Information for Applicants
Sally Marvel and Bast Entertainment present Théâtre des Vampires, a vampire-themed burlesque and variety show on Friday, October 20th at The Newport Theater (956 W Newport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657).
Call Time: 8:30 PM
Doors: 9:00 PM
Show Start: 9:30 PM
Show End: est. 11:30 PM
We are seeking acts from any and all performance genres that scream "vampire"! That said, The Newport Theater no longer allows fire or angle grinding and does not have rigging for aerial acts. Only acts that are strongly in theme will be considered.
The show will occur in 2 sets. Performers do not need to appear in both sets. If you wish to perform in both sets, both of your acts must be in theme and must be submitted for approval.
Applications are due by 11:59 PM CST on Sunday 8/6. Applicants will receive responses to their submissions prior to midnight, Monday 8/7.
Compensation is $100 / act + an equal share of tips. If the show sells out, pay will increase. Payments will be submitted via Zelle or Venmo with in 48 hours of the show.
Traveling from out of town? We have couch surfing available for one performer. Unfortunately we do not have a travel stipend or additional lodging available at this time. This event would be best for locals or for some one who is planning on being in Chicago around this date.
Video submissions do not need to be of professional quality. Video can be something you filmed in your living room or in a studio space. Cell phone clips from a live show are also acceptable. We just have to be able to see you clearly in the video.
If you do not have video of the act you wish to submit, no worries! Instead you can submit a detailed tech write up. This write up should include a description of your act, your musical selection, a description of your costume, notes on any props that will be used or specialty skills employed. The better you can paint a picture of your act with your write up, the better we can see your vision. Please also include any video links that showcase you/ your gimmick as a performer so we can have a visual reference of your performance style.
We are happy to answer any questions you might have. Please reach out if you have any questions: thesallymarvel@gmail.com
Additional Guidance
What kind of acts are we looking for?
We are looking for acts that scream "Vampire"! Vampire Hunters and Day Walkers are welcome too!
Your act does not have to be based on known vampires from lore or fiction, although these characters are very welcome.
Your act does not have to based on European style vampires. We acknowledge that through out time and history many cultures have developed folklore regarding vampiric entities.
Ultimately, we are looking for creative and diverse expressions of the theme.
What kind of acts will not be considered?
We will not consider non-vampire acts. Please no witches, devils, zombies, psycho killers, Wednesday Addams, non-descript spooky/ goth personas, etc. Similarly, we will not consider general acts that performers use year round--even if you add fangs to it.
We will also not consider any acts that utilize performance elements that are not allowed by the venue. The Newport Theater does not allow fire or angle grinding, nor does it have rigging for aerial apparatuses.
So you want to use a fake heart or to vampirize some one in your act:
Be cautious about submitting acts that use fake heart props or where the performer vampirizes some one. We seek to curate a diverse production both in terms of the performers cast and their portrayals of the theme. As such, acts that rely on these popular gimmicks are less likely to be booked due to the sheer volume of applicants who include these devices in their submissions. To be clear, you are more than welcome to submit an act that uses fake hearts or vampirization, but we only book a couple of these submissions out of the pool of applicants who include them in their submissions.
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