Review by Byrne Harrison
Photos by Li Colandrea
One audience member, upon leaving the Art House after an All The Kings Men performance, sniffingly said to her partner, "How can they call themselves drag kings? There wasn't even a single dildo in their show."
Clearly, she didn't get it, and that's a pity. Because of her preconceived notions of what a drag king show must be, she couldn't enjoy the rollicking entertainment that this talented cast provided during their too short stay in Provincetown as part of Girl Splash Weekend.
Luckily, Ms. Sniffy was in the minority. The rest of the audience clearly enjoyed ATKM for what it is, an all female theatre ensemble that explores gender stereotypes using physical theatre, costume, dance, music, comedy, and lip-synch. Their sketches range from comedy (a great sketch about two boys who discover love to a Wham! song), to drama (a marvellous dance performance about saving the planet), to just plain amazing (an exceptional dance tribute to Michael Jackson that had to be seen to be believed). They explore sexual attraction, gender identity, and the nature of drag itself. And they are, above all, entertaining and talented performers who create a show that is a melange of drag, theatre, dance, and performance art.
If you are in the Boston area, keep an eye open for All The Kings Men. If you like clever sketch comedy, music, dance, and an incredibly talented group of actors, you shouldn't miss their shows. If you're not in the Boston area, ATKM does travel, so visit their website and sign up for their mailing list.
For a sample of ATKM in action, watch their YouTube promo, and look out for "Play in the Gray," an upcoming documentary about the troupe.
All The Kings Men features: Katie Allen, Julee Antonellis, Leighsa Burgin, Jill Gibson, Maria Kogan, Karin Webb
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