Episode 50: Sharon ShareAlike
Sharon ShareAlike 0:00
Music.
Rachel Kobus 0:09
Welcome to Redbird buzz. I'm Rachel Kobus from alumni engagement. Glitz, glamor and creativity are three words that describe drag queen and Redbird Sharon ShareAlike. After earning her Bachelor's in sculpting from Illinois State in 1994 Sharon continued her education at ISU to earn her Master's in Fine Arts. It was during this time she found the world of performance in drag, and for the past 30 years, has made a name for herself in the industry, from early years competing in pageants and capturing the title Miss Gay Illinois US of A to now being the founder and owner of Boobs for Queens and DragSkins that have been featured on RuPaul's drag race and Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's A Star is Born. Sharon is, without a doubt, a creator and artist and a sought after mentor in the LGBTQIA+ community. We are very excited to talk and learn more from the ever so amazing Sharon Sharealike so what's the word Redbird? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Sharon ShareAlike 1:03
Well, hey, Rachel, how are you today? I'm great. I'm so happy to be here. As you said, my name is Sharon ShareAlike I've been performing in drag for about little over 30 years now. So I am old. I grew I grew up in central Illinois. I went to college. I got my associate's degree at Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, and then I transferred to ISU, and I got my bachelor's degree there, and also got my Master's of Fine Arts at ISU. I graduated in 98 if you can remember that far back? Were you born yet? I was
Rachel Kobus 1:41
born? Thank you.
Sharon ShareAlike 1:45
But I'm just thrilled to be here. Like I said, I've been performing in drag. I'm the show director at the Bistro. I also perform all over central Illinois, and I work very closely with ISU, with the Pride organization, and a lot of different shows that we do there at ISU. So yeah, I'm thrilled to be here today. Thanks for having me.
Rachel Kobus 2:03
Yes, I'm thrilled to have you. I was so happy when you were able to do this interview with us, and I want to kick off right away, because you mentioned being involved with Illinois State that this is a good time to talk about that the LGBTQIA+ reunion weekend is happening at the end of January, and Sharon and her family are going to be performing at it. So I wanted to make that known to our listeners right now, that there's still time to register for that weekend. It's going to be filled with film festivals, speakers, tours, drag show, a soiree. It should be a great time. So that's why I wanted to try and get you on the show right now so we could also plug that, knowing that you're going to be there as well. Yeah,
Sharon ShareAlike 2:42
this is our first year to do that, so we're super excited that we were invited to come. And I'm looking forward to seeing everyone. Yes,
Rachel Kobus 2:50
and I can tell everyone registration will be open. We're excited to have one, and it's on campus too, so local for all someone like Sharon, but if people want to travel in, there are hotels available still, and we're excited to see everyone so
Sharon ShareAlike 3:04
and anybody can come too, right? Oh my gosh, yes. Absolutely all alumni.
Rachel Kobus 3:07
Yes, absolutely. All are welcome a lot. I should have said alumni and friends, anybody. It does not matter what your orientation is. All are actually welcome to this too. It's just a way to support our community and support Redbirds in general. So thank you for saying that,
Sharon ShareAlike 3:21
and we have a great show planned for all of you. So make sure you come and check us out. Yes,
Rachel Kobus 3:25
super excited. And so you know, with that, Sharon gives me to my next question is, how did the persona of Sharon ShareAlike come to be?
Sharon ShareAlike 3:35
Well, I I went to a drag show at the Bistro, and I thought it just looked like a lot of fun. I had never thought about doing drag, and I met a performer there, and later we became really close friends, and she became my drag mother, and that's Lauren Alexander, and she doesn't perform very much anymore, but we still talk almost every day, and she helps me out with drag ideas and things like that. But that's kind of how I got started, and I did my very first show was a Valentine's Day show that the Bistro put on. Okay? And after that, my drag mother said, Well, you should compete in a drag pageant. And I didn't even really know what that meant. You know now, I know, but back then, I had no idea. I just thought it was like a little contest. And so that got me into doing drag pageants. I won my first title in Champaign, Illinois in 97 and that ended up being a preliminary pageant to go compete for the state pageant, which was Miss Gay Illinois, US of A so then I went to that and I came in second place. Was over 30 contestants from all over Illinois, and I came in second place.
Rachel Kobus 5:05
And that was your first time doing it. You came in second place? Yeah?
Sharon ShareAlike 5:08
Well, I won the pageant in Champaign, okay, then went to do the state pageant, yes. And so that gave me a bug, like I wanted to go back and win. So I went back the following year and won Miss Gay Illinois, US of A and that was in 2000 that I won that okay, so that kind of is how I got started in drag, because once I won a state pageant, then I got to travel all over the state and perform. And I was very new at drag, so it was kind of like a growing up experience really quickly, but my name Sharon ShareAlike. I liked the share and share alike. It was like a passage from the Bible. And I thought, well, that's kind of a fun name, share and share alike. It kind of works out well. So that's where the name came from. And I just really love entertaining people and having fun. So my personality is like that anyway. So it just kind of comes out on stage. I enjoy making fun of myself and teasing the crowd and making big costumes and all that kind of thing. So it works really well for Greg, yes,
Rachel Kobus 6:19
and I love your costumes. Just seeing photos of those, you know, those, they're extraordinary. I mean, truly like the time I'm guessing that gets put into those, you know, that was gonna be something I wanted to follow up is, how do you find inspiration for your costumes, your makeup, your shows, all of it's just so just wonderful to look at and see and watch.
Sharon ShareAlike 6:37
Well, thank you for saying that I do love making, like, big showgirl type costumes, like the big headdresses, and most of it when I was young, I really just enjoyed making things, you know, just anything. I have lots of memories of making, like, string puppets and paper mache heads. My family would be in our local Fourth of July parade, and I would make, like, paper mache heads and do all the floats, you know, and all that kind of stuff. And then when I, when I graduated from high school, I wasn't really sure what I was going to do my I didn't really have this idea that I was going to go right into college, so I just got a job, you know, and was making things still, and I ended up designing this toy, and I sold it to a toy company, and it ended up selling nationally, like in Kmart stores and target, and it was called Squirmin Vermin, and it was a handheld rat, and you put your finger in the rat, and it looked like it was alive. So it was like a puppet toy, yes, but I enjoyed that kind of stuff. And so then I tried to, I thought, well, maybe I'll be a toy designer. So I tried to design some more toys, and that was a little harder, you know, it was during the era of Cabbage Patch Cabbage Patch dolls, all in that time frame. So I wasn't able to come up with another toy. So I was at the same time I was making Halloween mask. I like sculpting Halloween mask. And you'd make molds of those and then pour latex into them, and I would go to craft stores in the malls. Malls, back then, used to be a big deal, indoor malls. That's where you went for, like, dating and all that social life stuff. So anyway, they would have craft shows on the weekend sometimes. And so I would get into, like, the fall craft shows and sell all my Halloween masks. So I was kind of going down this, this direction, you know, make making my life about creating things. And so I finally decided that I wanted to try to go to college. So I I took pictures of everything that I had made, and I sent it to Lincoln College, and I ended up getting a scholarship to go there. So that's kind of how, that's the direction that my life took then, and I did the same thing then from Lincoln College, I was able to get a scholarship at ISU. So I really appreciate ISU and everything that they've done for me, you know, because it really led me along a path that I knew I wanted to go on, but I wasn't quite sure how to get there, you know? Oh, yeah. So I've, I've turned that into making costumes and drag, because a lot of my drag costumes kind of have that puppet element behind them. The first pageant I won, I dressed up like Hillary Clinton and I was riding on or I was Monica Lewinsky, and I was riding on Bill Clinton's back, and it was one of those kind of puppet things where my legs are Bill Clinton's, but my upper body is Monica Lewinsky. So that gives you a little idea of what I mean by puppet type costumes. And then I also just really enjoyed making any kind of a big costume. So I've done things where I look like maybe a big Muppet, so it's not all glamorous looking stuff. You know, I try to do all different kinds of things. But then, of course, there are those big feather headdress type costumes too, that. And I, I take pride in like making all my own costumes when, when I was young, my mom taught me how to sew, so I still do all my own sewing. I make all my own body suits and all the head pieces. And I started doing some YouTube tutorials too. You know where you can go and see how I make headdresses and dance costumes and body suits. And I didn't really feel great at drag makeup, so it's taken me some time to kind of learn how I want to look. You know, there's a lot of different types of drag makeup so, and I do that just by doing a lot of times, you know, my husband would come home and I'd have like, one eye on in drag, you know, just because I would, like, try something out, you know. So it's just a lot of trial and error and watching YouTube tutorials about doing drag makeup. But yeah, yeah, it's all just, it's a lot of fun, a lot of creativity, and I really have fun doing it.
Rachel Kobus 11:19
Well, yeah, and again. So can I add, what's the How long does it take for, you know, one of your larger head pieces, for example, how long would that take you to create? Um,
Sharon ShareAlike 11:29
probably about three or four days. You know, I don't work all day long on them, but it's a process where you have to sometimes wait for certain things to dry. So it might take, you know, hours and hours for something to dry. Yeah, and then, you know, you do a lot of ordering and material, because I have to get get the different materials that I need to make the piece. But like a headdress where it actually sits on my head that's made out of tin foil. And I start by making a tin foil almost helmet, okay? And then that's all covered with duct tape the inside and the outside. So then it starts to get more solid in form, and it also fits my head Exactly, yeah. And then from there, then you start decorating on top of that. So a lot of times, you know, it looks really pretty and glamorous and really it's just tinfoil and duct tape.
Rachel Kobus 12:28
Right now, you told your secret
Sharon ShareAlike 12:33
I get my drag at Menards.
Rachel Kobus 12:36
Hey, you know it's affordable, then you're just cost effective. That's all it is. But then, you know, this makes you want to bring up too through your time being in drag and being part of this industry, you founded some companies. So it's Boobs for Queens and Dragskins. And so I think the purpose of that is to help others that perform in drag have that easy transition to the drag world where this can help them create not just a face, but a full body experience. So talk, maybe more you talk a little bit about your background in art, and, you know, Illinois State, but how your time in drag has helped, but maybe how your background in education has helped you build these businesses.
Sharon ShareAlike 13:17
Yeah, I was pretty knowledgeable before I went to school on mold making, because of the Halloween mask that I had made when I went to ISU in the grad program. That's where I really honed my skills as far as mold making, because when selling something, it needed to be very high quality. You know that there's not an opportunity for a mistake. Yeah, and so I've learned from ISU, and just the experience that I've had there, how to make really professional molds. And that's where, when I first started doing drag, I made, like a silicone cleavage for myself, because I wanted to, I made a dress that had like a keyhole in the front, and it's like a circle where the cleavage shows through, and I wanted that to look real. And some people can, like, create their own cleavage. If they have a little bit of body fat, you can kind of like, pull your chest together and use duct tape and strings and mirrors and make yourself look like you have a cleavage. But I can't really do that. I'm thinner, so I couldn't really do that. So I made my own silicone cleavage, and then that kind of turned into this bib, like shape that you put over your neck, and it's actually a whole chest, you know, where you can wear it underneath, like See, see through costumes, and it looks like you have real breasts, yeah, and I wore that for a while, years, just for myself, and I didn't want to sell it to anybody, because I want. To be the only person who had boobs look really, you know. And now I wish I would have started selling them earlier, because it's become like my career, you know? Yeah, then I started selling those online, and I sold a few pairs the first year and a few more the next year, and then they ended up being on RuPaul's Drag Race. And when I first saw them on there, I really thought, wow, this is awesome. It's a national TV and somebody's wearing my boobs. But nobody knew they got them, you know. And so drag race ended up calling me the following year and asked me if I wanted to be like a sponsor on the show, where I give them product, and then they advertise boobsforqueens.com and so I instantly said, Yes. Then we had several years where we worked together, you know, and I would give them product, and that's how Boobs for Queens became, like nationally known, and yes, I was able to sell, you know, all over the world, yep. And then I was trying to think, well, what's another product that I could make? And that's when I came up with Dragskins. And those are just a spandex bodysuit that has like a female body printed on it. And so you can put your pads on. Drag Queens wear pads to make like, their hips look bigger and their butt look bigger. And if they wear like, if they don't have boobs, for Queens, they'll wear like a bra with padding in it, and you pull the body suit on over the top of that, and then it looks like you're naked. You know, they can't see all the padding and stuff. And then you can wear costumes over that. So that's gone really well, too. Those were, again, on Drag Race, and I've seen them on different shows, but, yeah, the boobs were the biggest thing. They were on Ellen DeGeneres. She wore them for Halloween costumes several years when she did Nicki Minaj. Those were Boobs for Queens, and she did a lot of little funny skits. I think she dressed up like the Kardashians and wore them for that. So I had a good relationship with that show. And they were also on the biggest movie they were on was Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's A Star is Born. They were on there. So that, that made me feel good, too. So yeah, I've had some really good success with drag products. It's been fun to perform, but it's also been a really lucrative business for me. Yeah, yeah.
Rachel Kobus 17:27
Well, and I say you've mentioned some of your memorable moments, but you know, things people don't know, right? Unless we talk about them like this and how much it takes to be a performer. But you know, people that just want to try something different. Need them for shows having it on RuPaul, so I'm happy that it's great to see that you're you're getting the the credentials, the the shout outs, all that. Because, I mean, look at, look at just something so simple people don't think about is just something that's needed to in the drag show world, it sounds like so what a great like you said lucrative business and a great product, just no one else thought of really, until you came along. How amazing is that it's just no that's
Sharon ShareAlike 18:07
pretty neat. And then a few years into it, then now you can buy boobs, like, from all different places, you know, which is bad for me, but it's kind of cool to think that I started this thing now, you know, that was never existed before. So, yeah, it's kind of, it's kind of cool, when you think about it,
Rachel Kobus 18:32
I think it's amazing. And, yeah, and so, you know, going into more about in your drag performances and understanding, I guess, giving us a little background, you know, I understand, to an extent that, you know, you have children, have a family. They are the Sharealike family. But to me, hearing that and watching you perform, it's like you are a mentor to others that are interested in, you know, shows and creating their own persona. So what is that like to see others come to you and want to have that mentorship, to have someone to look up to. How has that evolved? I guess, for you over the years? Yeah,
Sharon ShareAlike 19:13
I do have a lot of drag children, and for people that maybe don't know what that means, they're not my biological children, they're just people that are interested in drag, and they felt like a connection with me, and I felt a connection with them, and I the what same way Lauren Alexander helped to guide me and teach me how to do makeup and things like that. I try to do the same thing with them. Now, they're all very, very talented, and honestly, don't really even need me. You know, they could do it on their own. They're amazing. But, yeah, I have a really great Sharealike family, and we travel all over doing the Sharon Sharealike show we do all over Illinois. I think we did like over 70 shows last year. And. And we, we perform a lot too, at the Bistro and for local events here in town. We doDESTIHL here in town too, and but, yeah, I mean, it's, it's a great way to have more like connections in your life. You know, I'm lucky to have a really good, like biological family. So I already have that in my life, but a lot of LGBTQ+ people don't have that. And a drag family is really a good way that they can feel like they they have a family, and they actually do have a family. You know, it's people that have their backs and, yeah, we're all bitchy and everything. But we still, at the end, love each other, you know. But and then I'm always so proud of all of them, you know, if I see them doing something that maybe they learn from me, you know, that makes me feel really good, you know. And the other thing just kind of being a mentor to just people in general, you know, I always in all of my shows, yeah, I come at it with comedy, and I'm making fun of myself and making fun of the audience, but I try to come at it with a lot of love and respect for everyone, and I know that they feel, that, you know, they feel, and it is, it's genuine. You know, I'm not faking it. I really do appreciate everyone for coming to our shows. And I remember, you know, a time when, when I first started drag, it wasn't really that accepted, so you had to be really careful when you went into a bar, because, you know, you might get hurt on the sidewalk before you went into the bar. And luckily, I never had to deal with that. But there were a few times where it felt pretty sketchy. I was doing a show in St Louis one time, and I came out at like, four in the morning, and all my tires were flat on my car. And so then I had to try to figure out four in the morning didn't drag at four in the morning, you know, what am I gonna do here? You know? And I somebody gave me a ride to my hotel, so it was fine. So I have had those kind of moments, you know, but, yeah, it's just, I appreciate people now that are so accepting. And it really makes you feel good when you go into a show and there's all different kinds of people, it's not just gay people, it's straight people and allies, and everybody's just there to have fun, and it makes it gives me a really fun job to do, because I get to kind of lead that along. You know, yes, help the show to be fun for everyone, yeah, and again, yeah, yeah. You never know where people are at in their life, you know. And I've had people in our shows come up to me afterwards I had I had one lady come up to me we did a VFW show, and she came up and she told me that she was dying of cancer, and this was like the funnest thing she had done in a long time. And, I mean, it's a sad story, but what a great opportunity for me to be able to give her, like, a fun evening where she doesn't have to think about that, you know. So there's lots of stories like that, but, yeah, it feels really fun to be able to take what I love to do and share it with other people, and they get to have fun too.
Rachel Kobus 23:27
Yeah, that's the whole point. Is, you know someone that's never you know anyone that's never been to a drag show or a drag brunch or drag bingo, anything like that. It's just, it's fun, and it's, like you said, welcoming, and everyone's encouraged, and everyone's there for the same reason, to generally have fun, have a good time and appreciate each other's presence. So exactly encourage people just to see, you know, it's, it's just something light hearted that take yourself out of whatever those scary moments are and put yourself into something that's going to, you know, give you an uplift in your day. And that's right, exactly,
Sharon ShareAlike 24:01
yes, yeah. And then the most important thing of all is that they give me money.
Rachel Kobus 24:09
There is a tipping culture at drag shows as well too. Please see the do's and don'ts on news, you know. So, so with that Sharon, one of my final questions is, what do you say to encourage others that are interested either in going into drag, trying drag, or maybe just attending a show? What would be an encouraging word you'd like to leave people with?
Sharon ShareAlike 24:34
Well, I mean, definitely come and see a show. I mean, they're fun. Like you said, there's nothing scary about it, you know, we just have a fun time, and it's like any other type of entertainment. So I would definitely encourage people to come and have fun. If someone's interested in drag, they're the way that most performers get started is different bars have, like talent shows and you don't necessarily get paid. You might win and get paid if you win, but that's a good way to get started, is just to, like, get into talent shows. And I do those at the Bistro periodically, where I'll, I'll have different types of talent shows that people can come and be a part of. And I usually just will put it on Facebook and say, you know, the first 10 people who want to come and do it let me know, and then they'll message me so and then the other way to learn. I mean, when I started, there wasn't YouTube. Now everybody has it really easy, because you can just go on YouTube and look how to make pads, how to do makeup, how to design wigs. You know, everything's there on YouTube. So I would definitely use that as a resource to get started. And just, I don't know, come at it with joy and honesty. You know, we have enough negativity in the world that we don't need it in the drag community. So I would say, you know, treat everybody with respect, and that's a really a good way to get started. Good.
Rachel Kobus 26:01
Well, thank you for that. And so I'll say a final plug, a great show to come to would be during the LGBTQ+ reunion happening january 31 and February 1. So there are different events that are happening throughout the weekend. And again, one is going to be Sharon Sharealike and the Sharealike family doing a drag show. And like Sharon said, All are welcome to that. So we're excited to see her and her family perform and again. Other opportunities. I know Sharon, you have a website as well too, that you keep events on. So a great way just to see, you know, drag and how to get involved and just learn more about the drag world itself.
Sharon ShareAlike 26:36
Yeah, you can check out boobsforqueens.com if you want to, and dragskins.com and then I have Sharonsharealike.com and you can check me out on Facebook if you want information about shows. So yeah, thank you for having me, Rachel. I really appreciate it. You've been fun to talk to.
Rachel Kobus 26:55
Oh, like you have been amazing, thank you.
that was Wonsook Kim School of Art, two time alum, the extraordinarily talented Sharon Sharealike. Thanks for listening to Redbird Buzz and tune in next time for more stories from beyond the quad.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai