Ruby Darling

Posted on by Thor

The dressing room at Theater Downtown is small and cluttered. The walls are covered with actors signatures from shows throughout the years. The mirrors are mounted on a wall with exposed two by fours. Odd items like plastic doll’s legs and birds were also stapled to the walls. All the visual chaos left me wondering where to look.

Ruby Darling, the mistress of ceremonies for the Vaudeville show sat down to get her makeup done. She had a duel leveled lime green make up box filled with theatrical makeup. Her hair was already beautifully shaped to give her a vintage 40’s era look. The hair style contrasted against her Led Zeppelin T-shirt. High heels were clustered here and there on the counter. A box of “light gloves” would probably be used in one of the acts for the Video Game themed show that would follow right after the Vaudeville show let out. They are now gearing up for a Burlesque Mega Show on Friday February 17th, 10pm, at Sleuth’s Mystery Dinner theater during Megacon!

Susan Woodberry was putting on pasty green makeup and spattering blood on her clothing for her part as “Little Sister” in the Portal themed video game show. I wanted to sketch but I was also nervous about going on stage to do my sketch. I paced around and peered through the thin translucent red curtains to see the acts proceeding the circus act. The audience was having a blast. From back stage we clapped and laughed the loudest.

Video Game Burlesque Rehearsal

Posted on by Thor

Rehearsals were running late at Theater Downtown. After the Vaudeville acts had been rehearsed, the second show, a Video Games Burlesque was run through. Chan Sterling worked as the MC in a white lab coat, a deep grey ascot and big black rubber boots. Ruby Darling appeared at the end of the runway in a sultry black and white dress that came down tight at the knees forcing her to walk like Morticia from the Addams Family. 0n the day of the show, she would be entangled in wires and deliver a menacing monologue. I’m not sure what video game the scene is from, but the burlesque dance that followed was easy enough to understand.

Jolie Hart and her boyfriend cuddled in the front row. Jolie performed an amazing high energy retro dance routine that had her gasping for air when she burst back stage. The blood covered chair at the end of the runway was for Cory Violence and Shy La-Buff’s Bio-Shock burlesque number. Shy wore a strange bunny’s mask and wore a tattered green dress that Violence would later rip off her in shreds.

My favorite number of the rehearsal was when Ruby Darling sang “Soon or a Later” to Nekkid RoboJoe. As she sang she got some Duct tape and taped him to the chair he was sitting in. When the number was over, she dragged him off stage. This routine would certainly have the audience roaring.

Vaudeville Rehearsal

Posted on by Thor

After a full run through of all the Vaudeville acts, rehearsals started on the second show on the bill, a Video Game themed burlesque. Shy La Buff and Corey Violence had a number based on a creepy game called Bio Shock. The two of them share sensual sips from a syringe full of Adam, a blood like substance. Seductively Shy pushed Violence back into a chair. He ran his hands up her legs as she dug her high heel into his chest. They were rehearsing in the Lounge of Theater Downtown while the other burlesque numbers were being rehearsed in the main theater.

Of course I had intended to get Shy interacting with Violence but as soon as I sat down to sketch, the director had notes and they didn’t continue rehearsing. I gave up on the idea of including Shy, so now it looks like Violence is relaxing in the lounge. I was distracted as well because my tablet PC had crashed that morning. Damon Natch Burke, my tech guru wasn’t sure of the problem yet. I needed the tablet to do the quick digital sketch of Poodle Murphy on target for the knife thrower. For this rehearsal, I brought a video camera and tripod, hoping I could shoot video as I did a traditional sketch but I was missing a video connector. I tried to set up the equipment in the dark but failed. I needed the tablet. I sat sullenly on the stage, much like Violence is sitting in the sketch. Being unable to perform, I felt like so much ballast.