Beyond the Stage: Uncovering Drag Culture in Los Angeles
Drag performances have long been a draw for audiences in L.A., though often held “underground” because of threats of persecution. In addition to its entertainment history, drag has had a role in affirming and protecting gender identity. Architect and recent graduate Jesús (Chuy) Barba Bonilla researched this history for his master’s thesis, Drag Culture of Los Angeles: Intangible Heritage through Ephemeral Places. In this episode, Willa Seidenberg chats with Chuy about how he chose this topic and why it matters within and beyond the LGBTQ+ community. He delves into the challenges of researching drag’s hidden and erased heritage and the vital need to uncover, document, and share these stories.
Sir Lady Java and Redd Foxx in front of the Redd Foxx Club in Los Angeles in 1967. Source Digital Transgender Archive. 
Poster for Sydney’s Holidays Are in September, music by Kenneth Lyle, lyrics by Fred Murray and Chas. Hibury, performed by Vesta Tilley. 1908. Source: USC Digital Libraries 
Program from America’s Most Unusual Night Club Finocchio’s in San Francisco from 1946. Source: Digital Transgender Archive. 
Avodon Ballroom on Spring and Ninth Streets that featured drag balls. Dick Whittington Photography Collection. Source: USC Digital Library. 
Original site of Cooper Do-nuts inside Evans Cafeteria. Courtesy of the Evans family. 
Drag venues in Los Angeles in the first half of the 20th Century. 
Drag venues in Los Angeles in the second half of the 20th Century.
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Featuring
Jesús (Chuy) Barba Bonilla (MHC ’23)
Jesús (Chuy) is an architectural designer focused on heritage conservation with experience at a wide range of scales. He was born in Mexico and grew up in Zacatecas, a Spanish colonial mining city that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, This is where he became passionate about history and architecture. Chuys is currently working as an architectural designer at the firm of Page and Turnbull and recently obtained his Master’s in Heritage Conservation at the University of Southern California, he also serves on the Board of Directors at Docomomo US. His project expertise focuses on advocacy for cultural patrimony, heritage conservation, adaptive reuse, and rehabilitation of historic buildings, structures, and sites. He is passionate about architectural design and cultural heritage, his work strives for placemaking that provides environmental responsibility, ease of access, community engagement, and social justice.
Learn More
Thesis: Drag Culture of Los Angeles: Intangible Heritage Through Ephemeral Places by Jesús Barba Bonilla
City of Night by John Rechy
ONE Archives at USC Libraries
Circus Disco page, Los Angeles Conservancy site
Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
USC Heritage Conservation Programs
Your Hosts
Co-host Trudi Sandmeier is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Director of Graduate Programs in Heritage Conservation, and Professor of Practice at the USC School of Architecture. Her work centers on the conservation of the recent past and the impact of under-recognized communities on the historic built environment. Read more in her USC faculty bio.
Co-host Cindy Olnick serves as both Associate Director of Heritage Conservation at USC and a communications consultant for heritage conservation, historic preservation, and the built environment. Read more in her USC faculty bio.
Podcast producer Willa Seidenberg taught audio journalism and podcasting at USC’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, while pursuing a USC Master of Heritage Conservation degree. She retired from teaching and earned her degree in 2023.
A 20-year broadcast journalist and an inaugural fellow with USC’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, Willa founded Annenberg Radio News, the university’s radio news operation; and Intersections South LA, a reporting lab and community website for South Los Angeles.
With photographer William Short, Willa is the author of two oral history/photo projects: A Matter of Conscience: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War and Memories of the American War: Stories From Viet Nam.
