Fresh off the plane from performing at “A Whole Brunch of Queens” in Las Vegas, Coco Montrese made it just in time for Kent State’s annual Sex Week drag show. Sex Week takes place each year during the last week of October, as the perfect transition into Halloweekend. The week focuses on promoting STI prevention, sex education and sex destigmitization. The festivities includes informative workshops like Understanding Sexual Integrity and Sex in the Dark as well as fun events like Sex Bingo and the most sought after event of the entire week, the Sex Week Drag Show.

The season five “RuPaul’s Drag Race” legend was the M.C. of the night, alongside Kent State fashion student and drag queen Frutisha Punch. The pair bantered with one another, taking turns reading each other and audience members to filth in between announcing each performer. (For those not plugged into the drag world, “reading” refers to playfully insulting others.) Montrese even pinpointed a fan’s boyfriend who was sitting in front of the stage and “stole him” from her, and later briefly sat on his lap during her performance. 

The extremely talented and gorgeous lineup of queens included Frutisha Punch, Mikayla Moon, Evelyn De Ville, Asstra, Monica Mod, Carmen La’Shon and for the finale Coco Montrese! 

Frutisha opened the show with a theatrical performance of “Just Around the Corner” from “The Addams Family” musical. Her black wig and floor length see-through black gown perfectly encapsulated the essence of the musical. After her performance, she joined Coco in announcing the next queen, Mikayla Moon. Moon stepped out in a black cut out bodysuit to the iconic Lady Gaga song “Scheiße” off the “Born This Way” album. Her choreography was nothing short of an actual Gaga performance, with perfectly balanced jumps, even in stilettos. 

The next performer Evelyn De Ville, or Eve Ville if you’re nasty, also performed a “Born This Way” tribute to the song “Judas” in a stunning floor length white gown and costume change into a sparkling bright red mini dress that she designed herself. Her inspiration for the looks were “nun chic into satan stripper.” She admits she was “scrambling” to finish them the week before the show, but they came out absolutely stunning. 

Asstra, Monica Mod and Carmen La’Shon also brought the heat with their energetic performances. Asstra took to the stage in a sparkling mini dress with knee-high black boots and performed to The Weeknd’s “Call Out My Name.” The mini dress quickly came off, revealing black lingerie that sent the audience into emphatic cheers. After Asstra’s sultry performance, Monica Mod sashayed to the stage in a full Daphne Blake costume. Mod, an AFAB queen with a ‘60s flare, brought a playful performance with soundbites from “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” sprinkled throughout her number. As for Carmen La’Shon, a recent Kent State graduate, she emerged from behind the curtain in a form fitting evening gown and poured their heart out to Jennifer Holliday’s “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going.”

Coco Montrese took the stage next decked out in a whimsical, sequined, hot pink bodysuit with a long cape, feathers and thigh-high pink leather boots. The look was made by Chicago-based designer Eddie Couture who specializes in fantastical looks. Her Ariana Grande themed performance included sexy and playful choreography that had the crowd singing and dancing along with her. She even left the stage to get closer and interact with the crowd, making for extremely happy fans.

Following her performance, the intermission included a Q&A with Montrese herself and Frutisha Punch. Fans of the legend had the opportunity to ask her questions, and she emphasized her appreciation for Kent State having a sex week which she said highlights issues that most universities gloss over. The legend referred to Kent State students as “the most warm, welcoming, and enthusiastic bunch” and stressed just how important it was that we show up to support our peers, something that was missing when she was in college. 

Montrese said over Instagram DMs that she spoke with the cast backstage and had a conversation about how much times have changed. When she was in college, she said she “had to sneak around” to perform which made it not only difficult to pursue her dream, but dangerous. She said she reminded the cast to never take the support of the audience for granted, as it’s something she wished she had during her early days. 

The second portion of the show was just as electric as the first, with each performer doing a second performance with an outfit change. Mikayla Moon stomped out in knee-high black platform boots, a sparkling black cutout dress and a wig featuring antennas. Evelyn De Ville returned to the stage as a femme fatale in a black evening gown with a thigh-high slit. In a hauntingly sensual performance, De Ville ripped off her gown to reveal a sequined black bodysuit. 

Asstra came back out in a red leather jacket, which they ripped off to reveal a black lingerie set to do an exhilarating rendition of “Sweet Transvestite” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” They were perfectly in character with sensual choreography that included impressive side splits. Monica Mod then brought the drama with her performance of Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You” in a glittering floor-length silver ball gown. 

Maintaining the sultry, dark, Halloween vibe, Carmen La’Shon’s second performance was to the tune of Beyoncé’s slowed version of “Crazy in Love” which was produced for “Fifty Shades of Grey.” This Halloween vibe became even more apparent with Frutisha Punch’s second performance where she appeared in a full Jack-o’-lantern costume which then revealed into an orange bikini. 

To end the night, Coco Montrese stepped out once again in a show-stopping black sequined jumpsuit, which had long, exaggerated sleeves that she twirled around as part of her choreography. 

After the show, Montrese held a meet and greet which she said over Instagram DMs was her favorite moment of the night. The queen said she doesn’t view meet and greets as just “taking a picture and moving on,” but rather “an opportunity to connect with people who like your art.” 

When asked which performer stood out to her the most, she said that they all stood out to her because “they were all different” which she stresses is what drag is all about: “finding your own personality and your own character, and developing it.” 

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Hi, I’m Catie Pusateri, the Editor-in-Chief of A Magazine. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we receive support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.