The Skanks are Coming to Slamdance

Duck did his first play when he was 17, and even performed as Prince during a high school assembly—the footage of which is included in Skanks—but he didn’t get started doing drag until he was in his mid-20s. “I’ve always loved makeup—loved watching my mom and aunts put it on. Any chance I could sneak and put it on, I would,” says Duck. His first drag experience was at an amateur night at a local gay bar, where he performed as a nun with a dark side to Madonna’s “Erotica/The Beast Within” mix. He didn’t continue doing much drag in bars, but he loved doing it, so he started doing drag in theater productions. Duck says, “In drag, I don’t have to worry if I’m sashaying too much. I was always picked on for my swish when I walk—I became quite self-conscious about it—[but] when I’m in drag, I don’t have to hide it. I can flaunt it.” And flaunt it he does—on- and off-stage.

One of the most personal aspects of the documentary comes from a focus on father/son relationships—particularly with Duck and Juan Carlos Batlle (another actor in the play) and their fathers. McMahon says, “[While filming Skanks] the stories that unfolded were a surprise to me. Definitely, the father/son dynamic was a surprise to me. It became important to show … how they really formed this surrogate family [within Theatre Downtown]—that what they may not be getting from home or from their childhood or youth, they’re getting from this company of friends.” The exposure of Duck’s and Batlle’s family dynamics magnifies those friendships formed between the Theatre Downtown cast members, and encourages viewers to connect with this film on many levels.

Another personal characteristic from Skanks comes from the original music in Skanks In A One Horse Town. Brewton wrote this musical with songs about three-ways, sticking “it” up the ass and skanks—a good portion of which are sung by men in drag playing the “skanks” within the production. Assisting with lyrics, but especially with composition, were Christoph and Flannery Hooks. Flannery’s talents especially shine throughout Skanks. McMahon says, “Flannery is one of those people who has no clue how gifted she is … ’cause she sits down and just writes songs—like in 10 minutes—just plucks the melody out of the sky.” The catchy tunes and naughty lyrics will surely cause viewers to have these songs stuck in their heads for a good, long time.

McMahon thought that Slamdance would be a great place for Skanks to premiere. “Just the mission statement of the festival has a purity to it that is pretty great,” he says. Once it was announced that the documentary had been accepted, McMahon says, “I was thrilled! … [and I’m] really excited about coming out to Park City.” Playwright Brewton and many members of the Skanks musical production will be joining McMahon in attending the festival, including Hooks and Duck. “Getting accepted into Slamdance was something I never expected. When I heard and it really sunk in, I had a real good cry. The fact that my little story is gonna be told on the big screen is more than I could’ve ever imagined,” says Duck.

The way this documentary has come together has surpassed all of McMahon’s expectations from when he first decided to make the film. As with Bayou Blue, he went into the production of the documentary agenda-less, but was amazed at every turn as the piece came together. “[Skanks] sort of captured what community theater is meant to be—and community theatre in the sense that it’s really about forming a community … and it’s really funny,” McMahon says. And funny it is. If you’ve ever been involved behind the scenes of any type of production, you’re sure to get a kick out of McMahon’s documentary—and to be smitten by the incredible cast who put this musical together.

You can see the world premiere of Skanks, and probably several of the skanks themselves, at this year’s Slamdance Film Festival, which runs Jan. 17–23, 2014, in Park City at the Treasure Mountain Inn. Go to slamdance.com for more details, and check skanksthedocumentary.com and the Skanks Facebook page for more info about the film itself.

Screening Times:

Sunday, Jan. 19 — 10:20 a.m. — Treasure Mountain Inn: Main Screening Room

Tuesday, Jan. 21 — 8:10 p.m. — Treasure Mountain Inn: Gallery