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Workhorse Queen

  • 2021
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
121
YOUR RATING
Edward Popil in Workhorse Queen (2021)
By day, Ed Popil worked as the manager of a telemarketing center in post-industrial Rochester, New York for 18 years. By night, he transformed into drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis. Not your average aspiring pop star drag queen, Mrs. Kasha Davis is a 1960's era housewife trying to liberate herself from domestic toil through performing at night in secret - an homage to Ed's own mother. After seven years of auditioning to compete on reality television show RuPaul's Drag Race, Ed Popil was finally cast onto the show and thrust into a full time entertainment career at the late age of 44. Workhorse Queen explores the complexities of mainstream television's impact on queer performance culture. In addition to following Ed's life and career before and after being cast onto RuPaul's Drag Race, the film focuses on the growing divide between members of a small town drag community - those who have been on television, and those who have not. Throughout the film, Ed Popil navigates the exciting highs and devastating lows of pursuing the fame promised by a reality television platform. With one foot inching toward Hollywood's doorstep and the other cemented firmly within her beloved Rochester community, Mrs. Kasha Davis finds a surprising new audience at home as she works toward becoming the queer role model for children that Ed didn't have and desperately wanted growing up.
Play trailer2:01
1 Video
15 Photos
Documentary

By day, Ed Popil worked as the manager of a telemarketing center in post-industrial Rochester, New York for 18 years. By night, he transformed into drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis. Not your aver... Read allBy day, Ed Popil worked as the manager of a telemarketing center in post-industrial Rochester, New York for 18 years. By night, he transformed into drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis. Not your average aspiring pop star drag queen, Mrs. Kasha Davis is a 1960's era housewife trying to lib... Read allBy day, Ed Popil worked as the manager of a telemarketing center in post-industrial Rochester, New York for 18 years. By night, he transformed into drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis. Not your average aspiring pop star drag queen, Mrs. Kasha Davis is a 1960's era housewife trying to liberate herself from domestic toil through performing at night in secret - an homage to Ed's... Read all

  • Director
    • Angela Washko
  • Writer
    • Angela Washko
  • Stars
    • Edward Popil
    • Steven Levins
    • Thomas Smalley
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    121
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Angela Washko
    • Writer
      • Angela Washko
    • Stars
      • Edward Popil
      • Steven Levins
      • Thomas Smalley
    • 4User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:01
    Official Trailer

    Photos15

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    + 11
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    Top cast29

    Edit
    Edward Popil
    Edward Popil
    • Self - Mrs. Kasha Davis
    • (as Ed Popil)
    Steven Levins
    • Self - Mr. Davis
    Thomas Smalley
    • Self - Aggy Dune
    Greg Meyer
    Greg Meyer
    • Self - Darienne Lake, RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6
    Christopher Steckel
    • Self - Ambrosia Salad
    Michael Steck
    Michael Steck
    • Self - Pandora Boxx, RuPaul's Drag Race Season 2, All Stars Season 1
    Roy Haylock
    Roy Haylock
    • Self - Bianca Del Rio, RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6 Winner
    Joey Santolini
    Joey Santolini
    • Self - Tatianna, RuPaul's Drag Race Season 2, All Stars Season 2
    Baden Tilley
    • Self - BeBe Gunn
    Daniel Jones
    • Self - Jemima Handful
    Patrick Holt
    Patrick Holt
    • Self - Tempest DuJour, RuPaul's Drag Race Season 7
    Chad Michaels
    Chad Michaels
    • Self - RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4, All Stars Season 1 Winner
    Dewey Rice
    • Self - Wednesday Westwood
    Simona Ioffe
    • Self - Drag Enthusiast
    Topher Wouters
    • Self - Drag Enthusiast
    Timothy Huffman-Hutchins
    • Self - Megan Thomas
    Carrie Vernon
    • Self - Former Chairperson of Rochester Pride
    Diane Chevron
    • Self - Rochester Theater Legend
    • Director
      • Angela Washko
    • Writer
      • Angela Washko
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews4

    7.1121
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    Featured reviews

    10Justin-81908

    Fantastic - honest, authentic, fun and empowering

    Mrs Kasha Davis shines through with her honest, caring, empathetic and sincere ways. It's full of the fun, disappointing, inspiring and dynamic roller coaster that is life - but shows the resilience and perseverance that makes MKD unique and real. The sharing of family, friends and life is greatly presented by the filmmakers - the journey is exciting and the destination is not the end. More and better follows the perceived idea of getting there. Well done!!!!
    10jasonbuitrago

    Inspirational and heartfelt - the queen behind the veil

    History shapes our present and informs our future - unless we have something to say about it! Mrs. Kasha Davis' story from beginnings to drag race stardom unveils a powerful truth on the deep layers of performativity we each carry along our lives. We all have a little Mrs. Kasha Davis in us - from celebrating the triumphs, to mourning the losses, to developing grit against life's challenges with grace and humility, Mrs. Kasha Davis showcases her growth, lessons learned, and magnificent passion (and talent) for making people smile. While there's always time for a cocktail, there's always time for more Mrs. Kasha Davis.
    9RoyMince

    I'm a sucker for original pieces!

    This is a documentary that dives into a sector of a community that is completely overlooked and often times recognized as pioneers in a movement. This film was definitely new, and in my opinion, considered groundbreaking based off of the angle that was taken following these young people who are very much so often overlooked . This is one of those films that get you from the start because the topic is so intriguing. The one thing I could tell you was this this documentary is definitely a first of its kind, something I've never seen, and they got my attention from the opening. This is a film that I would recommend to many people because there's importance behind understanding.
    7Red-125

    Drag queen comes to the Dryden Theatre in Rochester!

    Workhorse Queen (2021) was written and directed by Angela Washko. It stars Mrs. Kasha Davis, who is a noted Rochester drag queen. (The "workhorse" word stems from how many drag queen events Kasha stages and how many she attends.)

    Mrs. Davis is an iconic figure in the Rochester entertainment scene. The movie had many references to Rochester--Wegman's grocery, the restaurant Edibles, the JCC. Showing the movie in the iconic Dryden Theatre in the George Eastman Museum was a brilliant decision for ImageOut, the Rochester LGBT Film Festival. I enjoyed the movie, and I was particularly impressed by Mrs. Davis's presence for Q&A after the movie.

    This film will work better on a large screen, but will do well enough on the small screen. It's worth seeing if you have any interest in, or curiosity about, drag queens.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Connections
      Features RuPaul's Drag Race (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Bird Gerhl
      Written by Anohni
      Performed by Antony and the Johnsons
      Courtesy of Rebis Music

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • February 12, 2021 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Website
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Królowa pracująca
    • Filming locations
      • Rochester, New York, USA(location)
    • Production company
      • Situated Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $200,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

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