9-4-61: Behind the Grand Theater

34" x 48" Displaymaker Print

© 1996 Dan Younger/ArtStuff

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On my 16th birthday, I used my school bus pass, went downtown, and managed to get into the Grand Burlesque Theater. I had planned this day for months. I knew the bus routes, I knew the show times, I brought enough money. Under a sign that said "Adults Only" I was able to buy a ticket and go inside.

The interior smelled of decades of cigar smoke and mildew. The band were four old men, the curtain was patched, the comics were horrible, and the women were not at all like the pictures outside.

I was charmed. This was the fabled "Adult World", and I was in.

Technical Stuff:

The stage and I were made in Ray Dream Designer and the final product was assembled in Photoshop. I went to a fabric store and bought a white cloth and I asked the saleslady to come outside and hold it in the light. Later, I stripped (pun intended) it into this picture for my model to hold. I wonder if the fabric store salesclerk could have imagined how the cloth she was holding would end up?