When Communication and Weinberg senior Mantra Radhakrishnan saw the play “Shikhandi” in Bengaluru, India, where she grew up, she was struck by its comedic retelling of the origin of Indian mythology’s first gender-nonconforming figure. This weekend, seven years after that first viewing, Radhakrishnan will direct their version of the show with Vibrant Colors Collective, Northwestern’s.
Audiences laughed, gasped and even blushed as burlesque dancers stripped down to lacy lingerie, spun around on the pole and danced with fake penises in the Louis Room at Norris University Center this weekend. With a lively audience clapping and hollering, Lipstick Burlesque produced its annual show, with dancers like “Oliver Clothesoff” and “Femme Fatale”.