PicturedMaryanne Cassera ( aka Johnny Mozzarella ) .
King Johnny Mozzarella Performs and Lectures on Campus, Highlights 'Gender Fusions' at HotHouse
The Woman Warrior Festival is a biennial event, presented by the Center for Asian Arts and Media of Columbia College Chicago, celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of Asian and Pacific Island women. The 2005 festival runs April 27-May 6 and features film screenings, presentations, performances and an opening night gala.
Drag King: Performing Asian Masculinity, a performance and lecture by Johnny Mozzarella is Wednesday, May 4, 6 p.m., Hokin Hall Auditorium, 623 S. Wabash Ave, Columbia College Chicago, free.
Maryanne Cassera ( aka Johnny Mozzarella ) is a drag king performer from Portland, Ore., with a bachelor's degree in women's studies and communications. Through her performance as a drag king, Maryanne deconstructs misconceptions of Asian masculinity and how this differs from the mainstream media.
Gender Fusions—A Divine Extravaganza of Transmutation is Wednesday, May 4, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo. Presented by the Holey Rollerz and co-sponsored by Columbia's Office of GLBT Student Concerns.
Enjoy a night of drag, burlesque and queer cheer followed by a public community dialogue. Performers, faculty and staff engage the audience in a discussion about representations of queer bodies and gender identities on the stage and in the streets. Emceed by Two Johnnys—Johnny Mozzarella of Oregon and Johnny T. of Chicago—the performance lineup includes: The Hellcat Hussies, Mathew Hollis & the Power of Cheer, the Q-Force Color Guard, Drag Kings and Columbia students. Music by DJ Boywonder.
Notes Kathleen McLaughlin, coordinator of the office of GLBT Student Concerns, 'the purpose of this event is to create bridges between queers and straights alike, forging further visibility for queer students.' Proceeds from this event benefit the Near Homeless Queer Youth Emergency Fund.
The event is open to 18+. $5 cover charge; free for participants of the Woman Warrior Festival or people with a Columbia College ID.
Call ( 312 ) 344-7870 or visit the Web site www.asianartsandmedia.org/womanwarrior2005.
