Amuse
A Neo-Burlesque Myth
June 27th, 19:00 and 21:00 at Cinetol
A legendary courtesan steps out of the frame to confront the myths men made of her, reclaiming her story through burlesque, striptease, and speculative imagination.
Phryne, the legendary courtesan of Ancient Greece, now Burlesque performer, steps onto the stage to give us a performance we’ll never forget. But as she begins, she realizes her “memories” aren’t truly her own—they are images, stories, and myths created by the men who painted her, sculpted her, and wrote about her.
Recreating these famous depictions—most notably the sensational story of her trial, where she supposedly saved her life by flashing her tits to the jury—Phryne begins to imagine other possibilities: What if she was in full control of her image? What could legacy look like through her own eyes?
Performance date
Cast and crew
Madison Jolliffe
Madison Jolliffe (they/she) is an Utrecht based theatre director, dramaturg, performer and teacher. They direct and make with the theatre collective Utopia Syndicate based in Utrecht. They also perform as Lola Nightshade with, and direct The Cateye Cabaret, an Utrecht-based neo-burlesque company. They direct and teach acting for The Cauldron Performing Arts and other theatre companies in Amsterdam and occasionally collaborate with Studio Julian Hetzel. She holds a Master’s degree in Contemporary Theatre, Dance and Dramaturgy from Utrecht University and a BFA in Performance Creation from Concordia University in Montreal.
Website: madisonjolliffe.com
Phryne, writer and director
Ellen Brooker
Ellen is a Canadian theatre-maker who prides herself on finding the harmony between creativity and organization and is pleased to be doing just that for Torch Song. She obtained a Master's Degree in Applied Imagination in the Creative Industries from Central St Martin's (London, England) in 2018, and has since taught Stage Management at St. Mary’s University in London, England and in workshops internationally.
Selected production credits include: Technical Coordination for foldA, digital arts festival 2020 (Kingston, Canada), Stage Management for Morro & Jasp: Save the Date at Red Pearl Womxn international clown festival 2020 (Helsinki, Finland) and, since living in the Netherlands, Stage Management for QETC’s 2024 production of La Cage aux Folles and numerous productions with The Cauldron.
Stage manager
Alessandra Tom
Alessandra Tom (she/her) is an Amsterdam based dramaturg, director, stage manager, producer and theatre artist for new work. Her artistic research focuses on food and performative dinner parties as a way of challenging hierarchies of knowledge, continually interested in the ways performance can bring people together. Alessandra has worked for a number of theatre companies, interested in social change through performance and mentorship. She has an MA in International Dramaturgy from Universiteit van Amsterdam and an BFA in Performance Creation, with a minor in Human Rights, from Concordia University.
Website: www.alessandratom.com
Writer and director
Olivia Woods
Olivia Woods is a theatre director and film producer from Ottawa, Canada. With a BFA in Theatre Performance and a Graduate Diploma in Community Economic Development, she sees the collaborative process as a space for social transformation. Her upcoming production, FRAT, will tour London, Brighton, Prague and Edinburgh this spring.
Olivia currently works on set in virtual production, where she is interested in applying emerging film technologies to live theatrical experiences.
Website: https://www.olivia-rose-woods.com/
Writer and director
Caitlynn Schijff
Caitlynn Schijff (she/her), an enthusiastic jack of all trades who's driven by curiosity and glitter.
Hailing from a background in video games and digital artistry, she chose to focus on the digital crafting and archiving of historical garments.
Which led her to acquire skills from both the physical as well as digital realm.
Under the pseudonym Venus Ferieuse, she commits burlesque with a loving blend of history, humor and heart.
Portfolio: caitlynns.artstation.com
Instagram: @caitlynn_schijff
Costume design