Congratulations to Frankly Frankie, our 2022 Sparkly Devil Memorial Scholarship recipient! Frankie was chosen for extensive background as a producer and her commitment to her community, especially as expressed through her political activism resulting in changes to the decency laws in her home state of Idaho. Her willingness to stand up for her community resonates deeply with the spirit of Sparkly Devil, for whom the scholarship is named. Her selection was finalized in 2020 and carried over after the 2021 and 2022 Weekenders were replaced with virtual events.
Frankly Frankie is a theater nerd-turned-burlesque powerhouse. Her background in and love for alternative storytelling and experimentalism rings through in her burlesque acts. She is known for her ability to simultaneously arouse and repulse, frequently crossing gender and beauty lines in her work. She played a key role in establishing the burlesque scene in Boise, creating and producing two of the longest running burlesque shows in the valley, and changing the Idaho Blue Laws with her tiny breasts in 2016. Now locally known forever as the “liberator of the underboob”, she has since pointed her tits towards academia. Franky is currently pursuing a masters degree in public health and can frequently be seen in sweatpants staring at her computer.
“I was thrilled and honored to be awarded the Sparkly Devil Memorial Scholarship in April 2020,” said Frankly Franky when we began planning for her to attend this year’s Weekender. “At that time I was beyond elated to learn from and develop relationships with our legends. Today, as the malaise of the pandemic clings to the fading ideas of the reality that were shaping in 2020, I am no longer feverish with elation. What has taken the place of the intensity within this newish, uncertain reality is a sustaining awareness of the implacable necessity of maintaining accurate representation of our shared history and guaranteeing representation to all who were part of it.”
As the scholarship recipient, Frankie will receive a full pass to all four showcases and all Finishing School classes during The 2022 Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend at the Orleans Hotel and Casino this June 2-5, and will be paired with one of the attending Legends to act as their escort for the Weekender.
The Sparkly Devil Memorial Scholarship is intended to encourage a stronger relationship between the younger and older generations of burlesque performers and to instill a sense of service to the burlesque community. Recipients are chosen for their commitment to the burlesque community and to the Legends who embody our history, and for their ability and willingness to share their knowledge and experiences back to the burlesque community.
We are pleased to honor Frankly Frankie with this award.