Today we’d like to introduce you to Eva Star.
Eva, before we jump into specific questions about your art, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Ever since when I was a young kid, I have always dreamed of performing on stage in front of a huge audience, wearing something sparkly, and wearing makeup of some sort. I could never figure out how I was going to make it happen, but something stuck with me throughout the years and it kept urging for me to find a way to get on stage. I remember watching Hannah Montana and being obsessed with her hair and the way she twirled it. I became very determined to get at wig just like hers, and one of my friends at the time had received one as a gift. I then took it upon myself to use her wig as my own, basically claiming it, and I wore it like no other.
I remember turning on music, and throwing myself around with that wig on for hours while I was in my room. And to be honest, the rest is history. From then on, I knew this is what I had to do. I had to be entertaining people in some way, whether it was singing, acting, dancing, or playing a musical instrument I absolutely had to be doing it. Then at age 15, I discovered a video on YouTube on the channel ‘WOWPresents’ and the video was about a drag queen named Willam.
I remember seeing it and being confused at what this was all about. I remember watching the video and just being star-struck. I saw a video recommended to me on the sidebar, and it was Latrice Royale performing at the RuPaul’s Drag Race Season seven Finale, and I was in love with it. I was OBSESSED with whatever I was watching, and I have to find out more about it. Time went on, experimenting with makeup, diving into more exploration of this whole “drag” thing, and then eventually I came across a drag queen named Aria Rey on Instagram. She pushed me to start a drag, along with her best friend and now my good friend, Chanelle Diorr, and then Eva Bitch was born. To make a long story short, I changed the name because it wasn’t appropriate in every setting. I have been doing drag for 12 months now, and ever since recently, I have been taking it very seriously. It is my goal to constantly upgrade my art and express myself through performing.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The ride I have been on for the past 12 months has been so NOT smooth….to be honest, it has been the most mentally and physically challenging thing I have ever put myself through. When I first started, I was fresh out of high school 18-year-old person, SO eager to start the drag. I was very cocky (for no reason) and I came off unapproachable and rude. I didn’t have it figured out like I thought I did. Over time, I have learned to interact with other entertainers. Being backstage with other drag queens is stressful and it puts a lot of us on edge. Our personalities tear into each other because we care a lot about what we are doing, and we get stressed out. In the process of growing this past year, I’ve learned to sew! I am going to start private lessons very soon for sewing and styling hair, and I’m very excited. Finally, now I’ve got the hang of the basics, and even then I know I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
An overall description of my performance art would be high energy, captivating, funny, dancey, and all in all entertaining. What makes me different is how fast I understand things. I’ve had so much growth and self-discovery in 1 year, it’s crazy even to me looking at it. There are lots of drag queens who I’ve seen who take years to look alright and have some sort of stage presence. For me, it’s always been natural, and on top of that, I practice stretching and dancing so often.
I’m constantly working on something drag related, I try to live each day a better entertainer than I was the day before. I always strive for each performance I have to get better and better every single time, I’m very hard on myself and I hold myself to a high standard. I’m different because of how much I have achieved in such a short time. Doing drag for 1 year is one thing, but being a full-time college student in that one year and just turning 18, it takes lots of analyzing and hard work to turn out what I’ve turned out. While I do sit back and admire what I’ve done and learned, I do realize and always think ahead of what I’m doing. I don’t think for one second that I’ve learned everything I needed to, I know I have SO much room to grow in so many ways, and I’m not comfortable being at the level I am at right now. I always strive for more, I always am striving to be a better version of me.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me comes in so many different forms. For me in drag at the moment, success comes in little things. Pinning in a wig successfully, doing a really cool makeup look, performing very well to a song I absolutely adore. And sometimes it comes in ways that truly inspire me to keep me pushing myself. I feel successful when I see people smile watching me perform, it means I am doing what I came to do. I want to entertain and inspire others to do what their heart tells them to by doing what I do! After all, that’s what got me started! Hannah Montana being her iconic self is what inspired me to put on a wig in the first place! Drag queens have always been my superhero, and It is my dream to be a superhero to someone else. 🙂
Contact Info:
- Email: evancawthon90@gmail.com
- Instagram: @theevastar
- Facebook: Evan Cawthon (Eva Star)
- Twitter: @theevastar
Image Credit:
@thecloaca edited some of the photos @druholidaydtx did too
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