So you think you can produce a show or host a club event, huh?
It'll be easy, she said. Make lots of money, she said. Right...
It started around 2008 when I started working at the Tiger Lounge as a bartender and met Cleo Petra (who I'll have to get to write an article for this). Cleo was the madame (promoter) for a burlesque troupe called Burning Hearts Burlesque who at this time was still producing regular shows at Motor. On one of my days off she asked me if I would perform for one of her events that was an offshoot that was centered around a short film premiere about ghouls, yes, ghouls. She asked me what else do I do other than fire dancing as in do you have an act because I'm desperate to fill in some talent and make my event seem worthy of going to? I told her (basically, no) that I also am a stilt walker and a clown. (circus retiree.. more on that later for sure!) Since clown didn't sound "ghoulish" she sprung on stilt walking and although I normally charge $150 an hour to do it I agreed anyway since at least it was going to pay me something.
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| here I am as a dancing go go tall ghoul with band Evil Twin |
I waited around until the very end of the night running up a $40 bar tab to get my pay out which turned out to be only $12. I was horrified and insulted! I decided right then and there my new policy as a performer was: If you can't give me at least $20, I'd rather not be paid. Also, please let me know ahead of time so I don't spend so much on drinks and wait. I'd rather know it's likely pro bono so I can make informed decisions with how to spend my time, you know? If the event sounds really fun and I'd like to be there anyway then, sure.. or if I have absolutely nothing better to do at all and don't want to be home bored (or rather bettering myself by reading and writing), sure. Okay?! This is still my policy to this day in regards to both performing and booking talent for shows. There's way more to say too on paying performers fairly and not paying performers that I'm leaving for another day as it's a topic in and of itself...
A couple of years later I met Morgue Anne (who will also be invited to write for this so she as well can tell her side of the story and hopefully give us some tips too). What a busy girl is she! Morgue Anne first appeared on my radar when she and Ken King did a review of our first performance of "Aeterno Elementum" by AraKus at Historic Everett Theatre which I played the lead in. It was a positive review so we became friends on Facebook where I soon learned she seemed to be producing at least a show a week. I finally got around to challenging myself to think outside of box on my performance repertoire and decided to do my first and last (well, actually you never know..) burlesque act and contacted her to book me. She booked me for an event at Highline. I spent a tremendous amount of time and money on this endeavor that we'll just say was more than my bar tab at Motor that night mentioned above. I actually was told I needed or should do 2 acts which I agreed to so it was A LOT OF COSTUMING!! For this show my pay was only $8.
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| an "air" duet performance at Highline |
At this point, and I simply must apologize to both Cleo and Morgue Anne for this, my impression was that event promoters are greedy lame bitches who do hardly nothing but secure a venue, make an event page on Facebook, make or have a poster image made, and take all the money leaving talent a with a tiny uneven portion of the proceeds purposefully! Boy, was I wrong...
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