Take Your Clothes Off With Oliver Clozoff

Sit down, relax and...take Oliver Clozoff....I absolutely love this play on words. Here's what he had to say when faced with questions about Drag, life and how to balance it.

Tell us a little about yourself!

I’m an oddball, rock n roll, character King. When not in drag I am often found wandering aimlessly in nature and attempting to catch Pokemon, or curled up in my bed watching Netflix/Hulu.

What attracted you to drag?

Oliver came about because a few of my friends who are local Queens encouraged me to try. I had been battling severe depression for a while, and had ended up attempting to take my life. My best friend, who is a drag Queen, basically saved my life by getting me out of the house and getting me to a drag show. I was hooked.

How long have you been doing drag?

Oliver will be 2 this November. So I’m still just a little fella.

Do you have a lot of support?

From friends and co-workers yes. From family…well…it varies. I keep getting the “I have a daughter named Ashlee” bit or the “But you’re a girl”. They’re impressed with my make-up skills, but my conservative family is a bit uncomfortable with the fact that my make-up makes me look like a guy.

How would you describe your drag style?

My drag style is very character driven since I do a lot more character themed acts.

Who did you/do you look up to?

I look up to a queen named Persephone Shakers. She’s been such a great help for any and all questions I have. I also look up to Eddie Broadway because he’s such a genuinely great guy who is very easy to talk to which is a blessing for someone as awkward as myself.

What are your biggest accomplishments in and out of drag?

In drag: At my last show I performed a lot of 80s rock and a touring cast of West Side Story came in to watch, and one of them tipped me $20 which was amazing cause they do theatre for a living and I impressed them enough to earn an amazing tip. My other in drag accomplishment is doing a routine to Greatest Show from The Greatest Showman and getting to be P.T. Barnum

Out of drag: I’ve recently been promoted at work to full time box office lead & sales coordinator. Basically that means I’m a step under manager (but who know what a year from now will bring).

Do you regularly preform somewhere? When can people catch you preforming?

I’ve got a pretty steady gig at the moment at El Patron in Sioux City, Iowa. I perform there about once or twice a month, and I’ll be there for all of Pride.

Would you like Drag to be a full time career?

It would be nice, but not necessary. Oliver is fun to slip in and out of.

How different is it from your every day job?

Not a whole lot different really. I work in a professional theatre so my make-up would not be amiss. I work with different professional touring productions that come in to our city to perform.

Whats your favourite performance you’ve done? (Provide a link to video if you have it)

My Greatest Show performance which is a performance I am super proud of because we spent two weeks putting this choreography together and getting it just right. I loved being Barnum in this number.

Who’s your favourite Drag Performer? 

Oh gosh…well I do love Mick Douche and Spikey Van Dykey. They’ve always got something that makes my jaw drop in some way.

Favourite catch phrase?

That I use frequently? Prolly my inner Joey Tribiani from Friends “ ‘ow you doin’?”

Favourite makeup brand?

I swear by Ben Nye because as someone who does theatre gigs frequently it’s the brand that works best for me

What advice do you have for drag artists that are just starting out?

Sometimes you have to drown out the noise and do what will make you happy. There will always be people on the sidelines trying to diminish your shine, but don’t let them. Be willing to take advice from people who have been doing this longer because if they offer it they genuinely want to see you succeed.

What should we expect to see from you in the future?

A lot more 80s rock and a lot more character work. I love what I do and I think it shows in my work.

Thanks Oliver for sitting down and answering some questions! I can't wait to see you do more and explore how many more 80's rock you can bring to the stage!

xo Flint