SGS Summer Spotlight Series: SHELITA POTROAST Reveals The Woman Behind The Muu Muu

Shelita…Shoe?
The up n coming scene queen SHELITA POTROAST!
Photo: Rachel Robinson for Nark Magazine

One of the newest queens to hit the streets of Seattle is a filthy double diva that will steal your muu muus and probably deep fry them, too. Her name is SHELITA POTROAST and she will eat you out of house and home. Her male persona is Nick Steiner, who has already been bopping around the ‘Hill’ in his bright, obnoxious cat sweatshirts from belovedshirts.com.

As part of a new summer series for Seattle Gay Scene, we’re putting the limelight on random Gaylebrities and I chose Mr. Steiner as the Virgin (hairy) Mary to talk about his new alter-ego. “It’s only fitting that I am shoving pie into my face right now,” he said. “And, drinking a frappuccino.” Shelita Potroast embodies the mantra of fat bitches roaming free and we think she’s going to be a Superstar.

After becoming such a bar fly, with your witty Facebook status updates, what made you decide to do drag?
My constant craving for attention… Ha! In all honesty, I grew up doing theater. And, as an adult with my work schedule and my drinking schedule, I have had no time to participate in any community theater. Shelita is giving me that outlet I have been missing to become a character and just enjoy being something other than Nick.

Seattle has a wide range of different types of drag, something not really seen in most big cities. Who has been your dragspiration, style and character-wise, and what do you hope to accomplish with Shelita?
I can’t really peg my inspiration down to one queen. As you said, this city has so many types of drag and I respect every aspect of it. The humor and quick wit of Robbie Turner and BenDeLaCreme. The way La Saveona Hunt and Amora Dior-Black can tear up the stage, and of course the gassy emissions of Olivia LaGarce and Cherry Sur Bete. The character of Shelita is based off what would happen if Roseanne Barr and Britney Spears (circa 2007 crazy train days) had a baby. I really hope that Shelita brings something that people can enjoy and get a good laugh. It is all about the comedy for me and making people feel good.

Do you plan on lip-syncing for your life at some point, or are you just going to show up at random bars riding on the hot mess express?
Ha! Hot mess express! That is hilarious and so true! I would love to get the chance to perform, I have some great ideas for performances and little known fact, I love to bust a move.

What has surprised you the most since starting drag? And, what did you already know coming into it?
What has surprised me the most is how quickly people have embraced Shelita, there has been a lot of love for her and I am excited to see where it goes! Also, I must say it is A LOT harder to bend over wearing four pairs of control tops than I would have thought! I knew a little bit about performance and becoming a character from my theater days, but there is really nothing you can do to prepare yourself to step out for the first time.

True that. Now, it is no secret that you have an affinity for muu muus and caftans. Personally, I love caftans, because then I can free-ball. Is that part of your character as Shelita? You mentioned control-tops… do you tuck under that hood or are they as loose as a hot dog in a hallway? Probably TMI, but whatever.
Well, right now, I own mostly loose fitting muu muus and items from the Bea Arthur Cheesecake Collection, so I haven’t had much of a need to tuck. However, I did find that with wearing the control-top tights, I can get my feet slimmed down and shove those vienna sausages into something I normally wouldn’t be able to.

So, if you could take Shelita Potroast anywhere in the world with a sold out venue, where would you go and who would you bring with you?
I would love to see the world and love ancient art and history, so I think maybe doing a show in Rome or Athens would be amazing. Plus, I love a man that smells like cooked lamb. Shelita, however, would probably rather do a sold out show at the Caesars Palace Buffet in Las Vegas. I would try and bring as many people with me as I could. I think traveling in big groups is great and it makes it a lot less awkward when one person goes “missing”.

Yeah, Alessandra Hunt and DonnaTella Howe tried to push me overboard on the RuPaul’s Drag Race cruise last November, but obviously the Universe wanted me to live on to interview you. Speaking of which, do you think Shelita Potroast could ever sissy that walk on the self-proclaimed ‘Olympics of Drag’?
You never know what could happen in the future! Right now, I am just focusing on fine-tuning Shelita. I feel for something like RuPaul’s Drag Race, you really need to pay your dues and have everything perfect (or be Laganja Estranja) and Shelita is far from that right now. There are so many local queens that really deserve their chance in the spotlight, and I would love to see them work that runway.

Okay, last question. What is the one word that should pop in someone’s head when they see, hear, or read about Shelita Potroast?
Hungry.