Since the days of Shakespeare, cross-dressing has been in vogue, if not celebrated. Thursday at the Maintenance Shop, Iowa State again plays host to some gender-bending theatrics as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Ally Alliance puts on its annual drag show.

Jennifer Sanford, LGBTAA president, says she hopes for another successful event.

“It’s a blast,” says Sanford, junior in political science. “We had to turn away 100 people last year.”

She says there will be a mix of ISU students and professional performers from Des Moines participating in the event. Some of the students have never performed before, but she says it doesn’t matter because they’re all there to have a good time.

“We have 10 performers this year and about six or seven of them are students, which we’re really excited about,” she says. “Most of the people performing have done shows in the past, but we have a couple new people who haven’t done drag before so they’re excited to do this.”

Participants lip sync to a song most people recognize, and form a dance routine around it for the show.

She says the shows are a lot of fun because the performers like to try new things and get the audience involved.

“They sing and come down into the audience and dance and people tip them,” she says. “As long as they keep it in the limits of good taste they can be in the show — we don’t say ‘You can’t do this,’ or, ‘You can’t do that,’ we just expect general public conduct.”

Justin Hope, one of the student performers in the show, goes by the name Angelica Starr whenever he takes the stage.

“I’ve been doing the art of female impersonation for about a year,” says Hope, sophomore in early childhood education. “For me, it’s just kind of a hobby and something I like doing.”

Hope says every time he does a show, he finds himself becoming better at what he does while enjoying it even more.

“For me it’s being able to go up there and perform and be somebody else and just let go,” he says.

The show is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. Thursday at the M-Shop. Tickets are $5 at the door.