Stroke of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation Throughout Performing Arts History

Shane Mayforth

Dr. Walter Winkworth-Pérez / Writer
Shane Mayforth (Boiled Horse Productions) is part of the Tampa Fringe community on Florida’s west coast. After a long hiatus, his comedy partner dragged him back to the stage to co-create "Vulva Va-Voom: Hollywood Psychic of the Golden Age," in which he provides the voice of a puppet haunted by Jimmy Stewart. (TIFF's "The Edge" Award, '22; juried selection, Orlando Winter Mini-Fest, '23.) Following a successful month-long run in Tampa, "Stroke" was selected for Orlando Fringe’s FESTN4 2024 and will be spreading the good news of panto-stimulation during its four-state tour. In his home life, he continually strives to become a better father to his cats and step-cats (equally).

Vulva Va-Voom

Ira K. Goldsmith (The Spankin' Shyster) / Head Writer
Vulva Va-Voom (they/them/their) is a "legit" theater triple-threat gone bad. Very, very bad. The core theme of their work as a playwright is “High-brow culture and low-brow humor need never be contradictory.” Their work loosely falls under the category “Theatrical NeoVaudeville,” and is best summarized by the taglines, “It’s like Carol Burnett violating Oscar Wilde with a rolled-up New Yorker,” or “Picture Frasier and Niles Crane, but they’re drunken, singing, dancing strippers.” Classically trained for ballet, tap, jazz, modern, pointe, operatic soprano, Broadway belt, Shakespeare, and more, their early career was predictable enough. Once upon a time, their performance resume included every respectable professional company in west central Florida. But somewhere around 2005, they leapt into the underground world of experimental "alt" nightclub cabaret—burlesque, comedy, drag, and sideshow—and never looked back. During their years on the nightclub circuit, they became more deeply immersed in vibrant alt- nerd subcultures where no one cares about strangers' judgments. Among science-fiction convention panelists, Rocky Horror casts, renaissance fest caravans, Gothic-Industrial clubgoers, and the ever-present hot bisexual anime Wiccans, Vulva cast off any remaining expectations of mainstream culture. They also discovered that performing in bars and restaurants comes with a curse: upscale "white tablecloth" venues understand their material's literary and historical references but cannot tolerate filth. Meanwhile, "frat bro" dive bars are thrilled by the bawdy comedy, but completely fail to grasp the more erudite wordplay. Vulva still regularly appears as a guest soloist in colleagues' variety shows, but wears the "nightclub producer" hat more rarely. In 2018, they were introduced to the intelligent, open-minded audiences of the international experimental performing arts festival circuit. Their run in the Fringe Festival world has, thus far, earned their scripts one “Social Good” Award, two “Venue Choice,” three “Edge” Awards, two coveted juried Festival selections in Orlando, a shared award for community building, and a shared “Best of the Bay” Staff Pick award for “Best Dick Joke.” The 2024 touring season will take them to Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, Asheville, the Twin Cities, and their off-Broadway premier for a limited Manhattan run.