MICA students produce stellar Workin’ the Tease fundraiser
Mourna Handful ~ one of the featured performers at Saturday’s Workin’ the Tease fundraiser (Justus Heger)
On Saturday night, the students of MICA’s Exhibition Development Seminar hosted a gala fundraiser at Area 405 for their upcoming burlesque exhibit: Workin’ the Tease. The exhibit, which will include a night of live burlesque on the Lyric Opera Stage, opens at the Lyric Opera House on April 22 and runs until May 7. Gallery hours will be determined sometime in April.
Workin’ the Tease will take a look at the curious culture of burlesque in Baltimore with rare artifacts, including original Globe promotional posters; calling cards that were used to advertise events; vintage costumes and photographs, and one-of-a-kind performance materials from some of the household names in the Baltimore burlesque scene. The extensive display will also feature Baltimore photographer Sean Scheidt’s fascinating Neo-Burlesque series, with new photographs of the performers who will be participating in the opening night stage show.
Saturday’s fundraiser (which drew more than 100 people) gave the public a chance to peruse a few of the exhibit pieces – and get a peek at some of the performers – while supporting this iconic effort. Femceed by popular burlesquer Shortstaxx, the evening featured performances by Neo-Burlesque stars Mourna Handful, Chèrie Nuit, Tapitha Kix, Hot ‘n Bothered and Sunny Sighed with Bal’d Lightning.
Along with dinner and the short stage show, the students added an auction of about a dozen different burlesque related items, including four autographed pictures of burlesque dancers April Daye and Sequin (courtesy of burlesque memorabilia collector Janelle Smith) and some of Sean Scheidt’s Neo-Burlesque prints. Aficionados of the art drove the bidding high on several other unique pieces. The top bids of the night went to a beautiful tri-colored Globe-type promotional poster for Workin’ the Tease, and to a vintage Georgia O’Keefe-inspired coloring book.
(Photographs by Justus Heger)
Anthony C. Hayes is an actor, author, raconteur, rapscallion and bon vivant. A one-time newsboy for the Evening Sun and professional presence at the Washington Herald, Tony’s poetry, photography, humor, and prose have also been featured in Smile, Hon, You’re in Baltimore!, Destination Maryland, Magic Octopus Magazine, Los Angeles Post-Examiner, Voice of Baltimore, SmartCEO, Alvarez Fiction, and Tales of Blood and Roses. If you notice that his work has been purloined, please let him know. As the Good Book says, “Thou shalt not steal.”