As far as niche interests and hobbies go, cult favorite tabletop RPG Dungeons and Dragons and the art of drag seem like opposite ends of the spectrum. But as it turns out, nothing could be further from the truth. Over the past five years (a staggering 17 seasons and counting), series creator/dungeon master Brennan Lee Mulligan has spearheaded Dimension 20, a long-form web series that sees a new roster of players embark on a quest using the base game mechanics of Dungeons and Dragons. Dimension 20 usually pulls from a core group of players, all with plenty of DnD experience. But for its 18th installment, Dungeons and Drag Queens, D20 opted for a decidedly more well-dressed cast of players.
Enter stage left Bob the Drag Queen, Jujubee, Alaska Thunderfuck 5000, and Monét X Change—all world-famous drag queens, all RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni, and all decidedly not veteran DnD players. On paper, it sounds like a wild premise, but Mulligan and the Dimension 20 team have struck gold with this unlikely union of nerd culture and queer performance art. The series is all at once endearing, surprising, and intensely re-watchable. Dungeons and Drag Queens is a must-watch for drag fans and DnD aficionados alike.
For those already familiar with the Dimension 20 format, this new season is something of a shakeup to convention: four players instead of six, four episodes instead of 10+, and (perhaps most significantly to the content of the series) a crop of players who (outside of a few previous dabblings) have nowhere near the tabletop experience of a typical D20 cast. One would think that a cast of newbies would make for a more watered-down end product. After all, Mulligan is serving not just as a storyteller but also instructing the queens on game mechanics continuously throughout the sessions. But the element of novelty and sense that the queens don’t *quite* know what they’re doing gives the entire season a thoroughly charming earnestness.
We’re treated to watching four players explore the joys and surprises of the complicated, fickle, living game that is Dungeons and Dragons alongside a dungeon master who has a visible reverence for the queens as both players and performers. This dynamic is especially resonant for viewers who (like the queens) may not be all that familiar with DnD themselves (this writer among them). We’re just as surprised as the queens when a sudden quirk of gameplay convention shakes the table, or Mulligan delivers an improvised soliloquy as an NPC.
For Drag Race fans tuning into the series to get a taste of their favorite queens in between All-Stars seasons, it’s a fascinating opportunity to see the queens out of their comfort zones. It’s really fun to watch them learn the ropes of creating a story with just words and find ways to conceptualize visual elements that aren’t actually there. But the queens aren’t just finding out about the magic of DnD. As they delve further into the depths of the campaign, we the audience watch in real-time as the queens experience the full might of Mulligan’s storytelling and improvisational abilities.
There’s something incredibly heartwarming about a group of sardonic drag queens fully falling under the spell of Mulligan’s earnest, passionate storytelling. And that stark contrast in approaches to performance is what makes Dimension 20 work so well on a conceptual level. As Mulligan and the queens point out in Adventuring Party (Dimension 20‘s equivalent of an aftershow), there’s a certain performance art to conducting a Dungeons and Dragons campaign that isn’t that far removed from the skills required to be a great drag performer. Both require a flare for dramatics, an eye for visuals, and an understanding of storytelling. These traits make the queens natural fits for DnD, even if they aren’t as experienced as most players.
Certainly, the concept itself is one that’s easy to envision as a recurring shtick for Dimension 20. God knows I’ve already got a wishlist of drag artists for a potential Dungeons and Drag Queens season two. But at the same time, the success and strength of this season fall, of course, with the queens. And as far as casting goes, Dimension 20 rolled with a critical advantage.
Sibling Rivalry cohosts Bob the Drag Queen and Monét X Change work most seamlessly within the confines of the game itself. Monét’s penchant for diving into accents and affected haughtiness makes her merprincess/assassin character Troyánn a key figure in more conventionally dramatic moments and intense, lore-heavy scenes. Bob, on the other hand, seems to have a natural inclination towards DM’ing herself: describing the casting methods and outfits of her sorceress Gertrude with an attention to detail and enthusiasm that makes it clear she’s put immense thought and love into her character. The pseudo-silent gentle giant of the group is Alaska’s ogre Princess, who speaks in mostly grunts and whose jaw Thunderfuck replicates in real life whenever delivering lines (an endlessly entertaining character choice).
But the undeniable MVP among the queens is Jujubee, whose sheer enthusiasm, vivacity, and natural charisma yield not just an entertaining player character (a fae soldier named Twyla) but a whole slew of charming interactions with Mulligan. She’s delightful to watch as she discovers the extent of Mulligan’s abilities as a DM and the capacity for entertainment value inherent in Dungeons and Dragons as a game. Though she may not be the most capable in tactical combat, Jujubee’s presence injects the entire table with a chaotic, borderline manic energy and sheer joy that turns a relatively tame campaign into one of constant laughter and heartfelt moments.
Because make no mistake—while the Queens certainly bring plenty of their signature humor to the series, Dungeons and Drag Queens still has that signature Dimension 20 heart, courtesy of Mulligan’s impeccable DM’ing. When Jujubee tells Mulligan (mid-session) “Wow, that was really emotional and beautiful, tell me more”, you can’t help but agree with her. There’s an artfulness to the storytelling (even on a beginner-level campaign) that makes it easy to forget we’re watching the Queens play with training wheels on.
Whether you’re a Drag Race superfan, a Dungeons and Drag Queens die-hard, or you’re just looking for your next summer binge, Dimension 20‘s Dungeons and Drag Queens is an utterly singular, remarkably heartfelt, and always entertaining, series that finds unexpected magic in merging two pop culture phenomena.
You can stream this week’s season finale of Dungeons and Drag Queens (and the rest of Dimension 20) exclusively on Dropout.
(featured image: Kate Elliott/Dimension 20)
Published: Jul 16, 2023 06:35 pm