I saw this performance for the Viva Las Vegas 13 Burlesque Showcase Contest and I just had to get an interview with this girl. I’ve seen burlesque before, but never as a famous murder victim!

It turns out Mia Culpa is much more than a sexy, dancing corpse. Read the interview and see for yourself!

Play With Death:  Mia, I have to say, your routine was fantastic.  Burlesque has been around for quite some time, but your take on it is quite unique.  What first attracted you to the “Black Dahlia” murder?

Mia Culpa:  First, thanks for the love- i’m glad you liked the number!

I’ve always been a big true crime fan- much to my parents dismay, but it wasn’t until I read James Ellroy’s “The Black Dahlia” that I thought about incorporating elements of an actual true crime into my burlesque. I guess it’s the contrast of the Dahlia case- on one hand, it’s the story of a beautiful girl seeking fame in postwar Hollywood, but it’s also the story of that same girl meeting a hideous end. The light and the dark of the story, plus then enduring mystery enthralls me to no end….plus, I’m terribly morbid, so my mind tends to gravitate to the gruesome.

You are right about burlesque being around for a long time….it’s been around so long that it tends to be stale, so it needs a bit of fresh blood- literally.

PWD:  Aside from Burlesque, is there anything else you do performance wise?

MC:  Oh yeah, I do it all!  Fire, bellydance, flesh hook suspension, human pin cushion, glass walking, grinder acts…lots of sideshow.  I’ve also acted, done ballet, done improv, I’ve tried, and will continue to try any kind of performance art…I’m endlessly hungry for new stage experiences.

PWD:  Impressive.  How long have you been a performer of some sort?

MC:  Since the womb….my first “official” stage show was when I was 5 -it was my ballet recital, and I haven’t stopped since.

PWD:  Have you ever received any criticism for your performance involving the “Black Dahlia” murder?

MC:  I wish-pissing people off is the most fun….with Dahlia, people are either really into it, or don’t know what to make of it- they seem uncomfortable which is second to pissing people off….

I have gotten criticism in the past though- lots of it. People get really upset when they see me hurt myself …they think I’m doing it because I’m emo and hate myself, when really I do it for fun and profit.  Strangely, no one gets mad when I start taking my clothes off…

PWD:  Haha.  I know I wouldn’t.  So, what would you say draws you to the horror genre?

MC:  I think I’m just wired in such a way that I like blood and monsters….also, I like the honesty of the genre- it’s very unapologetic- I like people who are like this, so I have respect for films and books that are like this as well.  Plus, I’m deeply disturbed and twisted, for reasons unknown…

PWD:  Do you have any major influences in your life, either artistically or otherwise?

MC:  I’m influenced by everything- I can be watching a Hype Williams and be inspired.  But I would say that my biggest influences are: Bob Flanagan, who was a performance artist who suffered from cystic fibrosis and used pain and performance to deal with his condition- I also have a chronic illness , and I think performing has been the best medicine.

Others who inspire me are: Madonna (cause she’s fuckin’ Madonna), Aron Ronston (the guy who cut his own arm off after it got crushed under a boulder while he was mountain climbing), Hunter S. Thompson (more of a life influence), William Styron , and existentialists (they changed my life)

PWD:  Do you have any projects in the works right now?

MC:  Always…right now, I’m focusing on my first short, a film called “The Kick Inside” that I’m in pre-production for. It’s taken me two years to create a script that I feel really deeply about, and now that I have it, I’m really excited to bring it to fruition.

PWD:  February is “Women in Horror” month.  For a long time it has been said that women are exploited by the horror industry or that horror is a “men only” genre.  What is your take on that?

MC:  Well, been “men only” only in the sense that there hasn’t been nearly enough women behind the scenes.  Part of horror is the fun, campy side, with boobs and blood and ridiculousness-it’s part of why people enjoy the genre. As I said before, it’s an honest genre, and some of its honesty is that those who make the films are unafraid to show girls with no clothes on running around screaming, and there is an audience that likes to watch this sort of thing. If that makes you uncomfortable, then you clearly are not the audience…move along and let the rest of us freaks enjoy the silliness.  Believe me, horror films are not contributing to a decline in women’s rights. I don’t think Dawn of the Dead and Halloween can exude that much power over society.

PWD:  Do you feel that we are moving past the female stereotype in horror movies with films like “The Descent” and “Resident Evil”, or do we have a long way to go?

MC:  I think in terms of stereotypes, we have a long way to go. Women are either victims or superheroines- which is fine, and we’re seeing more chicks like the ones in “The Decent”….but I think a shift will only come when a happy medium can be achieved….when a real, whole woman can be portrayed….not all vixen, not all ballbuster, but a little of both and something new altogether.

PWD:  What’s next for Miss Mia Culpa?

MC:  World Domination!   Time for some shameful self promotion: I’m trying to get to Vegas, but I need votes, votes, dammit!  Go here: http://www.vivalasvegas.net/intranet/vote_main.php to vote for my Black Dahlia routine!

You heard her, everyone.  Go to Viva Las Vegas and vote for Mia Culpa!