A few things to know up front: Ethan South, 20, uses the stage name Stiletta and the pronouns they/them, she/her and he/him. Such details warrant clarifying in a discussion about a gender-bending performance art traditionally embodied by cisgender men impersonating women.

HER PREROGATIVE: Stiletta is a bold, beautiful character South has created to perform song-and-dance numbers that are entertaining to watch and meaningful to the artist. A recent one was Shania Twain’s ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman.’ (Supplied photo)

The nonbinary Manahawkin resident and aspiring drag queen is also a host at Bird & Betty’s in Beach Haven, where Stiletta made her Long Beach Island debut on Mother’s Day this year at the drag brunch, the follow-up to her mainland debut last fall at the Union Market in Tuckerton. On both occasions (and more since), her performance brought down the house.

Such a success was the “Brunch Is a Drag” party, BaB’s co-owner Melanie Magaziner decided to continue the Sunday event…