Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday!
Here’s your tip!
To keep the cut ends of ribbon from fraying, cut on a diagonal or seal with clear nail polish, FrayChek, or (my favorite) glitter paint.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving or a charming Thursday, depending on your locale and preferences.
Here’s your Friday Tip!
Take time to appreciate your family, however you define it.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
As I send this missive I’m winging my way to sunny California. A much needed change from frigid Boston.
Here’s your tip!
For visibility from stage, obey the heraldic rules of tincture.
What the heck does that mean? Back in the Middle Ages, when folks identified themselves with coats of arms, one wanted to make sure the images were clear & visible from a distance. You wouldn’t want to be attacked by your own army!
The rule of tinture is metal should not be put on metal, nor colour on colour. Metals are gold/yellow and silver/white. Colors are blue, red, green, purple, black.
If you have a design, image, or text you want to be really clear from stage, make sure it a color on a metal or vice versa. Black on yellow is really visible (think traffic signs); green on black, not so much.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
Today’s tip is a bit of wisdom I picked up from Bic Carrol at BurlyCon.
To make sure your makeup reads from stage, spray your mirror with Aqua Net. Then check your face.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Today’s tip is a little something I picked up from The Queen of the Quake, Kitten DeVille!
To instantly make your arms look toned, turn your palms to the back wall.
And here’s Miss Exotic World 2002 herself, demonstrating:
(Photo by Don Spiro)
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Halloween!
A couple of seasonal tips for you.
Classic edible stage blood is light corn syrup and food coloring.
Use both red & blue coloring to get a realistic color; red alone is too pink. Personally I think it tastes disgusting and is godawful sticky. I prefer to use chocolate syrup tinted with red food coloring. I’m told you can also use red Kool-Aid powder for coloring, but I haven’t tried it yet. There are also all sorts of fun things you can use to thicken your blood, like peanut butter and cocoa powder. Make sure you like how it tastes!
For washable stage blood, mix liquid dish soap and poster paint.
If you’re going to get blood on your costume, this is the stuff to use. One caveat, it will lather if rubbed, so be careful on stage, unless you want a laugh. When you’re done performing, rinse your bloody garments in cold water as soon as possible and then launder.
And always, if you’re using blood on stage, please be respectful of your fellow performers. Make arrangements to protect the stage during your act and clean up well afterwards.
Enjoy the holiday!
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
One of the great things about events like BurlyCon and The Expo is that my stock of tips gets replenished!
This week’s tip comes via Siren Santina and her class on merch.
Take credit/debit cards at your merch table.
Now I’m a cold hard cash sort of gal, but so many people rely on the magic plastic these days. You don’t want to miss out on a sale!
It’s gotten very easy to accept cards these days, you just need a card reader and a smart phone. Lots of places offer CC services (Square, PayPal, Amazon, &c. I just heard Etsy got in on the racket). Do your research and find one whose terms & fees work for you. At B.A.B.E. we use Square, which Brigitte just loves*.
Set a minimum price for using cards, because the processors do take their cut. That way you don’t lose all your profit to fees on a small item and if the patron really wants that item which is under your minimum, they’ll end up buying more.
* She loves the selling part. I don’t think she cares what happens after she swipes that card.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
Tonight is Out For Blood in Brattleboro, VT and at this moment I’m hauling lights and other gear into the theatre, but I would not forget your Friday tip.
Swarovski is not the be-all & end-all
Can’t break the bank on rhinestones? It’s okay. Use a variety of stone quality and you’ll actually make a more interesting visual. The crystals will stand out like a showgirl against a chorus line and really sparkle.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
I’m at BurlyCon right now, but not so busy as to forget your Friday Tip!
No act is every completely finished.
Even if you’ve been doing it for years, there’s always room for improvement. Add a flourish to the choreography. Upgrade the costume. You can tweak it in small ways to make it even better.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
Before I get to your tip, I bet you all want to know what the finished Super Screen looks like! Well, you’re going to see it anyway.
You can see one of the old screens looking on enviously from behind.
And here’s your tip!
Know the story behind your act.
Why are you taking your clothes off? If you know your motivation, it makes for a more interesting number. No need to explicitly act out a skit, just understand how and why you get from the beginning of the number to the end. If you know, the audience will see your clarity of purpose.
Oh, The Glamourous Life! 