Interview: Auzi Peoples of ROTTEN WITCHES at Rialto Community Theatre

For three years, The Peoples Courte has been giving Morrilton a safe space for the LGBTQIA community to come together and express themselves through various forms of entertainment, with Drag being a focal point in the merriment, and because we are a friend to everyone, I wanted to check it out. For this particular show, I went to Sierra Tavern in Morrilton, where Miss Sierra Tavern 2024 Simply Auzi, brought together some top Arkansas talent for an evening of Snatch Games, which had the performers competing for bragging rights. Giving it all they had, Shego Wilde, Dolly Darko, Stevie Quinn Larain, and Adam Silver sashayed, shimmied, and lip synced in their fierce costumes that were super impressive, and though I forgot who the winner was for the evening, they all amazed me with their artistry and commitment to their craft.  

So, imagine my delight when I was able to chat with our host about the exciting plans for our Pride community.  

BWW: Tell me about yourself.  

Auzi Peoples: I am from Perryville, AR, and I started a drag show here in Little Morrilton, Arkansas. We have given a platform to a lot of people that have never felt that their voices have been heard, and I feel that we're making a difference here in this town.  

BWW: Why Morrilton? 

Auzi: When I was in elementary school, we would take field trips to the museum at the train station, and I would drive by the Rialto. I've always wanted to make something to put my name on that billboard. That was my childhood dream. And then three years ago in June, we got invited to do a parade for gay rights. We marched from the police station all the way down to the park. The Drag Queens and the Democrats in Morrilton handed out food to everyone. We had probably 100 hot dogs, 100 hamburgers, bags of chips, and waters.  

BWW: And you are doing it again this year... 

Auzi:  So, we've been having Pride at the park, but this year we're moving to the Rialto so that we have an actual building 

BWW: right  

Auzi: It's hot outside, girl, it's hot.  

BWW: And what is the importance of having events like this?  

Auzi: It allows people to become more educated about the LGTBQIA community. They may not even know what transgender is because their family doesn't talk about it, they're not educated, and the school does not offer this type of education. This is my way of not only helping the community, but we're bringing the community together. Everyone is welcome. We have businesses, churches, support groups, and we have the Battered Women Shelter of Morrilton. We're bringing the community together. 

BWW: What do you hope you hope to get out of this?  

Auzi: I want Morrilton to be a safe place for people to want to move, to live, to create businesses, and to exist here, because right now it's very hard. The LGBTQ community here is still in the closet. ‘You could do that thing, but don't do it in public’ is something that we hear a lot. I want people to know that it’s ok to be this way, because there is someone that will love you regardless of what you choose. I don't even know these people, but I have a love for them. I want them to live authentically and happily every day of their life. That is my mission.  

BWW: So why a drag show?   

 Auzi: I Grew up Pentecostal, and there was a specific image of what a man should do, how a man should dress, and how they should act when they are presenting themselves to their surroundings. I never fell in line with that. I was always somewhere in between, like I wouldn't just wear dresses all the time. It would just be more flamboyant, more expressive, more freeing, more comfortable for me. Of course I didn't understand really what gay was until probably 9th grade. I just thought I was different, because I didn't like girls or boys. Then around 9th or 10th grade, I was like, whoa, I could see myself dating a boy. However, where I grew up, there was nothing available. There was no sex education. There was no, ‘hey, if you're gonna be doing stuff like this, at least have the tools to keep yourself safe and clean.’ That’s another thing -- I would like to advocate for people's rights to be able to have the option to have safe sex. I would like to eventually offer condoms at our shows. At our Pride event this year, we are doing HIV testing kit signups. Also, we're doing gender marker change paperwork, like the free paperwork that you have to have before you go to court. We're getting all of that done.  

Conway County Pride 2024 is this Saturday beginning at 10am. Then at 5pm, the drag show will dominate The Rialto stage until the party dies down. For more information, visit their website at conwaycounty.guide/pride.  

To post a comment, you must register and login.