BOONE, N.C.—Appalachian State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present the fundraiser “Roxanne’s Rivalry” in Room 420 (Parkway Ballroom) of the Plemmons Student Union on Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. Proceeds from the show help fund five annual scholarships for students majoring in theatre education.

The show is appropriate for ages 16 and up. Tickets, which are limited and range in price from $5 to $20, are available online at http://roxannesrivalry.brownpapertickets.com and may be offered at the door.

“Roxanne’s Rivalry” is an hour-long “Family Feud” style guessing game with a drag queen host, real audience participation, saucy side commentary, tacky prizes and drag performances by special guests. This interactive show is devised and directed by Theatre Professor Gordon Hensley and is designed to poke fun at the garish game show genre.

“It’s the littlest big show in town,” said Hensley, who has spent hundreds of hours over the past two years developing the show’s concept and technical elements. “Your hilarious drag queen host Roxanne Davenport, daughter of bajillionaire Big Daddy Davenport, is a goofy upbeat pageant gal who is a family-friendly country bumpkin entertainer. She’s the Lady of the High Country. You’ll love her.”

The show is set during a fictional, long-running TV game show, placing the theatre audience in the role of the studio audience and then adding drag queens as hosts. Real audience members are chosen as the contestants of the game and they win fabulously tacky prizes. In addition to watching and playing the game show, the audience also witnesses a “dragstravaganza” of silly commercial breaks and pop-up drag performances by special guests.

About the Department of Theatre and Dance

The Department of Theatre and Dance is one of seven departments housed in Appalachian’s College of Fine and Applied Arts. Its mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also offers coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Its dynamic co-curricular production program provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community and the region.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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