The 13th season of the world’s biggest drag race reality competition series is ready to air. That’s right, Rupaul’s Drag Race has completed filming its 13th season and reports say that Drag Race All-Stars will also be back for its 6th season.
While none of the new cast have officially been announced, rumors have already begun swirling around about well-known queens who have gone off social media for weeks on end or who have canceled online gigs and appearances.
Rupaul’s Drag Race Casting
Inspiring a number of spin-off shows, Rupaul’s Drag Race has acquired a huge fanbase and worldwide acceptance from the television audience spurring more and more queens to fight for a spot on this name-making program.
When it comes to casting, it’s evident that the RupaulsDrag Race casting crew is looking for unique performers. After the 12th season, virtual auditions took place to find new drag queens from all over the country. The casting department accepted recorded videos from queens highlighting their wide range of skills.
As a result, 13 talented contestants were selected for the next season, despite the ongoing pandemic. Moreover, producers succeeded in filming the show in studio as well.
New Challenges, New Solutions
While season 13 will feature the Main Stage, Werk Room and Untucked Lounge, this year’s filming process included strict social distancing protocols and quarantine measures. The producers ensured that state guidelines on Covid-19 health and safety were followed properly.
The judging panel still consists of Rupaul, Ross Mathews, Michelle Visage, and Carson Cressley but all four judges will be separated by glass panels. The judges’ table has also been extended to support social distancing between the contestants and themselves.
The Drag Race casting department already has experience with sequestering contestants in hotels to maintain complete secrecy about the upcoming season, so this practice already supported the need for quarantining contestants and the use of ‘bio-bubbles’ for cast and crew on current filming productions. Even though the contestants did not wear masks while filming, all the other crew members did.
As per usual the contestants were sequestered in their rooms each day after filming. They only had access to a special team in their strict quarantine and were subject to regular Covid tests to ensure that everyone remained healthy. Thanks to the Rupaul’s Drag Race Casting department for their rules, fans of the show will be able to enjoy new queens and lots of new challenges. It’s uncertain how much the ongoining pandemic will come up during the season, but with the show often highlighting current events, politics and culture, there’s a good chance that viewers will see the queens reacting to the current state of the world on a weekly basis. It’s clear that RuPaul’s Drag Race has carved out a place for the LGBTQIA+ in mainstream media while inspiring so many to be themselves, speak out for equality and think creatively. They have urged their contestants to boldly come up and set their foot on the stage in the age of revolution with more and more waiting in the wings for their chance to be America’s Next Drag Superstar.
