Into the Good Night

It seems that 2010 is holding the one constant firmly in it's grip that most people hate; change.  While I find myself in new surroundings, situations and a bevy of other predictaments that I am still discovering along the way, I am finding that I am not unique to this swirl of dreaded change. 

I was saddened to learn that a local talent, Bianca Paige, The Pantomime Rage passed away on June 4, 2010.  Bianca Paige is the alter ego of Mark Middleton who has wowed audiences in the Nashville, TN area.  Not only was Mark a drag performer, he was a gifted actor.  He gracefully vascilated between high-energy, fun shows to needing only a spotlight and a microphone. 

He performed all over the country and even performed in New York City with an acting troupe as well as auditioning for RuPaul's Drag Race on LogoTV.  While he was a fantastic performer, he clearly "legitimized" his acting chops when he performed, Torch Song Trilogy on the theater stage.  His new audience unfamiliar with his Bianca Paige persona became bowled over with his apparent, raw talent.  To have a drag performer favorably splashed across The Tennessean is no easy feat considering the fact that we are firmly in the Bible Belt.


Bianca Paige - Torch Song Trilogy

Bianca Paige | MySpace Video


Mark Middleton broke the rules and made a few of his own.  The point in a drag show is to lose the perception of reality.  In order to accomplish that, a drag performer goes to great lengths to produce the image of a woman.  In one of Mark's shows, he performed a poignant song in which he slowly removed the veil of female sexuality.   First the false eyelashes, the padding under the dress and then the shoes.  The final unveiling would be to remove his wig until he was standing alone, in a spotlight dressed only in jean shorts.  The look he gave the audience at the end was unforgettable and moved me to tears.  While most people put on their face that they want others to see, Mark Middleton had the courage to remove his.

Goodnight, Bianca.