Brimming with brazen sexuality, Madcap Creative creates performances that are meant to challenge taboo. "When someone watches a Madcap Creative performance I want them to have questions," Lila Sage, one of the group's founders, tells Citizine. I want them "to be exposed to something they may have never seen before, possibly even something that challenges what they believe in. Madcap Creative is about playful exploration, about reveling in our bodies and all of the wonderful things they can do. It is about learning something deeper about yourself and what you may or may not be into." Sarah Mann, Madcap's other founder, adds that "Madcap Creative was a way to allow the non-kink community to observe, explore, and understand kink in a non-aggressive way."
Sage and Mann both did their rounds in the performing arts before establishing Madcap—Sage as a dancer across musical theatre, circus, and cabaret performances, and Mann as an accomplished flutist, then as a Dance Performance student at Chapman University.
"I enjoyed finding new ways of pushing my body and story-telling both in the air and on the ground," Sage remarks on her journey to fetish performance. "How can I show the audience what is happening inside of my head? How can I use the space differently? Create thought-provoking questions? Challenge stereotypes of what women 'should' look like? These are the questions I like to ponder."
Mann found herself in the world of cabaret after college, working on performances that fused burlesque and aerial arts. She says that "When Lila and I began discussing the concept of Madcap Creative, it seemed to be the natural progression for my career: to create something I had never seen before." They were looking for a way to celebrate kink as art, and found it in their new venture.
Image courtesy of Wednesday Aja/Paper Tiger Bar
With most fetish performance happening behind closed doors, Madcap created its niche in the market by inviting the public in. "I think with the way the LA nightlife and performance scene is evolving, it is time for people to see what was once considered extremely taboo," Sage notes. "I think Los Angeles is in a better place to accept that now."
Their gamble on Los Angeles' openness paid off when audiences responded excitedly. "One of my favorite moments was walking out of a show and seeing an older couple (a man in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, and the woman nearly matching) approach me in the parking lot and say how much they enjoyed the show," Sage recalls. "The woman said that if she would have known, she would have brought her riding crop. I was floored! I wish that everyone were as candid with what they liked and found joy in." Mann adds that, overwhelmingly, there is one thing that audiences want: more. "On one end, kinksters were happy and excited that Madcap Creative is not only creating shows with their demographic in mind, but that Madcap is executing and showcasing kink and fetish accurately," she says. "On the other end, non-kinksters expressed that while they weren’t sure what they were getting themselves into, they left the show surprised by their desire for more in-your-face kink or shocked by their lack of disgust towards it. Kink elements that they may have initially had an aversion to no longer scared them or seemed as harmful as they had previously believed."
Sage and Mann's performances are crafted to intentionally subvert the "male gaze" that is often found in nightlife. "Madcap Creative wishes to create fetish performances that highlight the female gaze and how we see our own bodies and explore things like sexuality, growing up, and what it means to identify as a woman," Sage says. "Madcap Creative definitely likes to play with the concept of gender roles, what is expected of women and how they are taught to acts, dress, move, think," they both continue. "We challenge that. Why can’t a woman choose to willingly and consensually be tied with rope? Or be the person who wants to tie someone up? Madcap seeks to elevate women. That does not mean that, by default, we want to lower or subject men. But rather, we want to encourage women and femmes to go towards their greatest excitement, what feels fulfilling and enjoyable. We want that for everyone, regardless of orientation or identification or body. Dominance is a state of mind. We want to enable everyone to have the confidence to explore and find out what he/she wants, and then ask for it."
As Madcap continue to grow, the group looks to stick to the same tenants of exploring human sexuality—the good and the bad. "We are seeking to create a larger understanding and broaden the idea of human sexuality through art," Mann and Sage conclude. "It starts on an individual level, by creating conversations, just like we are having now."
Read on for Madcap Creative's favorite erotic performance spots around LA.
Jumbo's Clown Room
Los Feliz
Sarah Mann and Lila Sage: A Los Angeles nightlife staple. You will see everything from contortion, to pole dancing, maybe even some balloon popping thrown into the mix. Please be sure to tip your dancers!
The Pleasure Chest and The Stockroom
West Hollywood and Silver Lake
SM and LS: If you are looking to delve in with a good book and maybe some hands-on demos, check out either of these locations. They offer a variety of classes & seminars for anyone interested to learn more.
Sanctuary Studios LAX
Lennox
SM and LS: During the day, this public dungeon is open for business for fantasy play. Once a month they host an event called Awakening which opens up the space to anyone who is interested in exploring BDSM. They start with a conversation on consent and open their space for discussion, consensual play, and performance. Some of the best players frequent these play parties, allowing you to get a taste of LA’s finest. Your level of involvement is up to you, whether you want to play (engage with others in pre-negotiated kink activities) or simply watch and learn.
Tom of Finland Foundation
Echo Park
SM and LS: If you are interested in erotic visual art, the Tom of Finland house offers some of the most prolific erotic art of the 20th century. Famously censored for his homo-erotic art, Tom of Finland has empowered men and the leather community for the last 50 years.
Bar Sinister
Hollywood
SM and LS: A cross between dark wave, nu goth, and fetish come together for this weekly event in the heart of Hollywood. Downstairs is a dance club and upstairs is a playroom that is open to the public. Come check out some flogging performances or see the latest in fetish fashion. It is a choose your own adventure club, in which you can opt to play or simply to watch and learn.