Be sure to pay attention and learn your history. That blood, sweat, and tears ended slavery. As we watch abroad, we see the desecration of soil. While millionaires live in spoil. Now we fight once again to protect our rights. Through rallies and education we hang on until light. To be part of the revolution is to speak up for others. Our sisters, mothers, fathers, and brothers. From Palestine, Sudan, Congo, and more. There will never be blood spilled that you could ignore. Protest, fight, scream, and support. It is our fight, we’re all connected, like our ancestors before.
Sharing the green room in the McPherson Playhouse is a memorable experience for myself as a performer; to share it with an all-BIPOC cast of incredibly talented and magical people put it over the top. Shade Burlesque Festival made its debut on September 26 and 27 with headliners Mx. Pucks A’Plenty and Joy Rider. Joining the mix was the legendary Ka’ena and host with the most Coco Rosé.
I asked some of the performers for their thoughts on the Shade festival experience and for some words of wisdom while we waited to hit the stage and watched from behind the curtains as others captivated the audience.
“Shade is one of the best backroom experiences of my life,” said Mx. Bukuru. “To be without witness is to be free.”
Getting deep into self-love and living for yourself, Alexa Perplexa offered the best way to be in the moment and make it yours.
“You get to define what burlesque means to you,” said Perplexa. “There’s no one right way. Make it work for you, your body, and abilities. And bring your own brand.”
Stagehands are some of the best people to work alongside. They need to be on top of prop handling, placing, helping performers with their numbers, and tracking articles of clothing tossed on stage or into the crowd. Jasper Jinx and Oliver Clozoff were a strong team and Jinx’s experience speaks volumes to how management and producing makes all the difference.
“[It was] very well organized,” said Jinx. “As one of the stagehands, the notes were so well kept and included so much information [to arrange the stage]. Loved the energy and love Cherry [Cheeks] put into the whole show.”
The intensity of preparation for this festival may affect my grades as I drowned in 15,000 rhinestones, but being able to display my most powerful number was worth it all. Opening with my own writing (see beginning) before “Empire Now” by Hozier unleashed feelings of strength, hope, and yearning. And performing this piece in front of someone I admire so much made it all the more special—Mx. Pucks A’Plenty is a huge inspiration for myself and I’m sure many BIPOC performers as they are the most down-to-earth, well-spoken, and caring individual. The amount of care they pour into their own passion is astounding.
“Being part of Shade is an honour,” Mx. Pucks A’Plenty told me. “I have been a performer for eight years and this is my first time headlining a festival. As a producer of an all-BIPOC festival in Seattle, I am excited to welcome Shade as a sibling festival and support each other with our missions to highlight and elevate performers of colour.”
And the best advice goes to CallMeKeeks, who said that “If you think you gotta pee, you probably do… Go pee before you put the whole outfit on.”