Event

Sin's Last Stand

Performances by local burlesque darlings from Bottoms Up Burlesque, Angel Burlesque, and Creme de les Femmes trace the roots of the American burlesque movement from its roots in the 1920s. From Victorian era performances of Lydia Thompson and her British Blondes and the naughty striptease acts found on the vaudeville circuit, to the crackdowns and raids of the prohibition years and the pinup girls of the 1940s and 50s, women have found ways to express themselves regardless of the laws or social mores designed to prevent them from doing so. Burlesque, or, the art of the tease, celebrates the beauty of the feminine form, and has done so throughout the twentieth century in spite of repeated efforts to remove sexual expression from public view. Join modern day burlesque performers as they re-imagine the iconic routines from burlesque's heyday.

This performance at Indianapolis's Athenaeum Theater is part of an evening of programming related to the broadcast of Ken Burns' newest documentary on the prohibition era. Chew on This: Moonshine and Morality, is a program that invites guests to a series of cocktail conversations on this theme (visit IndianaHumanities.org/ChewOnThis for tickets and information), followed by a reception and Sin's Last Stand burlesque performance at the Athenaeum. The evening is brought to you by WFYI, Indiana Humanities, Indiana Historical Society, Spirit and Place festival, and the Athenaeum Foundation.