On March 15, DADA, located in Ridgewood, hosted Verse4Verse, a night filled with poetry, music, drag and art. Celebrating their first anni-VERSE-ary, Verse4Verse invited artists who have performed in previous years. It is New York City’s only recurring drag poetry show.
Verse4Verse first began in March of 2025, and has since been held every third Sunday of each month. The event is held by Poison Oak, a multidisciplinary drag artist and comedienne based in Queens.
“[Poetry is] one of the oldest art forms. It’s how our ancestors told history orally around a campfire, before we had any advancement or refers to art forms as poetry. And so I think it’s for everybody,” said Poison Oak. “And it’s really important to me to create a space where poetry felt accessible, and part of that is making it very unabashedly queer, but also fun.”
Poison Oak began writing poetry in middle school, when her work was posted in the school’s newspaper. She picked it up again during college, falling in love with the art form again thanks to the help of a professor. She started being published about five years ago, in publications such as Bell = Jar, Inflectionist Review and Rough Cut Press.
Poison Oak began the set by performing some of her poetry, including “Migration,” which discussed her feelings after a mutual breakup, “You Looking Right Now?,” which described her sexual liberation, and “Thaw,” which showcased new beginnings during the change of seasons.
The first special guest of the night was Viola, a singer-songwriter and drag artist based in Massachusetts. She performed her newest song, “Pussy on a Stick.” According to the Eventbrite page, Viola “uses drag to explore the full range of feminine expression across the lesbian spectrum.”
Alex Scelso was the next guest. Also known as “Sitanya Face,” she is a poet, Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) actor and drag artist from Brooklyn. She recited the poem “From Ghost to Poem,” which described her heartbreak after being ghosted.
“We found each other in this life, and instead of being an architect for our love, an archeologist on the search for a deeper, meaningful connection, you chose to become a fossil, buried beneath a scar,” said Scelso as she read her poem.
Priestess Lolita then performed after. She is a drag artist and singer originally from Georgia, and is the reigning winner of “Polish the Queen,” a drag competition. She performed a drag set which combined the songs “Tia Tamera” by Doja Cat and Rico Nasty, and “Coconuts” by Kim Petras.
The second set of the night included Penny Livonia, a rapper and drag artist based in East New York, Brooklyn. She was the first special guest during the inaugural show.
“Before I even accepted myself and grew into my queerness, rap was my very first medium to express my feelings and my thoughts and all the things that I just couldn’t say and say out loud, except for in music,” said Penny Liviona before she began her set.
The event concluded with Danielle Bero. A Fulbright scholar, she is a poet and filmmaker based in Queens. She recited the poem “Box,” which discussed her gender identity.
“A little boy tugs and asks you, are you a boy or a girl? And I respond with Yes, and he scratches. I exhale, wear my hair down the next day, because, well, that’s the kind of girl I am,” said Bero, as she read her poem.
