PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — She has long eyelashes, swirling, painted hair, a distinct red and black style, and big red lips on her front bumper. And she’s been missing since April.
“The Beardmobile was a 2009 … sorry, she lies about her age, a 2006 Isuzu box truck,” said Sally Ollove, the associate artistic director with the Bearded Ladies, a queer experimental cabaret company.
The truck was parked in the Allens Lane Arts Center in Mount Airy over the winter. When the group went to “unbutton” her on May 7 to prepare her for the summer, they discovered she was gone. The last they had checked in on her was in April.
Ollove says surveillance video shows a vehicle pulling up to the Beardmobile on April 18. The video then cuts out.
The troupe reported the theft to police. An investigation is underway. They say they don’t care about who did it, they just want their truck back.
“We miss her very much … She brought drag, glitter and joy across the city,” Ollove said.
The troupe bought the truck during the pandemic to perform in outdoor spaces. Since then, she’s been a regular sight in the summer months.
“She’s popped up all around … we did a collaboration with the free library, we did a show about how the library is a welcoming place for all especially queer lgbtq children and their families,” Ollove said. “She is usually a centerpiece of Philadelphia's pride celebration. She’s become a symbol of the joy and the way in which queer art is thriving in philadelphia.”
Ollove says the troupe won’t be in the Pride Parade this year, but they still plan on holding multiple events.
To submit an anonymous tip about the truck’s whereabouts, go to www.beardedladiescabaret.com.