American Theatre is proud to be the venue for Theatrical Mustang, an independently produced podcast from actor-writer-activist Woodzick. Each month they bring listeners interviews with unbridled talent and cultural trailblazers from across the country.

This month, Woodzick explores the aesthetics and joys of queer parody filmmaking with The People’s Joker co-writer, co-editor, director, and star Vera Drew. They discuss Vera Drew’s process, audiences’ reactions in-person and online, her sources of inspiration, what roles she hopes to play in the future, and her belief in holding “out for the right opportunity” without selling oneself short. Says Vera Drew of creating her art and meeting other trans individuals, “It’s a very spiritual experience for me.”

Vera Drew is a transgender director and writer who got her start in TV. Her recent The People’s Joker is a queer coming-of-age comic book parody that has gained a cult following. She also worked on Alice Maio MacKay’s new holiday horror feature Carnage for Christmas, Tim Heidecker’s On Cinema at the Cinema, and Tim and Eric’s Beef House. She was nominated for an Emmy as lead editor on Sacha Baron Cohen’s Who Is America. Born and raised in Chicago, she has been making funny, spooky, queer art for most of her life.