SOU Professor shines bright with research: The Voices of Oregon Burlesque

When people think of burlesque, they often imagine sequined corsets, fishnets, fringed outfits, laughter and glittering striptease performances. Since 2019, Southern Oregon University (SOU) Professor Laurie Kurutz has been dedicated to capturing the stories of burlesque producers, creators and performers in a project called “Voices of Oregon Burlesque.”

Kurutz, a professor of costume technology at SOU, is no stranger to the sparkle and flair of burlesque. She teaches courses on costume technology, fashion in Western culture and U.S. burlesque history. As a theatrical costume-maker and tailor, she specializes in period costumes and custom bespoke menswear. Her work has graced the stages of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Opera, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and numerous other Tony Award-winning theatres.

“Voices of Oregon Burlesque,” her unique oral history project, focuses on spotlighting burlesque artists. Over the past five years, she has documented the resurgence of burlesque as a multicultural social movement across the state. The project currently features over 31 artists, and Kurutz is just getting started.

“In creating this collection of oral histories, my goal was to expand the traditional narrative of history by capturing previously excluded or marginalized stories to create a more accurate depiction of Oregon’s social and cultural history,” Kurutz explains.

Her fascination with the world of burlesque began about a decade ago and was, sparked by one of Kurutz’ students, Grace Kent – who performs as Velvet Thorne in burlesque shows up and down the West Coast. Kent is also an actor, aerial circus performer and singer. Originally from Willits, California, Kent was inspired to pursue burlesque after attending a Dita Von Teese show in San Francisco. After brief training with Eva D’Luscious in the North Bay area, Kent moved to Ashland, where she graduated from SOU with a degree in Theatre. While at SOU, she began performing in burlesque shows produced by Miss Darby Doll and Sundae Sparkles.

“By delving into the hidden history of this often overlooked and marginalized American art form, I began to appreciate the deeper meanings behind the sequins and feathers of burlesque performance,” Kurutz said. “This art form often gives a voice to traditionally overlooked LGBTQ+ populations and multicultural communities.”

In selecting interview subjects, Kurutz aims to represent the diversity within burlesque communities across Oregon, highlighting performers from both large and small communities, and those known internationally as well as locally.

“These interviews showcase people of all ages, sizes, gender identities, backgrounds, socio-economic statuses, and physical abilities,” Kurutz said.

Kurutz’s background in costume technology has deeply influenced her interest in burlesque attire. Initially, her research focused on the specialized construction details of burlesque costumes – such as quick-release garments – but it quickly evolved into a more comprehensive exploration. The research has led to publications at national conferences of The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) and further development of the “Voices of Oregon” interviews.

Burlesque is an art form that defies easy definition and pushes boundaries. Performers use their bodies as a form of resistance, joyful expression and storytelling, with a focus on social change and entertainment. Burlesque intertwines fierce feminism, gender identity, race, sexual politics and social satire. Its history is complex and ever-evolving, rooted in Greek satirical plays and blending elements from various theatrical traditions and styles, including music, dance and parody.

The term “burlesque” traditionally refers to a work designed to provoke laughter by parodying the style or tone of serious pieces or by treating serious subjects with humor.

Over time, it has evolved from sensational theater, slapstick sketches, chorus numbers, stand-up comedy and risqué jokes to bold striptease acts. Burlesque gained popularity in the United States in the 1860s, but by the 1920s, the striptease aspect had come to dominate, leading to significant criticism. Since the 1990s, there has been renewed interest in burlesque, and since the 2000s, American burlesque has experienced a revival – particularly among traditionally overlooked LGBTQ+ populations and multicultural communities. This new genre of performance art combines elements of traditional burlesque with contemporary values of feminism and queer theory, challenging hetero-normative social standards.

Kurutz has shared her work at multiple educational conferences, including presenting at the 25th Anniversary of the USITT Costume Design & Technology Session in 2021 and again at the conference in 2024. At SOU she hosted a burlesque film event titled “What the Funk!?” in the spring of 2022, and invited special guests and film co-producers Rebecca Mmm Davis and founder of the BIPOC Burlesque Seattle Festival Mx. Pucks A’Plenty (Kia Puckett).

This November, Kurutz will be honored as a guest at the 2024 BurlyCon in Seattle, an annual burlesque convention. Next June she will retire from SOU and will continue her research to document this important American cultural art form and social justice movement.

To learn more and read Kurutz’s interviews with nearly three dozen burlesque artists in “Voices of Oregon,” visit scarc.library.oregonstate.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/burlesque/about.