Contrary to what the younger generation might think, RuPaul’s Drag Race didn’t invent drag. The art form is so expansive it’s as old as theater itself, dating back to ancient Greece and Shakespearian times. San Francisco’s Peaches Christ, who’s had a 30-year-career performing in drag all over the world, teaches about the history of drag in popular culture, especially in music, at Drag Academy with Professor Peaches Christ, a class-concert-drag show presented by Stanford Live on January 16.
“It’s celebrating and educating about the trailblazers that came before us,” says Christ. “I love RuPaul’s Drag Race. I love the Boulet Brothers’ Dragula. But those are TV shows with a limited amount of time and focus. And this is kind of spreading the word about drag history and talking about all these performers who paved the way for us to be able to do what we do.”
This isn’t the first time Christ has taught about drag or LGBTQ+ art in a scholarly setting. A filmmaker originally from Maryland, she’s perhaps best known for hosting from 1998 to 2009 Midnight Mass in San Francisco, where big-name guests like Cloris Leachman, RuPaul, John Waters, Pam Grier, Mink Stole, Barry Bostwick, Ricki Lake and Elvira actress Cassandra Peterson stopped by to watch midnight screenings of horror films and pre-show performances.
But she’s also spoken at conferences, classes and lectures at the San Francisco Art Institute and universities on subjects ranging from queer theater and queer politics to queer horror movies and drag in cinema. Last year, she appeared at Stanford Live’s Halloween-themed cabaret show, UnHoly Sunday, and the year before hosted the university’s Drag Fest produced by the Stanford Drag Troupe.
“This year, it’ll be 30 years since I first started performing as Peaches Christ,” says Christ. “And maybe it’s because I’ve gotten older, but I’ve really been excited about this role as mentor and sharing the history of queer music, pride anthems and queer musicians.”
Christ will cover drag’s timeline dating back to the 1950s, highlighting both gay artists and gay allies who’ve influenced the queer community over the years, particularly singers and musicians, including Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Johnny Mathis, Little Richard, Nina Simone, Cher, Donna Summer, Dolly Parton, Sylvester, The Cockettes, Grace Jones, Freddie Mercury, Boy George, George Michael and k.d. lang, to name a few.
“We’re talking about drag idols and divas that we worship and that the queer community has embraced as being our own,” Christ says. “They’re not necessarily all musicians who are queer per se, but they’re queer to us or they created iconography that really speaks to our community. And we’re really highlighting the uniqueness of Bay Area drag whenever possible.”
Christ says she won’t be relying on props or visuals. Instead, she’ll be joined by fellow San Francisco drag performers BeBe Sweetbriar and Fauxnique (author of Faux Queen: A Life in Drag, a book of essays published in 2022), who’ll both be singing live, in addition to members of the Stanford Drag Troupe. And, yes, you can expect “very tongue-in-cheek” quizzes and assignments, which will be the “only stress-free way to take a quiz at Stanford.”
“First and foremost, I just want to provide a couple hours of escape for people,” Christ says. “Just turn off your phones, turn off the news, laugh with us and feel that energy. Drag is a needed escape and there is actual healing power to laughter and screaming.
“Watching real people perform, make mistakes and even fail is going to be satisfying and healing as we get deeper and deeper into this perfect world of robotic bullshit.”
Drag Academy with Professor Peaches Christ will take place 7 and 9pm on Jan 16 at The Studio at Stanford Live, 327 Lasuen St, Stanford. Tickets: $54.
DRAGACADEMY
The Studio atStanford Live
January 16, 2026—7pm & 9pm
$54
live.stanford.edu
