Bridget Caswell uses her keen eye to capture what many in the LGBTQIA+ community – and the community in general – never get to see: who our favorite performers are without the makeup and feathers. A bonus: the performers add their own words to accompany Bridget’s captivating images. They lay bare what they do and provide details that call you back to look at the ‘before & after’ effect the work presents.

“A lot of humanity is lost in the shadows because we don’t allow ourselves to sparkle and shine and be seen, Drag and Burlesque are the art of shining in all your gloriousness, highlighting your favorite parts of yourself and creating a limitless character that is your best you. They get to be the fabulousness they want to see in the world. When the song is over, they exit the stage and go back to being their multifaceted selves. But they bring the fabulous sparkle of possibility with them everywhere they go.”

“I wanted to have a chronicling of this point in Cleveland LGBTQIA+ history. Throughout time, we have been marginalized and erased from history. It is important to me to document and celebrate the community.” – Bridget Caswell