A dress among kilts

[Panache]

...all the performers were kilted...except one. He showed up wearing a woman's print dress...The performer in question is pretty good, but he's got a reputation for pushing the envelope...


...and I stood next to the cross-dressing performer. I told the audience, "Some people tend to get confused on this point, so I just want to make sure you all know the difference. THIS is a Kilt, and THIS is a dress. MEN wear kilts," and did a slow take at the cross-dressing performer.

Well there is a lesson to learned here. Sometimes "pushing the envelope" means making big mistakes and looking like an idiot.

As David St. Hubbins once said "It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever"

Hope the show went well in spite of the wardrobe (or performer) malfunction.

Cheers

Jamie

[RockyR]

Probably the audience would have been able to tell the difference, but you can't be to careful.

I think the audience WOULD have known the difference, but what he did was INSULTING. If I were in the audience, I probably would have gotten up and left and demanded my money back. That initial speech by streetcar may have saved me from leaving though.

I'm all for poking fun at one's self and all that, but poking fun has a "stopping point" before people get really angry. he crossed it.

[Oldhiker]

Kyle I can see the steam coming out of you ears. Sorry I had to miss the show... maybe next year

[BobsYourUncle]

Streetcar--your solution was brilliant. Instead of trying to disguise the offending performer, you made him take the spotlight, and made of him a demonstration point. I wonder if the offender understood that he had done wrong, but whether he understood, it sounds like the audience couldn't help but understand. Swift thinking on your part, and your elan carried the day.

Bravo!

[Carolina Kiltman]

Sorta like the time a student fell asleep (not for the first time) in my class. I motioned for the rest of the class to leave, quietly, then I turned out the lights and left too. He never did it again

[Rex_Tremende]

I thought the idea of improv was to go with what you've got, employing the art of saying, "Yes, and..." without getting ruffled. And if the guy came in drag when when shouldn't have (a choice he made off stage, but apparently couldn't reverse before going on stage), you had every right to skewer him as a foil to nearly every joke about a man in a skirt. It sounds like you set the tone from the start, but from your description of the reaction, it sounded like people might have been uncomfortable with either the guy in the dress, or maybe the open hostility. Or both. Did it continue that way? What role did he play the rest of the night?

I'm sort of confused as to why there'd be a special "Kilt night" in the first place. Was there to be a Scottish theme to all of the skits or scenarios you'd act out? Were they meant to be costumes? Or props? Or ignored? Or a just gimmick to get people in the door? Then what?

I noticed on the Jet City Improv web site, there's an embedded YouTube video that promotes confusion between kilts and dresses. Isn't this just as deplorable?

Please ignore me. I'm just trying to exorcise a few frustrations I brought home from the office today.

Regards,
Rex.

[Streetcar]

I thought the idea of improv was to go with what you've got, employing the art of saying, "Yes, and..." without getting ruffled. And if the guy came in drag when when shouldn't have (a choice me made off stage, but apparently couldn't reverse before going on stage), you had every right to skewer him as a foil to nearly every joke about a man in a skirt. It sounds like you set the tone from the start, but from your description of the reaction, it sounded like people might have been uncomfortable with either the guy in the dress, or maybe the open hostility. Or both. Did it continue that way? What role did he play the rest of the night?

I'm sort of confused as to why there'd be a special "Kilt night" in the first place. Was there to be a Scottish theme to all of the skits or scenarios you'd act out? Were they meant to be costumes? Or props? Or ignored? Or a just gimmick to get people in the door? Then what?

I noticed on the Jet City Improv web site, there's an embedded YouTube video that promotes confusion between kilts and dresses. Isn't this just as deplorable?

Please ignore me. I'm just trying to exorcise a few frustrations I brought home from the office today.

Regards,
Rex.

"Yes And" is exactly right Rex. That's one of the reasons I didn't want to disguise or "block" his clothing choice.

As for the rest of the show, I was pretty pleased with it. He did end up playing a female most of the time, but I'd like to think that the audience eventually forgot what we were wearing and focused more on what we were doing.

(And I agree with you about the trailer embedded in the website. I think it's poorly done, confusing and not funny. But none of the producers asked my opinion or input, so there you have it.)


The history behind the Kilt Show - A while back we all had a discussion about wearing shorts onstage during the summer. I argued that if folks could wear shorts, I should be able to wear a Utilikilt. The idea was struck down initially because there were only a couple people who had Utilikilts, and there was (is) a feeling that the performers should have some sense of uniformity.

Eventually, there were enough people in the group who had utilikilts that we were able to field a full team. We got together with Utilikilts H.Q. and Neokilts for some cross promotion.

It was popular for the audience and the performers found themselves with a sense of energy and daring they hadn't experienced in years.

So no, it's not a Scottish theme, nor are they meant as costumes. Yes, we hope it brings people in the door - perhaps wondering if they will inadvertantly discover the answer to "the question," but they never do. But most of all I hope it shows kilts as an everyday garment.

I should have access to the pictures in the next day or two, and can post more about the show itself, and less about the one negative in what was really a fun evening.

[sharpdressedscot]

I think the audience WOULD have known the difference, but what he did was INSULTING. If I were in the audience, I probably would have gotten up and left and demanded my money back. That initial speech by streetcar may have saved me from leaving though.

I'm all for poking fun at one's self and all that, but poking fun has a "stopping point" before people get really angry. he crossed it.

True, true. You make a good point.

[English Bloke]

Perhaps the Gentleman in the frock really didn't know the difference between a kilt and a dress. Education takes many forms. Unless he is very thick skinned I would suggest he's unlikely to make the same mistake again. Great retort, given the circumstances.

[GMan]

Fantastic how you handled yourself.