Gem City Style: June 2024
Celebrating Pride with Jemmerio Harper/Shea D'Heaux
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with regional drag performer Jemmerio Harper, better known on stage as Shea D'Heaux. In this candid interview, Shea talks about her influences, inspiration, aesthetic, and the need for more representation within the drag community.
Jessica Hunter (JH): Tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to your career as a drag queen — Erie's Bearded Black Barbie, as you call yourself?
Jemmerio Harper aka Shea D'Heaux (SDH): I've always been a performer. I started cheering and dancing in high school. In college I joined Pittsburgh Poison All Stars, a competitive cheer and dance team out of Pittsburgh, where we competed and won the World Championship of dance held at Walt Disney World twice! Dance was my life until COVID happened, and in quarantine, under the guidance of my friends, I picked up a makeup brush and the construction of Shea D'Heaux began. Three and a half years later and Erie can't get rid of me!
JH: Shea D'Heaux is a true STAR! What quality does your drag persona have that you wish you had in your life off stage?
SDH: Both Jemmerio and Shea are the shining stars wherever they go, but Shea has a certain allure that Jemmerio doesn't have. Shea can make you melt with just a wink and a smile. With Jemmerio, he has to charm you first!
JH: What are some things that separate you from more traditional queens?
SDH: I am a more gender non-conforming queen. I keep my beard and don't normally tuck. Drag for me has never been about fully capturing the essence of a woman, which is where more traditional female impersonation comes in. With my drag and performance style I like to highlight the beauty and sexuality of the presence of both genders. I then filter that through my twisted brain to present you with Shea D'Heaux!
Jessica Hunter Photography
JH: Where do you get inspiration for your looks? How have you evolved as a performer and costume designer since you started?
SDH: A lot of my inspiration comes from Black culture throughout history, the horror and gore genre, as well as video games and anime — all wrapped in a sexy burlesque bow. It sounds like a lot, but when you see it on stage, it all makes sense. Stage presence has never been an issue for me — when it comes to costume I tend to lean into the "less is more" mindset. I am now in my elevation era and working on experimenting with different silhouettes, patterns, and styles. So the evolution never stops.
JH: What are some things you've seen at drag shows around the region that you wish Erie would start doing?
SDH: I do a lot of performing between Erie, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo. One of the biggest things Erie lacks is diversity. I am the only queen of color and one of only two non-traditional queens. This is something that, hopefully, with the enhanced expression of inclusivity, changes in the near future. Erie has such a rich, culturally diverse community that I would love to see more Queer cultural representation.
JH: How has doing drag helped you as a person?
SDH: I say that my drag is the culmination of all the things I was told were wrong as a kid. My femininity, my love of the dark and disturbing, video games, and Blackness were all things that I was told weren't okay or frowned upon. Now, in drag, I'm praised for all of these things. It's helped me kind of take back my power and be proud of the things that make me different.
JH: What is the most common reaction you get from your performances? What is the least common?
SDH: Can I say jaw-dropping? As I said before Shea is very alluring and has no issue captivating an audience. I would say the least common reaction is disappointment. Even when I'm not feeling 100 percent the performance will always be 200 percent!
Jemmerio Harper can be found on Instagram @hijemmerio / Shea D'Heaux can be found on Instagram @shea.dheaux
Jessica Hunter can be found at jessicahunterphotos.com
