Sassy, Conceited, A Little Bitchy
by Sid Peterson
Nearly four hours before 10 p.m., the open-stage call-time at Studio 13, Trevell Shupe begins the transformation. It is a grueling yet exciting process of getting ready that has taken him years to master. He sits down in front of a large full-length mirror in his bedroom and stares at his dark complexion. First, it is time for the makeup. He glues and completely covers his eyebrows, then generously applies layers of foundation and powder. With his face now a blank canvas, he begins to shape his eyes with bright eyeshadow and thick black eyeliner, going for his classic minimalistic feminine look. Next comes the lash adhesive, the extra-long lashes, and the lipstick.
Unlike many queens, Shupe refuses to wear a corset, simply because he despises the way they feel. Still, his outfit is far from comfortable. He slips on his garments: hip pads, nude tights, and a bold sequin one-piece. Lastly, he slides on his signature black knee-high booties, the only pair of heels he owns at the moment. Once they are securely fastened, he is ready. Or rather, Giselle Caramel is ready for her performance.
Before moving to Iowa City in 2017, Shupe had never experienced drag culture. His first exposure was a night out during his freshman year with a few friends. They wandered into Studio 13, Iowa City’s LGBTQ nightclub and performance venue, and continued to go back for the dancing, performers, and welcoming community.
“I remember just being so amazed,” Shupe recalled. “I had never been around so many queer people in my life.”
Shupe spent his adolescent years growing up in Sioux City, Iowa, a town he described as fairly conservative. With only one openly gay person at his high school, he felt uncomfortable publicly voicing his sexuality to his peers. After graduating from high school, Shupe decided to come out to his immediate family. He admitted feeling extremely nervous about this moment in his life.
“When I came out to them, they all started laughing and said ‘We know, it’s fine,’” said Shupe, blushing. “In hindsight, it was the best scenario. I was kind of mad about it, though; I wanted a whole event.”
This kind of acceptance and support was not out-of-the-ordinary for his family, specifically from his mother. When Shupe was a child, he frequently took over the family’s living room, dancing and singing mostly to early 2000s R&B and hip-hop tunes. According to Shupe, his mother has been his biggest supporter in every aspect of life. The two talk on the phone at least every other day, Shupe said.
One week after his 17th birthday, he joined the Iowa Army National Guard, seeing the opportunity as a way out of Sioux City and to pay for college. He participated in the required basic training during his final years of high school and devoted time to an advanced individual training program in San Antonio, Texas, working to become a combat medic. After completing the required training, Shupe became less involved with the Army, only meeting up with his unit in Des Moines once a month.
“I don’t talk about this part of my life often,” Shupe admitted. “I joined [the Army] when I was young and I did not know what to expect. The experience allowed me to meet people from all around the U.S., and I was able to be one of the first people in my family to attend college.”
As a full-time student at the University of Iowa later on, Shupe was eager to immerse himself in the LGBTQ communities within the university, in addition to spending time at Studio 13. Shupe served as the Vice President of Delta Lambda Phi, the University of Iowa’s only queer-inclusive fraternity on campus. Through this leadership role, he was involved in recruiting new members and planning the annual Drag Ball that takes place at the Iowa Memorial Union.
Although Shupe often feels uncomfortable speaking in front of large crowds and gets nervous before class presentations, performing drag comes naturally to him. His drag name, Giselle Caramel, was carefully crafted. Giselle was inspired by Beyoncé, his all-time favorite artist’s middle name. Caramel was the obvious choice for a last name because he feels it is fun, yet is meaningful because it describes the color of his skin.
When asked if Shupe could describe Giselle Caramel in three words, he replied, “sassy, conceited, and a little bitchy,” which differs tremendously from his calm, polite, and somewhat reserved personality in real life.
“Once you put the wig on and you’re in an outfit, you don’t recognize yourself, and the anxiety goes away,” Shupe said. “You feel like a completely different person, and you wonder ‘Who am I?’ It feels like an escape.”
Two years ago, Shupe participated in Studio 13’s Drag U competition, a local spin-off inspired in part by RuPaul’s reality TV show. Essentially, more seasoned drag queens get paired with individuals just beginning their drag careers. Shupe was connected to Ophelia Belle, an established queen and person of color with a similar drag style to Giselle Caramel. After completing the semester-long competition, Shupe placed second overall and gained a mentor in the drag world.
“Ophelia always said you need to go out on stage and be confident,” Shupe said. “That first walk on the stage sets the tone for the entire performance. I always stomp onto the stage.”
This fall, on a recent Wednesday night during the designated open-stage time, Seamus Sullivan, one of Shupe’s closest friends, roommate, and a fellow drag performer, watched him perform to Lady Gaga’s upbeat song “Venus” from backstage.
“He hit that first note perfectly and turned around to everyone on the first word of the song,” Sullivan said. “Normally, on Wednesdays, the crowd doesn’t get too into it because it’s an open stage, but they were screaming. It was like a famous person came in. They were tipping him five-dollar bills.”
According to Sullivan, Shupe stands out as a performer because he is not afraid to interact directly with the crowd. Some queens are reluctant to venture off the stage. However, Shupe will spend time focused on lip-syncing to one person in the crowd. This confidence and ability to connect with his audience sets him apart as a performer at Studio 13.
“It is entertaining to watch him perform as Giselle,” Sullivan said. “He’s extremely confident in costume and is just a more enhanced version of himself.”
Unsurprisingly, Shupe’s performances and involvement at Studio 13 has changed in the last year due to COVID-19. Before the pandemic, the night club was typically busy. It was not uncommon to stand shoulder-to-shoulder among people in the intimate setting. The stage area in the venue is not spacious, or elevated. Therefore, crowds would often move around attempting to catch a glimpse of the performers.
Now, Shupe is not allowed to come into close contact with audience members, nor is he permitted to cross the tape that lines the stage floor. His temperature is taken immediately before going backstage. While performing, instead of grabbing cash tips from audience members with his hands, he must use a fishnet to keep a distance.
Within the past year, Shupe has also been involved in the Black Lives Matter movement. Utilizing his training from the National Guard, he volunteered at many of the protests and served on the medical team. Within the drag community, he assisted in creating a list of demands with other Black queens that were sent to all LGBTQ bars in Iowa. Among the list were two important requests: venues must increase their inclusivity to minority groups and people of color, and bars must intentionally diversify their performers. Shupe noticed that most of the performers at Studio 13, and at other venues around the state of Iowa, were predominantly white.
As a biracial performer, Shupe feels that he is expected to act a certain way when performing. “Many people expect Black queens to be very high energy,” Shupe said. “Although I like doing that style, if I wanted to perform a slow song, I would like to feel like I could do that without people getting bored.”
Although this is Shupe’s final year as a student, he does not doubt that his passion for performing will remain in his life. In the near future, he aspires to move to Chicago to begin his career and familiarize himself with a new culture and community. What matters most to Shupe is finding individuals who are as accepting and open-minded as the people at Studio 13. Performing is important, but the people around him have an even greater significance. Ultimately, they must be supportive and willing to embrace his multifaceted identity.