After years away from a traditional theater space, ARU Drag Productions is stepping back into the light—or rather, the shadow—with ICONIC, an opulent and haunting drag spectacle that celebrates the power of legendary figures and the spirits that refuse to be forgotten.
For the first time since before the pandemic, the production unfolds in a grand theatrical setting at the Dougherty Arts Center, a venue that will echo with reverence, revelry, and the rhythmic pulse of queer resilience.
With a soundtrack steeped in the work of queer creators and their allies, ICONIC is not just a show; it’s a resurrection, an incantation of glamour and darkness, and a love letter to horror’s most exquisite phantoms.
ARU: This is the first time ARU Drag Productions is returning to a theater since before the pandemic. How does it feel to bring ICONIC to the Dougherty Arts Center Theater?
ARU Drag Productions: It is like stepping into a forgotten temple, a place where ritual and performance intertwine, where every step echoes with the ghosts of what came before. This return to a proper stage is not just a shift in venue—it is a reclaiming. After years of adaptation and reinvention, we finally have the space to breathe, to unfurl the wings of our vision, to conjure something truly spectacular. The Dougherty Arts Center, with its history and its bones steeped in artistry, is the perfect place to house the dark and dazzling magic of ICONIC.
ARU: The name ICONIC sets high expectations. What inspired this year’s theme?
ARU Drag Productions: Names hold power. Icons do not fade—they flicker, they transform, they wait in the dark until they are called forth again. ICONIC is an invocation, a tribute to the figures who have shaped our nightmares and our dreams alike. Horror has always been a space of transgression, where the misunderstood become legends, where the monstrous are often the most magnificent. This show is about honoring those who have haunted and held us, reclaiming their darkness and making it shine.
ARU: How does performing at the Dougherty Arts Center Theater elevate this year’s show?
ARU Drag Productions: Some performances belong to the streets, to the bars, to the dimly lit corners of defiance—but ICONIC belongs on a stage, under the glow of lights that cut through the dark like a whisper of prophecy. The Dougherty Arts Center allows us to weave a richer tapestry, layering sound, shadow, and spectacle into something immersive, something alive. Here, the horror and the glamour can stretch into their full theatrical form—every flicker of candlelight, every shadowed breath, every perfectly placed drop of blood-red silk will be seen, felt, and remembered.
ARU: Music plays a huge role in drag performances. Can you tell us more about the soundtrack for ICONIC?
ARU Drag Productions: A spell is only as powerful as the voices that weave it. Music is our heartbeat, the incantation that binds each performance into something more than itself. For ICONIC, we have deliberately chosen a soundtrack composed of queer artists and allies—voices that echo with history, defiance, and spectral beauty. Their music pulses beneath each performance like something ancient and untamed, breathing life into every transformation, every monstrous resurrection.
ARU: What can audiences expect from ICONIC?
ARU Drag Productions: Expect to be enveloped, consumed, and utterly bewitched. ICONIC is not a show you simply watch—it is a show that takes hold of you, draws you into its world, and leaves its fingerprints on your soul. Each act is a carefully constructed tribute, a summoning of horror’s most legendary figures, reborn through the artistry of drag. Some performances will haunt, some will exhilarate, and some will leave you gasping at the sheer audacity of it all. Prepare to be spellbound.
ARU: What excites you most about collaborating with the Dougherty Arts Center Theater?
ARU Drag Productions: The Dougherty Arts Center is more than a venue—it is a temple of creation, a place that honors those who craft and conjure. To bring drag into this space, to let it stretch its talons and its silk, is an honor and an opportunity. This is a stage that allows us to reach new audiences, to breathe fresh life into the legends we love, and to remind the world that queer artistry does not just survive—it thrives, devours, and reigns.
ARU: For those new to ARU Drag Productions, what sets your shows apart?
ARU Drag Productions: Our work is not simply about performance—it is about transformation, reclamation, and revelation. We create spaces where queer people, especially those in recovery, can see themselves reflected in something powerful, beautiful, and unapologetically alive. Our productions are not just entertainment; they are moments of resistance, of storytelling, of remembrance. ICONIC is a tribute not just to horror, but to the indomitable spirit of our community—to those who have endured, who have transformed, and who have refused to fade into the night.
ARU: Any advice for first-time attendees or those new to drag shows?
ARU Drag Productions: Come with open eyes and an unguarded heart. Drag is about catharsis, about transcendence—it is an art form meant to be felt. Cheer, gasp, revel in the beauty and the terror. And if you feel the urge to scream, to laugh, to lose yourself in the moment—do it. Drag is not meant to be watched in silence; it is meant to be lived.
Join ARU Drag Productions for ICONIC at the Dougherty Arts Center Theater, April 4 and 5. Every dollar raised supports Austin Roundup, helping provide vital recovery resources for LGBTQ+ individuals. Get your tickets now, step into the dark, and let yourself be transformed.
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