Sunday November 25th at The Standard (click above link for more details)
The next STAR DESTROYER is RITA FONTAINE!
She describes herself as "Mistress of Ceremonies, Storyteller, Comedian and Satirist" but she's also a renowned burlesque artist, her career going from strength to strength since she won the inaugural Miss Burlesque Australia in 2010, as a wildcard choice.
"Rita Fontaine is .... a red headed vamp with dangerous curves, Rita Fontaine is the meanest fox in town. She has 'gypsy' in her blood and she knows to use it.
Rita's acts vary from drag, comedy and dance. Rita is renowned for her social commentary in a comical depiction of Julia Gillard's conquering of Kevin Rudd and rise to power. She is also known for her hot blooded prowess and lush glamour, performances of depth with smoldering moves."
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| The meanest fox in town... |
R I T A F O N T A I N E !
Mitt Ronney's head on a plate ... mmm… chilled monkey brains
2. Do you have a pre performance ritual?
I prefer to get there really early and walk through my act on stage. Otherwise i get vertigo during the performance. Then I take my time to do hair and makeup and catch up with the others.
...but right before my act, I take time out in a corner to give thanks for the opportunity and to draw on the energies around me to focus and deliver my message with passion.
3. What inspires you?
Sometimes a funny joke or a sexy song… but I do get a great kick out of political satire. There aren't often events on politics, which inspire me to take action, but when this does happen, I relish the opportunity and the audience reaction is the best part.
4. What’s your last passport stamp?
Paris - My prize for winning Miss Burlesque Aus.
5. Time travel; where, when and why?
I often fantasise, while I am sewing costumes, about falling into a time-warp and coming out in the 16th Century and what I would do to survive… I imagine I would find work in costuming, contributing my technologies to the craft and learning ancient skills.
6. The book that shook you up was...?
‘And the Ass Saw The Angel’ by Nick Cave.
I read it in high school ... a very Christian high school. It was such a dirty secret enlightenment to read such sordid and revealing truths about dogma vs sin and how the worst sinners were actually the least expected people.
It made me understand that things are not always what they seem and how fear is a tool for control. My Education provider was not so bad as the characters in this novel of course. But it allowed me to begin questioning everything I was told.
7. What’s your biggest indulgence?
Chocolate. a cliché I'm aware... but I often eat it for breakfast.
8. What do you want to be remembered for?
It is important to me to inspire passion and feeling in people. Being on stage allows me to communicate my beliefs.
But I also work as a carer with people with disability and it's nice to be remembered as the funny lady, or the lady who sang to someone when they were sad. Which fulfills the first point.
9. Any fictional character most like you?
These aren't all fictional but I get crossed with Pippy Longstocking, Pollyanna and Woody Allen a lot.
10. Who would play you in a movie of your life?
My best friend Thomas does a pretty good impression of me.
It involves being the Little Mermaid and Joan Crawford at the same time. I think he should play the part.
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| A cross between The Little Mermaid and Joan Crawford | image by Thom Kerr |
11. We all know you’re mega talented but what’s your HIDDEN talent?
Sometimes at parties I do a Janis Joplin Impression.. I can also mime sewing my lips together.
12. A dinner party of 8; you and…?
Jeanie Little, Wesley Snipes in a Santa suit, President Obama, Julia Gillard, Mika, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Shania Twain.
13. What’s your power colour?
Burgundy
14. Swings or slides?
Swings
15. The creative masterpiece (book/film/song/painting/photograph/etc) you wish you had created?
J.W. Waterhouse's paintings.
These portray women in the most sensual and strong and beautiful way. He also explores witchcraft and Pagan stories, and mythological women.
16. If you led the country you would...?
Well... there needs to be more explanation for the public regarding the mining taxes and the results of Fracking.
I worked for Greenpeace for a little while a year ago and have many friends with pro tax and anti frack opinions. But then My father is a Geologist in mineral exploration who has worked in these fields for 35 years. He argues so many good points the other way.
He feels that the facts are being covered up and that real science is being ignored. Now truth is that he makes a living off feeling this way but his passion shows real frustrations that the public are fed slogans.
I feel that there needs to be clearer and obvious forums and fact finders for the general public to make educated choices. Sure the information is all out there but what is truth and what is false? How does the average person know the difference?
There are good and bad outcomes for all of these things. That's politics. You can't make everyone happy all the time but you should put forward the pros and cons so that everyone can feel involved in understanding the hard calls.
17. Sex is…
Something that young men and women should be taught how to enjoy in high school. Not just the condom on the banana or the 'just say no' policy that I was taught.
Sex education should teach people how to make to most of it. Current ignorant sex-ed leaves teenagers fumbling in the dark and embarrassed and afraid of themselves and each other. We also ought to abolish attitudes that 'boys will be boys” that puts the fear and the responsibility onto the young women.
Young women should also be taught how to have orgasms… If they haven't already worked it out.
18. Equality means…
Being assessed and promoted on your hard work and your skills. Regardless of who you are.
19. Women and Men are....
Both hindered by sexism. Whilst misogyny puts social binds on women, men also suffer from disenchantment in themselves and a pressure to perform in certain ways to achieve respect from their peers.
20. How do you DESTROY THE JOINT?
I destroy the joint by speaking openly about sex and the adventures that I have had. I continue to stand by my beliefs that sex should not be such a taboo... especially between men and women. Sometimes I feel that this is a redundant exercise. But then younger women around me and often guys I meet feel great relief that they are not alone and say hey... me too! And it was fun!
If the joint is destroyed and all of the walls come down. We might all see each other as we are… A whole bunch of people who just want love and to get along. People do terrible things to each other in the name of love and sex.
I'm not saying 'free love'. I’m saying that we shouldn't have to hide who we are... be it open or monogamous or kinky or not... Isolation is the worst thing we can do. Destroy the walls that hold up the joint.
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