Oh, The Glamourous Life!

Dear Constant Reader,

Greetings from BurlyCon! Have a tip!

It’s that time of year when holiday acts are getting booked, so…

Get out all the costumes and props for your holiday acts and make sure they are in good condition.

They’ve probably been packed away since the last time you did a holiday show (in past times I would have said “last year”). Check them over and make any repairs necessary. Maybe plan some embellishments or upgrades. If you realize you haven’t used something in quite a while, perhaps it’s time to deaccession it.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 18 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! Time for a tip!

We’ve got a private Halloween show tomorrow night and the careful way Scratch set up the order of acts inspired this tip.

Make life easier for your stage hands with the show order.

If possible, put numbers with an elaborate set up at the start of a set and follow with a simple one. Put numbers with a complicated clean up at the end of a set. If two performers need a table or other similar set piece (and the acts aren’t too thematically similar), put them back to back.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 17 Patrons. Welcome to my newest Patron, Eric (Speaker in Digressions). 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,

Tonight is Absinthe Unveiled! and I’m unveiling a new act with a new costume. I’m rather excited to show you all! But first, your tip:

Don’t stretch yourself too thin.

It’s very flattering to be asked and invited to perform, to teach, to speak, &c. But if you’ve got a lot on your plate and you’re going to have to cut corners to get it all accomplished,  as hard as it is, you should turn the offer down. Doing a lot of things poorly is not going to enhance your reputation.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 16 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,

Greetings from sunny Florida! This week’s tip is about tipping!

If there’s tipping at your show, make sure the cast, crew, and audience all understand how it works.

I have seen so many methods for tipping: performer goes through the audience with a container (champagne bucket, top hat, trick or treat pumpkin, &c.), stage kitten goes through the audience with a container, performer lets the audience stick money in their costume, audience throws money at the stage, container by the stage, container for each performer by the stage, envelopes at seats, &c. I’m sure there are more I have forgotten.

Make sure everyone knows what tipping method you are using, the cast and crew well before the show, and the audience early in the show, so there are no surprises.

Very importantly, how are the tips distributed? Does each performer keep the money given specifically to them? Or are the tips shared? If so, how many ways are they split? Does the host get a share? Does the stage crew? Again, this needs to be communicated in advance.

Also, don’t forget electronic tipping. Have QR codes or info for all the different payment services available to the audience. If the tips are pooled and split, let the performers know when and how they’ll be getting their share.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 16 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’m at the New York Burlesque Festival! But I didn’t want to forget your tip.

When you travel, try to go to a burlesque show.

Not only is it fun to attend shows, it’s good to get outside your usual stomping grounds. Unfamiliar performers and acts are inspiring in multiple ways. Regional differences in performance and production are always interesting (at least I think so!) and may give you some good ideas. And do try to meet the folks involved — you might make a business contact, or a friend.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 16 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,

A quick reminder to vote for me for the Dorian Gray Award and the Producer’s Dream Award Golden Pasties!

Here’s your tip!

When using magnets in a costume remove, slide them apart instead of pulling.

If you try to pull magnets apart, depending on the strength, you could end up tearing your costume before you separate them. Sliding them breaks the hold more easily. I’m sure someone could explain the physics, but that person is not me.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 16 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,

A quick reminder to vote for me for the Dorian Gray Award and the Producer’s Dream Award Golden Pasties!

Here’s your tip!

When everything is a rush, you need to slow down. 

Things seem to always go wrong when we’re trying to beat the clock. We miss a turn on the way to a gig. We sew a seam wrong side out. We forget to pack something important. We break things. We lose things. It ends up taking even more time and energy.

Stop. Take a breath. Yes, work quickly, but not in a panic. Take the time to double-check things

As the Emperor Augustus said, Festina lente, make haste slowly.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 16 Patrons. Welcome to my newest Patron, Adrian! 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,

Before we get to your tip, I just want to remind you that nominations for the Golden Pastie Awards close on Sunday. Please nominate me for the Producers Dream and Dorian Gray awards. You can vote once a day! If I’m one of the nominees, I’ll have some silly fun for you in the next couple of weeks.

If you know the dressing room at a venue is small, arrive with hair & makeup done.

It frees up the space for active costume changes and you all won’t be piled on top of one another trying to put your face on before the show starts.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 15 Patrons. Welcome to my newest Patron, Fiona! 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,

Before we get to your tip, I just want to remind you to nominate me for the Producers Dream and Dorian Gray Golden Pastie Awards. If you already have, thank you!

It’s not yet officially fall, but some are already buying pumpkin spice everything and planning their Halloween decorations. Others are trying to enjoy the last of summer. Both groups tend to snipe at one another. This brings me to my tip:

Let people enjoy what they like. It may not be your cup of tea, but there’s no reason to squash their pleasure.

I see this in burlesque when people sneer at classic burlesque for being boring or pop culture acts for being juvenile. and then mock the fans of that genre. You don’t have to like that style, but someone does and there’s no reason to be a jerk to them.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 14 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.