A Draft from 8/23/08:
It seems I'm just not going to be able to crank these things out weekly. Rehearsals for my new play, Pin-Up Girls, are picking up steam and time is at a premium. (I'll be telling you all about Pin-Up Girls in the coming weeks.) In the meantime, I'll keep plugging away at these "Artists I Love" profiles every chance I get.So without further adieu ... the dancer with "four feet of red hair, and miles of bad intentions":
Scarlett Letter
(Above is one of the best burlesque photos ... ever. Laura Creecy is an incredible artist. If you're wondering what I'd like for my Birthday, a Laura Creecy print would be a good place to start.)
I'm going to come right out and say it: Scarlett Letter is a hypnotist. If you're familiar with the working side of live theatre, you no doubt are aware that there are two basic positive responses an audience can give a performer: wild applause and complete silence. There is some debate as to which is the better response. On one hand, an audience moved to thunderous hand-clapping is an audience elevated. The complete silence reveals a sort of engaged reverence for the performer. It's a toss up, really.
One night, watching Scarlett dance, it occurred to me that the audience wasn't whooping and hollering as much as usual. I glanced around and observed a rapt audience, complete attention on Scarlett's performance.
She's a slinky dancer; a rhythmic, whirling flame. She reminds me of the burlesque dancers who come from the belly dance tradition, but I don't think that's her background. She's an accomplished costumer with a baroque eye for detail. Her costumes are works of art. The music she selects for each number is yet one more thread she weaves into the tapestry of her act. It could be said that Scarlett composes her burlesque numbers, in the truest sense of the word.
Scarlett Letter co-produces the Monday Night Tease with Lili VonSchtupp, and can be seen dancing all over town.
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