Oh, The Glamourous Life!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday!

Have a cancellation clause in your contract.

No one wants to cancel a show, but it happens. Audiences still haven’t rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, for one thing. Whether you are the producer of a show or you’ve been hired to perform, negotiate a cancelation fee in advance. Know how much you have to pay or will be paid*, if the show doesn’t go forward. Nothing should be a surprise to anyone.

*Producers may have to pay the venue a cancelation fee or the venue may pay the producer, depending of the situation.

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! Here’s your tip!

Ghosting is unprofessional.

For those of you unfamiliar, that’s Dita Von Teese* as Vivienne, the spirit that haunts Christine McConnell’s mirror on The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell.

But I’m not talking about that kind of ghost! I mean the kind where you ignore communication from someone and hope they’ll get the hint and quit bugging you. Whether you are a producer or a performer, it’s just rude to leave someone hanging, even if you’re not interested in what they’re offering.

A simple and polite “No, thank you.” should suffice. You can politely explain why you’re saying no, like the show is fully cast already or the price offered isn’t your usual rate. Just be polite and professional. If you want to work with this person in the future, you should say so. If you don’t, just sign off.

*I wouldn’t want to imply that Dita Von Teese would ever be so unprofessional, but I couldn’t resist the combination of burlesque and ghost.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 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! Today’s tip comes from Scratch and it’s about intellectual property (IP), those intangible creations of one’s mind.

When collaborating on a creation with someone, you can save a lot of heartache if everyone agrees in advance who can do what with the creation.

If it’s an act, who gets to perform it and under what circumstances? If it’s a class, who gets to teach it? If it’s a recurring show at a venue or a troupe, who gets to use the name?

It’s easier to decide about who owns something when there’s only one of it. A physical costume can only be in one place at one time, but what about the design of the costume? Does the designer retain the IP and can create another costume with the same design? Did the wearer purchase the rights to the design and can reproduce it? Was the design exclusive to this one costume and neither person can reproduce it?

Here’s another example with something even more intangible, a dance: If you choreograph a duet with another performer and then perform it together, then what? Who owns the act? How can it be used in the future?

Maybe the two of you agree that you will only perform the act together. Maybe you agree that each of you can teach the choreography to another dancer and perform it with them. Maybe you agree that the choreography can be taught to other dancers and does not need any members of the original partnership on stage. There are lots of options, but you both should decide on one and abide by it.

I’m not saying you need have lawyers and contracts involved, but a solid understanding about who owns what before you start collaborating will save everyone hassle and heartbreak later.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 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 everybody’s job to promote the show.

Few of us are lucky enough to work for shows with dedicated marketing people. While it’s true that the performer’s job is to perform, you don’t want to be doing it in an empty venue. And a producer will be more likely to book you again, if you prove you’re invested in the success of the show.

Since everyone has different pools of fans and different strategies for promoting, a multi-pronged approach is going be even more successful. Besides, to borrow an old saying, many hands make light work. A dozen people can get the word out more easily and efficiently than just one.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 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!

Keep track of your costs when creating a new act.

I know it’s tedious, but record at least your cash outlay, like for costume supplies and studio rental. You should also track your time. It has value too.How long did you spend sewing, rehearsing, editing your music, &c. With this information, you’ll have a good idea of what your act is worth. You can then figure out how much you’ll need to charge and how many time you’ll need to perform the act to start making a profit on it.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Today’s tip comes to you verbatim from Mr. Scratch, who is so much better at the business side of burlesque than I’ll ever be.

Learn from your competition

Even if you’re friendly competitors, every burlesque performer in your market is looking to reach the same people. You can learn by keeping an eye on their social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. and don’t forget to get on their email lists!). Your competitors may be offering a variety of services that you haven’t considered. Getting out of your bubble and examining what others are doing can help you be more successful. Read their websites for a list of services or performance elements that they offer.

Read reviews of your competition on sites like Yelp or Goldstar to see if there is anything you could be doing differently. Reviews aren’t always criticism; often, people will mention their favorite parts of the show or the ways the producer went above and beyond to make the show special. Comments can tell you exactly what your potential clientele wants — and doesn’t want.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

When producers ask you for something (music, a photo, &c.), give them exactly what they ask for.

If everyone involved in a show sends the producer what is requested, things will run more smoothly. If one person fails, it’s more work on the producer. If everyone ignores the specifications… it’s ugly.

Some common requests and issues:

If the producer asks for your music as a file, send the music file. Don’t send a YouTube link or an iTunes Store link. If a file format is specified (like mp3 or wav), make sure you’re sending the right format.

If the producer asks for a high-resolution photo, don’t send a web-resolution photo. If they’re printing promo material, a low-res photo isn’t going to look as good on paper as it does on a screen. Make sure it’s a 300dpi image.

If the producer asks for a link to a video, post your video on YouTube or Vimeo and send them an unprotected link. It doesn’t have to be publicly listed, but it shouldn’t require a password. Don’t send them the video file.

If the producer asks you to use a file sharing service, like Dropbox, don’t email the file. Huge files can completely overwhelm an inbox.

If the producer asks you to send something to a different person, like the stage manager or sound tech, don’t send it to the producer.

If you’re not a tech savvy person, ask for help, but not from the producer. The producer is busy enough producing the show and can’t also be your (or anyone else’s) tech support.

Respect deadlines!

If you do exactly as the producer requests, you’ll be seen as a professional who pays attention, follows directions, and makes the producer’s job that much easier. And people like that tend to be rehired.

The flip side, for producers, is that you must be very clear in what you need, when you need it, and how you need it.

Jo Weldon has a very informative class on how to deal with producers, festival organizers, and the press. Take it if you get the chance.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.