Meet Lea de la Orienté | Drag Queen

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lea de la Orienté and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lea, how do you think about risk?
Drag is all about risks! And the biggest risks pay off the most. If I feel a certain emotion about a performance or number, no matter how risky, I’ve learned to trust that usually the audience will have the same reaction. Whenever I build a performance or look, I’m always thinking about what’s the best way to mesmerize and trigger emotion, and a lot of that takes digging up feelings about deeper, personal topics. It’s risky because I’m always confronting how much of myself I should reveal on-stage—a lot of my performances tend to be “statement pieces,” like little poems that mean something deeper, whether it be about family, mental health, cultural history, etc. Exploring these topics through drag can feel like being literally naked in front of a crowd of people (not that I’ve been naked in front of a crowd yet, unfortunately). So I guess you could say everything I do involves a level of risk and uncertainty, but that’s where the reward is.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In terms of what I like to share, I think what sets me apart is the level of story-telling I try to inject into every look and number. Drag to me is all about poetry, and I often describe myself as a poet first, drag queen second. It’s been hard finding a place to do what I do since my performances and looks tend to be far out of left field, or conceptual in some ways. But I’ve learned to embrace that I occupy a unique role as a very unique artist in an even more unique art form. I think my devotion toward memory and history makes my work a lot more different than how you’d typically think of drag. And that’s been so rewarding and challenging to discover ever since I started.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting Los Angeles, first thing is I’d do is take them to The Abbey and give them a couple of AMFs since the drinks there are insanely strong and it’s the quickest way to black out. Just kidding! We’d probably see a show—maybe SendNoodz or anything the Haus of YUQ is throwing, or the cabaret show I’m currently developing called MESMERATICA (she’s still finding a home!) I love small, intimate drag shows where it just feels like family and everyone’s having a good time!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Yes! I want to give so much credit to Miss Shu Mai and Bibi Discoteca, hosts of LA’s renowned drag show Send Noodz Party. They gave me my first gig in LA and it all started thanks to them. So much love!

Website: leadelaoriente.com

Instagram: instagram.com/IfUSeekLea