Born out of sociocultural liveliness, the years of surrealism in the theatre and film represented a profound disillusionment towards the established intellectual order. In the years of dehumanization and violent depths of modern time, crying in the inadequacy of the right philosophies, artists need to deal with the new, brutalized world. Each in a different way of course. Surrealists, however, brought a revolution of perception by replacing the certainties with the dark visions of the human psyche that first time emerged through Freudian psychoanalysis. Anyone out there, who likes David Lynch and his dark, erotic surrealism in film knows what I am talking about. In a burlesque theatre, center stage lies in Artaud’s wild depictions of the body that represents the impression of its base materiality. Surrealistic theatre just like in the film depicts metaphors conveying the scientific analysis of erotism and death that lies obsessively within the surrealists as the representations of profoundly dehumanizing trauma. In times of physical sickness or psychic trauma and the antagonistic crosscurrents of Eros and Thanatos, the fragments embody a bit of the artist’s ego in a primal fantasy of death and rebirth. It is an erotic psychosomatic façade of the self in a black wave of bodily narrative through a graphic burlesque, with a narrative that occurs within erotic surrealism as a response to perceived or imagined psychosomatic discomfort, as a metaphorical embodiment of trauma with a physiological viewpoint in the iconography of pain there is a burlesque, a dragged imagination, unwilling too, into the darker depths of imagination.
For the Los Angeles burlesque theatre The House of Red Velvet, the description is “Euphoric, Dark Art, Surreal, Erotica”. And for the artists who are into this, there is an actual art call to join the team. For those who enjoy dark, surreal erotica in the theatre that actually is on a border with graphic nightclub erotica to undermine the structure of the class, here it is because there is an audience for shows like that. For those who like to risk, in whatever sense of the word, to work in high intensities, or if you are willing to risk yourself and feel other people’s pain“ and if you think that danger is exciting. The LA ad Berlin-based House of Red Velvet is looking for performance artists, contortionists, ballerinas, opera singers, dancers, or anyone with interesting performance skills. The production requires dedication, loyalty, love, open-mindedness, and understanding, and looking for fearless, confident, talented, emotionally present female performers with an impeccable stage presence. If you have had interesting life experiences and you can translate that to the stage, and make people feel something, just apply to Olivia Bellafontaine’s The House of Red Velvet by Monday, January 31, 2022, at olivia@thehouseofredvelvet.com The House of Red Velvet is a surrealistic and euphoric performance dark art theater. It is an established show from Los Angeles, with performances in San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland. The show has been running for 6 years and is produced by Olivia Bellefontaine. Send a short intro of your experience, photos, and a video(s) link and indicate if this is for Berlin or Los Angeles. Media required from applicants are photos and reel videos. Age required minimum 21 max 60. All hired will be paid for their art, of course, it is a job.
„I wanted to make a performance art show that was dark and mindfucking and had substance and meaning. I wanted to play with surrealism in performance. The House of Red Velvet is one of the most important projects of my career. I am very proud of what we have been making lately. I sense a strong camaraderie with the performers. We finish each other’s thoughts. It’s been very beautiful and fulfilling as an artist to make these.“ (Olivia Bellafontaine)
Check out the velvet videos at