Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!
Try a new art.
You may not be good at it at first… or ever, but it will challenge your mind and body. Even if it’s not something you would use on stage, it will spark your creativity and that’s always a good thing for your performances.
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! I’m back from BurlyCon where I learned a lot and hopefully imparted some knowledge as well. Here’s your tip!
Be kind to your knees.
I’ve already talked about wearing knee pads for practice. I wanted to gently remind you that knees are delicate parts of our bodies and should be treated accordingly.
In particular I want to caution you about the knee drop. It’s a dramatic way to get down to the floor, but if it’s done wrong you can cause yourself some serious damage. Unless you know how to do it safely, every time, consider a different method for getting down to the floor. There are other exciting ways that don’t risk your precious knees.
If there is interest, I’ll do a short video of some of them. Please comment here if you’d like that.
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! This is coming to you from BurlyCon in Seattle where I’m teaching today. Here’s your tip!
When traveling, bring more than one pair of shoes.
As performers we often spend a lot of time on our feet and often in shoes that look great but aren’t so comfortable. Soothe your feet by changing your shoes. A different heel height and sole shape will feel good on your feet and give you spring in your step again.
Pictured above, my shoes for BurlyCon: character shoes for daytime classes, heels for the dance, comfy flats for the plane and venturing out of the hotel, mules for relaxing.
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! It’s the day after Halloween and that means your tip is…
Go shopping today!
It’s a great time to buy all sorts of burlesque accessories. Stores that carried Halloween supplies are now desperate to get rid of them to make room for the next wave of holiday items. You can usually pick up useful staples like gloves, stockings, boas, eyelashes, makeup, and the like at deep discounts. They’re only costume pieces, so don’t expect high quality. Go today because tomorrow they’ll probably be replaced with Christmas stuff. Not that that’s such a bad thing…
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! We’re appearing tonight in Burlesque Macabre and I am incredibly excited to be doing a darkly seasonal show. This is the only time of year we get to do anything like this.
Here’s your tip!
Stage kittens have a very important job.
(Photo of stage kitten extraordinaire Guilted Lilly by Bruce Davis)
A “stage kitten”* for the non-burlesque folks are the crew members who clean the stage of discarded costume pieces and props. They also set up and remove any set pieces and sometimes interact with the performers, maybe to hand them an item. Backstage, they are there to support the performers and the best ones always seem to have that thing you need right now, like a safety pin. They are a vital part of the show.
A great stage kitten is an amazing asset to a show and makes performances run smoothly. It’s also a good way to get your feet wet in the world of burlesque.
However, I don’t love the idea that being a stage kitten is a required stepping stone to performing and that one has to pay one’s dues by being a stage kitten before performing. Like I said, I think it’s a fine way to start out, but it’s not required. Not everyone is cut out to be a stage kitten. It requires a certain focus and attention to detail.
I do think every performer should try their hand at it at least once, because it will give you an appreciation for the job and those who do it. It’s absolute nonsense that performers are somehow a step up from kittens (yes, I’ve heard people refuse a kittening job as though it were an insult to be asked). You’re all necessary for a good show!
In the world of theatre, there are performers and there are crew. Stage kittens straddle that line, since they are meant to be a visible part of the show, but also help keep it moving smoothly.
*Also called a stage panther, pickup artist, and other cute names. Let me know your favorites in the comments!
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!
Feathers are happiest in a moderate environment.
Optimally feathers should be kept between 60 and 75 degrees F and at 45-55% relative humidity (these are museum guidelines). Now, most of us don’t live in places that are that rigidly climate controlled, but there are still things we can do to keep our feathers at their best.
Avoid storing them near bathrooms, laundry areas and other places with high humidity as too much moisture can encourage mold. Also, keep them away from radiators, direct sunlight, and other sources of heat. If the feathers get too dry, they can crumble.
Don’t worry too much. Like I said, most of us don’t have perfectly climate controlled places to store our fans and boas and headdresses, but we can be aware of the issues.
I’ll be talking more about caring for feathers and other costume items at BurlyCon next month!
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.
Carry reusable utensils with you.
Most performers I know are often eating on the go — in the car, backstage, in an airport, &c. Having your own silverware in your bag means you’ll never find yourself without a fork in a time of need and you won’t be contributing to single-use plastic utensils ending up in the trash.
There are tons of options out there — like metal, bamboo, folding, modular, &c. You can buy fancy sets or just use a thrift store find.
I have a metal fork, knife, and spoon I found in the kitchen junk drawer (I think I bought them for my first apartment…) plus a metal straw. I made a cute little bag to carry them all and there was even room for a small cloth napkin. The whole thing takes up almost no space in my purse and it’s been so useful!
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!
If you’re using a mirror on stage, treat the glass so the lights don’t glare off it.
Not only is the light reflecting off a mirror distracting, it might hit an audience member. A good temporary solution is to spritz the mirror with hairspray. It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s something we all carry, and it washes right off. A theatre trick is to spray the mirror (or glass) with diluted soda. You can also buy theatrical anti-glare spray, but I don’t see the need for that.
For a permanent solution, if your mirror is a dedicated prop, is to use some silvery paint. It will still look shiny, but you won’t get the reflections. Or, if it’s easy to remove the mirror from the frame, you can replace it with something else silvery (and non-breakable).
Photo is my vintage mermaid hand mirror without any glass treatment. I probably should have hairsprayed it and then taken another.
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!
When making tear-away cup bras, use two bras.
It may seem like the logical thing to do is cut the cups off a bra and then reattach them to the bra with fasteners. Trust me on this, you are only setting the stage for sorrow.
In order to have a good structure, you want underwire on both the cups and the frame. So, get two bras. From one cut the cups from one just below the underwire — these are going to be your cups. From the second cut the cups just above the underwire — this is going to be the bra frame. I know it’s a bit wasteful, but you want both pieces to have that wire. I salvage the straps and hardware from the now-cupless (and useless) frame for other projects, so it doesn’t all go to waste. If you’ve got other ideas of how to use the leftover bits, I’d love to hear them!
If you want a little extra lift, or you need to conform to decency laws that prohibit underboob, instead of cutting away the entire cup, you can leave part of it attached to the frame. Don’t forget to finish the edge! A little bias binding works great for this.
Attach your fasteners (I use snaps) so the underwire of the cups sits on top of the underwire on the frame.
Have fun tearing away!
Like this costuming tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Burlesque Costuming.
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,
This is a tough tip for me to release into the wild. I’ve wanted to talk about this for a long time, but I’ve been afraid. Scared of being clumsy with my words and offending someone and being attacked. I’ve seen it happen and I’m cowardly enough to keep my head down and hope I’m not noticed. There are some vicious people in the burlesque world.
A confluence of several things recently made me need to say something. One of those things was this essay by Jet Noir, which you absolutely should read. He says some important things better than I can.
I had a hard time deciding on the wording of the tip, so you get two versions.
Conversation, not cancellation and Talk to people, not about them.
If you have a problem with someone, talk to them. Don’t just call them out or send an open letter or screenshot them and then block them — there’s no resolution and nothing will change.
Sharing screen shots in a closed group may make the participants feel smug and righteous, but it does nothing to address the problem and nothing will change.
You may not know the entire context of the situation. The person you have a conflict with may not be aware of the result of their actions. People make mistakes and it doesn’t necessarily make someone a total lost cause. Two-way communication is the way to resolve and improve things.
Social media posts, texts, emails have no nuance — subtleties of meaning are lost. It’s so easy to perpetuate misunderstandings. The best way to really communicate with someone is in person. It’s not just the words; it’s tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language that lead to understanding. Sitting down with someone also reminds you that there’s a real person behind that screen.
If you can’t talk in person, at least pick up the phone and have a real-time conversation. And these days technology makes it possible to have a face to face discussion from a distance.
Yes, I know there are exceptions and special circumstances but this is just a tip, not a lengthy essay addressing all sorts of “what if”s. I admit there is no talking to some people, but it’s worth at least trying.
Above all, be kind.
This was a challenging tip to write and I’d like to challenge myself more. If you liked it, consider supporting me on Patreon. With more support, I’ll write more!
Oh, The Glamourous Life! 