By JULIA ROBERTS GOAD

Staff Writer

KERMIT — This Halloween season money will be raised for the American Cancer Society in a way that is sure to be a first — a drag show in Kermit.

The Witches Ball will feature Tammy Faye Sinclair, Caira Myst, Victoria Stone and Ashley Stone. It will take place in the Kermit Community Center Saturday, Oct. 24, at 8 p.m.

Whether that should be considered a good or a bad thing seems to depend on whom one asks.

The character of Ashley Stone was created by Kermit citizen Lark Muncy. Mark is a 23-year-old graduate of Tug Valley High School who says he always loved to make people smile.

“I always knew that I loved to entertain people from the time I was able to walk,” he told the Daily News. “I can recall dressing up in my grandmother’s gowns and heels from a small child.”

Mark has been performing as Ashley for four years. He says the inspiration for Ashley comes not from one particular woman, but many women, real and fictional, who have influenced him.

“My character is based on many important women in my life as well as women who I have looked up to growing up as a child in this area,” he said. “Some of the ideas for my stage persona come from television characters such as Julia and Suzanne Sugarbaker [from the televison show Designing women] as well as TV Evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker.”

But Muncy had to look not farther than his family tree to find true inspiration.

“Most of my persona is accredited to my mother Phyllis, and my grandmother Wyzona. These two individuals are the life force behind not only me but my character as well.”

Although the concept of men performing dressed as women seem be somewhat ground breaking in Mingo County, drag shows are certainly nothing new. The American public has been enjoying men dressed in drag in movies and television programs since Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon starred in “Some Like It Hot” in 1959. Milton Berle, Flip Wilson and the Monty Python troupe all delivered laughs dressed as women and Nathan Layne played a drag queen in “The Birdcage” in 1996.

A performance in Kermit was actually the brainchild of Muncy’s family, he said.

“Some family members complained that nothing fun or exciting ever goes on in Kermit,” he said. “Together with a group of my friends, we decided to bring our show here.”

However, some local citizens are not happy about the fundraiser.

People at Kermit City Hall say there has been an outpouring of people and groups making their disapproval known.

“We have had lots of letters,” said a city employee. “They are saying ‘Please don’t let this come to our town,’ but we can’t discriminate. It has really been hard.”

Charles Parsley is the minister at Jesus Name Tabernacle in Gray Eagle, a small community near the town of Kermit.

“The Devil is coming to Kermit,” Parsley said.

His church has reserved the Community Center for this Friday, the night before the show.

“We will be having a prayer service,” Parsley said. “We will be praying for people with drugs and alcohol, and we will be praying over our problem with this show.”

Asked specifically what problem that was, Parsley said immorality.

“We have a problem with this going on anywhere,” he explained. “But especially in our hometown.”

Parsley said he didn’t think the performers were simply trying to raise money for a worthy cause.

“If you want to make money for the American Cancer Society, wouldn’t you go to a bigger town, like Huntington or Charleston?” he asked.

Muncy, who performs as Ashley Stone, says he was raised in a church-going family.

“I grew up in a very religious background and was brought up in the Apostolic/Holiness Faith,” he said. “I have performed at several venues, clubs, parties and charities events. I see drag as simply a form of entertainment.”

Parsley said he felt the show had a different motive.

“I think they want to recruit,” Parsley said. “If someone were to approach them and ask to join them, you know they’re not going to turn them down. It could be your kid or mine.”

Parsley, whose church has 35 to 40 members, said he issued an invitation to local churches, and members and ministers have agreed to attend his prayer service. But he doesn’t think the Witches Ball will have much of an audience.

“I don’t think a lot of people from the local community will come to the show,” he added. “I hope not. I hope they come to our services instead, and realize they shouldn’t be at that show.”

He said he realized he couldn’t stop the show from happening.

“We just want to head off something,” he said. “We can’t keep them out of the building.”

“We are going to show some unity and the love of God. We want to let people know how we feel about things. People need to realize this is dangerous,” Parsley said.

Dan Howard is the assistant pastor at Jesus Name Tabernacle. He said he wants the message to remain positive.

“We don’t want to stop them from having this show. That is not a Christian thing to do,” Howard said. “We want to know that God loves them. God doesn’t hate sinners, he hates the sin.”

He said the members of his church have put Lark Muncy on a prayer list at the church.

“We are praying he will come back to church,” Howard said. “We hope he will come back and bring as many people as he can.”

Kermit Mayor Johnny Linville said the town treated Lark Muncy like anyone else that wanted to rent the Community Center for an event.

“They came in and told us they wanted to hold a masquerade party,” Linville said. “We explained the rules about the Center, that there is no alcohol allowed and that people who use it must clean it up, and they agreed. They paid their money and booked the Center.”

Linville said he does not planned to attend the Witches Ball as he will be out of town.

Linville said Kermit Police Chief Ernie Chambers is aware there may be some issues in the town this weekend, and is doing what he can to be prepared.

In addition to the prayer service, Kermit City Clerk Rhonda Muncy said some churches are trying to coordinate a music service in front of city hall for Saturday.

“There has been a lot of controversy about this,” Linville said. “The money is for the American Cancer Society. While I don’t support them for having this show, I am not here to judge anyone.”