Literary Burlesque
Burlesque is both a literary genre and a theatrical genre. Traditionally, burlesque describes literature or drama with a satirical or parodic nature, mocking that which is considered dignified and treating that which is considered unrefined with dignity. It also describes striptease acts of the early to mid-20th century and today in which individual performers likewise combine elegance, humor, sex, and wit to entertain, intrigue, and tease the imagination. For a brief period of time in the late 19th century, these two genres collided on European and American stages in “literary burlesques.” Written and performed by all-female acting troupes, these parodies of classic literature and drama satirized the political climate of the day. These theatrical spectacles contained no striptease as we would recognize it today, but often incorporated scant costuming or mock-nudity to drive home the political messages.
Noveltease Theatre pays homage to literary burlesque of the late 19th century by combining theatrical adaptations of classic texts with contemporary striptease. Our intention is not to mock, but to productively muddle the “highbrow” art of literature with the “lowbrow” art of burlesque through embodied storytelling. Our theatrical productions revise and reimagine classic texts for a contemporary world, teasing the imagination with words and dance. Our interpretation of “literary burlesque” is informed and inspired by it’s very definition, which is encompassed by our company tagline: “Burlesque. By the Book.”