Oh, The Glamourous Life!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Tomorrow is our annual Halloween show at Deacon Giles in Salem! The early show is completely sold out, but there are a few (only a few) tickets left for the late show. If you didn’t manage to snag tickets, we’ll be on the Cape at House of Hatchets on October 26.

Commercial plug done, here’s your tip:

Lift with your legs, not your back.

This is not a cautionary tale. Sometimes these tips are about mistakes I made so you don’t have to. Not this one. I’m fine. I want you to stay fine too.

If you’re like us, you have to schlep stuff to make shows happen, like set pieces, lights, and other heavy or ungainly things. Although performing is the fun stuff, sometimes we have to be roadies in order to make the magic happen.

Please follow the advice above whenever you’ve got lift something*. And if it’s too heavy for you to move alone, ask for help. Back injuries are serious and can take you off the stage for a long time.

*Or someone! That might need to be its own tip though…

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! I am in sunny Florida, but I would not forget your tip!

When doing core-strengthening exercises lying on your back, press your lower back into the ground.

If you let your back pop up, the potential for injury is higher and we want to keep our backs healthy. Your lower back is part of your core too and should be engaged as well. Keep your abs engaged, tailbone tucked, and lower back down. If you’re doing work with your legs up, tilt your pelvis — putting some cushioning under your bum can help with that.

This applies to floorwork and chairwork too! Keep your back safe on stage!

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 the 13th! In honor of the day, here’s a tip based on a theatre superstition:

Bad dress rehearsal, good show.

Obviously you want to have a good final rehearsal and a good show, but what if everything goes wrong at that last rehearsal? How can you keep the problems from happening when you’ve got a paying audience?Use the time between to troubleshoot. Think about how you can fix the issues before showtime. Also, make some contingency plans, just in case you can’t.

If nothing else, use that nervous energy and focus it on having a great show.

 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! Have a tip…

Create a short description of your act intended spark interest.

Consider this an “elevator pitch” for your act. It should be just a couple of sentences long. You don’t need to explain everything, just a high-level description with the most important bits. You want to hook the producer or whomever into wanting to learn more about it. 

For example, here’s one of mine:
Inspired by Renaissance poetry, The Faerie Queene blends striptease and sleight of hand into a regal performance that evokes springtime.

You are trying to sell yourself, but not hype yourself, if that makes sense. Use words that are descriptive, but not subjective. So, “high-energy”, “vintage”, or “comic” are good; “incredible”, “amazing”, and “the best” aren’t. And while I’m at it, do avoid “sexy” and “classy”. There are more precise words to use instead of “sexy” (perhaps “sensual”, “raunchy”, “seductive”, &c.) . Check out Jo Weldon’s essay, “Whatever Happened to Class”, about her issues with “classy”.

Have fun!  I also find it a useful exercise to figure out what I think the essence of the act is.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 20 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!

Enjoy your accomplishments.

Say you’ve just won an award, perfected a move, finished a costume, &c. and you feel pretty amazing. You should! And then someone, maybe a person or maybe your own mind, says  “so, what’s next?” and then you are already thinking (and maybe worrying) about that next thing.

Stop! Savor your victory! The next thing can wait a little while. After you have appreciated what you can accomplish, then you can see what’s next.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 20 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,

Tomorrow we present Queens of the Jiggle at Deacon Giles! Right now there are still some tickets available, but we tend to sell out, so there might not be any at the door. Buying tickets in advance is the only way to guarantee a seat!

Here’s your tip:

Hold at the end of your act for a moment. Your stillness allows the audience to realize it’s over and it gives you a chance to enjoy the applause.

There’s no reason to run off-stage immediately (unless that’s part of the act).

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 20 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.