From Blackface to Max Factor: The Evolution ofFemale Impersonation in Kansas City

Stuart Hinds

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Melinda Ryder Collection1984-2006

Kansas Ciry Museum Archival No. PC1.473Small Phorograph Collecrion

THE UNFURLED, SPRAY-PAINTED PAPERTOWEL AND TOILET PAPERTUBES

have lost some of their curl, and most of the glitter that once covered the faux hairpiece

has been dislodged. The skirts convey lives of hard use, their stains, rears and repairs a diary

of myriad performances. While this ensemble from rhe Melinda Ryder Collecrion, from

donors Bruce Winter/Kirk Nelson in the Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America, is a

quintessential example of their long and active career, it also serves as a direct reminder

of the deep theatrical roots of female impersonation, or «drag." Because Kansas City has

been a "theater town" practically since the time the Chouteaus were emptying their traps,

the pieces from this collection provide the opportunity to examine the overall history of- --.~--Bee. 2. Whooyor shalt, in this City,be found in nnydreaa not belong- female impersonation in Kansas City. In doing so, we see an intriguing

ing to ht. or 11~r lex, or ,h",11makll euy ind~'(:(!nl UX(.lq~Jlroof pllf'OII in an,..publle placCI, or hi anl other pJ3CO, 10 thu lUlnoyanoo or any person or per- tension between the illegality of the practice and its open presencehOl\~,or bo guilty of eny illullt'ilnt or lo\\'u net or behcvicr: or .han exhibit,sell or offer r(lr 61110,111\1illdOllClMor lewd book, piettneor otlw ~hing, Of within the community, national trends reflected in local activities and anshall oxhibit or perfonn anl indocent. immornl or lowlL phi,y, or other r0J!·.\lItIln.lation, .bl\ll oolloemod 8'uiltj" OrA llIilllol.JlclIflor. unexamined slice of Kansas City history ripe for further investigation.

From The Revised Ordinances of the City ofK:1115:15,1860. Mlsdemeunors, Arricle II.

A )'1l1l1l~1l,jIUlI'or'IJUlllur,Aoom II o','I!K'h lhlt nl~bt llm(;~r ~'rehl~lI'

I1f1'l"Tlt'lutl \l1drlll\' Noodl'll, \'ohWd, On'l'\'o't'11I11 jU\III'rnlnll 'lI..l\IIJlllllldIlVI~\llllrllloIhil,l.llhVll \\ hl"" hll wa1 1,1r!':lId np. NlXr,loJ"Ill I h/lrKc>1 \111\11PI"lIl1l~llh\IJlljt th", 1II'1'i\l~ IIIfi,m.lo Utllli', 'I'hl. lI1Urnllll; ho nl'111'nf~11uetcrethl! fl\~lr1h~rl!1 fulltln'u,.Utl,lIjtl, Whl" lUll,Ill!', 1111" fl~tflllhill 11111I'll.ilUlJ IIh "'At 10 .,'ilU'Il!~liI,lt Laliin WYM IOllt, IInll ha IlrO~Il'l1Il,In'llrI'llLh'/lIllII!l!tIll!llt II,!' lh~ llI11llll\lr litIl/llIllledbll !Irf~n·,. "" 11'''' Ilntll t-:l l~r ~I',1l~.1'lI1(,n "'''II In lllu tlllllhl 'If HI UlulOltbh'lll)'f'.ltrl' if' 1~IIUtn, .. In lilt "yll1 or \'1\11110' Itt'rllOOil"f,

K.1nS:JSCity Star, Aug 21, 1884. p. -4

S< mour Roce"Seymour Rice", from Epperson's MegaphoneMinStrels, C:I. 1900

"Whoever shall, in this Ciry, be found in any dress not belonging to his or her sex...

shall be deemed guilry of a misdemeanor." This edict is from The Revised Ordinances of theCity of Kansas of 1860, published a mere ten years after Kansas Ciry was incorporated. In

his 2011 book on cross-dressing in the 19th century American West author Peter Boag relates

hundreds of accounts of public cross-dressers, several from nearby cities. Early accounts of

cross dressing in Kansas City remain hidden, but the practice must have been somewhat

common given the efforts of city leaders [Q codify prohibition of the act so early in the

ciry's history. Even so there are only a handful of local newspaper reports of arrests made for

female impersonation from rhe dare of publication of the Ordinances through rhe end of thecentury.

During this same period and into the first two decades of the l:Wenrieth centW'y

local newspapers are rife with advertising for theatrical performances and other social events

that feature men in drag. Interestingly, that term is explained to readers in a general interest

article published in the Kansas City Evening Star on November 28, 1880 (the bulk of the

piece focuses on performers in larger ciries such as Chicago and Philadelphia). One of the

first places impersonators appeared on the American stage was in minstrel shows which were

hugely popular across the country, including in Kansas Ciry. One such rroupe, Epperson's

Megaphone Minstrels, were among the mosr popular performers in the ciry during rhe

waning years of the 19'h century and promotional phorographs show that a regularly fearured

act involved a troupe member in blackface and drag.

The tradition was also a feature of the early city's premiere social event, the Priests

of Pallas. An autumnal harvest fesrival that debuted in 1887, the Priests of Pallas was a week

long and featured daily parades, parties and produced an exclusive costume ball. The festival,

produced until 1924, paid homage to the Greek goddess Pallas Athena, who was represented

on the largest Hoar in the most important parade of the week. In the early years. she was

portrayed by a man in drag. Reflecting attitudes about gender of the era, festival officials

felt that the Athena costume would prove too unwieldy for a woman to manage. and that

the highly critical role was better suited to be handled by a man. Nor only was the most

important figure of the event a drag queen, there is evidence that female impersonators were

a regular feature of numerous other aspects of the celebration.

The routes of the Priests of Pallas parade inevitably passed downtown theaters, for

by the early 20'h century Kansas City boasted more than a half dozen "Iegirimare" theatrical

venues. several of which were on the national circuit. The Shubert. the Orpheum and the

Grand regularly featured vaudeville performances that included famous female impersonators

of the period and these actors regularly "trod the boards" in Kansas City. Performers such

as Bert Savoy, Karyl Norman ("the Creole Fashion Plate"), and the very well-known Julian

Eltinge often appeared in local vaudeville, dramatic and comedic fare.

As Boss Tom Pendergast consolidated his hold over the city in the early 1920s,

vaudeville was giving way to entertainment of a much coarser nature. The city had become

"wide open" and gambling. vice and crime of every stripe was tolerated. Entertainment

spots flourished, particularly along 12'" Streer and in the 18'" and Vine area, and liquor

laws and regulated hours of operation were ignored. This permissive environment allowed

for innovative and freely-expressed forms of entertainment and music including female

impersonation. Moreover. this freewheeling atmosphere proved conducive to enabling

gays and lesbians to be more publicly visible, particularly in the entertainment venues that

featured drag, thus solidifying a relationship between the two. Newspaper advertisements

of the time - primarily in the African-American press - indicate a number of the legendary

local jazz clubs featured impersonators throughout the

1920s and 30s, most notoriously at Dante's Inferno 1104

Independence Avenue. Dame's patrons could partake of

any nwnber of impressive drag performers, including the

unforgettable Mr. Half-and-Half who appeared on stage in

half a formal gown and half of a tuxedo.

With the downfall of Pendergast in 1939 and the

onset of World War II, the city's and the nation's attention

was focused in places other than the stage. Nevertheless the

war provided a unique opportunity for exposure to femaleMr. Half-and-Half

Tn." AU'J'UJI,V Lt.·A 1/ CiLUH IlAID':U.

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Till! AUlallln Lt., 1"1Uh. a. 1l~lIro dub withno"", u 1\11..;I.....l Tw~lrth .""''''l. "" .... r;l,ld~dlIy uel9Clh' ()rl'l"'~r. IirHII., and /kh1l1.IUL nlrhL lin'" t!11l'l\LlI .. n "l"lfUltloI wete all"tltU·cd. for c","p "l\UOU·'hf. 11\ MIl~Ol ('011,1 tnl.~:1.n;.til. e&lld W~rt tonllnoBoJ 10 Ill,t.-l

Am()ll. 'ho.. "Tt>lltd In \ht rlub tOllml"' •• ~,.Ior a....ten, 11 ,!.tIPPina' n, ..ro.C""" In r,m"l" lllll'" Ill! <:llulltd 1f1\10n..muNtln"l. ., lIa walk.d nuo this COllrtI'OlJra In • OInk "\lUll .Ir\!lll. wltil row n ...'!C1"4 ..... "'it'llI'. c.. ,hln,,"tQnll rrucant hitta Ita II~ II ~U"C!h01 r,lled m'~In l',l'I~~a'tol~::1:~;I,,~~~n~~.II~~~wel·'u~~'tW;:~Itftd YU IIn,a. •.

Kansas City~S"'m,;",;:M;"'Y-:2"O~, \",:C98'",-p."7,

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ELtlNGEAM 1"... \'",~ C."ronj .r 6Q I_

"COUSIN LUCY" ~~ml:J~U:,~,'1U51":_MIR;TtI_.\lI,lOllllJ5_tIlIl.Lli

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Adveerfsemeur for Juhan Eltinge production atthe Shubert Themer, Apr 29. 1917

Unidentified Dante's lnfemo performer

lnrenor of Dames Inferno, 1I04lndepc:nd=Ave.

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;K. ':$ MOST UHUUAt A:i the local gay community became less rigid about drag and the number

5":::~D:~:':~;~~;;:I'IJ,I~~152'20'~J~-d=Bo-,-m-'-";-;hboo---;k-'-~-'-' --'---'-''------'--='----='----J . and type of social outlets expanded, drag assumed a more prominent role in the

If TRItK II/N" "lWAYS of TREATWORLD FAMous'jEwEL BOX

* . : *

Skip Arnold performing at the: Jewel Box

!1<.C Trollops'Io Celebrate:liftli JilTwiversar--

Advc:rtiSl:ment for rhe Kansas City Trollops, fromAlternate News. April 12, 1991

JEWEl BOX LO"HOE

impersonators as they were regularly featured in formal and informal military theatrical

productions, largely owing to the segregation of troops by gender. Troops who had never

been exposed to drag were undoubtedly enlightened, and those who had been performers in

their civilian lives could continue to hone their craft with the blessing of the military. As the

war ended, discharged gay men and women clustered in large cities and created their own

social cutlets. The time was ripe for a full flowering of female impersonation and this was

certainly the case in Kansas City.

In 1946, two events occurred that significantly affecred Kansas City's female

impersonation community. First, that year's edition of the municipal code dropped the

specific reference to dressing in dothing not belonging to a specific gender. Second, the

Jewel Box opened its doors. For the next three decades the Jewel Box served as the premiere

nightclub for local, regional and national "femme mimics." Located at 3223 (sometimes

3219) Troost in what would u1timarely be billed as "Mid-America's Greatest Fun Complex,"

the club became a well-known regional tourist destination for a largely middle-class

heterosexual audience. As a stable venue that provided a regular income, the Jewel Box

allowed for the establishment of a conrinuing roster of talented professionals who could

provide shows of improving quality over time. Skip Arnold and Rae Bourbon were rwo of the

most prominent names affiliated with the club. Both were comedic performers, though they

also sang live onstage, as did all of the "mimics." Bourbon had performed in Hollywood films

and toured internationally before settling more-or-less permanently at the Jewel Box. while

Arnold regularly appeared onstage in larger cities such as Chicago. His performances at The

Shed in that city are docwnenred in Mother Camp: Female Impersonators in America, (a 1972

scholarly treatise) by Esther Newton.

community. As in the past certain performers rose to prominence owing to talent. beauty,

perseverance, or a combination of all three. These include Tommy Temple, Sandy Kay

and of course Melinda Ryder. Born in Saint Louis, MO, Bruce Winrer began performing

in drag in 1975. Winter has been performing as Melinda for nearly 40 years, and he has

appeared in nearly every gay bar in Kansas City during that rime - at leasr once.

Kansas City drag queens were among the primary fundraisers for the early

community-based responses to the AIDS crisis: Good Samaritan Project. SAVE Home,

and HARCMart, among others. Countless fundraisers were held, weekend after weekend,

in an effort to provide desperately-needed assistance that wasn't forthcoming from

mainstream social service or government sources. During this period, a drag troupe was

founded whose sole purpose was to raise money for AIDS: the Kansas Ciry Trollops. The

absurdly comedic nature of the Trollops was immediately evidenced in their satiric stage

names - May Lox, Virginia Hams, Sofonda Peters - as well as by the fact that they never

shaved their facial hair before donning costumes and makeup. Nor only did they provide

financial relief to afflicted members of the community, their onsrage antics also delivered

much-needed laughter during a particularly dark time.

By the beginning of the 21" century, drag had become pervasive enough in the

culture at large as to be commonplace. RuPaul is a household name, and the Internet has

enabled the drag-curious to satisfy their interests in their own time and space. Locally,

female impersonation resides more explicitly in its theatrical coors than it had for decades.

Late Night Theater, an acting company that offered satirical versions of pop culture

amalgams, performed almosr exclusively in drag. In 1995, rheir first season offered an

all-male version of Valley of the Dolls, and rhey wenr on ro perform such hybrid shows as

"The Bad Seedling," "Come Back to the 9 to 5, Dolly Parton, Dolly Parton," and "AVery

Searrie Carrie Christmas Carol." Wildly successful and spawning a legion of rabid fans,

the company lasted ten seasons, during which time they forever influenced the cultural

landscape of the ciry.

DeDe Deville Camp cover, feb. 2007

Mdinda Ryder. 1;. 2001

2<.C 'Trollop»'Io Celebrate:fifth Ji[nniversar!lThe Trollops er-e hIking time orr frombenefit shows, so lhallhey may~~IA':i:i~~6~eirFifth Anniversary III Taps

Th~Trollops will reminisce as theybring beck song selections from the pastfive years as performed by MBgno1ieThunder:pussy, Arms Rhinestone, TrudyBer-lcudl, ChllSlly Bell end Hope lust.

Join the girlfriends at Taps , April 20 III10:30 pm for that specie! "TrollopType of Entertainment'" endtheirFifth Annlverstlry selutel

K:IOS<lSCity Trollops ad, April 1991

The future of female impersonation in Kansas City, like that of any live performance, is in transition . .As people seek

more of their entertainment experiences via some sort of mediation - be it a television, smartphone, or tablet - the "stage"

of tomorrow will undoubtedly be affected. Moreover, the content of and audience for drag is certain to morph in response

to larger cultural influences. This was made plain during a recent interview with several young local female impersonators

conducted for this research. They noted that the Sunday brunch drag show at the local bat and restaurant Hamburger Mary's

was "family-friendly PG." This is because many of the show's patrons were accompanied by their children! Having evolved from

a criminal offense to family fare in the span of a century, the prospects of female impersonation in Kansas City bear watching.

Regardless of the transformations to come, drag will always be rooted in its theatrical traditions. The silver spray-painted toilet-

paper roll wig housed in the Kansas City Museum's collections will continue to resonate with Museum visitors as an apt symbol

of that adaptive art form.

STUART HINDS IS THE DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

at the Miller Nichols Library at the University of Missouri - Kansas City.

He received his Master of Library and Information Science degree from

the University ofIowa in 1994, and has been a special collections/local

history librarian in the Kansas City region since that time. He is a founding

partner of the Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America, a collaborative

collecting initiative between the UMKC University Libraries and the Kansas

City Museum, and is profoundly grateful ro the community for their

response to that effort.

The Cornmuniry Curator program of Kansas City Museum invites historians and history educators from the Kansas City

community to share their perspectives on artifacts they choose from the Museum collection. Community Curator lectures are

presented with the actual artifact presented along with the observations of our Community Curator.

Images courtesy Union Station Kansas City

KANSAS CITYMUSEUM-AT CORINTHIAN HAll

3218 Gladstone Blvd. I Kansas City, MO 64123 I 816-483-8300 I kansascitymuseum.org