Scout Durwood is awesome. She was one of my best friend's in New York, and still is now. We met when we interned at the pro-sex, but more pro-crafting feminist magazine, Bust in 2007 (the less said about that place the better).
While I've been pursuing a career in publishing, she's been making her way in the NY theatre and burlesque scene, which she discusses, along with her pageant career, below:
Hi Scout, tell us a little bit about yourself. What do you do?
I am a NYC based actor and comedienne! I am a co-founder of Mighty Little Productions, a theatre company that you'll hear a little bit more about later. As a performer, I work everywhere from stand-up and burlesque to more mainstream theatre, film and television. My heart and soul are in what I like to call "soft core avant-guarde" meaning not "Legally Blonde" on Broadway, but not rolling around on the floor of the stage playing in yarn, either. I am originally from Kansas City, and love my hometown. I'm down to explore NYC, too, but I think my roots will always be somewhere with a yard in the Midwest.
Tell us about Mighty Little.
Mighty Little is an award winning collaboration based theatre company dedicated to the production of original narrative work in the spirit of levity with an emphasis on social change. We believethat through collaboration we, as a collective, become bigger than the sum of our parts, and that comedy will change the world, not commerce. This summer, we will presented two full-length plays at festivals around New York City: Monroe Bound in the Midtown International Festival and V-Love at the Fresh Fruit Festival. We are also involved in the production of a number of video shorts as well as live sketch, variety and burlesque shows.
In an ideal world who would your dream collaborators be?
Wow. I'd love to talk to Gilda Radner about what she believes is the core of performance. So often now commedians, especially, go below the belt, which can be hilarious, but I have such a more profound respect for performers who find the laughs in a more heartfelt place. Which is all to say, I'm so over shock value. I'm going to against the anti-mainstream grain and say that I adore Jim Carrey, both as a funny guy and otherwise. I love physical comedy, and as annoying as some of his films have been, you have to give him some credit for being willing to go so far out on a limb. Roberto Benigni, love it. Long and lanky. Jane Wagner, and, of course, Penelope Cruz. I would like to collaborate with her as my wife. There's a burlesquer in New York, Julie Atlas Muz, who I think is really just amazing, as well. Envelope pushing without being cheap. That's very important to me.
Will you take the show (the troupe) on the road? I still think Europe, and the Edinburgh Festival would benefit from some mighty belittling.
I could not agree with you more. We're deep in Mighty Little meetings right now deciding what we want to do next summer. This summer was a big one for us, so taking the show on the road seems very much like the next logical step. It didn't happen this year, but it's definitely yon the agenada for next. I'm planning on stopping by Edinbugh next year as a comic, so look out!
Do you think working in New York, which is an incredibly diverse city, helps to foster creativity more than living in LA, where a lot of performers head straight after college?
LA is a whole different ball game. I've survived in New York with a manager and no agent (other than freelance) and been really happy with the work that has come my way. There is no way that would happen in LA. LA produces crappy film and TV like New York produces crappy theatre. I'd rather be a part of crappy theatre. At least then I only have to be naked when I want to be. Film and TV require a middle man that I'm not super excited about. As a performer, I'm much happier being very much in control of my final product. Most LA actors don't have that advantage. That said, Mighty Little produces a lot of sketch and viral video stuff. We even have a web series on the back burner that we're hoping to get on its feet somewhere in the next year. LA has its time and place, it's just not for me at the moment.
"I've survived in New York with a manager and no agent (other than freelance) and been really happy with the work that has come my way. There is no way that would happen in LA."
A lot of actors head to the city when they finish school but it’s rare for someone to actually make it. You now run your own troupe, Mighty Little. Can you comment on the trajectory of your career, how did you get where you are today?
Making it in my twenties is a dream I gave up on, not because I'm untalented, but because it takes a lot of time, especially for a comedian, to develop the craft. I'm not saying I'd turn downa role as Meryl Streep's daughter, because lord knows I wouldn't, but for me it's been a lot about finding the voice that I want to share, and that I believe will ultimately change the face of theatre, even if only in a very small way. You meet a handful of performers who "have it" and many more who don't. That only means so much. When I'm casting a project or looking for collaborators, I cast reliability over natural talent almost every time, so it's a balance. I'm enjoying taking my time in getting to the top and dedicating a lot of time to producing gritty New York theatre.
Had I moved out to LA and focused on film and TV, I would be much richer and possibly more famous than I am now, but I would also be playing someone else's game. There are so many different kinds of performers. Some of the most talented performance artists I know have no commercial appeal whatsoever. They'll probably always struggle to pay the bills, but they're a helluva lot of fun to watch. And some of our biggest actors don't have a lot of inner monologue going on, if you know what I mean, but they do have that star quailty thing that makes them great on camera. For me, it's been way more work than I actually had to do. I'm at a point now where I've really relaxed into where I am, and am happy to take it one step at a time. The lesson to learn is not to be totally consumerd with producing your own work, and not to give into playing entirely according to someone else's rules. It's always compramise for me. I've given up some really great, more "commercial" opportunites to produce my own work, and that was what I really needed to do at the time, was develop myself as an artist. Now it's all about fewer projects and bigger projects. It feels really amazing to be at a place in my career where I can confidently say "no" to things.
"LA produces crappy film and TV like New York produces crappy theatre. I'd rather be a part of crappy theatre. At least then I only have to be naked when I want to be. "
Tell us about some of the shitty jobs you’ve had to work along the way. Any real horror stories?
Oh, lordie. Interning at BUST magazine was a nightmare, so much so, that I started really not showing up after a while. On the wagon non-feminists who like to knit are not my cup of tea, let me tell you. The worst jobs are when there isn't any acknowledgement of the importance of my time. I may be a small potato, a tater tot, even, but I'm still a spud, and I deserve respect.
I've quit or been fired (sometimes at the same time) from so many jobs--restaurants where they under pay you, bars where the boss is a jerk and a drug addict. I tend to hold a job for about a month or so before it doesn't work out. Now, though, I'm assisting a really fantastic director who works in more mainstream theatre than I tend to, and working in a cool performance space, so I may have finally found the right mix. And more and more of my income is starting to come from acting, which is the real dream.
World's worst job, (aside from intern) is selling comedy tickets on the street. Anyone who tells you you have to do that is lying. LYING! No one should ever have to sell anything on the street. Even hookers should have a phone service. I believe that. I was a part time rollerblade instructor for three years. Some of those kids were horrible. Especially the rich ones. I totally understand their parents' need to medicate them. I needed medication to deal with them.
Knowing what you do now, would you encourage people to pursue careers in theatre and performance? What advice would you give them?
There's no right way to do it, but the only way that gets you anywhere involves lots of work. Move your furnature often and talk to yourself while you do it. Find understanding roommates, and find friends who like to play. Other friends of mine who are performers and I like to jump around to sing-alongs, make balloon animals, play with sock puppets, stuff like that. You never know where inspiration is going to come from, but step one is taking your career seriously by taking yourself completely un-seriously. That and study. Performing is about consistancy, so no matter how good you are (and this is coming from someone who is DAMN good) you have to train yourself to do it again and again, especially on those days when you don't want to do it at all.
Describe where you grew up. Was there are a strong theatre scene there? When did you develop an interest in performing?
I was always a performer. I had an alter ego as a child named "Princess Crystal." It's a bit of an actor's cliche, but performing is what I've always done. I briefly wanted to be a veternarian after I saw "National Velvet" with Elizabeth Taylor. Then I learned that sometimes animals die, and I was overwhelmed with grief and decided that a veternary practice was not in my future. I also wanted to be The President, but I think my political career is pretty much shot at this point.
Then again, President Lady Scoutington has a ring to it. My hometown has some good theatre, but most of it is stuff that comes through on tour. We have a lot of great art galleries... that I almost never go to, but I hear so much about them! I wasn't a big child actor. I never wanted to be Jon Bennet. I think I always had an inkling that most of it was stupid. I still hate children's theatre.
You’re from Kansas. The Midwest universally gets a bad rap, but definitely has its good sides too. Tell us your favourite things about home, what should people try and do on a trip there?Augh! Bad rap! Never. BBQ! Kansas City isn't as obvious as New York, and it's more difficult without a car, but we have a lot of amazing BBQ places, galleries (that I don't go to) and museums (that I do go to.) There's an active political scene, and all of it is significantly less pretentious and substantially more affordable than New York. We have a good gay scene, too. It's an important measure of a city, the gays. If there are none, you know someone is lying, and if there are too many, they can get pretentious and stupid, like Chelsea. I loved having a yard and being able to ride my bike to my friend's houses and spending the summer at the local pool growing up. It's not a travel through kind of place. It's a stay a while and help us find wood for an illegal bonfire type of place.
You attended a Christian High School, before going to Amherst. Can you say something about the effect that your education, which seems to have been very diverse, had on you personally and as a performer?
I did go to private school, but it wasn't Christian. It was just small and they let me do whatever I watend. And sometimes, they would try to tell me what to do, like go to class on time, or wear shoes in the halls, but I didn't always listen. Sometimes I did, and sometimes I was effectively forced to, but not usually. I graduated in a class of 42, and then went onto Amherst College with a graduating class of around 450. I'm big on small ponds, which explains why I live in New York City. Er... no it doesn't at all.
Can you tell us about your college thesis? I seem to remember it was a performance piece, in the John Stewart mould…
I wrote a one woman show based on a survey I gave to a bunch of my classmates about sex and porn. Researching and composing the survey involved watching hours and hours of films that contained notable (and usually violent) sex scenes, as well as pornography. Then I took the results of the survey, and used it to inform my first solo show. It was kind of cool to have my thesis advisors watch me do a strip tease to an Emmimem song. The pannel recomended me for magna cum laude honors. On paper, my thesis was about representations of an intergender power hierarchy in sexual situations represented in mainstream media and pornography.
You’re openly lesbian, and an ardent campaigner for women’s rights. Does feminism and social activism play a role in your performance and writing?
For sure. I think the feminist fire is one that will burn in me forever. I am of the belief that the best way to make something happen is to just live it. Better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission, I always say. In college I was borderline millitant on the feminist front, and I was a gross mergie lesbian who was always with my girlfriend and wore matching cargo shorts, which I realize is a little bit gross, but there you go. I like to think I've evolved past that stereotype. Still, I'm not going to ask anyone's permission to be or do anything. I just do it, and if someone gives me flack about it, I try to make a really pretty face, and more often than not, I get away with whatever I want. That works in airports, and accidentally stealing from K-Mart too.
"I think the feminist fire is one that will burn in me forever. I am of the belief that the best way to make something happen is to just live it. [It's] better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission."
What are your causes?
I've been working with the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault (www.svfreenyc.org) for the past few years, and I have to say, they are one of the most amazing groups I have ever had the pleasure of working with. We recently had a benefit with them called, "More Laugher. Less Rape" which was a huge success. Their big campeign this year is called "Project Envision" and it's all about envisioning a world without sexual violence. It's an amazing spin, really. Other volunteer hours go to SAVI, also in the sexual assault field. (http://www.mssm.edu/savi/) We get called in by New York and Queens hospitals when a survivor of sexual violence comes in to make sure s/he is aware of his/her rights, that the rape kit is done properly, and that we make all of the resources in the city for financial, legal, and emotional support known to the survivor.
When we first met you were Miss Massachusetts (I think). Can you tell us about your pageant career? What other ‘crowns’ did you win?
Ha, ha. I was actually Miss Greater Holyoke, which was somewhat ironic because Holyoke, MA is a predominantly non-white area, so naturally a white girl should win the crown. The whole pageant thing started off as a joke with my dad. I got a letter in the mail announcing that I was a finalist in a pageant that I had never entered, and was elligable to win such awards as "Miss Photogenic" etc. He bet me that I couldn't win a pageant, so I did! I was Miss Kansas American Teen 2001 when I was 17. I got to go to Disneyworld and everything. Then, in college, a friend wanted to film a documentary about the pageant process, so I entered a local Miss Massachusetts contest, and won. I ended up top ten in the state. The documentary never happened, but I did score a cool evening gown. I competed once in New York again, but I didn't win, and then I aged out. I competed once in Miss USA, but that's a much cheesier pageant. This would be my last year to compete with them, and I'm thinking about it. I have a month to raise the money. I kind of really REALLY want to do it. We'll see.
Did you face prejudice from other competitors for being openly gay?
I wasn't openly gay. I was openly ambiguous. Once we even had my girlfriend at the time crossdress and come to a banquet dinner thing as my boyfriend. No one ever asked questions. I think the idea was that if I ever won a big crown, I'd say something, but I never did, so we missed a good scandal. Who knows. This could be my year.
The Burlesque scene in New York is dominated by performers who have attended the New York Burlesque Academy. Is the academy’s predominance harming the scene, and do you think it’s really possible to teach burlesque?
The Academy is run by Jo Boobs, and I've never really worked with them. There are "go to" moves in burlesque, and it can be helpful to have a grounding in them, but it can be equally valuable to come up with your own ways to, say, take off a glove. There are so many different kinds of burlesque, and some of it is really really boring. Some of it is amazing, and some of it is hilarious. Most of what I do is hilarious. I just can't take myself seriously when I'm trying to be sexy. Really, it's all about confidence, which has so been said before, but it's the truth. If the Academy can teach people that, then go for it. It all depends on what you're rying to do as a burlesquer. I do know that they're amazing at networking over there, and that's a huge piece of what getting booked as a burlesquer is, networking.
Who’s Lady Scoutington? She seems to be gaining notoriety, the tramp.
Well, thank you very much. She's been around town, that's for sure. Lady Scoutignton is "a a bawdy burlesquer who spends most of her time on the lighter side of life. With the innocence of a child and the drinking habits of a priest, she brings love and laughs wherever she removes her clothes." She's getting popular as an mc, as well as a performer. I've been avoiding a lot of the main stream burlesque scene, mostly because Scout Durwood is often busy with stand-up, and Scout has priority over Lady Scoutington right now, but that all could change soon enough. I love a good opportunity to be naked. Mua, ha ha.
Apart from Lady S, which acts are really worth seeing at the moment?
I absolutely love the Wau Wau sisters. I see them a lot, and never get enough of it. I'm really into circus stuff these days. I even bought a hula hoop. I recently met a young comic by the name of David Cope, and I think he is just hilarious. I'd love to work with him more. He's like the anti me. Really deadpan and serious.
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