Description

Quinn Peters remembers discovering drag as an art form at the Odyssey nightclub. The venue closed in 2010

Transcript

So we’re just walking by what used to be the Odyssey. And there’s a heritage plaque here, sort of commemorating the old bar that used to be. And, the building’s now supportive housing. So it’s a really great use of the land. But the Odyssey was so much more than just a bar. For people in the queer community, bars are often places that we congregate around and we meet friends and meet lovers. And so for me, it was not just a place to go and be amongst people, but it was one of the first places that I started to realize that I really enjoyed watching drag shows and seeing drag queens. And so, I would go to the Odyssey sometimes twice a week and just go to watch the drag queens do their show.

And there was Lips Inc, was one of the shows. And I’d see all the famous Queens at the time there was Joanie and Willie Taylor and Justine Time. And from there, I really decided that that was something that I wanted to do too. That I wanted to be a part of that community because they were funny, they were entertaining. There was a game show, their performances. I like music, I like performance. And at the time I was going to go into acting school, but I was sort of unsure. And what that did for me is it, it led me to explore this whole world of drag and that became a big part of my life for a long time. I was performing in shows. My name was Janita Work.

And I did shows. I created events. I hosted a drag competition and, and I never actually got to do drag at the Odyssey before it closed, but it really was the place where I fell in love with the arts.