2016 For Me.

January saw me recovering from my second laparoscopy. I was still in recovery when I forced myself onstage for a Mon Cherie Entertainment Show at the Backstage Bistro. I covered up my glued together puncture wounds with stickers, and had Totalie onstage with me in case I fell over, or gave him the "get me the hell offstage" sign. I was so happy to be in my bed after that, but it was worth it because a few more people became aware of The Trulie Awesome Show.

The Trulie Awesome Show continued it's performances at the Ooh La Las Varietease Show until December of this year, when it was canceled by the producers of The Ooh La Las portion, due to their lack of people in their half. I wasn't happy about all the work we and the Sick World of Dr. Show did, being shoved in the garbage without any discussion (in fact it was put to us that there would be no discussion) but there wasn't anything to be done about it except sit in my room and watch music videos from the 90's until it was time to perform with ElectroCult Circus that night.

I performed at several Mon Cherie Entertainment gigs at the Shrunken Head throughout the year as well. I really enjoyed bringing out new material at these shows. I did a little bit of work with The Sick World of Dr. Show and I performed at a few Bossy Grrl's Shows too so it was a very packed schedule heading into the summer.

February and March I took time to build all of my old costumes, and worked with Taryn Lindsey to record my numbers so I had them for keepsake. It was a ton of work. Building all those costumes and then performing them one after the other was a bigger undertaking than I thought it would be. We got all of the signature numbers down which was good.

In April we did a 24 hour stream (which Totalie forgot to pull off of Twitch so we lost all of that footage dang it!) We had some people on to make crafts for DRAUMA and read stories and play games. It was kind of a mess but most things I do are.

In May I competed in the BurlyPicks Competition and won first place. I was so shocked I won. Really. The entire time waiting for the National Competition portion was just so surreal. I couldn't believe it was happening, and I had no idea what I was doing...which usually I don't, but in this case I felt like I should. That was one of the happiest performance days of my life. DRAUMA was a disaster for me. Most of the costumes fell apart before they hit the stage, and I am pretty sure my models were going to revolt. I got them ready to be onstage at the time we were supposed to be ready, but the show was running behind and we didn't know that. So everyone was making their way up the stairs (which is when things started to break because steps and paper clothing don't mix) about 30 minutes before they had to be. Then they had to stand there and wait. And these were not comfortable things to wear. After this show fell apart on me, I vowed I wouldn't do this to myself or anyone else again. If I do a big show, I have to do it where I can build the items in the venue and not have to transport them. AND NO STAIRS. Button got some good stuff out of DRAUMA though. Someone hired her to make a mask like she made for the show, and she did a photo shoot in some of the costume pieces so at least someone got something out of it! I think I just aged a few years and felt shitty for a few weeks.

June we did Origins which was more fun than the year before. We got to go to more of the panels and we had time to hang out with the other volunteers. We also did the Columbus Arts Fest for two days which was sweaty but really fun. It was a huge stage and the staff was awesome. And Comfest which was hilarious because when Totalie was testing the sound, it was turned all the way up and a giant fart scared everyone at Comfest. Yep that was us. Sorry.

July we did the DooDah Parade which is my favorite parade of the whole year. Up to this point, we had 19 ElectroCult Circus shows under our belt as well.

August was GenCon which was so much fun and full of classes and shows and adventures.

September was the BurlyPicks Nationals. I had a fantastic time in Pittsburgh and I won Most Innovative which was another shock. I didn't even know that was a category. Another happiest day. Plus ECC got to play at The Rex, which I had been trying to make happen for two years. September also started my Heels of Horror Rehearsals so it was a very good September.

October was Performance Art Day and Heels of Horror. Both totally new and unique experiences to me that kind of kicked my butt in a very good way.

November was our last Varietease Show (unbeknownst to us at the time) and my last Girls Gags and Giggles of the year. We also got to do a Creative Mornings event which is like TED talks but oh so early in the morning. We got paid in bananas. I found a blip of us at the event on their website, but they cut out everything I said which I think was something like "There's art and theater and drag and burlesque and music and all kinds of things to do in Columbus" to "and music and all kinds of things to do in Columbus" or something like that. Marking the second time this year I was basically bleeped out. (CD102.5 bleeped out my "suck it" on an ECC song)

December was mostly ElectroCult Circus gigs since our TAS gig was canceled, so the year wound down pretty quickly.

Personally 2016 was a jam packed year with some very cool things happening so, while most people want the year to burn, I was okay with this year. I learned a lot about myself.

Adventure at the Wex

On Friday December 9th we went to see Dane Terry: Bird In The House at the Wex. Dane used to play keys at 2Co's Cabaret in the Short North and he was back from New York where he is doing very well. The Facebook Event Page said:

"Dane Terry is the millennial Cole Porter. He's got the hooks of Elton John, the jokes of Tom Waits and the heart of Leonard Cohen."—John Cameron Mitchell, creator of Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Somewhere in Ohio, a boy’s bedroom ceiling is slowly falling in on him. Strange lights haunt the sky, living rooms glow with static, men with guns are asking questions. Volton is coming...Volton is here.

Join us for Dane Terry’s return to Columbus as the songs and stories he deftly weaves from the piano bench draw you into “a genre defying, musical spell” (Huffington Post). With his solo music theater work Bird in the House, the Columbus-raised, New York City-based sensation paints surreal scenes of childhood, coming of age, and coming out in Mid-America. Featuring songs from his 2015 release Color Movies (TONK records), Bird in the House premiered in New York at La MaMa in April 2015 and went on to be a highlight of the Public Theater’s prestigious Under the Radar Festival last January. Welcome home this gifted talent Timeout New York calls “the realest deal in town.”

We walked into the space and the backdrop was a black curtain with one panel of white. There was a piano with an old fashioned television on it that stuttered static. The setting itself was a work of art. 

There were several people in the audience that we knew including some more of the old 2Co's staff who are now the band Mad Funk 8. So it was really fun pre and post show to catch up with everyone! We missed saying hi to Dane though, because there was a Q&A for OSU students after. (I wish I had gotten to listen to that too!) It's probably better that we didn't see him, because  I would have spewed nonsensical praise all over him and he probably would have wanted to run away from me. 

The show itself was very good. So intense and moving. He took simplicity and turned it into a tapestry you could touch and inspect. The storytelling was so rich, and of course his playing and singing were just beautiful.  This is his website .  His story sticks with you. I love shows that cause discussion days after they've been seen. This was one of those shows. 

It's so cool that he went out and pursued his passion! I'm so glad he came back to Columbus to share it with us! 

Adventures In Mansfield

 On December 3rd ElectroCult Circus hit the road for Mansfield Ohio to perform at the Fourth Street Bar.  The bar seemed to be in the middle of Nowhere, which is one of my favorite places in the universe to be.

 When we pulled up, the exterior of the building had us wondering if we were at the right bar, but when we went in- it was so cool! It had these great old wooden floors and an Art Deco style bar with the half round booths that make you feel like a Hollywood movie star when you sit in them. The place was very nice and had an entire wall of guitars and a model ship made out of PBR cans.

 Randy Ray Patterson  put the event together. I first saw him perform at Victory's here in town, and he is MESMERIZING. The performance he gives is so unique, with thought provoking lyrics that twist around your brain and make you see things you may or may not want to see but enjoy thoroughly.

 ElectroCult Circus played first and everyone really liked us! I think we sounded good although we were missing our violinist and a back up singer (and our beautiful dancers!) Vivienne Vega and I were invited to perform in between the bands, so while ECC finished the set, we went to get changed.

 Now normally there's a changing area, even if it's the manager's office , or a closet full of old gear and dusty jars of maraschino cherries. This bar is in the process of getting a place to change, so we had to change in the bathroom. This is usually a deal breaker for some performers because it's usually gross in bathrooms but Viv and I didn't mind at all, because this bathroom was big and clean and had a mirror. Hey it's an adventure right? Once they get the dressing room together, this place will be a fantastic place to perform!

 After we performed, Randy Ray Patterson performed and then Chico's Brother . He has a beautiful velvet voice, wears instruments - just check out his music! I got two CDs and I'm hooked. I have a CD player in my car (hey it's an upgrade from a tape deck which is what my first car had) so I've been driving around Columbus listening to it.

 It was Kate Westfall's birthday so she was there to dance!  She's a musician and artist also from Mansfield. So you've got the unique and mesmerizing Randy Ray Patterson, the velvet voice of Chico's Brother, and the multi talented Kate Westfall all in one place called Mansfield, Ohio. It was a great night.

Adventures and Then French Fries

Yesterday, we went to The Lindsay Gallery for the December Group Show featuring art by Amber Groome (Button LeBouton and I did an act for one of her opens there not too long ago!) Meghan Willis (she did some pieces with Button as a model!), Joey Monsoon, Ashley D. Pierce, and Steve Ehret. It's really great. So many surprises!

Then we went to Rocket Fizz. CANDY! Then we stopped by TigerTree where we found cute stocking stuffers for family. Then there were french fries. Tonight is Holiday Hop in the Short North, so I'm glad we were able to enjoy some of what it has to offer without the crowds (it's better to go tonight though, because everything is open later)

Tonight,  ElectroCult Circus has a gig in Mansfield with Randy Ray Patterson. Vivienne Vega and I will perform as well. I'm reusing a costume from Trauma 2015 (the one Bianca Coal is wearing next to me in this:)

Photo by REBarbashPhotography

In an effort to be in the holiday spirit, I'll be getting paddles for Christmas this evening. Ping Pong Paddles.  

Doll Face

Set phase to manic!!!!

 I could not sleep last night so I was looking at Rainbow Brite dolls (omg remember PJ Sparkles!?) and looking through my camera roll at 2am.

I found the face swap I did with a Blythe doll, and it made me giggle because once in a while I'm called doll face, which is supposed to be a cute little pet name, but since I'm uncomfortable with happy squishy feelings, I turned it into a nightmare.

I do think it's a cute pet name. But let's talk doll faces for a minute. No wait, let's talk about pet names. Why is it "pet names" pets are usually named Bunny Face or Mr. Dog Breath. Okay so doll faces used to be all about chunky cheeks when I was a kid. Maybe to look like a cherub? Now they have giant eyes and are trending toward giant lips. I hope someday it's all about the giant feet like my Jem doll was, because it's harder to lose the shoes.

Was that a minute?

Yep. Manic. WOOT!

Performance Art Day October 2016 Wild Goose Creative

Wild Goose Creative hosted a second Performance Art Day back and October. They gave me a chance to start my project I'm Afraid of You. I wanted to challenge myself to sit in front of strangers and make eye contact and talk. I have trouble with this on a regular basis. I have had more than one conversation with people who thought I was very mean and stuck up when they first met me, because I was so quiet and aloof. It's shyness really. My mother had the exact same experience growing up. I also usually have a pretty intense look on my face which makes me unapproachable.

There were a few artists who were doing their projects all day and I was one of them. I sat at a cardboard kiosk and waited for people to sit and talk. I went with no wig and no costume so that I didn't have my armor on. I had to be honest and tell people exactly why I would be afraid to talk to them. I wasn't surprised that mostly it had to do with my own insecurity.

The idea was to talk to people but it did get loud in the room, so eventually it turned into writing back and forth. (Spelling was an issue here which doubled the anxiety!) I kept the notes and am letting them turn into other projects like this one.

The most interesting thing was, that by the end of the day, my head was pounding and I felt completely drained. It took me an entire day to feel close to my normal self again. It's difficult for me to explain, but it was almost as if all of the energy I absorb all day was too much to take. Everyone was wonderful and it was a fantastic day, but I don't normally like crowds and interacting with people is intense for me, so an entire day of it may have been pushing it. I just feel like if I give into that weakness I will have a smaller world that limits me, and I don't want that.

Safety is an illusion and so is control. 

Where do Hecklers Come From?

They have probably been around since anyone decided to stand up and speak. Where there is one person talking, there's usually another who wants to do the same.

People talking back to the performers onstage can sometimes make the performance more amusing, most of the time they turn that well rehearsed and timed out routine into something that falls flat because no one could hear the punch line.

According to Wikipedia the term heckler comes from textiles. People who teased or combed out fibers. The word we use to describe the interrupting audience member, comes from Scotland where a group of the textile hecklers would debate the news. Pretty simple. One person reads and the others add commentary. It seems like a great way to pass the work day.

It's difficult to know what to do with a heckler. Standing on the stage, you aren't sure if they are only going to say what they just said and stop, or if it will continue. When it continues, all you can think about it this person taking what you've worked on, and what others came to see, and distorting it, controlling it so that it is now their performance. If you stop everything and address the person it can escalate. If you incorporate them into the performance it encourages them. Any way that it goes it's awkward for everyone.

The heckler is brave. They are sitting in a crowd, completely anonymous, and suddenly they make their presence known. All eyes turn from the stage, to this person. They single themselves out. They presumably want the attention. What is it that encourages them to say their own quips and commentary to more than just the person sitting beside them? It isn't that these particular people are the only ones to have thoughts and opinions during the performance. We all do. Some of us keep it to ourselves and discuss after. Some whisper to the person next to them. The rare few want the entire room to know.

You can't blame movies, television, and internet for hecklers because they existed long before people were entertained by recorded performances you could talk over or make smoothies during. I blame selfishness. The person sitting in the audience doesn't think beyond themselves to the people all around who came to see what is on the stage. They don't think about the performer and what they go through to create what they are presenting. The heckler only sees an opportunity for themselves and they take it.

Sometimes it works. Most times it doesn't. It is a problem that will always pop up and I've seen performers handle it beautifully but I've also seen situations where there's no choice but to kick the person out. By then it's hard to get the energy back up to overcome the negativity.

For the regular heckler, the occasional heckler, or first time hecklers:

1) Stop and think before you speak. That way the moment will pass and you wont have time to say anything.

2) If your mouth works more quickly than your brain, practice talking quietly so no one can hear you when you speak except the person next to you.

3) Each live performance is a unique. Just like you.

4) Thank you for coming to the show.

Clutter

Comfest is this weekend and I feel like cleaning.

It's usually when I am in the middle of a busy time that I suddenly feel that if I do not de-clutter my life I will explode. This time around it's even more than de-cluttering, we are talking about sorting through 14 years of living in the same place (give or take) and getting rid of most of it.

I collect ephemera and clothing. I try to get rid of things but always end up putting it in another box. Most of these things are memories and I don't want to get rid of them. I don't want to make them digital either because that's the same to me as sticking it in a box in a basement only I would never find it again. Part of the fun of cleaning is finding things you forgot that you had.

I really wish I could own my own place so I could wallpaper my walls with memories.

DRAUMA & Burlypicks 2016

Last weekend was DRAUMA 2016 and Burlypicks 2016 so it was a big weekend!

DRAUMA day I started packing the car with all of the costumes at about 8am. We arrived at the Bluestone and set up. Everything was going smoothly when I decided to change out the battery on Button's paper mache heart. I asked Totalie to toss me a battery and when I plugged it in, nothing happened. Usually it started to light up right away. Then I smelled electrical burning and realized the heart was smoking in my hands. "It's on fire!" I said and tossed it like a hot potato to Totalie "Get it out of here!" He was about to run out with it but he just unplugged it. The whole room was stinky, but it never flamed up so that was good. Here is where I throw in puns about heartburn and Totalie's new Hearts On Fire collection of jewelry. We still aren't sure why that happened. Luckily it didn't happen when she was wearing it.

We had some lights to put into the heart so it would still glow but it wasn't nearly as neat. We have to make last minute decisions like that a lot. For instance, my third monster needed to be redone after the 5pm rehearsal because it just wasn't working. I feel like I could have gotten it to work but I wasn't able to try it on the actors before that day. This piece involved two actors joined on the top of their body to form a monster. I wasn't going for conjoined twins I was just going for a wide monster. The headpiece and facemask needed more work and I just couldn't allow the actors on the stage in it because it wasn't safe. They were trying so hard but they couldn't see. I had two left over masks that I had made and I decided to use that instead and go for the two headed Trulie and Totalie monster. It's a cute concept that I want to expand on when I actually have some real time to put the costume together. Not bad for last minute though. The actors were good sports about it. (photos by Mr. Berry of mrberryphoto.com for DRAUMA)

It was a long night and by the time everyone was up on the steps waiting to go on, I think we had repaired four things that ripped. It's very crowded in the space we have to get ready and paper doesn't take stress sometimes. I am thankful for tape and all who had to use it to repair my stuff. I took my time on these things to make them sturdy. They were carted back and forth several times and lasted longer than they would have in the past but by the time it got to the show, some of the items had simply had enough. The backstage steps took their toll on most of the costumes. But we got some great photos from Mr. Berry!



I had a great cast and crew and the Rendezvous/Evolved folks running the event are fantastic!

Burlypicks Ohio Regional Competition was the following Saturday. We arrived early at the A&R Music Bar and set up. I had been nervous for days about this show. Competitions are so rough. You have to have some thick skin to get through them and keep going even if you lose. (Especially if you lose) They are like auditions. I've been to MANY and when they say an actor's life is 99% rejection they are not kidding. It's extra hard too, because no one wants to be friendly at auditions. Everyone eyes everyone else as "the enemy"  (this was not the case at Burlypicks everyone was friendly and supportive of each other, and that is how it should be! It's hard enough and we're all in this together!)

  I met a lot of new performers which is always fun. I watched all of the performances I could, and there are many amazingly talented and creative performers in Ohio. I still consider myself a rookie who has a ton to learn, so I was completely stunned when I took 1st place.

Dimples Diamond and Me, Trulie Scrumptious! Photo by Fever Blister

Ohio Burlypicks Regional Competition 2016 A&R Music Bar
 It was an incredible feeling that I have never gotten to experience before and I am going to treasure that moment for as long as I have a memory bank.  I still can't believe I have a medal on it that says "WINNER!" and I didn't buy it for myself as a gag! (I actually won it!!)

Burlypicks Finals are in Pittsburgh September 10th at the Rex Theater! Burlypicks FInals 2016

One and Done.

Yesterday was day one of the archival project with Taryn Lindsey Photography (Columbus Pin Up Studios). It took two hours to record 6 numbers with only one re-do.   I think it went pretty well, and some of the images I got to preview looked amazing so I am excited. I have 9 more to go. It's not everything but it's a good sampler of my work. If I were to do every number I ever made I would be there a week.

I did struggle after the shoot though. I haven't been happy with my performances lately and I can't figure out why I am not.  When discussing my struggle with Totalie, it was re-discovered that my original plan for Trulie was a "one and done" kind of feel. I still spend countless hours making paper dresses only to destroy them, but I was churning out a new number every show, and only doing one number per show when I first started. The idea was once I did a number I wouldn't do it again.

This became an issue when I started to get more gigs. Working full time made it very difficult to perform more than once every two weeks under these rules of mine, and producers always wanted two numbers from each performer. I let that inform my direction, and began to make numbers that used regular clothes (travels better, doesn't require build time after the initial pull) and I started to repeat numbers. (I got really fast at making certain dresses.)

I think that has lead me here to this place of me being unsatisfied. I do love these numbers, but nothing seems to compare to the feeling I have after walking offstage having performed a number for the first time. I was surprised when I realized just how much I had let others inform my direction. It's not a negative thing, I am happy to work with people, I just lost sight and that must be why I am unhappy.

I think I need to find that path again and see if I can get that feeling back.

Twitch Time

Totalie has been telling me I should have a Twitch stream for some time now, and I fought him on it until yesterday.  I decided being more open with my process would help me to grow, and of course fear is something that is worth conquering. You can find his channel here: Veetorp

We started by programming the raspberry pi for the show we have on Saturday at Ruby Tuesday Live because it was pi day so why not! We use the pi for sound and video because most of the time, we are a two person crew. It's very nice to have it for conventions and festivals.

If we are going to continue streaming...he's gonna have to clean his room....

After we went through that, Crys Darling of Label Yourself came over and she and I discussed DRAUMA. Since this year isn't a competition, and every designer has been assigned their own album, we felt more comfortable showing pieces of the looks we are creating. We wanted to show a bit of what it is like to work side by side as two designers with strong ideas (and how to work together to solve issues created by that fact ^_^ ) This episode (do they call them episodes?! I'm gonna have to learn terminology here) was more of a discussion but next time I will show more of the process. I think I will make her skirt on the stream since we talked about it.

Tomorrow Totalie and I will be making sandwiches on a new app I heard about called Nom. We started season one of The Trulie Awesome Online Show last year by making sandwiches and interviewing people, and I didn't want to continue that into season two (we have different plans for season two) but I still like sandwiches, so this app may be what I need for it.

 It's live cooking shows. I just thought it would be neat to try but I can not seem to get their tech support to respond to my email asking why "The Trulie Awesome Show" is reserved. At this point, even if we broadcast, we may not be searchable. Right now I am on there as @TrulieScrumptious but again, if you try nom.com/truliescrumptious is wont take you anywhere. I can continue the sandwich interviews recorded and edited on YouTube, but live is a bit more of what I am looking for. 

UPDATE

They let me back in! Thank you to everyone who supported me! No more gardening and reading for me! :D

The Day Facebook Set Me Free

Wednesday 2/17 ended with me trying to log into my Trulie Scrumptious Facebook account, only to find I had been reported for my name. I had a feeling that would happen someday, but I couldn't have been prepared for the week of heartache and struggle that followed.

I do not have a government issued ID with my stage name on it but I do have some items from the past four years that I thought would help verify I am Trulie Scrumptious. I sent the items and Facebook responded they couldn't verify my account. I sent more items. They said they couldn't verify my account. So I decided to try and beg because I am classy:

This is very disheartening. I do not have any other forms of ID to share to try and unlock my account. I provided a picture ID although I don't have my pink wig on. I provided mail I've received and I sent something with my birthdate on it too. I don't know what else to provide. I have been in agony over this since it happened. 

I have been on Facebook for four years with no issues. People in Columbus, Ohio know me as Trulie. They call me Trulie everywhere I go. It is my authentic name. It is my professional name. I have not only just  lost four years of my work, I have lost four years of something that brought me happiness and made my sad and tragic existence easier to go through. Being actively connected to my artistic community of friends and co-workers gave me something to look forward to and I have cultivated my presence online and now, I'm just GONE. Every picture, every professional contact, every video I ever made and posted, all of my cast lists and rehearsal schedules-all of it. GONE.

 I am an artist. I have my name, Trulie Scrumptious, on Top Ten Best Local Artists lists (2013 and 2015) My bio on my website at TrulieAwesomeShow.com calls me Trulie. No one calls me by the name my mother gave me. Not even my own husband. 

 

I have never used Trulie Scrumptious to harass or bully anyone. I never post anything offensive. I am respectful and harm none. I am not hiding behind this name I am stronger and happier as Trulie. Having four years of my life and happiness just disappear in an instant has been very jarring and honestly effected me in a way I never expected. The amount of sadness and confusion I've felt over this, to me, just shows how important it is that I am able to be my authentic self which is Trulie Scrumptious. 

I am begging you to PLEASE give me back my account. I am Trulie Scrumptious and for the last four years everyone in Columbus has called me Trulie. 

 

I really enjoyed using Facebook and being a part of that community. Having this taken away from me has been very harsh. Please reconsider. 

Yours,

 Trulie 

 They replied that they couldn't comfirm I was the owner of the account. I responded:

What do you mean you can't confirm I'm the owner of the account? I have the log in info, I am emailing you from the email account I used to set it up four years ago, and I'm desperately trying to get it back because you've alienated me from my entire community. This is my account and I believe I am being unfairly targeted. I don't have a government issued ID with the name I use on it. I've already submitted the forms of ID that Facebook says they accept and they responded that they weren't able to verify it.

If this is so important why don't we have to show our drivers licenses when we set up these free accounts and avoid this heartache altogether?

Is there anyone I can talk to about this?




They replied that I needed to send ID to verify. So I resent it:

Okay well this is what I sent before and what I have. I do not have my pink wig on in these photos as I do in my photos on my profile.  I am an artist/performer in Columbus Ohio with a business called The Trulie Awesome Show.  I have worked with The Columbus Museum of Art and the public has voted me onto Best of Lists in Columbus as Trulie Scrumptious because that is my name. I do business as Trulie Scrumptious and everyone knows me and refers to me as Trulie Scrumptious. PLEASE I really don't understand what I've done wrong to have my account deactivated. I am desperate to get it back. I appreciate you taking the time to look into this, and understand my situation.

They responded they couldn't verify what I had sent, and I was welcome to use my legal name and add a nickname so I was searchable by both my legal name and my pretend name. I decided to touch on a current issue they had altered their policy over:

But that's just it. I don't want to be searchable by my legal name. This is no different than when a Drag Queen or King uses their stage name.  I don't see why the Drag community is allowed to use their stage names and I am not. It seems like a double standard.  I'm not "pretending" to be anyone. That's the name people know me by. If I was doing this for bad purposes: 1) I would have already created another free account and 2) I wouldn't have been able to go on for four years on Facebook without anyone reporting me.

I've spent four years making this profile what I needed it to be and never harmed anyone. If you Google Trulie Scrumptious Columbus Ohio you will find me. If you look all over Facebook you will see where everyone refers to me as Trulie. Why is it okay for Drag Queens and Kings to use their stage names and not performance artists?
And they responded that they could not verify my identity or that I was the owner of the account.
Last ditch effort I asked my lawyer if there was anything that could be done, and he said "their company their rules" which I already knew.

All of this email correspondence happened over the course of seven days and I have to say, the Facebook team was responsive and I understand they are just doing their job. The other thing that happened over the course of seven days is I found myself wondering why I even wanted it back at all. I would go to check Facebook on my phone and then go-oh wait-and then go do something else. Like in the real world! I got my garden cleaned up and  I've even started reading books again! I feel happier not checking in every twenty minutes and seeing all the negative posts and political memes. I feel less like I'm chained to my phone. Any time I want to check Facebook I look up at the sky and breath in some real life. It's been wonderfully freeing and I've been exploring other social media as well which has been fun.

At first I thought this was a low blow and that it was going to make things harder for me, but I realized how much Facebook was taking up my life and I don't want to live my life with my eyes glued to an app that uses my information to make billions of dollars. So I suppose I should thank the person who reported me, and Facebook's name policy, for freeing me!

I would still like it back but the battle is over and sometimes you just count your losses and move on. So long Facebook! It was a good run but now it's done and now it's time to have some fun.

                                                  (Uh...you're welcome Facebook?)

Sugary Refinement

This Saturday, The Trulie Awesome Show is performing our monthly show at Ruby Tuesday Live! on Summit for The Ooh La Las Varietease Show. This time around, we have had a director for our rehearsals, and it has made a world of difference.

Ollie, (Ollie Oxenfree) is our new director/tech person, and I am so glad he's back in my life and we are working together! We worked together at Shadowbox here in town, and he's a natural for comedy. After he saw some of the Trulie Awesome Shows, he could tell I was frustrated with trying to direct, act, be prop master, and all of the above. I was thrilled when he offered to direct, because you really want to work with someone you trust. Who sees your vision too, and doesn't turn your work into something it wasn't meant to be. As a result Maulie, Totalie, and I feel more confident and I feel the show is smoother and more refined overall.

It's always good to have someone else look at your work. You are not the audience so you can not possibly know how you are coming across. Things that may seem clear to you may be confusing to them. You also have to be open to criticism and change or you will never get any better.  I have found that working with someone you trust is one of the most valuable tools a performer can have. 

Huge Archival Project AKA Life.

Oh Life. You can get old or die trying. When I see a post online where someone is declaring " Live life to the fullest because you never know!" I wonder what had them so lulled to sleep that they thought this life was forever. I used to be lulled too, but a day in 2010 and the subsequent events changed that, and I have been wide awake since.

Pre 2010, I thought I knew where my life was going. I was newly married, helping to raise two children,  and daydreaming about my own kids and house. I was over trying to make it as an actor and ready to do the family thing. I don't look at it as settling, because I was so happy. Life changed in a blink of an eye. I blinked and it was different. Forever. Everything I was a part of was taken from me. It continued to change until I didn't even recognize it anymore. I was also fading away fast. That wasn't going to happen. I still felt the need to build. To create. To live (and to essentially run from the reality thrust upon me.)

The stage welcomed me back for that. My old friend and enemy. The art form that got me through -and yet created for me -some very dark years. I can't cradle my art form. I can't make the moments last, it's live performance after all. You can't really hold a child forever or make those moments last either. It's life performance after all.

But hey scrapbooks are cool right?

So, I sat down the other day and typed out a list of every number I have created since I started performing as Trulie. 26 solos at least. Lots of duets and group numbers. Most of my work involves building something in order to destroy it so I don't have any professional stills or videos of my work. Some great live performance shots and cell phone videos but nothing planned out. I approached Taryn of Columbus Pinup Studio to try and get some of this stuff captured. A scrapbook of my babies so to speak.

It's going to be an interesting project. I am going to make each costume, then get the numbers on video and have some professional pictures taken. I think I will record me making each costume too. With the sound off so you can't hear me cussing.

It is interesting to work in ephemera. The whole point is that it doesn't last. I am still susceptible to the need to preserve. I fought it up until I started to apply for festivals and people wanted to see my work. I do wonder if I will make it to an old age where I will watch these and smile, or if it's all pointless because I will be a lonely old lady and probably not even remember I did all of these things. Maybe someone will find it and roll their eyes or be inspired. Maybe no one will ever see it. Who knows? Really who cares!? I have to do this for myself because I want to. Sometimes you don't ask why, you just do it.

New Post Now With Hashtags

DRAUMA 2016 is May 26th at The Bluestone. This year, Trulie Awesome Show is teaming up with Label Yourself again only this time it is Bowie themed so Label Yourself is taking the lead. It's an interesting set up this year. 14 designers choose from 14 albums and present their collection. The audience is encouraged to dress up as well. It's also not a competition this year so it's very different.

I am very lucky to be considered as a designer. My first collection was The Paper Pasties Parade where I made all paper costumes and wigs and the performers ended up in paper pasties. The year after I focused on codpieces since it was water themed and fish cod seemed to go with piece cod. :) I have some ideas on how to incorporate paper into the show which I hope adds a nice quirk to the show.

We don't know which album we will be representing yet but we know which one we hope for! In the meantime here's the link with last year's entertainment listed. DRAUMA


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