The Incredible ‘Noir’ Pole Dancing & Cabaret in Berkeley
All Photography by Marissa Joy Clark.
In an unassuming lot in Berkeley, there is a theatre with nine ‘stripper’ poles, a cabaret-style seating arrangement, and possibly the Bay’s best pole dancing academy. It’s female-owned and run and it’s full of incredible performance artists.
We got to see their brand new dark and mysterious film noir theater production this week, which was full of hypnotic, sexy dancers along with a rip-roaring tale of betrayal and murder.
Flux owners and performers Leah Marie and Mz. K led a pole dancing and burlesque clinic for a fun crowd of art enthusiasts. Their team has been practicing for months to get their dance numbers and narrative perfectly synchronized.
Crimson Cabaret @fluxverticaltheatre
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A lot of places boast of an “immersive” experience but Flux Vertical Theatre delivers, there are beautiful bodies doing beautiful things on the floors, ceilings, stages, and poles all around the audience…even the goddamn stagehands are gorgeous. And it’s unpretentious, it’s got a very friendly, inviting ‘come on in and stay while’ vibe to it. But that’s what you tend to get from an all-artist-led theatre.
I asked Flux Verticle Theatre co-owner Leah Marie what the crowd can expect from Crimson Cabaret, she said, “Be prepared for the performers to be everywhere, and the stage to be everywhere, we designed and built this theatre for that purpose.”
Flux Vertical Theatre co-owner and performer Leah Marie.
“Our audience loves to throw money on stage, we’ve trained ’em for it.” – Leah Marie
She’s not kidding, at one point four performers were spinning around a single poll tossing dollars in the air simultaneously. There’s a fun murder mystery unfolding during the performance with creative scene changes and fun, decadent pantomime.
The choreography by Mz. K & Leah Marie is intricate and enticing and the script by Jamie Dewolf’s is dark, mysterious, and will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
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There are only two performances left, and at $35 a seat, it’s a fucking steal.
Crimson Cabaret
8/9 & 8/10
Flux Vertical Theatre | 811 University Ave, Berkeley | 7 p.m. | $33.85
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