Today we’d like to introduce you to Bernadette McComish.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Bernadette. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I moved to LA in 2015. Like many New Yorkers, I was tired of the cold winters, the humid summers, and the general fast pace of the city. I had always dreamed of living on the beach, and my partner at the time shared the same dream. As a teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages, I knew I’d be able to find a job, and my partner was offered a job that would allow us to live right on the ocean! Five months into beach living our relationship ended and I was devastated. I moved out and without much of a network or connection to Los Angeles.
I reached out on Facebook to everyone in my circle. I said, “How is it possible I have 3,000 friends, and none in LA? Please reach out if you’re here!” An old friend messaged right away! We had known each other for 20 years but had lost touch when he moved to LA. We met at theater camp when we were teenagers and in his mind, I was a confident actress, writer, and poet, not just a teacher. We connected and he told me about his work with some wonderful organizations, the Melrose Poetry Beaurau and The Poetry Brothel. I had been a huge fan of the Poetry Brothel since 2009 when I attended one of their first shows in New York. I had followed them for years and I said, if they ever need anyone, please let me know. Two days later, he received an email from the CEO, Stephanie Berger, asking if he knew any poets who could fill in at the last minute at the festival Electric Forest. I had never been to a music festival, I had never been camping, but I knew that I was meant to be part of the Poetry Brothel and I immediately sent my application. Within 24 hours Stephanie called me directly and said I was a perfect fit and they’d love to have me. It was a huge leap of faith for me. I had to buy a ton of camping gear with money I did not have. “Where are you going to get the money, someone asked.” As a long time witch and manifester I said, “It will come.” Two days later, I received a check in the mail for the exact amount I had spent. The money was for an after school program I was told didn’t have the budget to fund my work, but at the end of their fiscal year, they found the extra funds!
I arrived in the middle of the night, in the middle of a big top tent in the forest of Rothbury, MI. I met Mr. Charley, The Madame, Tennessee Pink, Monah Mayhem, Jynavar, and I introduced myself as Tallula Rossa. I felt reborn and like I had met my people, my new family, and I was welcomed into the brothel. That summer, I quickly became The Madame’s top-earning poetry whore. Poetry Whores give one-on-one, or two-on-one, immersive poetry readings in private rooms. I was invited to join them on Governer’s Island for the NYC Poetry Festival, and then to join them for their West Coast tour to Portland, San Fransisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. I continued to flourish in this new community which I discovered was actually run by The Poetry Society of NY, of which Stephanie was also the co-founder along with Nicholas Adamski. They encouraged me to submit my work and within a few months, my first chapbook, The Book of Johns, was accepted by Dancing Girl Press, as well as over a dozen poems were published by journals like Peregrine, Deluge, Storyscape, Flypaper Magazine, and The Los Angeles Press. These publications were the first in over three years, and I realized that poetry and performance were my lifelines.
I had drifted from my artistic destiny, and I vowed that I would never allow a relationship, a hardship, or any obstacle stand in the way of my passions. After only two years of performing with The Poetry Brothel and PSNY, I asked Stephanie and Nick if I could take over the Los Angeles Chapter of The Poetry Brothel. It had a small following, but the touring show wasn’t enough to keep the chapter in the hearts and minds of Angelinos. In April of 2017, I signed a collaboration agreement and it was official, I was the new producer and Madam of The Poetry Brothel Los Angeles. We were offered a bi-monthly residency at El-Cid on Sunset on Sunset in Silverlake and we quickly began drawing sold-out crowds with incredible local poets like Linda Ravenswood and Brian Sonia-Wallace, musicians like Joseph of Windows to Sky and Ray Bergstrom, mystics like Zachariah the Witch and Crystal Cossey, and dancers like Miss Tosh, Jake Dupree, and Lena Fumi!
I had finally found my home with an incredible community of artists in LA. Even though our live performances are on hold right now, I have been producing online Poetry Brothels on Facebook Live, and we continue to give one-on-one private readings through our new platform ThePoetStream.com where anyone can book a poet from one of our worldwide chapters. While I am still a full-time high school teacher, I live at the beach and get to fulfill my true calling as a poet and artist with the support and love from everyone at The Poetry Brothel, The Poetry Society of NY and our partners at the Los Angeles Press.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has been a winding road! When I first took over The Los Angeles Poetry Brothel, there were a lot of poets and producers who had been part of The Brothel for a longer period of time and there was some skepticism, especially from the male poets, if I’d be able to sustain a following. I remembered in High School my counselor told me I would end up on street and college wasn’t for me, so it wasn’t the first time I had people doubt me. I did drop out of college after one semester due to anxiety and untreated PTSD. I realized I was living in an abusive household and left home at 18. Once I was on my own, I was able to heal and work on myself, I returned to college at 25, graduated with honors from Hunter College, went on to be accepted to Sarah Lawrence for an M.F.A. in poetry, and returned to the college I had dropped out of as a distinguished Professor. I knew that haters only fueled my drive to make The Brothel the best show this town has ever seen.
I also juggle being a full-time high school teacher in Inglewood with being a Producer and Madam of a Poetry Brothel. My days are filled with lesson plans, students, and administrators, all pulling me in different directions. My nights are filled with recruiting and booking local talent and curating an incredible vaudeville show. Our shows at El Cid often run late, especially with limited help breaking down, and the school day starts early so caffeine has been a helpful tool in getting through the days! It can also be a challenge to promote the show. We have a loyal following, however, most of the Johns, Janes, and non-binary Jeans, are new to the show and find us though multiple online outlets such as Time-Out, LA Weekly, and when we’re lucky the LA Times. Even though most of our shows have had packed and sold-out houses, I’m always on edge about the budget. We pay ALL of our performers, and the poets are the stars. It’s our goal to make sure poets and all artists get paid a fair wage for a night of work, and often that depends on how many tickets we’ve sold and how many people buy private readings. Luckily we’ve always hit our goal, and our last show was our best yet.
Recently the biggest challenge is live shows and venues being shut down. We can’t wait to bring The Poetry Brothel Back to life!
The Poetry Brothel Los Angeles – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Poetry Brothel, at its core, is a Vaudville show. We Specialize in tantalizing the senses, making soul-to-soul connections, and invoking deep feelings. When you enter a Poetry Brothel, you are leaving the world you know behind and entering a fantasy, a dream, a place where whoever you’ve wanted to be can finally breathe. Themed costumes and formal are always encouraged but never required.
We call our clients Johns, Janes, and Jeans, and we promise to, as Mr. Charley says, blow your mind… and nothing else. The show is filled with non-stop punnilingus and is an interactive poetry experience set up as a decadent fin de siècle brothel. Poets performing under pseudonyms offer private, one-on-one readings of their original work in candlelit back rooms and spaces…for money. The main stage presents an immersive literary cabaret that fuses poetry, burlesque, live music, vaudeville, aerials, performance art, visual art, magic, and mysticism.
Our show begins outdoors on the Patio of El Cid where Poetry Whores mingle and get to know the crowd. We always begin with Poetry of the flesh and have an outdoor burlesque performance. When you are led through the doors into the main room, an aerialist flies above as folks take their seats. Our host then introduces the show, what we’re all about, and invites the Madam to explain how it works. You get a taste of the poets on the stage and throughout the night, clients can purchase time with any of the Poetry Whores. Our house band plays several sets, we always have special musical guests, and incredible burlesque acts for those who choose to stay in their seats.
We have something for everyone: introverts, extroverts, word nerds, kinksters, and theater geeks alike! We are known for making people laugh, cry, and delve deep into emotions they haven’t felt in a long time. We have typewriter poets, goth poets, puppet poets, tarot and palm readers, incredible musicians, and a variety of talent from all over Los Angeles. Many people write to me after and say it was “the best show in LA,” and they can’t wait to return. Many immersive shows require the theatergoer to do the work, but at The Brothel, the Poetry Whore does all the work, they are on top of it, and the John, Jane, or Jean can relax and enjoy their reading, the show, a drink, and a lovely dinner. We transform El Cid, which is a historic venue, with over four suitcases of decor making it truly a magical realm draped in lush fabric.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is defined by the way everyone feels at the end of the night. We live in a world where everyday life can weigh on us, especially now under our current administration. We strive to create a place where anyone can transform into their most true self, clients, and performers alike. When a poet or mystic comes to me and says, I had the best reading, I made them cry, or we laughed the whole time, or we had such a connection, I know the night was a success.
Throughout the night, I look for private reading areas to be full of poets and clients, for everyone to be wither watching, interacting, and engaged. As a Madam, I deal in pleasure, and I’m happy when all of my Poetry Whores and clients are satisfied.
Pricing:
- General Admission is $40 first come first serve seating.
- Preferred Seating is $50- promised seating in the front of house.
- VIP Seating is $75 front row seating, a tote bag, two tokens good for two private readings, and a special gift.
- Pay-What-You-Can for those who want to join but may not have the means
Contact Info:
- Website: Thepoetrybrothel.com
- Phone: 19144394774
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @madamtallula, @poetrybrothel
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poetrybrothel/
- Other: thepoetstream.com
Image Credit:
Winona Grey, Amanda Hoskinson, Sara Stark, Phil Warren, Miguel Perez
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