Camp Shrewd: All They Really Want is Some Fun

One of our readers has a question about the Shrewd show. We were wondering if you'd like to respond?

It's unfortunate that someone feels...uh...offended by our postcard. I've been pretty amused at the level of scandal afforded to such a relatively innocuous photo. Our Christmas photo, which had everyone posing almost completely naked behind Christmas wreaths, raised absolutely no eyebrows at all. This pic, in which no one is showing much skin at all, but is merely suggestive, has not been run in any publications, and seems to be perceived as much more racy.

What is a burlesque? We tried reading the Wikipedia definition, but our eyes glazed over after the first sentence. And we couldn't stop looking at the accompanying photo....

I think the last sentence in the Wikipedia definition (brief though it may be) is probably the most helpful. "In the 20th and 21st centuries, burlesque has come to be a genre of adult entertainment, focusing on aspects of humor, satire and sexual tantalization."

Burlesque has seen a recent resurgence in popularity. Burlesque is a form of striptease that usually incorporates a kind of story or theatrical conceit, is usually comedic and/or ironic, and often employs elaborate costumes and setups. It employs aspects of dance, striptease, theatre and vaudeville comedy.

Shrewd's own unique brand of burlesque (which we are very proud of) started with my idea to do a Christmas-themed burlesque show to raise money for our first season. We had been kicking around the idea of doing a burlesque show for a while with some fellow theatre artists, and it seemed like the holiday season was the perfect time. It's a time when people are looking for things to go do with groups of friends or loved ones....they're looking for light, fun entertainment. There's a lot out there for families; a lot of stuff geared toward the kiddos. But we felt like our show offered something different, something unique and edgier for the grownups that might be tired of the traditional offerings of Christmas Carol, Nutcracker and other family-oriented shows that are always available. We also just thought it would be a lot of fun...and we were right.

Shrewd After Dark, which is what we are now calling the burlesque arm of Shrewd Productions is comprised of award-winning actors, directors and choreographers. We are very focused on bringing a high level of excellence in choreography, performance and production values to our burlesque shows. The same commitment that we bring to our other productions: the multiple nominated and award-winning Where Are They Now? by Cyndi Williams, the collaboratively created Cheater, or the upcoming world premiere of Monika Bustamante's Stillborn: A Bedtime Story, we also bring to our burlesque. As a company that often produces dark, intense dramas, it's nice to have something that shows the lighter side of Shrewd.

What is Camp Shrewd About?
Camp Shrewd is a fundraiser for Shrewd Productions 2006-2007 season. The numbers in the show all have a summer theme, and the conceit of the fictional summer camp, Camp Shrewd, is what ties the whole show together. Two of the numbers are revamped favorites from our Christmas show, and the rest are new numbers created specifically for the fundraiser. There's a number on roller skates, a synchronized sunbathing number, and an exercise-themed number that uses those big Pilate's exercise balls (very funny). The show ends with the entire cast washing a car in the Blue Theatre parking lot (won by the lucky winner of our car wash raffle!). Afterwards, we've got musical entertainment. Friday's show will be followed by the popular local band Zookeeper, and Saturday's show will end in a closing night dance party, hosted by DJ Jennifer of Ear Candy.

Who's your target audience?
Any and all over 18 are welcome! We see a very broad range of folks at our shows. We see guys, gals, couples, groups of friends...the full spectrum. We really aren't catering to a specific demographic when we invent our burlesque numbers. Whatever we find fun, funny, and sexy is what ends up being in the show. If it tickles our (collective) fancy, then we hope it will yours, too.
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So there you have it. We feel enlightened and, we admit, more curious to see what the ladies of Shrewd are up to with their latest romp. If you do too, head over to the Blue Theatre this Friday or Saturday night at 9pm. Tickets $15, at the door.

Image (c) Shrewd Productions.