Tiefling IRL

Not a city as much as part of a city, but Coney Island is pretty well known. I was recently speaking to someone in Colombia and even they knew of it!

(I’m part of the sideshow cast there ☺️)

Other fire performers. They’re not exactly cheap. A large % of my orders go to Las Vegas lol

Flaming nipple tassels

You read that right 😂

I’m a fire and sideshow performer weirdly enough, we’re a dying breed. I mostly do shows at bars and host my own, but every now and then I get a nicer gig that pays a bit more, like at a faire.

Robert Durst killed at least 3 people and completely avoided justice because he was rich, at least until he outed himself on camera. There’s a documentary on Hulu called The Jinx

My Etsy shop hit a very niche market and was pulling around $3k a year. I didn’t put any effort into advertising, it kinda did that on its own

I’m also a performer which is a great side hustle for my creative fulfillment, but pays nearly nothing

I used to be able to get Blackberry Merlot gelato years ago. I haven’t had it in years, but miss it dearly

Please don’t go to Salem MA in October. It is a gorgeous small city and my favorite place to be, but during October it becomes so insanely overcrowded that it poses a huge problem for the locals.

Go during summer instead, it’s a little cooler than most of the US

Florida is canceled. Hawaii.

I have a public facing persona separate from my legal name. Though I do take steps to decouple the two.

The skill with a lot of these things is knowing how to present it with confidence. Plus, you know, pain tolerance, technical skills, and theater skills.

How dangerous really is your job?

Very. The name of the game is risk mitigation. Most acts put only the performer at risk, but fire puts the entire theater at risk, which is why I carry insurance and follow strict protocol. I perform at a historic landmark so they don’t allow just anyone to use fire there.

What happens if you get injured? Insurance/etc.?

I have a day job with insurance, but not everyone is so lucky and performers do get hurt sometimes. Injuries are bad because they mean taking time off to heal (a friend of mine is currently recovering from a broken rib and can’t perform). Minor cuts and burns are part of the job, you learn to manage them and move on, so we’re all covered in scars. Again, it’s all about risk mitigation.

What differences do you have when performing for adults vs. children? (since you mention child-friendly, I assume that means you don’t do things that might scare them)

Adult oriented shows often have more nudity/burlesque and more graphic acts, whereas kids get more traditional circus or campy horror. For example, children might see fire eating and mousetrap, while adults might get a bed of nails or human pincushion.

What are your least tame skills?

Tongue splits ALWAYS freak people out. So does anything involving a power drill.

How did you get into performing in the sideshow? Mentors, training, string of coincidences?

I started as a fire performer and got into it through fire eating. Eventually, one thing led to another, and I was invited to join America’s last permanently housed circus sideshow. Everything blew up from there.

Favorite memory?

We’re a close-knit group, almost like family, which is special since we’re a dying breed. My favorite memories are probably the things other performers have said about me while introducing me to the stage. We love to gush about each other.

Any frightening memories?

Earlier this year, one of my close friends tried to take her own life on one of my performance days. My phone blew up to the point where I couldn’t even see my GPS. My girlfriend stepped in to help thankfully. We got a group chat going, sent people to find her, got her to the hospital, and she spent a week in the psych ward.

After that, I hosted a fundraiser show that raised $1k to get her back on her feet. The event also brought a lot of people together.

If you read this far, here’s my IG

AMA I guess?

Sideshow performer. Lately been working on putting mousetraps on my tongue. It’s one of my tamer skills, but I just never really had the chance to develop that skill. It’s also one of the more child friendly skills.

A barbie doll

I’ll warn you that it overcooks easily. Cook it for less time than normal pasta.

What about phoenix balut?

Is there gluten in chickpeas? I kinda prefer it to regular

You mean grappling hooks?

Self expression and community