The Life and Death of a Showgirl

showgirls if

[showgirls-if]

[DEMO TBA] [PLAYLIST]

In 1974, you arrive in Las Vegas at twenty-three years old with a suitcase, little money, and no firm plan for what comes next.

You enter The Sweet Escape looking for a telephone and walk straight into an open audition. At the end of the day, you have a job as a showgirl.

For a while, it feels like luck.

The Sweet Escape is an aging hotel-casino built during the early years of Las Vegas and expanded during the city’s golden age. Its showroom is known for feathers, rhinestones, beautiful women, and a fantasy that continues long after the curtain closes.

But under its new owners, that fantasy has become increasingly dangerous.

At The Sweet Escape, every woman is replaceable.

And you may be next.

The Life and Death of a Showgirl is an 18+ interactive fiction story set in 1975.

Play as a 23-year-old female MC with a customizable appearance.

Choose the MC’s race, ethnicity, skin tone, home region, state, family circumstances, and reason for leaving home.

Develop a dynamic personality through your choices.

Rise or fall in popularity as a performer.

Build friendships, rivalries, and hostile relationships with the women and employees of The Sweet Escape.

Navigate the club’s fees, appearance rules, backstage hierarchy, private customer arrangements, and performer housing.

Explore consensual relationships, casual encounters, toxic romances, and a polyamorous route.

Reach good, bad, and deadly endings.

Donna or Daniel — The Journalist [Bio]

A gender-selectable, twenty-five-year-old journalist from New York who comes to Las Vegas to write a feature about the Strip.

Serious, snarky, adaptable, and skilled at lying, Donna/Daniel wants to become an investigative journalist. They are willing to cross lines for the story that could finally establish their career.

Dante — The Mobster [Bio]

A thirty-year-old Italian mobster who acts as a liaison between The Sweet Escape and the men who secretly own it.

Dante is violent, ambitious, possessive, and genuinely romantic. He believes the casino’s current owners are mismanaging it and plans to take control one way or another.

Jacqueline — The Choreographer [Bio]

The forty-six-year-old French choreographer responsible for The Sweet Escape’s revue.

Jacqueline is a former ballet dancer and showgirl who has worked at the casino for decades. Guarded, demanding, and closely tied to the club, she has several reasons for keeping the MC at a distance.

Marcia and Franklin — The Forbidden Poly Route [Bio][Bio]

Marcia is a twenty-three-year-old Las Vegas native and the estranged daughter of a wealthy man. She is determined to become a showgirl despite having other options available to her.

Franklin is a twenty-five-year-old security guard who has worked at The Sweet Escape for five years. He and Marcia share a relationship they cannot allow management to discover.

Then they both begin falling for you.

None of you know what to do about it.

The Life and Death of a Showgirl is intended for adults and will contain mature and potentially upsetting material.

Planned subjects include:

murder and death

suicide and staged suicide

drug use and fatal overdose

sexual exploitation and coerced sex work

sexual assault and harassment

workplace abuse and retaliation

physical violence and hidden injuries

organized crime and money laundering

police and institutional corruption

misogyny and gender discrimination

racism, colorism, racial fetishization, and interracial relationship prejudice

homophobia

reproductive control

age-gap relationships

toxic, controlling, and possessive romance

blackmail

@interact-if

@if-news-again

[showgirls-if]

I think I am gonna make sims of the Ro's tomorrow to show how they look. Normally I'd draw them, but I'm waiting on a new drawing tablet to come in the mail.

[showgirls-if]

I am now beginning to write the prologue! I am gonna lock in and hopefully get it done soon.

[showgirls-if]

I am no longer writing the prologue. 1 because I've created a problem for myself that I now need to fix and 2 because I've been up all night.

[showgirls-if]

I am now beginning to write the prologue! I am gonna lock in and hopefully get it done soon.

[showgirls-if]

Hiii you can ignore this if you you want but i’m curious on what personality we can play as can we be flirtatious or maybe even a bit feisty and stubborn?

The MC can be kind or ruthless, reserved or bold, cautious or reckless, playful or serious, and hopeful or cynical.

[showgirls-if]

Franklin Hayes — The Security Guard

Age: 25 Born: 1949 Race: Black Height: 6'1" Occupation: Security guard at The Sweet Escape Romance route: Poly route Face claim: Damson Idris

Franklin has warm brown skin, brown eyes, short dark hair, and a fit build. His height makes him look intimidating at first glance, though his natural manner is much gentler.

He comes from a close, stable Black family and grew up with an older sister, Loretta, and a younger brother, Calvin. Franklin is especially protective of Calvin and, as the oldest son, grew up feeling responsible for setting a good example for him.

His father served in World War II and raised Franklin to be polite, dependable, restrained, and careful about how he behaved in public. Franklin learned early that a Black man could be judged as threatening for behavior that would be ignored in a white man.

Growing up, Franklin was easygoing, funny, and social. He liked flirting, making people laugh, and spending time with his family. He expected a fairly ordinary future for himself and had no particular interest in fighting or joining the military.

At nineteen, Franklin was drafted into the Army and sent to Vietnam as an infantryman.

During a night operation, his unit came under attack, and his closest friend was badly wounded. Franklin dragged him into cover and spent hours trying to stop the bleeding while evacuation was delayed. His friend died before help arrived.

By daylight, Franklin was confronted with the full aftermath of the attack among both his unit and nearby civilians. He helped deal with the dead and wounded before continuing with his unit.

Franklin returned to the United States around 1970 as a noticeably different man. He has trouble sleeping, wakes easily, keeps track of exits, and reacts strongly to sudden sounds. Blood and serious injuries can bring back memories of the night his friend died. He also carries guilt over the people he could not save and the things he did while following orders.

His father struggles to understand why Franklin cannot simply move forward. Having returned from his own war, found work, and supported a family, he expects his son to do the same. Franklin respects his father, but the difference between their experiences makes Vietnam one subject they cannot discuss honestly with each other.

His service also left him distrustful of both the government and the military. Franklin does not romanticize what he did overseas and dislikes people assuming that being a veteran makes him naturally violent.

Soon after returning home, Franklin begins working security at The Sweet Escape.

The job suits some of the skills he brought back with him. Franklin is observant, knows how to stay functional during dangerous situations, and can handle aggressive or intoxicated guests without immediately resorting to violence. After several years at the hotel, he knows its employee corridors, restricted areas, security routines, and staff well.

Franklin is sweet, protective, patient, and considerate. He dislikes violence and especially dislikes being treated as though his size or military background makes aggression part of his personality.

He has not completely lost the person he was before being drafted. Franklin still likes joking, flirting, and being affectionate, particularly around people he trusts. He is more guarded than he used to be, but he does not want every part of his life defined by Vietnam.

He is deeply afraid of causing another death and can become overly responsible for the safety of people around him. When something goes wrong, his first instinct is often to ask what he could have done differently.

A romance with Franklin means getting close to a gentle man who still wants love, laughter, and an ordinary life, even when part of him remains convinced that anything good can disappear without warning.

[showgirls-if]

Marcia “Honey” Caldwell — The Showgirl

Age: 23 Born: Las Vegas, Nevada Race: White Occupation: Showgirl at The Sweet Escape Romance route: Poly route Face claim: Sabrina Carpenter

Marcia is short, blonde, fair-skinned, and blue-eyed. Her height works against her as a showgirl, but her face, figure, dance training, confidence, and ability to command attention are enough to get her onto The Sweet Escape’s stage.

The club gives her the stage name Honey, fitting both her appearance and the sweet, flirtatious image she presents to guests.

Marcia was born and raised in Las Vegas in a wealthy family whose fortune began in oil. The Caldwells moved into the city’s growing business world, and her father eventually entered politics, becoming increasingly concerned with respectability and the family name.

Marcia grew up fascinated by the showgirls she saw throughout Las Vegas. The costumes, advertisements, photographs, and enormous stage productions made them seem like stars to her, and becoming one was something she wanted long before she was old enough to audition.

Her father considered showgirl work embarrassing and sexually improper. He expected Marcia to marry well and remain within the wealthy social world she had been raised in. Their disagreement eventually led to Marcia leaving home and cutting contact with him.

Her mother is less willing to challenge her husband openly, but quietly remains in Marcia’s life and sends her money when she needs it. Marcia depends on that support more than she likes to admit.

She auditions for The Sweet Escape in 1974. Despite being shorter than the women normally hired for the revue, Marcia has trained seriously and knows how to perform. She is comfortable with the sexuality of the job and loves the spectacle surrounding it.

Marcia is a bold and enthusiastic performer. She likes being watched, loves the costumes, and has little difficulty committing to the fantasy being sold from the stage. The bubbly, flirtatious woman guests see is not very different from the person she is backstage.

She is socially open, affectionate, and quick to make friends. Marcia likes teasing people, giving compliments, gossiping, and inserting herself into other people’s company rather than waiting to be invited.

Once she cares about someone, she is fiercely loyal. She checks in on her friends, defends them, and wants to help when something goes wrong, even when she does not necessarily understand the situation as well as she thinks she does.

Growing up wealthy and sheltered has left Marcia with serious gaps in her understanding of other people’s lives. Poverty, racism, workplace exploitation, and the limited choices available to some of the women around her can be difficult for her to grasp. She occasionally says something careless because a solution that seems obvious from her position is not actually available to everyone else.

Marcia is not intentionally cruel, and she is capable of recognizing when she has gotten something wrong. She listens, apologizes, and tries not to repeat the same mistake once someone explains it to her.

A romance with Marcia means getting close to someone affectionate, open-hearted, and eager to love freely, even while she is still learning how different the world looks outside the life she was raised in.

[showgirls-if]

How long have Marcia and Franklin been together? Are we allowed to know how it started?

They've known each other for almost a year when the game starts. They've been in between friendship and a romance during that time. You'll be able to learn how they met and what's keeping them from committing as you play.

[showgirls-if]

Franklin Hayes — The Security Guard

Age: 25 Born: 1949 Race: Black Height: 6'1" Occupation: Security guard at The Sweet Escape Romance route: Poly route Face claim: Damson Idris

Franklin has warm brown skin, brown eyes, short dark hair, and a fit build. His height makes him look intimidating at first glance, though his natural manner is much gentler.

He comes from a close, stable Black family and grew up with an older sister, Loretta, and a younger brother, Calvin. Franklin is especially protective of Calvin and, as the oldest son, grew up feeling responsible for setting a good example for him.

His father served in World War II and raised Franklin to be polite, dependable, restrained, and careful about how he behaved in public. Franklin learned early that a Black man could be judged as threatening for behavior that would be ignored in a white man.

Growing up, Franklin was easygoing, funny, and social. He liked flirting, making people laugh, and spending time with his family. He expected a fairly ordinary future for himself and had no particular interest in fighting or joining the military.

At nineteen, Franklin was drafted into the Army and sent to Vietnam as an infantryman.

During a night operation, his unit came under attack, and his closest friend was badly wounded. Franklin dragged him into cover and spent hours trying to stop the bleeding while evacuation was delayed. His friend died before help arrived.

By daylight, Franklin was confronted with the full aftermath of the attack among both his unit and nearby civilians. He helped deal with the dead and wounded before continuing with his unit.

Franklin returned to the United States around 1970 as a noticeably different man. He has trouble sleeping, wakes easily, keeps track of exits, and reacts strongly to sudden sounds. Blood and serious injuries can bring back memories of the night his friend died. He also carries guilt over the people he could not save and the things he did while following orders.

His father struggles to understand why Franklin cannot simply move forward. Having returned from his own war, found work, and supported a family, he expects his son to do the same. Franklin respects his father, but the difference between their experiences makes Vietnam one subject they cannot discuss honestly with each other.

His service also left him distrustful of both the government and the military. Franklin does not romanticize what he did overseas and dislikes people assuming that being a veteran makes him naturally violent.

Soon after returning home, Franklin begins working security at The Sweet Escape.

The job suits some of the skills he brought back with him. Franklin is observant, knows how to stay functional during dangerous situations, and can handle aggressive or intoxicated guests without immediately resorting to violence. After several years at the hotel, he knows its employee corridors, restricted areas, security routines, and staff well.

Franklin is sweet, protective, patient, and considerate. He dislikes violence and especially dislikes being treated as though his size or military background makes aggression part of his personality.

He has not completely lost the person he was before being drafted. Franklin still likes joking, flirting, and being affectionate, particularly around people he trusts. He is more guarded than he used to be, but he does not want every part of his life defined by Vietnam.

He is deeply afraid of causing another death and can become overly responsible for the safety of people around him. When something goes wrong, his first instinct is often to ask what he could have done differently.

A romance with Franklin means getting close to a gentle man who still wants love, laughter, and an ordinary life, even when part of him remains convinced that anything good can disappear without warning.

[showgirls-if]

Marcia “Honey” Caldwell — The Showgirl

Age: 23 Born: Las Vegas, Nevada Race: White Occupation: Showgirl at The Sweet Escape Romance route: Poly route Face claim: Sabrina Carpenter

Marcia is short, blonde, fair-skinned, and blue-eyed. Her height works against her as a showgirl, but her face, figure, dance training, confidence, and ability to command attention are enough to get her onto The Sweet Escape’s stage.

The club gives her the stage name Honey, fitting both her appearance and the sweet, flirtatious image she presents to guests.

Marcia was born and raised in Las Vegas in a wealthy family whose fortune began in oil. The Caldwells moved into the city’s growing business world, and her father eventually entered politics, becoming increasingly concerned with respectability and the family name.

Marcia grew up fascinated by the showgirls she saw throughout Las Vegas. The costumes, advertisements, photographs, and enormous stage productions made them seem like stars to her, and becoming one was something she wanted long before she was old enough to audition.

Her father considered showgirl work embarrassing and sexually improper. He expected Marcia to marry well and remain within the wealthy social world she had been raised in. Their disagreement eventually led to Marcia leaving home and cutting contact with him.

Her mother is less willing to challenge her husband openly, but quietly remains in Marcia’s life and sends her money when she needs it. Marcia depends on that support more than she likes to admit.

She auditions for The Sweet Escape in 1974. Despite being shorter than the women normally hired for the revue, Marcia has trained seriously and knows how to perform. She is comfortable with the sexuality of the job and loves the spectacle surrounding it.

Marcia is a bold and enthusiastic performer. She likes being watched, loves the costumes, and has little difficulty committing to the fantasy being sold from the stage. The bubbly, flirtatious woman guests see is not very different from the person she is backstage.

She is socially open, affectionate, and quick to make friends. Marcia likes teasing people, giving compliments, gossiping, and inserting herself into other people’s company rather than waiting to be invited.

Once she cares about someone, she is fiercely loyal. She checks in on her friends, defends them, and wants to help when something goes wrong, even when she does not necessarily understand the situation as well as she thinks she does.

Growing up wealthy and sheltered has left Marcia with serious gaps in her understanding of other people’s lives. Poverty, racism, workplace exploitation, and the limited choices available to some of the women around her can be difficult for her to grasp. She occasionally says something careless because a solution that seems obvious from her position is not actually available to everyone else.

Marcia is not intentionally cruel, and she is capable of recognizing when she has gotten something wrong. She listens, apologizes, and tries not to repeat the same mistake once someone explains it to her.

A romance with Marcia means getting close to someone affectionate, open-hearted, and eager to love freely, even while she is still learning how different the world looks outside the life she was raised in.

[showgirls-if]

Franklin Hayes — The Security Guard

Age: 25 Born: 1949 Race: Black Height: 6'1" Occupation: Security guard at The Sweet Escape Romance route: Poly route Face claim: Damson Idris

Franklin has warm brown skin, brown eyes, short dark hair, and a fit build. His height makes him look intimidating at first glance, though his natural manner is much gentler.

He comes from a close, stable Black family and grew up with an older sister, Loretta, and a younger brother, Calvin. Franklin is especially protective of Calvin and, as the oldest son, grew up feeling responsible for setting a good example for him.

His father served in World War II and raised Franklin to be polite, dependable, restrained, and careful about how he behaved in public. Franklin learned early that a Black man could be judged as threatening for behavior that would be ignored in a white man.

Growing up, Franklin was easygoing, funny, and social. He liked flirting, making people laugh, and spending time with his family. He expected a fairly ordinary future for himself and had no particular interest in fighting or joining the military.

At nineteen, Franklin was drafted into the Army and sent to Vietnam as an infantryman.

During a night operation, his unit came under attack, and his closest friend was badly wounded. Franklin dragged him into cover and spent hours trying to stop the bleeding while evacuation was delayed. His friend died before help arrived.

By daylight, Franklin was confronted with the full aftermath of the attack among both his unit and nearby civilians. He helped deal with the dead and wounded before continuing with his unit.

Franklin returned to the United States around 1970 as a noticeably different man. He has trouble sleeping, wakes easily, keeps track of exits, and reacts strongly to sudden sounds. Blood and serious injuries can bring back memories of the night his friend died. He also carries guilt over the people he could not save and the things he did while following orders.

His father struggles to understand why Franklin cannot simply move forward. Having returned from his own war, found work, and supported a family, he expects his son to do the same. Franklin respects his father, but the difference between their experiences makes Vietnam one subject they cannot discuss honestly with each other.

His service also left him distrustful of both the government and the military. Franklin does not romanticize what he did overseas and dislikes people assuming that being a veteran makes him naturally violent.

Soon after returning home, Franklin begins working security at The Sweet Escape.

The job suits some of the skills he brought back with him. Franklin is observant, knows how to stay functional during dangerous situations, and can handle aggressive or intoxicated guests without immediately resorting to violence. After several years at the hotel, he knows its employee corridors, restricted areas, security routines, and staff well.

Franklin is sweet, protective, patient, and considerate. He dislikes violence and especially dislikes being treated as though his size or military background makes aggression part of his personality.

He has not completely lost the person he was before being drafted. Franklin still likes joking, flirting, and being affectionate, particularly around people he trusts. He is more guarded than he used to be, but he does not want every part of his life defined by Vietnam.

He is deeply afraid of causing another death and can become overly responsible for the safety of people around him. When something goes wrong, his first instinct is often to ask what he could have done differently.

A romance with Franklin means getting close to a gentle man who still wants love, laughter, and an ordinary life, even when part of him remains convinced that anything good can disappear without warning.

[showgirls-if]

Marcia “Honey” Caldwell — The Showgirl

Age: 23 Born: Las Vegas, Nevada Race: White Occupation: Showgirl at The Sweet Escape Romance route: Poly route Face claim: Sabrina Carpenter

Marcia is short, blonde, fair-skinned, and blue-eyed. Her height works against her as a showgirl, but her face, figure, dance training, confidence, and ability to command attention are enough to get her onto The Sweet Escape’s stage.

The club gives her the stage name Honey, fitting both her appearance and the sweet, flirtatious image she presents to guests.

Marcia was born and raised in Las Vegas in a wealthy family whose fortune began in oil. The Caldwells moved into the city’s growing business world, and her father eventually entered politics, becoming increasingly concerned with respectability and the family name.

Marcia grew up fascinated by the showgirls she saw throughout Las Vegas. The costumes, advertisements, photographs, and enormous stage productions made them seem like stars to her, and becoming one was something she wanted long before she was old enough to audition.

Her father considered showgirl work embarrassing and sexually improper. He expected Marcia to marry well and remain within the wealthy social world she had been raised in. Their disagreement eventually led to Marcia leaving home and cutting contact with him.

Her mother is less willing to challenge her husband openly, but quietly remains in Marcia’s life and sends her money when she needs it. Marcia depends on that support more than she likes to admit.

She auditions for The Sweet Escape in 1974. Despite being shorter than the women normally hired for the revue, Marcia has trained seriously and knows how to perform. She is comfortable with the sexuality of the job and loves the spectacle surrounding it.

Marcia is a bold and enthusiastic performer. She likes being watched, loves the costumes, and has little difficulty committing to the fantasy being sold from the stage. The bubbly, flirtatious woman guests see is not very different from the person she is backstage.

She is socially open, affectionate, and quick to make friends. Marcia likes teasing people, giving compliments, gossiping, and inserting herself into other people’s company rather than waiting to be invited.

Once she cares about someone, she is fiercely loyal. She checks in on her friends, defends them, and wants to help when something goes wrong, even when she does not necessarily understand the situation as well as she thinks she does.

Growing up wealthy and sheltered has left Marcia with serious gaps in her understanding of other people’s lives. Poverty, racism, workplace exploitation, and the limited choices available to some of the women around her can be difficult for her to grasp. She occasionally says something careless because a solution that seems obvious from her position is not actually available to everyone else.

Marcia is not intentionally cruel, and she is capable of recognizing when she has gotten something wrong. She listens, apologizes, and tries not to repeat the same mistake once someone explains it to her.

A romance with Marcia means getting close to someone affectionate, open-hearted, and eager to love freely, even while she is still learning how different the world looks outside the life she was raised in.

[showgirls-if]

Franklin Hayes — The Security Guard

Age: 25 Born: 1949 Race: Black Height: 6'1" Occupation: Security guard at The Sweet Escape Romance route: Poly route Face claim: Damson Idris

Franklin has warm brown skin, brown eyes, short dark hair, and a fit build. His height makes him look intimidating at first glance, though his natural manner is much gentler.

He comes from a close, stable Black family and grew up with an older sister, Loretta, and a younger brother, Calvin. Franklin is especially protective of Calvin and, as the oldest son, grew up feeling responsible for setting a good example for him.

His father served in World War II and raised Franklin to be polite, dependable, restrained, and careful about how he behaved in public. Franklin learned early that a Black man could be judged as threatening for behavior that would be ignored in a white man.

Growing up, Franklin was easygoing, funny, and social. He liked flirting, making people laugh, and spending time with his family. He expected a fairly ordinary future for himself and had no particular interest in fighting or joining the military.

At nineteen, Franklin was drafted into the Army and sent to Vietnam as an infantryman.

During a night operation, his unit came under attack, and his closest friend was badly wounded. Franklin dragged him into cover and spent hours trying to stop the bleeding while evacuation was delayed. His friend died before help arrived.

By daylight, Franklin was confronted with the full aftermath of the attack among both his unit and nearby civilians. He helped deal with the dead and wounded before continuing with his unit.

Franklin returned to the United States around 1970 as a noticeably different man. He has trouble sleeping, wakes easily, keeps track of exits, and reacts strongly to sudden sounds. Blood and serious injuries can bring back memories of the night his friend died. He also carries guilt over the people he could not save and the things he did while following orders.

His father struggles to understand why Franklin cannot simply move forward. Having returned from his own war, found work, and supported a family, he expects his son to do the same. Franklin respects his father, but the difference between their experiences makes Vietnam one subject they cannot discuss honestly with each other.

His service also left him distrustful of both the government and the military. Franklin does not romanticize what he did overseas and dislikes people assuming that being a veteran makes him naturally violent.

Soon after returning home, Franklin begins working security at The Sweet Escape.

The job suits some of the skills he brought back with him. Franklin is observant, knows how to stay functional during dangerous situations, and can handle aggressive or intoxicated guests without immediately resorting to violence. After several years at the hotel, he knows its employee corridors, restricted areas, security routines, and staff well.

Franklin is sweet, protective, patient, and considerate. He dislikes violence and especially dislikes being treated as though his size or military background makes aggression part of his personality.

He has not completely lost the person he was before being drafted. Franklin still likes joking, flirting, and being affectionate, particularly around people he trusts. He is more guarded than he used to be, but he does not want every part of his life defined by Vietnam.

He is deeply afraid of causing another death and can become overly responsible for the safety of people around him. When something goes wrong, his first instinct is often to ask what he could have done differently.

A romance with Franklin means getting close to a gentle man who still wants love, laughter, and an ordinary life, even when part of him remains convinced that anything good can disappear without warning.

[showgirls-if]

Marcia “Honey” Caldwell — The Showgirl

Age: 23 Born: Las Vegas, Nevada Race: White Occupation: Showgirl at The Sweet Escape Romance route: Poly route Face claim: Sabrina Carpenter

Marcia is short, blonde, fair-skinned, and blue-eyed. Her height works against her as a showgirl, but her face, figure, dance training, confidence, and ability to command attention are enough to get her onto The Sweet Escape’s stage.

The club gives her the stage name Honey, fitting both her appearance and the sweet, flirtatious image she presents to guests.

Marcia was born and raised in Las Vegas in a wealthy family whose fortune began in oil. The Caldwells moved into the city’s growing business world, and her father eventually entered politics, becoming increasingly concerned with respectability and the family name.

Marcia grew up fascinated by the showgirls she saw throughout Las Vegas. The costumes, advertisements, photographs, and enormous stage productions made them seem like stars to her, and becoming one was something she wanted long before she was old enough to audition.

Her father considered showgirl work embarrassing and sexually improper. He expected Marcia to marry well and remain within the wealthy social world she had been raised in. Their disagreement eventually led to Marcia leaving home and cutting contact with him.

Her mother is less willing to challenge her husband openly, but quietly remains in Marcia’s life and sends her money when she needs it. Marcia depends on that support more than she likes to admit.

She auditions for The Sweet Escape in 1974. Despite being shorter than the women normally hired for the revue, Marcia has trained seriously and knows how to perform. She is comfortable with the sexuality of the job and loves the spectacle surrounding it.

Marcia is a bold and enthusiastic performer. She likes being watched, loves the costumes, and has little difficulty committing to the fantasy being sold from the stage. The bubbly, flirtatious woman guests see is not very different from the person she is backstage.

She is socially open, affectionate, and quick to make friends. Marcia likes teasing people, giving compliments, gossiping, and inserting herself into other people’s company rather than waiting to be invited.

Once she cares about someone, she is fiercely loyal. She checks in on her friends, defends them, and wants to help when something goes wrong, even when she does not necessarily understand the situation as well as she thinks she does.

Growing up wealthy and sheltered has left Marcia with serious gaps in her understanding of other people’s lives. Poverty, racism, workplace exploitation, and the limited choices available to some of the women around her can be difficult for her to grasp. She occasionally says something careless because a solution that seems obvious from her position is not actually available to everyone else.

Marcia is not intentionally cruel, and she is capable of recognizing when she has gotten something wrong. She listens, apologizes, and tries not to repeat the same mistake once someone explains it to her.

A romance with Marcia means getting close to someone affectionate, open-hearted, and eager to love freely, even while she is still learning how different the world looks outside the life she was raised in.

[showgirls-if]

The next characters to be introduced will be Marcia and Franklin.

[showgirls-if]

Jacqueline Halévy — The Choreographer

Nationality: French Ethnicity: Jewish Home city: Paris, France Height: 5'9" Occupation: Choreographer and production director for The Sweet Escape’s revue Romance route: Individual route Face claim: Eva Green

Jacqueline has fair skin, blue-green eyes, and long brown hair worn in a full, carefully maintained blowout. She retains the posture, flexibility, and build of a trained dancer, though she is fuller through her chest and hips than she was during her years onstage.

She keeps up with fashion without trying to dress like the younger women, favoring tailored 1970s clothing, heels, expensive accessories, and the fur coats and stoles collected during the most successful years of her career.

Jacqueline was born in Paris in 1929, the only child of a wealthy Jewish family. During the German occupation, her father used the family’s money and connections to assist the French Resistance and help people obtain forged documents and escape persecution.

In 1943, when Jacqueline was fourteen, her parents learned that their family was in danger. They arranged for her to leave France under a false identity and sent her through occupied Europe before she eventually reached New York.

She believed her parents would follow her.

They never did.

A family friend took Jacqueline in after she arrived in New York. She spoke little English and continued practicing ballet while adjusting to the city. Once old enough to support herself, she taught dance while auditioning for ballet companies, Broadway productions, and other professional work.

Jacqueline eventually moved into commercial dance and relocated to California near the end of the 1940s in hopes of finding steadier work in Hollywood. She found jobs as an extra and dancer, but never built the film career she expected.

A film production brought her to Las Vegas in the mid-1950s. Another dancer suggested she audition for The Sweet Escape, where Jacqueline’s height, appearance, and extensive training made her well-suited to the revue.

She was hired and stayed.

Jacqueline became one of The Sweet Escape’s biggest stars, appearing at the forefront of its French-inspired productions and topless revues. She received featured numbers, elaborate costumes, advertising work, and promotional photographs. Images from her performing years can still be found throughout the property in 1975.

Her dance ability also made her useful behind the scenes. As her career progressed, choreographers relied on her to teach difficult sections, correct formations, and solve problems involving costumes, sets, and staging.

At forty, Jacqueline retired from performing by choice. After spending years watching how quickly Las Vegas replaced its female stars, she had no intention of waiting for someone else to decide when her career was finished.

She moved into choreography and gradually took greater control over The Sweet Escape’s productions. By 1975, she had developed routines, cast featured roles, planned formations, worked with wardrobe and set designers, and determined how each production would actually function onstage.

Management decides what kind of show it wants. Jacqueline is expected to make it work.

She resents interference from people who know little about performance, particularly when weeks of choreography, costume work, and rehearsal are discarded because management changes its mind, wants something cheaper, or decides the show is not sexual enough.

Jacqueline is demanding, impatient, and difficult to impress. She expects dancers to arrive prepared, remember corrections, and keep up with the choreography. Beauty may earn someone an audition, but technical ability earns her respect.

She also knows exactly what the work demands physically. Jacqueline notices injuries, exhaustion, dangerous costumes, and movement that puts a performer at unnecessary risk. She will alter choreography, argue with wardrobe, or remove someone from a number when necessary.

She cares about the dancers without treating them like her children. Jacqueline maintains professional distance, and her approval usually appears through better positions, harder choreography, and greater responsibility rather than open affection.

Outside rehearsal, she is guarded, private, intelligent, disciplined, and proud. She has little patience for unnecessary conflict and expects personal problems to remain outside the showroom unless they begin affecting the production.

Her sense of humor can catch people off guard. Jacqueline has an unfortunate fondness for puns, usually delivered with such a straight expression that it can be difficult to tell whether she intended to make a joke.

More than thirty years after leaving France, she still considers herself French. Her accent has softened without disappearing. She continues to read in French, and, despite having lived most of her life in America, she has never found Paris irrelevant to who she is.

Most of Jacqueline’s past relationships have been with men. None left her particularly convinced that romance was something she needed, and she has spent much of her adult life placing her career before her personal relationships.

A romance with Jacqueline is a slow burn with a woman who has spent decades building a life around independence, discipline, and work—and who is not accustomed to having anyone get particularly close.

[showgirls-if]

Has Jacqueline or any of the LIs ever been romantically or intimately involved with Dante?

None of them have even met him, and I don't know how much their paths would even cross while playing.