Fancy Feast

Fancy Feast, Photo by Karl Giant

The Fuck You Revue occurs every 3rd Tuesday at Bizarre Bushwick in New York City. Fancy Feast recently co-produced a show of all duets at Coney Island on July 20.

Twitter: @fancyburlyq Instagram: @fancyfeastburlesque

Questions contributed in part by Angsty Andy:

What influenced you to get into burlesque originally? Is this the same reason you are doing burlesque nowadays? Why or why not?

FF: “I got into burlesque because I have always admired loose and glamorous women in media and in my life, and aspired to be one. My big burlesque influences are Divine, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Daffy Duck – a mishmash of comedy, glitter, pathos, and vaudeville. Getting into burlesque was a no brainer for me once I saw my first show. My life now is so inextricable from my performance career. They are one in the same. So I can’t explain why I still do burlesque other than that I would have to restructure my entire life if I were to stop.”

What observations have you made in the demographics of burlesque performers, and what would you like to see change?

FF: “Burlesque is done by people of all identities, races, and backgrounds, but a lot of scenes skew white, which is to their detriment. There is racism in our industry in the way that there is racism in every industry; because capitalism and white supremacy flow together and reinforce the other. In terms of demographic shifts, I’m interested in changes that happen with on-stage representation but also the production teams, the venue owners, the power holders, and who is front and center on the posters and flyers.”

Fancy Feast, Photo by Dave Byrd

In what ways do your performances/ productions forward or embody intersectional feminist thought and advocacy. Why is this important to you?

FF: “When I do burlesque it has inherent politic to it as a function of my body being one that is underrepresented in media. I don’t like to make work that is solely a moral lesson – if it’s not entertaining I think the message will be lost. So good or bad, whether intended or unintended, my work will be perceived as a political message. Art generates thought and empathy, which for some people is a first step towards being curious about the experience of others. I want to invite that in my stage work. My co-producer Zoe Ziegfeld and I donate money from our shows to activist organizations every month which also gives us a chance to use our stage time to raise some awareness and cash. Most of my advocacy work takes place outside of burlesque, actually – I don’t want to just talk about stuff, I want to be about stuff. With the amount of social media available to me I am wary of Performative Activism.”

Are there any specific cultural and/or systemic issues that you address in your performances/productions?

FF: “Different acts of mine have different points of view or focus on different aspects of me or of society. I’ve made an act about whiteness and one about my experiences with sexual violence – would you believe that those don’t get booked often? But especially Since the election I’ve felt a need for audiences (and for myself) to feel something other than pain and misery. I don’t want to be brow-beaten right now; there’s enough ambient trauma floating around that I am preferring to do something different. Queer joy has been especially precious and revitalizing to me and creating spaces where that can flourish is life-affirming to me. I think performers can do kindness for an audience when we offer an alternative to the stress and anxiety of living in this age.”

What do you hope your audiences take away from these performances?

FF: “I learned long ago not to attempt to dictate what audience members walk away with. I have a point of view and the shows I produce have a point of view. If people get that, even on a subconscious level, that’s a huge win. But if people feel anything, if people were entertained or riled up or curious to see more burlesque in the future, that’s wonderful. I can’t get hung up on what everyone in a crowd thinks of me because that can be a trap.”

What are some unexpected reactions you received from audience members, and how did you deal with those interactions?

FF: “I don’t know what’s unexpected anymore! Some people cry and want to hug me, some people ask me how much it will cost to fuck me, some people want to introduce me to their mom or interview me for their zine, some people want to talk to me about their eating disorders or tell me to lose weight or to not lose weight. So little of that has anything to do with me. When done right, being on stage is like giving people a mirror or lens through which to observe themselves. So much of what burlesque does is give permission. A lot of things crop out of that.”

Any upcoming performances or events you are doing that relate to feminism and intersectionality?

FF: “The Fuck You Revue strives to be a place that always considers intersectional representation of talent and that’s every third Tuesday at Bizarre Bushwick. Anything goes (no blue laws, no nudity restrictions) and it’s some of the friendliest obscenity you’ll ever see. I’m also coproducing a show of all duets at Coney Island on July 20.”

What do you think the future of burlesque, in regards to intersectional feminism, will look like five years from now?

FF: “I can’t imagine the next year in my own life so I can’t opine on the next five years of this art form! Who the fuck knows? I have hopes though. I hope that we will have a scene that encourages innovation and rigorous development. I hope we will have a scene that supports people financially. I hope the scene will reflect a plurality of identities and experiences. I hope we will have more women-run venues. I hope we will continue to be ambitious individually and supportive collectively. And I hope that we as performers will sort through what is stagecraft and what is part of a personal healing process that is best accomplished outside of public view. I say that because I often hear the misconception that I got into burlesque to heal my relationship with my body. That journey began a decade before I considered stripping on stage. It would not be generous of me to get my messy unconsidered shit all over a paying audience, nor would that have served me.”