Today we’d like to introduce you to Dame Stella Pipes.
Hi Dame Stella, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I think, above all else, I consider myself a musician. I was born near Evansville, Indiana – a small town called Princeton, IN, I started classical piano training when I was five years old. These lessons continued until I left high school. I added in cello in grade school as well as some vocal training in high school. I pretty much immersed myself in the choir and theatre departments of my high school. I chose to study Theatrical Technology and Design for a BFA at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. I really enjoyed all aspects of bringing a theatrical production to fruition, but found a special love for lighting design, and made it my focus. I decided to continue studying lighting design and moved to Austin, Texas, for an MFA in Theatrical Design at The University of Texas at Austin in 2001. Austin has always been an amazing city to me, and so I found myself staying after graduation. I worked as a freelance lighting designer for a while before deciding to take a break from the full-time theatre world, and working as a legal administrative assistant for The University of Texas’s Office of General Counsel. The change of pace from my theatre years taught me quite a lot. But eventually, I realized that again, I needed another change. Unfortunately, I started having some health issues and wound up taking some time from working to deal with a chronic illness that had developed over the last few years. But ultimately, that illness led me to singing again – which brought me to my current career. I started participating in burlesque shows as a cabaret singer – and I loved it! I joined a local Austin burlesque troupe called Frisky Business Burlesque, along with another performer recently interviewed by you- Amelie Ahmose. I dusted off my stage management skills from theatre school and started working in the local theatre and burlesque worlds as a stage manager on occasion as well. More recently, I’ve been working on hosting or emceeing for shows, which I also adore. This past year I moved from Associate Producer to full Co-Producer at Frisky Business Burlesque.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
That makes me curious if it’s ever been a smooth road for any performer or musician. I can’t say that I fall into the smooth road category. I had all of this wonderful musical and theatrical training from childhood through graduate school, and I still felt as though I had the worst case of I-don’t-know-what-I-want-to-be-when-I-grow-up. It just caused far too much second-guessing in my choices. I really didn’t figure out until my late 30’s and early 40’s what I wanted to do with my talents.
I also struggled -still struggle actually- with my health. I have two chronic illnesses which constantly challenged me in the fields I’d chosen to pursue. Whether it’s design/tech theatre or performing, both are fields that physically push you to the max. They’re completely different from having a typical nine-to-five workweek. Physical, mental, and emotional stress are constants, and it’s taken me years to learn how to take care of myself with these factors. Chronic illnesses make every day uncertain. You don’t know how ‘well’ you’re going to feel that day. How do you plan for that? In these fields that desire consistency in those participating, you fight every day to make yourself seen as dependable. There’s so much more work that needs to be done to accommodate those with disabilities, and chronic illness is a disability.
Also, the hustle, hustle, hustle mentality was a serious challenge for me. I think that’s the one I have a love/hate relationship with each day. It’s necessary to a certain extent and can be a good motivator when used properly, but if you aren’t overtly extroverted and don’t get a recharge from interacting with people in general, then it can feel like a continuous energy drainer.
Aside from the physical, the other big challenges involve your mind and emotions. I swear that all performers have a wretched little voice inside their heads that too frequently tells them that they’re not good enough. Mine likes to tell me I’m not talented enough; my mixed voice range is terrible; I don’t have enough power in my voice; I don’t have enough experience; etc. The list goes on, and it can really be difficult not to give in to the voice. But listening to that voice compromises your hustling abilities; makes it that much harder to reach out to people. So you have to keep a firm grasp on that voice and tell it, “If you’re not going to help, then shut the hell up.”
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a cabaret singer, variety performer, and emcee. I specialize in having created a character – Dame Stella Pipes – who is a glamorous, although eccentric, cabaret singer and entertainer. I’m known for really glamorous evening gowns, jewelry, and a sassy sense of humor with my performances. The Dame can be diverse – sometimes there’s banter with the audience or even audience participation, there are partial strips while singing (one-handed!), and sometimes she’ll do a one-eighty and reach deep into her soul for a serious moment, bringing attention to the disasters we’ve wrought on the ecology of our planet. But above all, the Dame wants to entertain you. I want to connect with the audience.
I think I’m most proud of the work itself – the letting go of inhibitions and having a creation come to life that is instinctive and yet one that also requires careful planning and preparation. I’m experienced with both sides of theatre in great depth – the technical/design side, and the performance side. I can meld both to create a vision that accounts for more than just the actual bodily performance. I can design my own lighting, costumes, and sets. And now, I’ve created a character that will let me entertain anywhere for any gathering, express a three-octave vocal range, utilize a wide variety of music styles, and continue to allow me to explore my boundaries as a performance artist and singer.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Like so many other performers, I would probably be described as precocious while growing up. Perhaps mischievous would be a better description. I don’t think I was particularly shy as a child, although I think that changed in my teenage years. I attended many arts and creative camps, as well as some summer camps at Purdue University in Indiana. I was fascinated with astronomy, fantasy, and science fiction. I had regular piano lessons and even participated in a concerto contest during my high school years. Piano, cello, choir, and show choir pretty much dominated my extracurricular time in high school.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.damestellapipes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellapipes
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DameStellaPipes
Image Credits
Live shot short black dress: Brittany Rachelle
Turquoise dress: Steve DeMent
Neon lights: Kianna Aether
Grey dress & red dress: Naomi Loghry
Live shot red wing angel: Fernie Rentaria
Live show black dress: James Cano
