‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Gets its First Main Stage Makeover in 16 Seasons

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Entering the extraordinary realm of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” means stepping into a universe unlike any other, and envisioning oneself creating this world from scratch is beyond imagination.

Despite not being involved in the initial design of RuPaul’s Drag Race since its debut in 2009, production designer Jen Chu took on the challenge of updating the show’s set after 16 seasons, as it had become a recognizable staple. Indeed, iconic is an appropriate term to describe the well-known set of this MTV reality competition, characterized by its main stage where countless queens have strutted and shimmied their way towards drag supremacy. The show has garnered four consecutive Emmy Awards for outstanding reality competition program from 2018 to 2021, with RuPaul winning the award for outstanding host for a reality or competition program for eight years straight, from 2016 to 2023.

With a reputation for success behind her, Chu confides in THR that she experienced “a fair share of pressure” to ensure the redesign was flawless.

According to Chu, it took some effort to get everyone on board with the concept of a brand-new setup. To be honest, we’ve never had an entirely new main stage before, so this was quite significant for us. It wasn’t easy to let go of something that functioned well.

Although the Drag Race setup still looked appealing, it was no longer functioning optimally. Chu explained that an upgrade was essential due to certain equipment becoming outdated. It became apparent that progress was needed.

Following RuPaul Charles’ words, “You don’t have to start from scratch,” wasn’t Chu’s intention for season 17’s main stage. Instead, she drew inspiration from within the show itself to honor its legacy. As Chu explains, “That’s what everyone does on Drag Race — pay tribute to something.” Chu was contemplating how to design a set that evoked a sense of history or nostalgia, given the show’s penchant for referencing the past. “I was considering ways to create a stage that felt reminiscent of the past,” says Chu, “rather than one that seemed to leap into the future.” Instead, she opted for a design that conveyed a sense of nostalgia.

The primary source of inspiration for Chu’s redesign was a grand Art Deco-style building situated on Hollywood Boulevard, owned by the production company behind ‘Drag Race’, World of Wonder. Chu decided to emulate the building’s structure, as it embodied the regal yet playfully camp atmosphere of ‘Drag Race’.

Chu muses about the similarity between art deco buildings and costumes, both boasting intricate details and striking symmetrical metalwork. He envisioned World of Wonder’s building as a crowned structure, which inspired him to create a stage adorned like a regal crown.

As a gamer, I’d put it like this: “To breathe new life into our game environment, we called upon FTB Design, a creative powerhouse based in LA. They brought some truly innovative and witty ideas to tackle the challenges we faced with our previous setup – particularly making it easier to set up and break down.

As a designer, I’ve discovered that setting up a stage for a single shoot is straightforward; however, creating one that must be dismantled and reassembled multiple times significantly increases the complexity of the task by anywhere from 50 to 100 times,” she explains.

Additionally, there were financial aspects to consider. “Sometimes people might be taken aback, but ‘Drag Race’ isn’t a show with an astronomical budget,” Chu concedes. “Given the level of success they’ve achieved, their budget doesn’t match the resources they constantly need for design, and I’m content to work within those financial constraints.”

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Financially speaking, ‘Drag Race’ isn’t a lavishly funded show. While it has achieved great success, the budget does not correspond with the ongoing expenses required for design. Chu is comfortable working within these cost-efficient parameters.

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In terms of finances, ‘Drag Race’ doesn’t have an extravagant budget. Despite its impressive achievements, the budget doesn’t reflect the continuous costs associated with design. Chu is content to work under these cost-effective conditions.

A notable feature of the fresh setup is the incorporation of backstage screens on the stage. Chu remarks that these screens have expanded numerous creative visual options for main stage imagery, not only for herself but also for Gus Dominguez, the lighting designer for ‘Drag Race’, and a significant collaborator in the redesign project with Chu.

She clarifies that as screens were introduced, the discussion became significantly more complex. Screens can feature bought content, custom designs, static or moving images. Our aim is to maintain a harmonious aesthetic without overshadowing the queens.

She explains that for this kind of performance, there are numerous stage appearances and screen actions, sometimes involving up to 12 to 14 performers simultaneously. Last season, during the first year we incorporated screens, a significant part of my duties involved monitoring the various costumes. We had a sprawling spreadsheet in circulation just to keep tabs on all the costume changes.

A striking change was the introduction of a sleek, glossy black stage floor, which created a challenge for competitors wearing all-black outfits as they became difficult to distinguish from the background on stage.

Chu explains that our setup frequently appears as if it’s designed for lighting, implying that there’s a lot more lighting, digital content, and color on display than actual scenery. He attributes this discrepancy to the particular technical specifications we used and the absence of planned lighting.

In this current season (number 18), the lighting team has introduced additional lighting. This means that if a contestant is dressed in black against a dark background, the lights will illuminate their shoulders from behind, enhancing their silhouette and defining their shape more distinctly. Chu explains this.

In the words of RuPaul again, “New friends are silver, old friends are gold.” It seems that ‘Drag Race’ has achieved a harmonious blend of these two aspects with its latest main stage, thanks to the creative team who have consistently supported the cultural powerhouse that is ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’

Chu mentioned that the collaboration on the show was extremely inclusive because numerous cast members had built their careers around it for a long time. He simply aimed to ensure everyone felt comfortable and welcomed during production.

Initially, this tale was published in a solitary edition of The Hollywood Reporter’s magazine during June. If you’d like to get the magazine, you can do so by clicking here to subscribe.

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2025-06-21 21:54