By Kevin Ferrisi –

Graveyard Brat is quickly carving a name for herself in the alternative drag scene, despite having only two years of experience. Her performances blend horror, music, and theatricality, creating a presence that captivates audiences from the first moment she steps onstage. What sets her apart is not just her skill with makeup or her stagecraft, but the way she draws on her love of horror, her background in music, and her playful, mischievous personality to craft a unique, entrancing style. Already a winner of Mx. TOXIC 2025, she is proving that talent and vision can make an impact fast, and she’s just getting started.

Graveyard Brat had only been doing drag for about two years, though it felt like much longer to anyone who had seen her work. Her makeup was so polished that it was easy to assume she’d been performing for ages. The reality went back to her early teens, when she first started experimenting with makeup around thirteen or fourteen. All those years practicing at home gave her a head start long before he ever stepped onstage, and it shows. 

She traces her start in drag back to her love of horror. Before performing, Graveyard Brat spent about five years acting at a haunted attraction, getting a feel for character work and spooky theatrics. Friends who knew she watched RuPaul’s Drag Race on and off kept steering her toward Dragula, convinced it matched her taste for the darker side of things. Once she finally gave it a try, the whole world of alternative drag clicked for her. The blend of horror, artistry, and performance felt natural, and she knew it was something she wanted to pursue.

Graveyard Brat describes her drag as entrancing, almost like spellcasting. People often told her that the first time they saw her perform, they couldn’t take their eyes off her. At the same time, she liked to mix in playful, silly numbers, making sure her shows had a variety of energy. Her style aims to captivate and hold attention, but also to surprise and entertain, blending dark, mesmerizing elements with moments of fun.  

The alternative performer started out as a musician, making music before she ever stepped into drag. Her stage name came from that musical persona. She spent a lot of time in graveyards growing up, which inspired the first part of the name, while the “brat” reflected her playful, mischievous side. She liked being fun, a little silly, and occasionally flirty, and the name captured all of that. When she started performing in drag, the name carried over, creating a single stage identity that fit both her music and her performances.

Drag taught Graveyard Brat to develop a tougher skin. She knew her aesthetic wasn’t for everyone, and she expected some criticism along the way. The community could be harsh at times, and she learned to accept that not everyone would understand or appreciate her style. Instead of letting it bring her down, she used feedback, even the sharpest comments, to grow and improve. Drag gave her freedom to explore who she was, but it also forced her to build resilience and confidence in herself.

She believes the challenges performers face are not talked about enough. “People will always talk,” she said, adding that she would rather give them something real to talk about. As a Black Hispanic non-binary artist with an alternative style, she says many people come in with preconceived ideas about who she is. She describes herself as someone who was born non-binary, explaining that she has both higher levels of testosterone and estrogen, along with what she jokingly calls “a nice little list of medical issues.” Some assume she is a bio queen, which she says is not the case, though she holds deep respect for bio queens. Instead, she focuses on carving out her own path in Connecticut’s drag scene, determined to introduce herself on her own terms and make her mark.

Graveyard Brat won Mx. TOXIC 2025, a competition featuring performers from Connecticut and Massachusetts that highlighted the region’s alternative drag scene. Her winning performance blended horror and theatricality, performing Kendrick Lamar’s “Wacced Out Murals” while channeling films like The Woman in Black. Dressed in a tattered black gown and veil, she emerged from behind a backup dancer, covering both in fake blood, then carried that intensity into the runway with a look inspired by her claustrophobia, dramatically ripping a bag off her head to reveal a black mask underneath.

Reflecting on her experience in the Mx. TOXIC competition, Graveyard Brat’s journey was deeply personal. She credits her friend Izzy for helping bring her vision for the competition to life. Going in, she admitted she was nervous after difficult experiences within the community that left her questioning whether she could keep going. For the competition, she channeled those emotions into a concept centered on confronting the darkness within herself. Through both her runway and performance, she embodied what she described as the demon or shadow she had carried, a way of reclaiming her power after feeling like she had spent too long bending to others’ expectations. Inspired by a line from Kendrick Lamar about knowing your worth even when others doubt you, Graveyard’s goal was not just to compete but to create space for others like her, particularly alternative and goth performers of color who rarely see themselves represented on stage.

In her two years of drag, Graveyard Brat had already hit some milestones that felt out of reach for someone so new to the scene. Beyond winning the Mx. TOXIC competition, she had been chosen by Throb Zombie to perform in one of the artist’s large theatrical shows, a production focused on witches. She was picked for a middle slot to help break up the production, which meant performing alongside a big, established name early in her career. For her, it was a moment of validation, proof that even with only a couple of years in drag, she was capable of holding her own on a professional stage.

Within her first year of doing drag, Graveyard Brat performed at the Webster Theater in Hartford, sharing the stage with Kalysta Kaykes and Chai. For her, it was a personal milestone. Growing up, she had spent a lot of time watching bands at that venue, and getting to perform there herself felt like coming full circle. The experience connected her love for music and performance with her emerging drag career, making it a moment she wouldn’t forget.

Outside of the stage, Graveyard has also built a strong chosen family through drag. She is the founder of the Haus of Brat, a house she created to foster creativity, support, and collaboration among performers. Within that house, she has taken on the role of mentor to two drag children, Helium and Chapstick Roan. Both have begun exploring drag and performance art in their own unique ways.

Looking ahead, Graveyard Brat planned to expand her drag beyond the stage. While she still traveled and performed frequently, she wanted to explore filmmaking and digital content. Last October, she wrote a movie script based on one of her EPs and aimed to turn it into a short film. She also wanted to create more digital drag videos, using editing and online content to add new dimensions to her art. She learned filmmaking mostly on her own, with a little guidance from friends with formal training.

On top of that, she already has music out, including EPs available on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, and additional tracks on SoundCloud. Along with continuing to perform regularly, she plans to compete in several upcoming competitions, including Blazing Beauties at EGO in Providence. In addition to her stage work, she continues expanding into other creative outlets, with a short film and new music currently in development. Check out her website here.

Read more about Graveyard Brat’s Mx. TOXIC victory below.