Ed Popil escapes his day job at DialAmerica to perform as drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis at night, turning his life into a rhythm of backstage glamour and everyday routines. The film follows this double life with a calm, observant gaze, letting audiences witness how a performer builds a persona that can both shelter and demand everything from its creator.
Seven years of sending audition tapes to RuPaul's Drag Race casting calls finally pay off when Ed is cast on Season 7 in 2015, a turning point that the documentary traces with care and nuance. It tracks the expectations, nerves, and small victories that accompany a leap into a reality TV spotlight, while also showing how that spotlight shifts the dynamics of personal relationships and public identity.
Centered on the tensions between mainstream visibility and queer performance culture, the film asks how television fame reshapes the art of drag and the meaning of community. It surveys the way big-screen moments intersect with intimate, lived experience, and it invites viewers to consider what it means for a local scene to be seen by a national audience without losing its core sense of belonging.
Alongside Ed's journey, the documentary exposes a growing split within the Rochester drag world: those who have appeared on TV and those who have not, revealing the loyalties, rivalries, and solidarity that color the pursuit of recognition. The narrative moves through both the triumphs and the setbacks that come with chasing a broader stage, all while preserving a grounded, human focus on everyday life.
The arc traces the highs and lows of chasing reality-TV fame—moments of renewed opportunities and public attention, counterbalanced by struggles with alcoholism, dwindling bookings, and the aging of performers in an industry that often prioritizes youth. It remains attentive to the emotional costs of fame, without reducing its subjects to mere caricature or spectacle.
Ultimately, Ed returns home to Rochester and channels his energy into Imagination Station, a new children’s variety show that lets him become the queer role model he never had growing up. This pivot foregrounds a hopeful, transformative path where art, family, and community intertwine to shape a lasting legacy.
Throughout, the film blends performances, interviews, and vérité footage with a broad ensemble of drag talent. It features candid appearances and archival moments with Steven Levins as Mr. Davis, and a vibrant lineup including Darienne Lake, Pandora Boxx, Bianca Del Rio, Tatianna, Tempest DuJour, Aggy Dune, Wednesday Westwood, and BeBe Gunn. The documentary also spotlights Jemima Handful (portrayed by Daniel Jones) and other voices that enrich the portrait of a community in motion. It weaves in archival footage from notable figures such as Rachel Dratch and RuPaul, alongside broader representations from the drag world, including Alaska Thunderfuck, Miss Richfield 1981, and more, to create a comprehensive, multifaceted look at a culture in transition.
