for this show can be found at Jawn Wooders’ YouTube page.  Follow Jawn on Facebook or Instagram for more information and updates on additional online events.

Jawn Wooders

Jawn Wooders (he/they) is Philly's finest person, place, or thing. He is a newly crowned drag king that got his start right before the pandemic. Together with his fearless producer Stephanie (they/them), they produce work that explores the intersections of being bi, butch, and gender queer... all while (sometimes) playing an inflatable guitar.

Jawn was born out of the open mic scene in the 9th Street Market and never ceases to be a Philadelphia evangelist. His works will urge you to explore Philly with a queer lens and amplify LGBTQIA+ voices. He has a background in improv comedy and always has a good story to tell about South Philly, veggie cheesesteaks, and Gritty.

Wooder ice and tomato pie or it didn't happen.

Credits

Created and Performed by Stephanie Wobensmith. Additional Credits and Special Thanks are available on performance website.