Interview: Martino Mayotte of ARTS + REC at Queer Circus

The creators of the Queer Circus, Martinoa Mayotte and Gabe Gabriel, met while attending a theater conservatory in New York in 2005(AMDA). They moved to Minnesota and started producing in and around the Twin Cities as Silver Slipper Productions LLC in 2007. Early productions included drag queen hosted musical theater cabarets, original musicals, licensed plays, and burlesque/drag shows in unconventional spaces.

Our mission, since inception, has been to promote queer and non-binary visibility, while offering an all-inclusive space for performers and audiences. We have often sought out venues not known for being strictly LGBTQ+ spaces, and worked to build unique shows for those spaces.

Queer Circus Productions has a new show coming up Arts + Rec. We chat with Executive Producer of Queer Circus, Martinoa Mayotte [they/she/he] about Queer Circus and Arts + Rec.

What can you tell us about your new show coming up at Arts + Rec?

Our newest show is an All-Ages Drag show called Unicorn Drag Brunch, 2nd Saturdays of every month at Arts+Rec. It's hosted by the Twin Cities' favorite Unicorn Martina Marraccino (@TheLadyMartina) and will feature family friendly Drag performances, sing-a-longs, and a Dance Party.

We are also starting an all Live Singing variety show at A+R the 1st Wednesday of each month called Hot Mic. A rotating cast of Circus, Drag, Burlesque Artists and musicians of all kinds will be featured monthly. The audience will also get a chance to get involved with our open mic raffle!

What is your favorite moment of the show?

At both our LUSH Queer Circus and at Can Can Wonderland we give audience members who are celebrating any number of life events the chance to come up on stage for some love. We get to meet them, take photos, and then we give them a chance to turn the tables and entertain us! They get hoops, juggling balls and pins and we let them lose, it's a lot of fun cuz we never know how well or terrible it's going to turn out.

What do you hope audiences take away from seeing Queer Circus?

We want audiences to be amazed at the skill and artistry of our performers, but we also want them to feel loved, powerful, and that they have a space to be celebrated for whoever they want to be. Our cast and audiences are a community, and the love is very real.

What are your favorite local spots?

We love Can Can Wonderland, LUSH Lounge and Arts+Rec, they are our favorite places to hang out, that's why we love making shows there! We also really enjoy frequenting Element Pizza, SIP coffee and Fletchers Ice Cream in Northeast.

Thank you Martina for your time!

For more show information, please click the ticket link button below.

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