Today we’d like to introduce you to Della-Kate Flower.
Hi Della-Kate, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
A theater kid who loved horror when she wasn’t supposed to watch it became fascinated with the world of burlesque and drag in college. But what if we married the two? Purple Nightshade Productions, LLC was born out of a desire to be part of the world of burlesque and drag but also to see these artforms performed in a way that both freaked out and fascinated audiences of both performance genres.
I didn’t start performing burlesque until much later in my life and once I was onstage and acting out my own funny and feathery fantasies that I was hooked. For seven years, I traveled around the Southeastern part of the country performing my brand of sass and silly and in that time, I created a production company that centered around my favorite artistic genre: horror. I find horror endlessly fascinating. The looks, the special effects, and the seemingly numerous ways to scare people have always been part of my weirdo mind.
The culmination of these adventures was the Hoggetowne Horrorfest, a three night performance festival where horror burlesque and drag could shine. The first festival happened in 2024 and the second one will be onstage in 2026.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The burlesque and drag world is wonderful and awful almost simultaneously. While I was celebrated for my talent and my consistency, I was also quietly joked about for my weight and my age. So, I made sure to be as kind as I could to combat this. Not kind towards folks who joked, but to the performers, producers, and others who made the time on stage freakin’ delightful.
Also, traveling for gigs needed more prep time, rehearsal, and frankly, more SLEEP. I have no problem being the age I am. I have REAL problems losing sleep for more than two days.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I think horror is one of the most creative yet misunderstood genres of creativity. We are not just blood and gore, you know. (although blood and gore is super weirdo fun). I like to say that as an artform, horror is the human mirror. Horror reaches down into what folks are truly scared of and also attracted to. So it’s entertaining in the way that it both pulls you in and makes you regret coming. (giggling)
For me now, as an artist, I am more host and producer since retiring from the stage more than 3 years ago. So for what I am known for now? The Horror Queen of Gainesville, Florida. Many horror performance companies have popped up since then and I am SO HAPPY to see it. I think the final thing to date that I am the most proud of is pulling off my first festival and learning from it to try it again in 2026.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
This question is hard. The current political climate is stacked as high as it gets against artists. We are being silenced and stripped of rights and our voices all over the place. Especially here in Florida. But art survives, even in the most strenuous times. I’m not ready to give up yet and neither are folks in my genre.
Also, I’m a horror person. I’ve seen and known scary. This real life political game with our lives and the lives of others is terrifying, but so is standing out and fighting. So in the next 5 years? I am staying and fighting as hard as I can for the right to perform and express our thoughts and feelings about what and who we are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.purplenightshadeproductions.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/purplenightshade2017
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/purplenightshade2017
Image Credits
Della-Kate purple image, photography by RazorCut Media
