RuPaul’s Drag Race acting challenges were a significant part of the reality television competition show’s early days. They continue to hold an important place on the show, allowing the drag queen contestants to demonstrate their performance skills in a unique way. But, some longtime fans wonder if they have the opportunity to watch the finished acting challenge before critiques.
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ acting challenges aren’t always scripted
The first RuPaul’s Drag Race acting challenge started in season 2 episode 3, called “Country Queens.” The 2010 episode followed the queens eating Southern cooking for the mini-challenge before filming a commercial campaign featuring home goods for the maxi challenge. Season 2 winner Tyra Sanchez won the challenge, while Mystique Summers Madison was in the bottom two with Raven. Raven ultimately sent Mystique home after a lip sync to “I Hear You Knocking” by Wynonna Judd.
The acting challenges include a director, who helps to provide input to the queens. Sometimes, they are guest stars, while RuPaul and panel judges occasionally step in as directors. These challenges tend to be scripted, but according to season 15’s Mistress Isabelle Brooks at Roscoe’s Tavern, they were able to go off-script and improv.
Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Lawrence Chaney, and Brooke Lynn Hytes say that the acting challenges aren’t always shown
Season 11 contestant and Canada’s Drag Race host/judge Brooke Lynn Hytes and UK Season 2 winner Lawrence Chaney joined Brooks at Roscoe’s Tavern to talk about RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 Episode 7 – “The Daytona Wind 2” acting challenge.
A member of the audience asked the panel a question involving this type of challenge. They asked if the drag queen contestants watch the full-length acting video after the runway before getting the judges’ critiques.
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“On this one, we didn’t watch any of it,” Mistress confirmed. “That was our first time seeing it.”
However, Lawrence had an entirely different experience on UK Season 2. She said that her cast only had the opportunity to watch the “daily cut, a random cut. So, any computer-generated graphics and stuff, there is no cut-to anything.” It was only the “raw footage.”
Meanwhile, Brooke explained that they watched it on the runway on season 11 and on Canada’s Drag Race. However, she had difficulty remembering if they haven’t shown the completed footage before.
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ queens watched the challenges on low volume
Lawrence further explained how the acting challenges on RuPaul’s Drag Race are shown in a different fashion than audiences see on television. She explained that they play it on low volume to allow for RuPaul and the other judges to react. This also allowed the drag queen contestants to understand how they did.
“They play it super quiet, though, so you get all the RuPaul laughs, Michelle [Visage] can interject and all that stuff,” Lawrence said. “They play it so quietly, so you only know if you’ve said something funny if Ru laughs. You’re like, ‘I think that line’s funny,” and then Ru doesn’t laugh, and you go, ‘Well, I guess it’s not.’”
