Oh, The Glamourous Life!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! It’s a particularly happy Friday for me because tomorrow we’re presenting Carnal Carnival at Deacon Giles and both the early show and the late show are sold out! There are still a few tickets available for next Friday’s show at Club Café, but hurry — they’re almost all gone!

The weather is changing here in New England, getting colder and drier, which puts me in mind of this tip:

Use a richer moisturizer in winter.

Don’t forget to pay special attention to your hands and feet. They need some extra love — and lotion. 

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 21 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday the 13th! I tried to come up with some clever tip about luck, or mirrors, or black cats, but nothing came to mind. Just bad luck, I guess… Here’s your tip!

If performing in more than one show in one night, make sure each audience gets the same amount of your energy.

We frequently perform two shows when we’re at Deacon Giles (like next Saturday) and I know folks that have the even bigger challenge of appearing in different shows in different venues in the same night.

You wouldn’t want to go flat out for your first show and have nothing left for the others. Also, you wouldn’t want to reserve so much for your later shows that your early ones are subdued.

It’s not an easy balance, but I have faith in you.

Fortunately these days it’s usually two shows a night for me, which makes it a little easier to figure out how to ration one’s energy. However, one Halloween, we did 13 (short) shows over the course of an evening. That was a challenge! Also really fun!

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 21 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s Friday again! Here’s your tip.

If you can’t get into your costume by yourself, arrange for some assistance in advance.

Sometimes are costumes are complicated or fasten in the back or cover our hands or otherwise make it impossible to get into without help. (I’m thinking of these…). You might need a couple of helping hands.

Set that help up before the show. It’s not fair to spring that request on a fellow performer who might be in the middle of getting ready themselves. And you don’t need the stress of hoping someone in the dressing room might have time to help you while it’s getting closer and closer to show time. If you’re bringing your own helper, clear it with the producer first. Often non-performers aren’t allowed in the dressing room.

As a troupe we have it a bit easier, since we rehearse together and know the issues well in advance. These beautiful rhinestone collars needed to be clasped and then pinned in place by someone else. We each had a dressing buddy who would take care of you and then you would return the favor.

If you don’t know anyone, reach out to the producer and see if they can put you in touch with a member of the stage crew who would be available to help. Let them know exactly what help you will need and any special requirements before the show.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 21 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Dear Constant Reader,

I know I missed your Friday Tip this week (and B.A.B.E. students didn’t get their weekly newsletter). I was felled by a head cold this past week and wasn’t good for much more than sipping tea and reading trashy novels. Here’s your belated tip:

Trouble twirling? Your tassels might be too light.

A small, light tassel is going to be harder to twirl than one with a little heft to it. Replace it with one with a longer body or a bit of weight in the head (a plastic or wooden bead works nicely). Sally Keith was said to have weighted her famous tassels with buckshot!

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Although the weather is rather beautiful right now, here at The Manor we are awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Lee, which will hopefully lessen in intensity before arrival.

Your tip is my answer to the frequent question, “what should I do with my hands?”

When in doubt, arms out.

A lot of the time we’re using our hand to remove garments or manipulate props. But when you’re not, a good option is to hold your arms away from your body, in a way that suits your character or the mood of the act — relaxed, graceful, strong, &c. It’s an expansive gesture. You are both revealing yourself and taking up space on stage.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Hi friends,
Scratch here, filling in for Miss Mina with today’s Friday tip.

Asking for help is hard, but necessary 

None of us — not you, me, or even Miss M. —  can do it all by themselves, all the time.  But for whatever reason, a lot of us (yep, me too) have a lot of trouble asking for help.  Either we want something done exactly the way we want it done or we’re afraid of being a burden…or we’re just afraid of being rejected.   All of those things are bad, it’s true, but collapsing under the weight of your own obligations and deadlines is even worse.  Somehow, too many of us have gotten it into our heads that “Asking for Help” = “Failing”, when the exact opposite is true.  Getting some assistance when you really need it doesn’t guarantee success, but not getting it at a critical juncture does guarantee failure.  Most of the time, most people are happy to help, and sharing your load with someone else can lead to collaborations, inspirations, and more.  The next time you think “I can’t do this alone”, remember you don’t have to.  Help is just an email, text, or call away.
-=Scratch