So I have this absolutely amazing person I know-they’re kind, gorgeous and a hell of a lot more brave than I’m ever going to be. Apollo is a gifted stage performer, and considering the overlap between our professions I thought it best to sit them down and ask them a few questions. Enjoy deviants-and never fear the call of the stage.
God I hate opening questions with a vengeance, they’re always so incredibly lame aren’t they? Tell you what, let’s make a twist on this. What’s the worst ice breaker you have ever heard, professional or otherwise?
I have had several men message me on dating apps with the opener “Dick or pussy” and I gotta say that’s pretty much an unbeatable worst. I’m a pretty open book but you gotta at least make an effort to treat me like a human, yeah?
Apollo, we’ve known each other for a while, and the thing that drew me to you in the beginning was the fact you’re a stage performer. I think at this point you’ve been doing it for a while. What drew you to stage performing in the first place, and what do you try to convey through your work?
I’ve been performing for pretty much my whole life, honestly. I started as a pianist because I had a babysitter I loved (who later in life came out as a lesbian, fun fact, still love her!) who played piano and I wanted to be just like her. From piano I moved to voice, to musical theatre, with a pitstop in composition.
I discovered burlesque and cabaret specifically after moving to Seattle. It was a Scruff date that first got me out to a show, ironically, but what drew me in was the variety of bodies and styles, and the absolute joy and celebration of all these interesting and wild and silly and sexy humans! After the show I talked to my date (who was in the show) and he introduced me to the cast, who were all so lovely. Fast forward about a year and I’d started burlesque myself!
As for what I try to convey, it’s this- in a world that’s twisted, broken, and hurting, I want to show that love and joy are just as real and genuine and deep as that pain. As artists, we often focus on “the dark side” of things, and use our trauma to make some really impactful art. I think that’s awesome! But what if we dug just as deep into the goodness of ourselves? We tend to think of happiness as trite, fluff, or vapid. I want to counter that and show that it can be real.
I think every performer has that one moment where they just absolutely bombed. Maybe it was the crowd or the set, but it does happen. While that sometimes can be a thorn in people’s sides, I’ve found it to be a great learning experience. Have you ever had a show that just went off the rails? If so, what did you glean from it going forward?
Is this where I talk about my dick slip? I think it’s when we talk dick slip.
I was in a burlesque play that was based on B Sci-fi movies, and I was the plucky sidekick who also happened to be a squirrel. I was really proud of my costume, down to the fur pouched cage underwear I had tacked together.
I’d performed this number almost 10 times with no issues, but at that stage of my burlesque career I still hadn’t started wearing “under g’s.” Basically as an all out failsafe, many burlesque performers wear an additional g string that matches their skin tone, just be sure everything stays legal should the adhesives fail. I…didn’t have one of those.
Cut to halfway through my number. The pants come off…and the pouch snaps. I panicked, but finished my number with one hand on my crotch. The audience went wild (because honestly what ISN’T planned can be just as fun and exciting), but I certainly learned to have those safety g’s from that moment on!
I think beyond that simple lesson, I also learned that as long as you keep your wits and charm about you, people WANT you to succeed. Rolling with the punches will serve you far more than utter perfectionism. Audiences know the difference between an honest mistake and a lack of talent or professionalism. No one is sitting there waiting on you to fail, and if you take the audience along for the ride, it’s a great experience no matter the issues along the way!
Speaking of which-I’ve seen your outfits and more that you wear performing. If I may, you always look fantastic-but I’ve been curious how much work went into getting ready for the stage. A lot of people reading this likely have no idea how many hours or unseen hands go into makeup, stage design, costumes and more. On average, how much “prep time” is necessary before you go live?
This is a two parter, because there’s the prep that I do before an individual show, but there’s also the prep that goes into making, rehearsing, and refining an act before then.
For the latter, I’m gonna say for me, it takes a village. I found out I’m not the best costumer myself, but I know some amazing creators who are good at helping me realize my visions, and they absolutely deserve financial support! The creative work that goes into designing the concept, the mood, the particular reveals, that’s all me. But the sewing machine, the refinements, the “hey what you’re describing might not work, but have you considered doing it this way?”- that’s community. Burlesque in particular has a lot of people that are willing to lend skills, ideas, and labor (fairly compensated!), and it’s generally accepted that not everyone has every single skill it takes to make the art happen.
As for choreography, concept, and character- that’s usually self-made and involves lots of listening to music, studio time, and bouncing ideas off my amazing partner who also performs (and is a WAY better dancer than I am!) All in all I’d say it takes a few months from concept to completion (or at least a first draft) for most of my numbers.
As far as each show is concerned, I have what people in my town have dubbed “Apollo time,” meaning I’m almost always the very first to a venue, and getting ready hours before call time. It’s not everyone’s style, and my actual prep time may only be the time it takes to paint a face and get in costume (hour at most, usually), but I can use the rest of the time to run through my number, or help others backstage if they need it.
I love your fursona by the way! And seeing it the other day got me thinking-I find there’s a lot of overlap in creative communities, often between each other and the queer community. Did having a fursona lead you to becoming a stage performer, or vice versa? Did you find that one community gave you insight that helped the other?
This is actually kinda hard to say! I had previously been part of the furry community, but only in private and only online back in my early and mid-20s. Most of that was on what I’d consider “less safe” spaces that weren’t specific to the more organized and visible community, so I ended up leaving as I matured and decided that kind of secrecy and mismatch of values wasn’t for me.
The current iteration of my sona happened after burlesque was in full swing for me, as I reconnected with the furry community online through some amazing friends! I had already taken the otter theme as part of my branding (Vídra, my last name, is Greek for otter), so the fursona species was already there for me. And now we have a situation where I get to host burlesque shows specifically FOR furries, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
There’s likely a lot of very curious or hopeful people reading this who would desperately love to get on the stage, but perhaps are holding back for some reason. What would be the best advice to give them? Should they look for a group, go independent on Youtube or something else entirely?
My first piece of advice is to GO TO SHOWS. Consume as much of the art you wish to emulate as possible. If it’s drag, burlesque, theatre, go to those specific kinds of shows! And TIP WELL. Be a face and a supporter of your local community! Volunteer for shows! Be respectful and mindful of performers’ time and craft, and you’ll have a much better foundation for starting yourself afterward.
I think the other main thing to consider is what you would bring to the community. There are a lot of underrepresented identities in all art forms. Disabled performers, performers of color, trans performers- the world needs MORE of you! There is likely someone who is doing the work right now, and those are often good role models for your own work.
You’ve been a joy-but wait! Before you go, where can people find you and/or your performances if you’d like to share?
YOU’RE A JOY!
I recently started a TikTok that got a weird amount of traction, so if you’re cool with my weird SFW stuff- @apollovidra on there!
Otherwise, @apollovidra on Twitter and Instagram if you want to see future show announcements