“Well, Melody, what is your skirt gonna turn into now?”: An Interview with Melody Mangler

Melody Mangler is a highly acclaimed burlesque performer, teacher, costumer, and writer from Vancouver. In 2009, the Burlesque Hall of Fame recognized her talents with the “Best Debut” Award for her outstanding performance piece Venus in Spring. As a founding member of the Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society and their current artistic director, she contributes significantly to the Vancouver burlesque scene.

This interview centres on the role costumes play in Melody Mangler’s performance process from their inspiration to their construction, and as a stage partner. The conversation covers various aspects of costume design: the historical burlesque, the connotation of fashion-before-function, the ingenuity required during the building process, and the technical complexity in the creation and play all burlesque costumes involve.

Mangler also speaks to the creative adjustments of conventions, the inherited satirical characteristic of the neo-burlesque as well as the significance of sex-positivity and body-positivity.