My name is Latina K Turner D’Ho, formerly known as Perlita Picante. I am a veteran burlesque and drag performer who calls Olympia home. I have been planning this project for the last few years, and now it is time to put it to work. With this project, I am looking to collect information to put the history of the Burlesque and Drag Movement in Olympia, WA on record.
Olympia has a thriving burlesque and drag scene. Among the best-known established groups are Olympia’s Own Tush! Burlesque, Rock Candy Burlesque, the PNW Burlesque Festival, Papaya Magic Cabaret, and Free Range Drag, making Olympia a burlesque and drag destination in the Pacific Northwest. It is my desire to expand this knowledge and create a directory, conduct interviews, and eventually publish a series of podcasts, blogs, or vlogs featuring Olympian burlesque and drag artists, technicians, and venues. I want to dig as far back as I can go…every little bit of information counts!
Eligibility requirements
Individuals: In order to be included in this project, individuals MUST be/have been regularly involved in the Olympia scene regardless of county of residence. This means you consistently position yourself as an Olympian artist in your marketing, apply to participate in shows and events representing Olympia, are part of a larger Olympian drag or burlesque group/collective, or are a technician regularly hired to work in burlesque and/or drag shows.
Groups: Your group MUST be based in Olympia/Thurston County. An eligible group consistently positions itself as an Olympian organization in your marketing, and at least one member resides in Thurston County.
Venues: Eligibility is narrowed down for venues. Venues MUST be located in Olympia, Lacey, or Tumwater; and be, have been, or are looking to consistently rent to, sponsor, or facilitate a performance, practice, or meeting space to Olympian burlesque and drag artists. Location can be within or outside of city limits. A venue is a theater, bar, restaurant, grange, community center, or dance and movement studio and can be open, or permanently closed, as long as they have regularly hosted or plan to regularly host burlesque and drag events/artists.
Outside entities: National brands and production groups, or individual producers who are from out of state, or from outside of Thurston County, are not eligible to be featured in this project unless the hired drag and burlesque talent is at least 70% Thurston County residents or artists who consistently position themselves as Olympian in their marketing. Frequent touring burlesque and drag groups and artists who perform in Olympia more than twice a year may have a separate section in the future.
The fine print
To help ensure safety and transparency within our drag and burlesque scene, I ask that all eligible individuals, groups, and venues submitting information in good faith be in current good standing with the greater local burlesque and drag community. As the creator of this project I reserve the right to and without notice, reject a submission, or remove a feature from this website and social media channels if any individuals, groups, or venues are found to consistently engage in problematic behavior, or harbor consistently problematic events, individuals, or groups. Any individual, group, or venue who have been found to engage in said behavior may still be mentioned on this site for historical purposes.
This project is not intended to be a classified listing or a place to engage in financial transactions or trade. This project is intended to be a community resource. If you wish to book talent or a space please reach out to the individual or entity via their appropriate contact channels. Listing on this website is not a guarantee for booking.
This is right now a one-person-show labor of love that will take several months to complete; however, it will be an ongoing project needing updates. If you are interested in volunteering in this project i.e. becoming a contributor, copy/editing, interviewing, outreach, etc., drop me a line at olyburlesqueproject@gmail.com.
