Drag queen Betty Whitecastle dazzled the CUB MPR Thursday night when she came to Shippensburg University to perform for the student body. 

While this event touched on the history of drag, the true show was learning about Betty and the influence of drag on her life. She performed song parodies to express her love of the artform while also informing the audience about her life and experience in the LGBTQ+ community.

Jeffrey Mitchell is an elementary school art teacher by day and drag queen Betty Whitecastle by night. All his life, Mitchell has leaned more towards the feminine side, and he is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Raised in the small town of Rush City, MN, Mitchell often turned towards feminine figures like Barbie for inspiration. Playing with and making clothes for Barbie dolls at a young age allowed Mitchell to express and define himself differently than other boys.

Mitchell has had a lot of experience in the performing arts. He was presented with the opportunity to go on tour and star as Big Bird with Sesame Street Live for three years. After his time with Sesame Street, Mitchell decided to go back to school. He obtained a degree in Art Education from the Maryland Institute College of Art, moved to Harrisburg and started a full-time job as an elementary school art teacher. 

While living in Pennsylvania, Mitchell joined the Harrisburg Gay Men’s Chorus and decided that he would help the group with its fundraising efforts. He decided he would try dressing in drag to raise money, and with this, Betty Whitecastle was born.

Betty Whitecastle is truly an amazing character and comes alive on stage. She continually engages with the audience while singing songs and parodies about her experiences. While at Shippensburg, Betty performed parodies that talked about her attempts to be on RuPaul’s Drag Race and her love of drag.

From starting drag as a fundraising effort, Betty Whitecastle became a much larger influence, including being the first drag queen to host Pride at the state capitol building in Pennsylvania. 

Betty continues to host events throughout Central Pennsylvania. She hosts a monthly happy hour event at the 704 Lounge in Harrisburg. She also hosts an event called “Queens Who Brunch” at 11 a.m. on the second Sunday of every month at the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center.

Students who attended the drag show on Thursday had an amazing time learning about drag, Betty Whitecastle, and the impact drag has made on her life. Betty hosts various cabarets and fundraisers throughout the year. To stay up to date on her events, follow Betty at @bettywhitecastle on Instagram.

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