Our Kickstarter project continues to add up – exciting to see the interest! There’s been some internal discussion re the scratch and sniff cards: what scents best suit a Victorian brothel? Olfaction is a harsh mistress, unless he’s a gorgeous brute.  Yum.  Sniff this,

and think of Neruda’s violet, that “exhales the earth / an earthly flower, an earthen /smell”.

Lovely to see the Under the Poppy trailer held up again as an example of How to Do It Right: we had an intensely creative and talented team, and it shows, it shows, it shows. We coulda won a Moby! Which reminds me, isn’t there a sexy, funny, rockin’ “Making Of” video somewhere around here, Diane…?

Under the Poppy always finds itself in such sterling company in the Small Beer universe, and I’m delighted to point out that not only is Gavin a true FOF (Friend of Floozies),linking thusly to our Kickstarter page, he’s also made a very generous donation himself to the knickers fund! A publisher and a gentleman, Gavin, truly, and the floozies truly thank you, corporately and individually. [La Troupe de Mlle Eglantine, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, naturellement.]

Robert del Valle knows all about everything first (and I think we just negated the whole idea of a blind item …) Ask not for whom the Poppy petals fall, they drift for thee.

Louche top hats tilted above handsome faces … and it’s official: our Kickstarter project, “Buy Some Knickers for a Floozy,” is now live! We’re looking to fund our show’s costume budget, let lots more people know about the show, and fulfill the Under the Poppy prime directive, to wit: have fun. We definitely had fun making the video – watch it and you’ll see – and you’ll certainly enjoy seeing Monika’s gorgeous, tattered, feathered, textured example of the glorious costumes to come.

If you dig one-of-a-kind fashion, if you’re a secret top hat wearer, if you want to support theatre in Detroit, if one of the premiums – a signed copy of the novel; a portfolio of signed prints of the costume sketches; those exotic, brothel-scented scratch’n'sniff cards – has caught your eye (or nose), if you long for the social cachet inherent in being able to say “Hey, I bought that corset!” then absolutely click on over to Kickstarter and get good and knickered up.

There’s something pretty immensely satisfying about bringing Under the Poppy to the stage in Detroit.  I’ve mentioned this before and elsewhere, but it does bear repeating: we never for a moment considered creating our show in another city, though a few anxious souls have advised us we ought not even try to put together something so haute and so cool in our, um, tattered little hometown.  Which entirely misses the pleasure, and the point: for talent – in filmmaking, design, acting, staging, even (blush) writing; for venue; for atmosphere; for investment; for passion; for the nuts-and-bolts of getting it all done, baby … why would we bother going anywhere else?  We have everything we need, right here.

Small Beer has parted the curtains and is ready for your preorders here: so roll up, ladies and gentlemen, for the novel: paper, ebook, take your seats for the show …

Brian Eno, who should know, defines “scenius” in a way that makes perfect sense theatrically: the collective energy of a very creative group working together. Clive Hicks-Jenkins gives a tutorial here, as he looks back on a gorgeous and otherworldly production of Robin Hood in which, he notes, he “was fortunate in having a formidably talented team. Design is as nothing without those with the technical skills to make corporeal the worlds imagined on paper.”

Bringing Under the Poppy to life, step by step by swatch by word by exhalation by phone call by investment by belief, daily proves to me the truth of these two statements. And to be doing all this in tough, beloved Detroit just ups the ante even further and makes the fun more exhilarating. Viva the D!! and its passionate creatives, who can wield a hammer, work a room, break your heart, and make you so glad to be exactly where you are. [Photos: Clive Hicks-Jenkins.]