Slamdance 2021 Review: Workhorse Queen – “A Must-see for any Drag Race fan.”

RuPaul’s Drag Race; The dream for any queen. For Ed Popil, AKA Mrs. Kasha Davis, that dream was long-awaited and gone too soon. But what happens after the race is finished? That’s what Workhorse Queen answers. 

Ed Popil was a telemarketer in suburbia for 18 years. After holding in his creativity for far too long, he broke free of the mundane shackles of life and took on the charismatic persona of Mrs. Kasha Davis. 

RuPaul’s Drag Race brought drag into the mainstream culture. Because of its popularity and the opportunities it creates, every queen makes it their mission to become a contestant. With his charm and the witty catch-phrase, “There’s always time for a cocktail,” Mrs. Kasha Davis was ready to make the world her stage and become the next drag superstar. 

Popil sent in audition tape after audition tape. This persistent queen never gave up, and finally, after seven years, Mrs. Kasha Davis was able to make her entrance and yell, “Hiya, my honey’s I’m ho-ome!”

Popil pulls back the curtain of Drag Race in this revealing documentary. It’s not all glitz and glam but tireless hours and cut-throat competition. 

Unfortunately, Mrs. Kasha Davis was the fifth queen sent home on season 7 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. But what happens to queens after they sashay away?

Through grueling tours and endless shows, Workhorse Queen sheds light on what it means to be a… well, a workhorse queen. We see the infinite perseverance of a queen with a dream and what it takes to keep that dream alive. 

One of the things that I enjoyed the most about this documentary was how real it was. There was no shying away from the good and the bad. It tells the truth about ageism that’s not only in Hollywood but in audiences in general. 

While some documentaries can drag (sorry bad pun), this one doesn’t. It is fun and fabulous, with a fascinating first-hand account of the highs and lows of being a drag queen. I think WorkHorse Queen is a must-see for any Drag Race fan out there.