Gurlesque burlesque
Back in Chicago, the duo planned a larger project which would require three years of filming. That time span, they reasoned, would allow them to enter the world of the burlesque queens and capture their full story.

But they still had no money. That’s when a brainstorm struck.

Calling on her skills as a historian, Red created a presentation about the history of burlesque. They booked Star Gaze, the lesbian bar in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood where Red had first told Gwen about Dixie, and made their pitch.

 “We were thinking, ‘I hope somebody comes,’” says Gwen. In fact, they drew a crowd. At the end of the presentation, they asked if anyone would be willing to perform in an amateur burlesque revue which would serve as a fundraiser for their documentary. They were swamped with volunteers.

Their first revue, entitled “Gurlesque Burlesque,” premiered in July of 2002. It was a smash hit. “We were completely sold out,” Red recalls. “And we were blown away by the creativity of the acts.”

Since then, the Sissy Butch Brothers have produced a total of five sold-out amateur burlesque shows in bars around Chicago. Each show features a never-before-seen line-up of acts, created by local amateur performers from all walks of life, as well as a few headlining acts drawn from the national burlesque scene.

With the proceeds from each show, Gwen and Red return to Exotic World to resume their work. And with each revue, the influence of the burlesque legacy spreads a bit further. “After each show, we always get a handful of audience members who want to perform in our next production.”