Oh, The Glamourous Life!

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s Friday! It’s a particularly good one for me as I got my second vaccination this morning. Here’s your tip!

Heat will soften hot glue.

Makes sense, right? This is great because you can fix mistakes by hitting the glue with a heat gun or sometimes even a blow dryer (depending on the glue). This is not great because if you leave an item in the car in the summer you can lose all your hard work.

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.

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s Friday! It’s snowing here in Boston! Of course it is, because this would have been Expo weekend…

Last week we were watching Scratch’s niece perform as a finalist* at the NYC Teen Poetry Slam and one of the judges said this:

A setback is a setup for a comeback.

And what a setback this past year has been. Let’s start to set up our comebacks.

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.

*We are pretty goddamn proud of her

Dear Constant Reader,

It Friday again! I don’t know about where you are, but here in Boston it is gloriously spring out. I’m writing this in haste so I can go play outside. Here’s your tip!

When costuming a group act in identical or nearly so costumes, make sure to label them so you can tell whose is whose.

It’s a useful practice for both short-term and long. It will cut down on the amount of time sifting through a pile of identical bras, trying to find the one that fits you. It’s also useful later for determining which pieces fit other performers if you have a different cast for that act or use the same pieces in a different number.

In the theatre, costumes generally have big tags on the inside with the character name or the name of the actor. In burlesque we have to be more discrete, so the audience can’t see the labels. We have put the markings on the insides of waistbands, under facings, inside pasties, and other mostly hidden places. Sometimes we use embroidery, sometime a fabric marker. You can also add one unique decoration to each garment so if you know, you can tell them apart.

You could label with the performers’ initials, or the size of the garment, or just a number (and then keep a master list of what those numbers mean). The important thing is to be consistent. Unfortunately, over our 15 years, we haven’t been and sometimes end up wondering if the “M” is for “Mina” or “medium” (bad example, because it doesn’t matter in that case).

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.

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s Friday again! Here’s your tip!

Spring clean your wardrobe.

It’s almost spring and that’s a great time to go through your costume closet. Air everything out! Check for spots that need cleaning or damage that needs repairing. If items have been stored folded, give them a press and refold in a different way, so you don’t create weak spots along the fold lines. Pack away any out-of-season costumes.

And while you’re at it, look over your pieces with a critical eye. Are they all still up to your standards? Do any need alteration or additional embellishment to make them stage-worthy again? Are there some you are honestly never going to wear again? Make a plan to adjust the ones you want to elevate. Sell or give away the ones that don’t make the cut.

Of course, you can do the same with your regular clothes as well.

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.

Dear Constant Reader,

For many this week marked the start of our quarantine year.

It’s all right to mourn what you’ve lost.

Perhaps you’re grieving for people lost to the pandemic or chances to see friends and family or special occasions. Maybe also lost shows, festivals, other opportunities, &c. . We’ve all lost something. Whatever it is, you can grieve for the loss and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

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.

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s Friday! Tomorrow The BeauTease are premiering our latest virtual show, L.D.R.: Love in the Time of Corona! Join us at 8pm for a watch party.
It’s our first none-iversary! March 8, 2020 was the last time BeauTease Burlesque was seen live in public. We’ve had a year of quarantine and all the isolation, inconvenience, and weird living that goes with it. Some folks haven’t seen their special someone in months; some have been trapped in house with their sweetie and would love a day of solitude. Fortunately, you can always reach out to The Nightfly — the lonely-hearts DJ on WLDR — and tell him all your troubles… Love in the Time of Corona features some fabulous new acts from your favorite BeauTease, plus cameos from special guests like Lili VonSchtupp, The Guilted Lilly, Satine S’Allumer, Willy Barrett, and Jeannie Martini!

Now, here’s your tip!

Be careful, your face could freeze like that!

When rehearsing, you’re building up your muscle memory. Your face has muscles too. I know it’s so easy to just focus on what your body is doing while you’re learning without thinking about your facial expressions. I do it too. The danger is training your face to fall into concentration mode while performing instead of whatever emotion you want to convey. So rehearse with your face as well as the rest of your body.

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.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

It’s my birthday! Treat yourself today! And maybe some others too.

It’s become traditional to create birthday fundraisers, but I’m not going to be so formal. If you are feeling generous, please consider contributing a little something to a good cause today. These are some of my favorites, if you are so inclined. They’re all 501(c)(3) non-profits, so you’ll be doing good and can take it off your taxes. : -)

The Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund
Panthera
Zoo New England
MSPCA-Angell
Plimoth Patuxet
The American Burlesque Collection

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 15 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 and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Quick commercial, I’m appearing this Saturday at 9pm on Velvet Revue in their Heartbreaker Showcase.

Here’s a seasonal quote to liven up your day:

“Love is a friendship set to music.”
–Joseph Campbell

I love the imagery; It makes me think of life as a dance. Have a beautiful week!

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.