“Queen Mab” photos by Cathryn Beeks
I used the artistic name “Queen Mab” from 2017 through 2021 so that I wouldn’t get fired from my teaching job. I took it from Mercutio’s famous monologue in Romeo and Juliet. Before that, I was calling myself “Gberá,” which was a name my friends in Ghana gave me when I studied there in 2007. Since Queen Mab is the English queen of the fairies, and my ancestors came from England, I decided it would be a more appropriate stage name to use. (Side note: Titania from A Midsummer Night’s Dream is ALSO queen of the fairies. This has always bothered me…who’s the real queen? And then I discovered someone made a comic book exploring that very issue!) I also thought it would be easier to pronounce than “Gberá,” but most of the time I would get called “Queen Mabe” or “Queen Mob.” It’s pronounced like “Mad,” but with a “b.” Yes, I am a teacher. You’re welcome.
