On the first and third Saturday of every month in downtown Champaign, The Space comes to life with the sights and sounds of Herra’s Drag Menagerie — Champaign-Urbana’s very own “open” drag show.

The mastermind behind the Menagerie is Herra Winn, self-described Queen Mother of Herratics, high priestess of the Herasy and arch nemesis of the imperium of man.

“She almost has the energy of a cult leader,” said Grim Bastard, local drag performer and drag son of Winn. “She’s like hoarding all of these drag babies and bringing people into her world. She’s very fun.”

Winn, who grew up in Danville, Illinois, started drag after season two of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” inspired her. She attended her first drag show at Chester Street, downtown Champaignʼs former gay nightclub, which permanently closed on July 6, 2017.

After beginning to perform drag locally around eight years ago, Winn took a break just before the pandemic. She jumped back into the scene with her own idea — Herra’s Drag Menagerie. The show provides an accessible space for new performers to experiment with different drag styles, or even try drag for the first time.

“There aren’t a lot of places in Champaign where new and up-and-coming performers can truly go,” Winn said. “Not everyone has cars, not everyone can get into an actual bar. So giving people that are local, people that might not be able to get into a bar, a chance to do drag — let me pass on what I love to the next generation.”

Winn emphasized that while C-U provides competitive opportunities for drag performers, there’s an additional perk to having a more relaxed show setting.

“I think (competing) is a very important part of drag — it teaches you to be ready, know how to read a room, engage with the crowd,” Winn said. “I also feel like it’s not conducive to really letting people experiment, because in a competition you’re trying to win, versus really getting to dig in and find what makes you.”

Local performers, like Bastard, use the Menagerie as an opportunity to grow into their drag personas. The show is free and open to all, and each performer is allowed one song before the next takes the stage.

One local performer, Big Top Circus, made their drag debut at the Menagerie after starting makeup on their own. Circus compared Winn to a drag mother figure, saying the show brought the two of them closer and simultaneously unlocked a new world of inclusivity.

“It’s just kind of crazy to me, as someone who’s a very awkward person and was a very awkward kid, how quickly I feel like I have been accepted into this very established family,” Circus said.

Winn aims to promote more diverse forms of drag with the Menagerie. She described Bastard’s performance style as very “unique” in a positive way, encouraging this along with Circus’ “alt drag.”

“When people think of drag, a lot of time it’s the traditional female-presenting, big hair, rhinestone gown — which is a very important part of drag,” Winn said. “I wanted to be a person that gives performers, no matter what they’re giving, a chance to give it.”

The Menagerie’s inclusive atmosphere stems from Winn’s values and personality. She uses her show to give local performers feedback and motivation to refine their art.

“I like to do that with the performers, I like to encourage them,” Winn said. “You’re already on stage, you’re already doing the hard part. Let me give you some pointers here and there to really step it up.” 

Bastard and Circus found this encouragement through performing as well. They said that drag became increasingly comfortable with more time on stage.

While not afraid to give criticism, Winn is equally vocal in using her platform to highlight a range of talent. Collaboration with musical artists and promotion of other groups onstage is encouraged at the Menagerie.

“I was like, let me use my power to give a shout-out to other artists in the area,” Winn said. “Let people know, ‘Hey! There’s these other people you should totally follow because they’re really f—ing good.’”

Liv Orlandi, an employee at The Space, said that the restaurant primarily hosted punk shows in its early days. According to her, since integrating the Menagerie, The Space has gained popularity as the show nears its one-year anniversary.

Kristen Unakis is a local comedic performer who has worked with Winn since the Menagerie’s debut. She specifically praised the “open mic” part of the show, which creates a truly special opportunity for C-U to come together.

“I think that it’s amazing for the community,” Unakis said. “Open mic for drag, newbies, anybody can start out. You have somewhere to practice.”

With the dissolution of C-U queer spaces, like C-Street, Bastard emphasized that Winnʼs community is more important now than ever before.

“The world does not want us performing drag,” Bastard said. “They don’t want to let us have this art form, they don’t want to let us have any art forms at this point. It is so important having these open stages and having places for baby drag performers.”

Winn said that the Menagerie will remain at The Space as long as possible. With full support from the restaurant’s staff, the show will continue to be a testament to the welcoming queer space Winn has created in C-U.

“As long as people get to come and enjoy it, and try it, that’s all I want,” Winn said. “I want to be able to keep giving people a chance to really do the thing that I love, that I wanted to do for so many years.”

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