Chabot Space & Science Center Hosts Third Annual Science Drag Show

Chabot Space & Science Center hosted its third annual space-themed drag show, “Science is a Drag!,” beneath its planetarium dome on Friday evening, drawing roughly 150 attendees for a program combining performances by Bay Area drag kings and queens with interactive science demonstrations and pre-show exhibit access, according to Oakland North.

Hosted by VERA!—an Oakland-based drag king and co-host of the drag troupe Rebel Kings of Oakland—this year’s lineup featured performances by Ryder Die, Jota Mercury, Sally Limón, and Helixir as galaxies projected across the overhead dome.

Founded to Foster Queer Joy and Representation in STEM

Ryder Die, formerly the lead public programs developer at Chabot Space & Science Center, founded “Science is a Drag!” three years ago to create a space for “queer joy and self-expression” at the Oakland hills science center. Die opened the evening wearing a white lab coat while performing to Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Science.”

Jota Mercury, a drag king for 10 years who co-hosts Rebel Kings of Oakland alongside VERA! every first, third, and fifth Wednesday at Oakland’s White Horse Inn, made his debut appearance at the Chabot event wearing a headpiece crafted from backyard olive branches and an oversized pink feathered cape.

“We can all still gather and get behind real science and learning, and still support queer rights and existence just by attending events like this,” Mercury told Oakland North. Audience member Nate Elwood noted that the event provides visibility in fields such as physics, mathematics, and chemistry, while science teacher Marcelo Quijano praised the show for blending scientific curiosity with live performance art.

Planetarium Stage Experiments and Dry-Ice ‘Boo Bubbles’

Between musical numbers set to Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” and The Beach Boys’ “A Day in the Life of a Tree,” museum programs science instructor Daniel Erenstein—appearing in drag as “Miss Sizzle Ph.D.” in a nod to Ms. Valerie Frizzle from The Magic School Bus—led hands-on audience experiments on the planetarium stage.

Demonstrations included chemical color-mixing reactions, electrical conductivity experiments, and “boo bubbles” formed from dry ice and warm water, before VERA! closed the evening in a Mr. Spock costume holding red feather fans to “Finale” by The Cher Show Ensemble.