......About back stage etiquette. Now most of you are grown ass women and know many, many things. Some however, seem to have forgotten and or maybe they truly had no idea that backstage does not run like real life. Backstage is a compressed, little pool of jitters, nerves, alocohol..on occasion, glitter, nekkids and air conditioning if your lucky. We're all trying to find our head space, practice, remind ourselves of that minor change we made in the routine just seconds ago, repair costumes....ect.,ect..
We're a pretty happy bunch backstage on most occasions and are wiling to lend a hand, saftey pins or the randomly forgotten pantie. To keep this atomsphere we don't ask a lot of you expect to behave. It's not that hard, even when everthing may be going dreadfully wrong. We've all been there, had that crappy performance or shitty venue staff, bad lighting or poor sound. We are more than happy to lend out hugs or our body glitter.
That being said, here are some tips.
1) DO NOT bring your entourage backstage with you. If they are performing, fine,if not, leave them outside. Shows provide Stage Kittens, and/pr prop masters, and /or Backstage Directors. It's thier job and usually thier pleasure to help and a attidude of gratitude is a must. When you bring your entrouage it make you seem snotty, it keeps you isolated and if the area is cramped as they often are, takes up valuable room. Then when you have said entourage being pushy, panicky, and demanding it only makes it worse. Let those that are there to set your stage and props do so, trust them. If they screw it up grow bigger pasties and deal with it like a professional. Do Not have a member of your entourage shove people out of the way to place the wrong chair in the wrongg place and throw a fit about it, then demand that the number cannot start until they are in place to flim it. They should have been in place before then outside with the audience, instead of backstage in the way.
Now I will give people the benefit of the doubt and think that maybe they did not know. Plenty of people have little to no stage expereince and how one thinks it works is rarely ever the way it turns out.
2) When performing a quick change and you need some help, please set it up beofre hand with someone. As I have mentioned before, there are usually plenty of people to help backstage and performers are usually willing to lend a hand. DO NOT come running unexpectedly backstage snapping off confusing directions and flinging costume pieces to the first person you run into. This person that you have accosted may not have the time as they may be the next performer and are trying to get into the "performance" mode. It's rude, insulting to some and will leave a bad taste in thier memory and can damage your chances to ever perform with them or fellow performers again.
That being said, my third suggestion is buy this book!
http://www.schoolofburlesque.com/theburlesquehandbook/
She has a great chapter about Backstage Etiquette, that is informative for the newbie and expereinced alike. It's also chocked full of stories, tips, tricks and hints that will make your burlesque career just that much more sparkly. Do it!
We're a pretty happy bunch backstage on most occasions and are wiling to lend a hand, saftey pins or the randomly forgotten pantie. To keep this atomsphere we don't ask a lot of you expect to behave. It's not that hard, even when everthing may be going dreadfully wrong. We've all been there, had that crappy performance or shitty venue staff, bad lighting or poor sound. We are more than happy to lend out hugs or our body glitter.
That being said, here are some tips.
1) DO NOT bring your entourage backstage with you. If they are performing, fine,if not, leave them outside. Shows provide Stage Kittens, and/pr prop masters, and /or Backstage Directors. It's thier job and usually thier pleasure to help and a attidude of gratitude is a must. When you bring your entrouage it make you seem snotty, it keeps you isolated and if the area is cramped as they often are, takes up valuable room. Then when you have said entourage being pushy, panicky, and demanding it only makes it worse. Let those that are there to set your stage and props do so, trust them. If they screw it up grow bigger pasties and deal with it like a professional. Do Not have a member of your entourage shove people out of the way to place the wrong chair in the wrongg place and throw a fit about it, then demand that the number cannot start until they are in place to flim it. They should have been in place before then outside with the audience, instead of backstage in the way.
Now I will give people the benefit of the doubt and think that maybe they did not know. Plenty of people have little to no stage expereince and how one thinks it works is rarely ever the way it turns out.
2) When performing a quick change and you need some help, please set it up beofre hand with someone. As I have mentioned before, there are usually plenty of people to help backstage and performers are usually willing to lend a hand. DO NOT come running unexpectedly backstage snapping off confusing directions and flinging costume pieces to the first person you run into. This person that you have accosted may not have the time as they may be the next performer and are trying to get into the "performance" mode. It's rude, insulting to some and will leave a bad taste in thier memory and can damage your chances to ever perform with them or fellow performers again.
That being said, my third suggestion is buy this book!
http://www.schoolofburlesque.com/theburlesquehandbook/
She has a great chapter about Backstage Etiquette, that is informative for the newbie and expereinced alike. It's also chocked full of stories, tips, tricks and hints that will make your burlesque career just that much more sparkly. Do it!
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