Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday all! If you happen to be in the Fitchburg area tonight, you can see me at Nocturna!
Here’s your tip!
Avoid looking directly at the stage lights.
They can be very bright and can make you temporarily disoriented, which is not a great place to be on stage.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 17 Patrons. I appreciate you all so much!
Dear Constant Reader,
No tip this week. A story instead.
Before I discovered burlesque, I performed with a commedia dell’arte troupe. For those unfamiliar, commedia is a form of theatre that developed in Italy in the 16th century. It’s the great-great-grandmother of burlesque, opera, ballet, pantomime, &c. We stuck to commedia’s roots, wearing 16th-century style costumes, most of the male characters wore masks, and rather than using a script we had a scenario, a plot outline from which we improvised the three-act play. (This is not to say we were winging it — it takes a lot of rehearsing to be good at improvising).
A commedia troupe in Austin, Texas invited us to perform at the first ever Commedia dell’Austin Festival and nine members headed off from Logan Airport on September 9th, 2001. It was going to be a whirlwind trip. We arrived just in time for our Sunday evening show, we had a Monday night show, and a Tuesday matinee and then we were leaving early Wednesday morning for home. Well, that was the plan.
If you want to hear about the first two shows (a good story in its own right), ask me in person some time. It’s Tuesday I need to talk about.
My room was asleep when Jennifer banged on our motel room door. “Turn on the TV!” “Which channel?” someone asked. “Any of them.” We watched the second tower fall. I don’t remember a lot from that morning. I know I went into the bathroom, sat on the edge of the tub, and cried, knowing that the world had changed forever. I know my mother called. I had just told her we were going to Austin, not where we were staying. I still don’t know how she found us.
They say the show must go on — and it did. We performed a lackluster version of our show before a lackluster audience. Three of the masked actors switched roles, just to make things more interesting and try to kick up our energy, but it didn’t work. Afterwards, the festival organizer asked us if we could perform that night. The troupe that was scheduled had cancelled — at least one of their members was too distraught to go on stage.
We agreed and I believe it was our capocomico (director/producer) who said “But I don’t want to do this show again.” Jennifer whipped out a folder and said “I have a scenario for 8 and a scenario for 9.” Once upon a time we had had to put on a show with no notice and spent all day recreating a scenario from memory. She never wanted to go through that again.
We chose the scenario for 8 actors, because four of the performers had performed it the previous month and three of us had been in it when it it debuted. Miraculously, the seven of us had each played a different role, so there was no duplication and need to scramble to recast. And the only uncast role was for Pantalone (the miser) and the one person left was our best Pantalone. He had never played this scenario however.
Our rehearsal was the hour before curtain, which was spent in a storage room at the venue with Pantalone and Il Dottore worked on bits, a couple of other troupe members were arguing while I sat on the stairs, head in hands, saying “this is never going to work”. But work it did. In fact, it was fucking brilliant. One of the best shows we ever did. It’s hard to put into words how well we worked together, how we played off each other, and supported each other. For a couple of hours we took everyone away from the unthinkable reality and brought some laughter and joy to people who badly needed it, including us.
We were stuck in Austin for the rest of the week until we finally got a flight out on Saturday. In reflecting upon it, I was glad to be away from the familiar and the everyday. I don’t know how I could have gone into work and gone about my day like usual that week. There is a magic in liminal places, where one is neither here nor there, and that is what Austin was for me. And more than anything, I was grateful not be to alone and even more than that to be with this group of friends and fellow performers.
I’m not sure how to wrap this up. I’ve been unsure for 25 years.
Take care of yourselves and those around you,
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! You almost didn’t get a tip this week because WordPress was being weird and wouldn’t let me log into my account. But, crisis averted.
Before we get to your tip, I want to remind you that Introduction to Burlesque and Burlesque Your Way: Halloween Edition start this Sunday!
And now, your tip!
Black fabric comes in different shades.
Sounds kind of crazy, right? But black dyes have different undertones, which may not be readily apparent under standard lighting. Under stage lights the differences can become obvious and make your carefully coordinated costume components look a little off. Check under good lighting that all the black pieces look cohesive.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 17 Patrons. I appreciate you all so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.
Dear Constant Reader,
Once again I participated in the Boston Public Library’s summer reading challenge and once again I read a book in every category on both bingo boards. There was a great reward for a blackout bingo board this year — you got to pick any book in the library and sign a bookplate that would be put into it. I chose Night Shift by Stephen King — one of the most perfect collections of short stories, in my opinion.
As usual, none of these were re-reads (except the one that had to be) and most of them were from BPL suggestions. A couple of those suggestions I thought didn’t fit the theme as well as I would have liked, and thus chose something else. So I ended up reading more than planned. And as usual, some hits, some misses, and a bunch of books I never would have read otherwise.
Links will take you to Bookshop.org (where I have an affiliate account).
Regular Bingo
About a Revolution: Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech by Brian Merchant
Author of Color: Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age by Ibram X. Kendi
Banned Book: Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad
Disabled Not Unabled Pick: The Scald-Crow by Grace Daly
Graphic Format: Fangs by Sarah Andersen
Indigenous Author: Legendary Frybread Drive-in: Intertribal Stories edited by Cynthia Leitch Smith
New Release: Shut Up and Read: A Memoir from Harriett’s Bookshop by Jeannine A. Cook
Orange Cover: They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
Page to Screen: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Staff Recommendation: Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker
Under 250 Pages: Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
We Are Pride Pick: Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell (this was almost my “Love Story” choice)
Read More Bingo
A Love Story: When the Museum Is Closed by Emi Yagi
About Libraries: Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada
Armchair Travel: The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking by Brendan I. Koerner
Boston History: The Combat Zone: Murder, Race, and Boston’s Struggle for Justice by Jan Brogan
Buddy Read: Japanese Gothic: A Folk Horror Novel of Japanese Mythology, Murder, and Family Duty Across Two Timelines by Kylie Lee Baker
Climate Change: The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica
Dual Timelines: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Family Saga: Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls
Floral Cover: Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen
From your TBR: The Night Birds by Christopher Golden
Gothic: The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling
Graphic Memoir: How to Be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual by Rebecca Burgess
Makes You Laugh: Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines
Multiple POVs: Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay
Outside Your Comfort Zone: Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca
Over 500 Pages: To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose (this category counted for two squares)
Reread a Favorite: The Body by Stephen King, read by Wil Wheaton
Retelling: James by Percival Everett
Set at Sea: The Spanish Diplomat’s Secret by Nev March
Set in New England: Murder at Breakheart Hill Farm: The Shocking 1900 Case That Gripped Boston’s North Shore by Douglas L. Heath and Alison C. Simcox
Space Exploration: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Staff Recommendation: The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas
Transgender Author: Peter Darling by S. A. Chant
My top books, in alphabetical order are:
* Automatic Noodle: A charming short novel about a team of robots who open a hand-pulled noodle shop.
* The Bewitching: Another good one from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Set in Massachusetts and Mexico during three different timelines.
* Blood in the Machine: I will never again use “Luddite” as an insult. I learned so much about the Industrial Revolution and cottage industries and stockings.
*The Body: I wouldn’t actually call this a favorite. I mean, it’s good, but it’s not my favorite Stephen King work. It’s not even my favorite in Different Seasons. And I’m not sure I’ve even read it since Stand By Me came out. However, this audiobook was read by Wil Wheaton and it was amazing! I can’t imagine anyone more perfect to narrate this story.
* Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep: I loved the alternating chapter structure, which told the same events from two points of view, one of which was (at first) completely bizarre. Also, fuck AI.
* James: I heard so many good things about this book and they were all correct. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as told by Jim.
* Legendary Frybread Drive-in: I love shared-universe short-story collections and this one is very nicely done. There are little cross-over cameos in many of the stories.
* Slayers of Old: Funny, set in Salem (with shout-outs to a couple of actual businesses), and eldritch horrors. Right up my alley.
* To Shape a Dragon’s Breath: An alternate nineteenth century America and the culture clash when an Indigenous girl bonds with a new-born dragon and must attend the colonizers’ dragon academy. Although this was for the over 500 pages category, I read it in like 4 days. Very much looking forward to the second book.
Honorable mention to:
* Atmosphere for best use of a David Bowie lyric, which made me cry.
* The Scald-Crow for a creative solution a folk-tale hero would be proud of.
* When the Museum is Closed: for showing that Latin can be a useful language to learn.
Did you read anything good this summer?
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 16 Patrons. I appreciate you all so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.
Dear Constant Reader,
My summer has been all about peaches. For the past several years we’ve gotten two case of peaches over the course of the summer. Most of them just get eaten, but I cook a thing or two…
There’s always jam. It’s like putting summer in a jar.
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When the NY Times Monthly Bake column featured this Peaches & Cream Victoria Sandwich, I knew I had to make it. A gaming day at the Manor was the perfect occasion.
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A week later a friend’s party was a reason to make Peaches & Cream Pie.
To complete this peaches and cream trifecta. I made peach ice cream infused with fresh basil. Named for my fellow Morbid Curiosity Podcast fans as the Mary Mallon Special.
Of course I had to bake cobbler. I love how there are so many variations of cobbler, but to me it will always be biscuit-topped.
Lastly, and not peachy at all, we had watermelon, so I pickled the rinds. There was also an experiment with watermelon rind jam, but I wouldn’t call it successful.
Did you make anything good with the summer’s bounty?
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 16 Patrons. I appreciate you all so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.
Dear Constant Reader,
It’s been a hell of a week. My intention today was to have a tip inspired by Dixie Evans, The Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque, because today would have been her 100th birthday. However, Dixie is going to have to share the limelight with two icons we lost: Dolly Parton and Tim Curry.
Commit to your character.
All three of them created or played big characters and embodied them fully. You can do it too! Throw yourself whole-heartedly into whatever you are performing.
An extra tip in honor of Dolly Parton: Be kind. Also, read a book.
An extra tip in honor of Tim Curry: Don’t tell a joke, be the joke. (for example, see Muppet Treasure Island)
Dear Constant Reader,
I wasn’t paying attention, but last week was my 750th tip! It probably should have been something more momentous than a tip about laundry, but c’est la vie. Here’s one of those tips I was sure I’d given you before, but apparently not.
If you’re going to do a stocking peel, you’re going to need to do a shoe remove first.
Unless you’re just going to roll your stockings down to your ankles and leave them there, the shoes have to come off.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 17 Patrons. I appreciate you all so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Before I get to your tip, I’m thrilled to announce that the autumn classes at BABE are open for registration!
As usual, we have Introduction to Burlesque every month. In September and October our advanced class will be Burlesque Your Way: Halloween Edition. I am super-excited for this version of our act creation course because I’m teaching it with Devastasia and to say we love Halloween is an understatement. I can’t wait to see what the students come up with! In November Devastasia is going to teach chair dance for the first time since we moved to this studio.
And for those of you who aren’t local (who just don’t like to go out), I’m teaching monthly on-line workshops. This coming Tuesday is on fan dance, next month is all about stockings, October will be seasonally appropriate with hot to make your own witch hat, and I’m still deciding on November’s topic. Suggestions?
And now, here’s your tip:
When in doubt, hand wash in cold water and air dry flat.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 17 Patrons. I appreciate you all so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.
Dear Constant Reader,
Here it is, Friday again. And we’ve got a heat advisory again. I hope you all are staying cool. Which leads me to your tip.
Bring a fan to shows.
Not that kind of fan that cheers for you. And not the big feather kind either. A folding fan.
It helps keep you cool backstage. It’s also useful for drying your liquid liner or eyelash glue. Helps with hot flashes as well! In the summer I always have a folding fan in my purse, which I will employ whenever I think it’s too hot. (Downtown Crossing station, I’m looking at you!)
You can also get small electric fans that fold up pretty small and charge with a USB. Those are nice for sharing the breeze with everyone else in the dressing room
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 17 Patrons. I appreciate you all so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! On this last day of July, what are you looking forward to in August? Here’s you tip!
When practicing traveling turns, follow a line on the floor.
To move in a nice straight line across stage, give yourself a guide when practicing. If your floor doesn’t have convenient lines, lay out a piece of tape. If you start standing on the line and end on it, you’ve done it! If not, where you end up will let you know how you need to correct your course.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 17 Patrons. I appreciate you all so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.
Oh, The Glamourous Life! 