21 Questions with Força

Força by Chase Stevens

Drawing her name from her Portuguese heritage, Força’s enigmatic stage presence has ignited some of the most prestigious burlesque stages in the world, most recently at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend 2024 with a thrilling performance in the MEW category. A trained actor, director, and designer, Força was just awarded a PhD from the University of Toronto, and her research has been featured in the Canadian Theatre Review and conferences across North America. Now she trains her brains on the 21…

1. How would you define yourself in three words?

Articulate, passionate and curious.

2. Who would play you in a movie about your life?

I often get told I look like a young Marina Sirtis, the actress who played Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation. If you could somehow combine her with Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean, I think you’d have me nailed spot on! 

3. What is your biggest strength?

I think I have a real capacity to connect with people and value diverse perspectives. 

4. What is your biggest weakness?

I’m naturally a pretty disorganised and forgetful person – NOT the best when you work in a field where you essentially run all aspects of your career!

Força by Marisa Parisella.
Força by Marisa Parisella.

5. When are you most happy and inspired?

When I’m in a creative flow state – be it in the studio, or in my writing and research. Truly, when it happens it feels like my spirit is dancing.

6. What is your favourite on-screen burlesque moment from film or TV? 

Likely a common answer, but it’s definitely Salma Hayek as Santanico Pandemonium in From Dusk Till Dawn. Growing up in a time when a beachy blonde was all the rage, her magnetism in that scene really showcased that kind of power was possible for someone who looked much more like me.

7. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?

I do my best work when I’m not in my head.

Força by Marisa Parisella.
Força by Marisa Parisella.

8. If you could switch lives with one person for a day, who would it be?

I had to think long and hard about this… It would probably be Cher, but WHEN? What day? In which decade?!

9. What’s the biggest myth or misconception about burlesque?

That performing or creating burlesque isn’t a rigorous intellectual and skilled pursuit. This goes for both planned acts, where performers have often made deeply contextual choices about their costuming, music, and movement, or in improv burlesque. I encourage everyone to talk to performers about their process whenever possible just to get to swim in those deep waters. I’ve been guest lecturing in an improv burlesque course series called ‘The Funktion’ taught by Sweet Rosie Mae here in Toronto. It’s been so rewarding to witness what she teaches about musicality and movement and making engaging choices in that format – proving that improv requires a specific set of skills that can be trained up!

10. If you could only perform to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?

No particular song comes to mind, but likely anything that sounds BIG, dynamic and brassy!

11. What surprisingly useful things do you have in your show case?

It’s going to sound so weird, but I keep a small roll of doggie poop bags with me. Here in Toronto, toupee tape is the most popular form of pastie application, and it’s shocking how often there isn’t a trash bin available to throw out the backings or other showpony droppings! It’s a kindness to the producer and venue to bring that along for everyone to use.

12. Do you have a backstage ritual?

When I was taking my first burlesque classes, my mentor Laura Desiree had us write a word we wanted to evoke on stage on a tiny piece of paper, to keep with us as a guiding star while we grew in our burlesque journey. My word was ‘powerful’. I have since lost that paper, but for big stage shows I like to reflect on it backstage while I stretch and prep my costume. It puts me in the right zone and helps me become the conduit for that kind of energy.

13. What advice would you give to new performers starting out today?

Soak up as much burlesque as you can, and as many opinions on it as possible, but do so with a critical mind. Everyone you engage with has their own experiences, biases, and preferences in this art form. The best thing about burlesque is that there are no rules, so listen and learn openly, but be ready for the moment when you have enough context to make your own calls.

Força by Marc Young Photo
Força by Marc Young Photo

14. What is your proudest achievement?

Completing my Doctorate in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies and Sexuality Studies, and immediately flying out to perform in the M Exotic World competition! The Doctorate was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and many times over I wanted to quit the whole pursuit. I’m proud of the project I ended up writing, and was transformed in the process. I think the writing I produced marks that growth.

15. What is your biggest regret?

I try not to dwell in regret; everything I’ve moved through until this point made me who I am today. Rather, I think of previous mistakes as lessons to take into the future.

16. What is the biggest challenge facing today’s burlesque scene?

The emergent professionalisation standard vs. pay rates, coupled with a lack of opportunity for career expansion. We are expected to have the biggest, most expensive and showstopping costumes and over-the-top choreography to remain ‘competitive’, without enough consumers who can pay what that output requires, or the appreciation for the DIY roots of burlesque. The gigs that pay the most are often the least creatively fulfilling. It isn’t a good environment to be experimental and take risks as artists. 

17. If you could go back and tell yourself one thing when you started out in burlesque, what would it be?

There is no rush to do it all at once! Take time for breaks and nurture your personal connections. The value you bring to this art form will reveal itself in time.

Força by Lars Kommienezuspadt
Força by Lars Kommienezuspadt

18. What is a cause or issue that’s very important to you?

Something that became very important to me over the course of my research was thinking about ethics – most prominently in research, but also in how we relate to one another in any creative or professional pursuit. I co-taught a class on this with Loretta Jean for virtual BurlyCon that is still available to take. We live in a world that often requires fast output and rewards people for their individual ‘genius’, ‘talent’, or success, but that success is never achieved alone. How can we make producing knowledge, performing, and putting on shows feel less extractive? It’s something I myself am still processing!

19. What are you currently reading, watching, and listening to?

My partner and I are ravenous TV watchers as a part of our wind-down ritual. While writing the dissertation I was reading so much for work that I valued consuming entertainment in a different medium. The best television we’ve seen in a while was the new Shogun adaptation. I continue to read a lot for my academic studies – right now that’s a lot of research about pedagogy for dance and theatre education. I also obsessively listen to podcasts, usually about investigative journalism. Some faves right now are Search Engine, COMMONS, and Articles of Interest.

20. If you could share a dressing room with one performer for the rest of your career, who would it be?

Without a doubt, Zyra Lee Vanity. We came up in the Toronto burlesque scene around the same time and spent many years sharing green room spaces before her move to Montreal. I feel fortunate to travel often with her and continue to share backstage space. She’s always the life of the party and brings all the best vibes while being a compassionate and considerate backstage buddy. 

21. What would you like your life and career to look like in 10 years time?

This is a hard one to answer! I feel like I’m at a point where pretty significant chapters of my life are closing, and I am re-evaluating how and where I want to distribute my efforts. Whatever it might be, I want to find some balance between adventure and stability. I have often chased novelty, passion and fire, but I think true kinship and grounding are important aspects of life artists need to prioritise in order to shine their brightest.

Visit www.forcaburlesque.com and follow Força on Instagram.

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