We had the good fortune of connecting with Alabaster and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alabaster, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
My work/life balance fluctuates all the time! It’s really hard in any performance career to have an actual work/life balance. Most of my friends are also in the industry, so lots of my free time is spent with colleagues and in performance spaces still. I try to maintain work/life boundaries as much as I can. No shop talk if it’s just me and my friends relaxing, not counting job work related outings as “hanging out”. I especially try to take time to hang out with friends in person and stay off my phone so I don’t get sucked into work. The balance is hard and I am honestly still working on it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a burlesque performer, producer, kitten, and host. Burlesque is the art of ~*the tease*~. I play pretty much any role in the show, whether it is organizing it, stage managing, performing, or talking into the microphone. I’m not sure I really can be “set apart” from others in my industry because we all bring such a different *it* factor to the job, but I guess I am known for creating a unique audience experience at my shows. I’m proudest of my long-form burlesque shows, where the performers are given up to 15 minutes at a time on stage. Lots of room for narrative, audience shenanigans, and performers pushing the limits of what they thought they could do. I was kinda forced into where I am today due to circumstances. I moved back to Colorado after living on the east coast for 5ish years. I missed the shows I used to be part of in Philly so I built something similar here! It was simultaneously easy and the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I got lucky and had several opportunities fall directly in my lap, but I had to take some big risks in order to actually pull off the actual show each time. Money is a big challenge to overcome. I’m responsible for making sure my performers get paid well. It took a long time to get myself into a spot where I am comfortable with the possibility that I could lose money in the process. I’ve learned to squirrel away as much money as I can as a backup and to never put on a show unless I have the cash to pay everyone involved, even if not one single ticket is sold. Luckily, I’ve never had to rely on this method, but shit happens.

My brand is good natured chaos. I strive to have all my productions be a place where my performers can do whatever weird thing their heart desires, whether that is keeping it kinky, dressing up as a chicken, or being as in-your-face sexy as they can possibly be. I wasn’t always given the space to be as weird or as sexual as I wanted on stage when I first started. I want to make sure every performer who works with me doesn’t feel like they have to reign in their personality on stage.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d tell them to check out Horrid, a horror Boutique for all their witchy and horror related needs. Of course check out any of my burlesque shows, including Blassphemy every other month at Lion’s Lair. Consensual Circus shows at Horrid and HQ. Get your Oddities fix at The Learned Lemur. Denver Zoo and Denver Museum of Natural science are a must.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who deserve a shoutout in my story! Presley Peach from Consensual Circus for always keeping me busy and involved in the weirdest projects. Cassy Cyanide for being a great pinch hitter and stepping up when needed. My best friends, Lindsay and Patti, for always listening to my bonkers ideas and cheering me on no matter where they are in the world. Danny Ritchie for making my bad recordings sound less like they were recorded in a tunnel, and always looking out for new venues for me to get into.

Website: alabasterburlesque.com

Instagram: @alabasterbutt

Other: linktr.ee/alabasterbutt

Image Credits
Bandersnatch Imagery, Dan Roberts, Anthony Earl, Redlite Photos, Click/Save Photos

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