Friday, February 27, 2009

LRS Town Hall Meeting

Sunday, March 1st, 11am
400 Dexter Ave. North, Seattle 98109


From Jeff Hengst, owner of Little Red Day Spa and Little Red Studio, et al.

There is a Town Hall meeting scheduled for this Sunday morning at 11 AM in our South Lake Union facility.(On the corner of Dexter Ave. N. and Harrision St.) I have invited the Troupe and all our Guests. We will talk about the plans for the new Bistro, what it will look and feel like, discuss our "opening", talk about project target dates and more.

This gathering will also serve as an opportunity to formally welcome aboard all the new members of the Troupe since our last big gathering at our Fall Retreat in September. We will take some time to go over the principles and vision of Little Red Studio and talk about the up-coming shows, plans for the Spring and Summer Schedule and some other fun ideas that have been simmering.

This meeting will end at 1PM. I will be available in the Bistro space all afternoon to answer individual questions and discuss things in more detail for those that are interested.


I will be in attendance to talk about the Little Red Day Spa and our involvement in the Little Red Studio family of events. Please come by and hear what's going on, see the plans for the Bistro and get to know more of the Troupe and Spa Practitioners. If you have every been curious about the history behind LRS, this is a great meeting to attend, as we will be sharing some of the stories of the Studio.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

More changes!

The Little Red Studio office is invading!

Next Tuesday, we will be moving Kerry, the office manager for Hengst Studio and Little Red Studio into the front waiting room of the Spa. This won't impact the Spa other than to make our waiting room a bit more crowded. Jeff has promised to do a little bit so extra soundproofing so that the LRS phones and daily business won't intrude into the inner sanctum where people are relaxing. I am very excited to have Kerry around. Not only is she wonderful company, for me as well as everyone waiting for the start of their spa session, but she is quite organized and I plan to pick her brain.

Over on Dexter and Harrison, construction will begin in the corner space that has been the main office and lobby for Little Red Studio. This is phase one of the build out for the Little Red Bistro, our coffee/dessert/wine cafe. It is Jeff's hope that the Bistro "will not only be a jewel in the South Lake Union neighborhood, but another place for us to express our J'oie de Vivre, our liberating libertine sensibilities and our love of great food and wine." Keep an eye on the website as it is updated with more information. It's a very exciting time, indeed!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Open to those of all persuasions.

Before Valentine's Day, I had a phone call from a young man who wanted to schedule a couple's spa session. Tentatively, has asked if the Spa was "gay friendly". My answer was "of course we are!" The Little Red Studio considers itself a part of Seattle's sex positive community, so it was only natural that the Little Red Day Spa would be, as well.

I was shocked that he was ask this question. I forget that I don't live in mainstream America where anything other than heterosexuality is considered out of the norm. Even when I had a "real job" at a local massage school, most of the employees were lesbians. So asking me if my establishment is gay friendly seemed as absurd as asking me if I did massage on people. If what you are doing is consensual and brings you and your partner(s) greater intimacy and joy, then we have no objection what so ever. In fact, we applaud you for pursuing and exploring your path!

Please know that regardless of how you structure your romantic relationships or what activities you enjoy in your bedroom, you and your partner(s) will always be welcome at the Little Red Day Spa. It doesn't matter to us whether your injuries are from a wild romp with your partner or a mountain bike accident, we are still going to treat you and your injury the same way.

For more information about sex positive information and support, please check out the Center for Sex Positive Culture.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Spa & LRS event on 2/28th

Next Saturday, February 28th, the Little Red day Spa will only be open for sessions from Noon - 6pm due to a Little Red Studio show. We are closing early to set up for our quarterly Speakeasy performance.

Once a Season the Troupe of Little Red Studio puts together an unabashedly "old-school" LRS at the original, beloved venue in Eastlake under the freeway. We already have some fun entertainment cooked up and anticipate a special evening. Of course the hot tub and spa facility leaven the evening as well as the intimate size and LRS's own rich history.

These events are highly interactive and intimate. Also, since Jeff now uses this space as his working studio again, there will be lots of new paintings to see and the general vibe of a working artist's studio.

Tickets are $40 and limited to the first 65 people. For reservations you must call us at the office, (206)328-4758. We are not selling advance tickets on Brown Paper Tickets for this one. If there is room, we will also accept walk-ups that evening. All guests should plan to arrive between 8:30 and 9pm.


If you have been curious about the spa, this is a good event to come see the space and peek at what we have to offer. I will not be doing massage or spa treatments, but the massage table will be out for trading massage and the hot tub will be opened up for soaking, and the hand crafted products that I make for the spa, such as the salt scrubs will be available for purchase.

Also, I am working on a performance piece that was inspired by the clay that I use in the Spa. I'm not going to say anything else in order preserve the element of surprise.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Want to be in a play? Audtion for LRS!

Auditions for Erotic Shorts at Little Red Studio!

This is our fourth round of the very popular event we call "Erotic Shorts", an evening of short erotic plays. The show will run Friday - Sunday evenings, April 24th through May 3rd. Rehearsals will be determined by each director and his/her cast.

We have nine plays in this round, including one improv piece. Below you will see a brief description of casting needs for each show.

Auditions will be cold readings from the scripts. When you write to sign up for an audition time (1/2 hour time slots), please let me know which plays you might be interested in and I'll send you electronic copies to read ahead of time.

Where: Little Red Studio - 400 Dexter Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

When: Sunday, March 1st from 4pm - 9pm OR Monday, March 2nd from 6pm - 10pm
(The Improv piece will have its own audition on Sunday, March 1st from 1-3pm)

Callbacks will be held on March 3rd in the evening from 6-9pm.

Contact: Kerry Christianson - kerry@hengststudio.com or 206-328-4758


Plays:

No More Than Reason by Louise Penberthy / Directed by Beau Prichard

Needed: A male and female, able to play around the age of fifty. The role and the show calls for a couple to be very familiar and comfortable with each other, portrayed as not necessarily friends, but long-time associates. The script involves a small amount of Shakespeare, but experience with the 'speare is not necessary. Artistic collaboration with the two performers will be highly valued and encouraged.

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Two Sides by Beau Prichard / Directed by Kerry Christianson

Needed: A female in her mid-late twenties. This is a story of first love with a bittersweet ending told in the first person by both parties. The male role has already been cast.

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Flowers by the Side of the Road by Jerry Kraft / Directed by Donn Christianson


This is the story of a male soldier and the interaction he has with a female 'angel' from his past while he is in the process of dying. It will likely require full or partial nudity for the male role, depending on how we work it out in rehearsals. Also need to cast a 2nd soldier (male or female), in modern uniform, to close the play.

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Center Cannot Hold by John Longenbaugh / Directed by John Longenbaugh

Maddie--20s-30s, female professional, slightly uptight
George-20s-30s, urban, laid-back
Jewel--20s-30s, alternative, sexy, given to profanity

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Party of Two by Benjamin Harris / Directed by Marcus Wolland

A comedy involving a first date between Marcus and Lily, and the influences of their individual minds and bodies. Need 3 men and 3 women, 20 to 40 age range, with great comic timing.

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Vampyre by Darian Lindle / Directed by Marcus Wolland

A four character blood-sucking comedy requiring 2 women (20 to 30 age range) and two men (20 to 40 age range) with great comic timing.

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Pass the Salt, Please by Jeffrey James Ircink / Directed by Cherilynn Brooks


One man and One woman Both 40 - 60 years old. (or can pass pass for that)
This is a couple who have been together for many many years. They are extremely plain and preferably not a "beautiful couple".
Actors not afraid to test their comic timing!

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A Flame in Your Heart by Patrick Scott / Directed by Ricky Gene Powell & Kirsten Lauzon

Needed: One man, one woman - any age - these two characters have been working in neighboring cubicles for years. Both incredibly shy, they have developed a shorthand of "sounds" through the wall to communicate and ultimately "flirt" with one another.

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In Bed... (Improv Piece) Created and Directed by Pam Man

(Auditions for this piece will be held separately on Sunday, March 1st from 1-3pm)

"…In Bed", so named for the joke that people say to each other after reading their fortune from a fortune cookie.

Needed: 2 Females, 2 Males, 1 MC or host, male or female

Cast of "…In Bed" will be required to improvise the dialog of the play and will be asked to wear as little clothing as they are comfortable, during performance.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Recovered.

Whew! What a weekend!

I am very pleased to have survived Valentine's Day weekend. This was the first year at the Spa that February 14th has fallen on a Saturday. In previous years, we had an increase in spa sessions and rentals spread over the weekends on either side. If you had a session with us, please feel free to email me with feedback.

I know one of the things that will change for next year is that we will require deposits. There was one "no show/no call" on Sunday morning. That was very frustrating as I had put in a reminder call to the couple the day before. I understand that plans made weeks, sometimes months in advance, can more easily go awry. Life gets a bit chaotic and schedules have to be pared down. Please call and I will gladly cancel and reschedule your session. We have a generous policy of asking for a minimum of 6 hours notice to cancel a session without incurring a cancellation fee of $50. However, if something pressing or unavoidable comes up, I will gladly waive the fee if someone takes the time to give as much notice as possible when canceling.

We have decided to implement a new policy for "no shows" that takes into account that sometimes things happen that can't be mitigated or acted upon before a scheduled session. There is a fee of $50 for not showing up that is already on the books. However, if you haven't come into the spa and filled out your new guest paperwork, you don't know that. For the first time you are scheduled, if you do not show or call in a cancellation for that session, the next time you call to schedule, you will be asked to prepay for your session. After your first session, we will gladly revert your status back to that of all our other guests and you will not have to pre-pay after rebuilding trust.

Hopefully this does not seem harsh. I want to be as fair as possible. However, scheduling a block of time at the spa and then not showing up means that there is someone out there that was told they could not schedule with us and missed out on the experience of their choice. Please respect the time of our practitioners, but also think of the faceless people who were told there were no session times available.

Thank you for your understanding and your responsibility.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Patience, please.

Today started the beginning of a busy Valentine's Day weekend for the Little Red Day Spa and the Little Red Studio. The Red Show is sold out both nights and the Couple's Spa Night & Party reservation list is filled. We have had such good response that we have decided to bring these Couple's Spa Parties back as a quarterly event.

I helped set up for the Red Show this evening and stayed for the first half hour of the show. I had forgotten how rich and exciting the show is. If you have tickets, consider yourself lucky and enjoy! If you don't, you can always show up and get on the waiting list. To give away a secret, most of our sold out shows have a small number of tickets/reservations no show. So, there's hope!

I'm off to bed to prepare for an insanely busy day tomorrow. When calling the spa this weekend, have patience. I am not able to answer the phone as much when we are this busy, but leave me a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The schedule is filling up!

Valentine's Day at the Little Red Day Spa is full. Whether you were planning to come to the Couple's Spa Night & Party or you wanted to have a spa session with your sweetie, there are no more spaces or times available on Saturday the 14th or Sunday the 15th.

On Friday the 13th, we do have the late morning to early afternoon and one late evening appointment time open, though. Please give me a call at 206-963-0772 and I will get you on the schedule!

As a reminder, this special edition of Couple's Night on 2/14 is a reservation only event. No drop ins will be admitted. We aren't being mean, we just can't go past capacity! (Don't worry, we'll do another Couple's Spa Night & Party next quarter.)

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Massage with Tuning Forks?!

I had a massage recently by a very good therapist, Sheila Fox, who incorporated Acutonics into the treatment. Acutonics is the use of vibration, rather than needles, applied to acupuncture points of the body's energy meridians. The web site makes it sound a lot more woo-woo than I am comfortable with, but the experience was pleasant enough that I can forgive their hype. I have had quite a bit of energy work in my time. My mother was always a little out there and us kids were often along for the ride. I became quite the connoisseur of woo-woo, picking out the "good stuff" from the "yeah, sure, whatever."

Acutonics definitely falls into the Good Stuff category. I had similar sensations, though much gentler, when the forks were applied to various points along my body as when I received Acupuncture. The vibrating forks were generally pleasant and soothing, something I didn't quite expect. Not only because of my experience with acupuncture being stressful yet extremely beneficial, but I also don't care for vibratory sensations.

She had an array of different sized tuning forks but only ever used 2 at any one time. She would strike the forks on a pad type thing to get them vibrating and then held the tips to various points on my body. This was not as loud as you might think, or annoying having a thump-thump precede each application point. I got used to the sound as it became a rhythm. Once she just held them close to my ears so I could hear and feel them. That was most interesting of all because I felt muscles loosen and shift even though the fork were not touching me physically. She also did some brutal myofascial work on my legs so the gentleness of the forks was greatly appreciated.

Overall, it was a good session. I have not had more than mild improvement of my complaints, but it was very relaxing and enjoyable, so the small amount of change is acceptable to me. I will definitely work with Sheila again. If you would like to experience this treatment, email me and I will gladly give you Sheila's contact information.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Valentine's Day Spa Night & Party

Saturday, February 14th @ 9PM until about 1am.

Instead of the Sensual Repast, the Little Red Day Spa will be holding a special event that will be part Couple's Night, part Sensual Repast, part Little Red Studio.

Here is what Jeff wrote in the newsletter:

Valentine's Day is on Saturday this year and I know you are all wishing you had something really fun and fresh to do with and for your Sweetie. Well, we are offering something special at the Spa. We have a special evening planned that is only for couples, of all persuasions, of course.

Starting at 9:00 Sophie will have the spa ready for an evening of food and fun. While we are not preparing a feast like the Sensual Repast, we will have heavy hors devours and lots of chocolate and desserts. In fact, we have something crazy in mind for getting you and yours truly involved in dessert. We will also have a Blues Dance Lesson and some dancing in the upper studio. Sophie will be encouraging everyone to Hot Tub, massage and body paint.

Then, around midnight, the cast from the Red Show will be coming over to party after their show. It will definitely be a wet and wild night.

Cost: $50 per person

Note: To reserve tickets you must call the office at 206-328-4758.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Ladies' Spa Night!

Tonight is Ladies' Night at the Little Red Day Spa!

I hope you will join me from 6 - 9pm as it is the first Monday of the month. Tonight we will have a new salt scrub. I am ushering in spring's scrub early as pomegranates are going out of season. The few I have been able to find have been small and anemic.

I also discovered the the variety of strawberries generally used for freezing are quite juicy. Add to their genetics that they are picked in their prime and then frozen gives a better flavor than I have experienced with standard grocery store fresh strawberries, since they are usually picked so that they ripen en route. Of course, local strawberries from the farmer's market are a completely different animal. I look forward when I can use those later in the year.

These nights are designed to be a casual and social evening. There will be a practitioner, usually myself, present to make you feel welcome and facilitate use of the spa's equipment. There will be areas set up for clay, salt scrubs and massage for you and your friends to pamper each other. For an extra fee, one can get a short massage or watsu during the evening from our massage therapist on staff.

Please call 206-963-0772 or e-mail Sophia@hengststudio.com for more information.

Ladies' Spa Night - 1st Monday of the Month!
Drop In: 6-9pm
Cost: $15
Little Red Day Spa
1506 Franklin Ave. E. Seattle

Please park on the street so that our parking spaces are available for guests with mobility difficulties.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Rumors about Valentine's Day Sensual Repast

We are getting more requests for spa sessions than we are getting reservations for the Sensual Repast on February 14th. Kerry in the main office has let me know that we don't have the minimum number of reservations yet. This is not uncommon, as people tend to make reservations for the dinner the week before, anyway. However, I have been turning down people who want spa sessions on the evening of the 14th because a Repast is scheduled.

For the above reasons, last night Kerry said that a decision of whether to hold or cancel the Feb. 14th Sensual Repast will be made within the next day or two. If you were thinking of attending the Sensual Repast as a Valentine's Day treat for your sweetie, I highly suggest that you put in a call to Kerry at (206)328-4758today or first thing Monday morning in order to secure a reservation. I will keep everyone updated as soon as I hear what decision was reached.

I have to admit, I am ambivalent as to what I want to happen. I love doing the Sensual Repast dinners, as the conversation and food is always of the highest caliber. Christina, one of the Little Red Studio troupe members who is a vocalist, is invited to sing during dinner and she told me of the luscious aria that she had picked out. An incredible night has been planned.

But if Repast is canceled, I will get to do spa sessions with couples instead, that is always a joy. There are few things better than sharing my knowledge with people so that they can take those tips and tricks home to pamper each other.

Sharing joy. Either way, I win.