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This past weekend, Maggie appeared in three performances of a cabaret show at my church. She sang a song and presented a 10-minute monologue. Prior to that she had been at church for two rehearsals in costume. (I previously posted one of her rehearsal pictures.)

My wife took photos of one of the performances (albeit reluctantly, since she is definitely not a fan of Maggie). These photos are on film rather than digital, so I won't know how well they turned out until they are developed. If any are decent I will scan and post them.

I am happy to report that Maggie made a tremendous hit, both before and during her performances. (I then changed into male attire for the end of the show.) Everyone (except my wife) welcomed Maggie enthusiastically - the other cast members, various church members, the audience, and even the minister. It was a flattering experience to have people find Maggie so convincing that they accepted her as if she were an actual female character. I got the feeling that people really, really liked Maggie.

During the show, the master of ceremonies introduced Maggie as as "new member of the church." Going along with the joke, a woman on the membership committee insisted on taking a Polaroid photo of Maggie to include on a special poster board that displays pictures of new members. (Unfortunately, I fear that my wife will not appreciate the humor in this.)

My enjoyment was diminished somewhat by increasing problems I had with my contact lenses while putting on eye makeup for the last two performances. This substantially delayed my transformation. As a result, Maggie did not get as much time as she would have liked to hang out with people before the show.

How do others avoid contact lens problems while applying eye makeup?

Another problem I had was applying artificial nails. I had to put them on before the show, and then remove them during the show to get into a male role. The adhesive tabs I was using were difficult to apply and did not hold very well. So I tried some "temporary" glue that I found in the cosmetics department. Unfortunately, this has left a mess of hardened glue on my nails after I removed the artificial nails.

How do others deal with this? Thanks for any advice you can share.

Congratulations on your performances. Sorry you wife wasn't as enthusiastic.

Not had any experience with glued on nails, however I have used a number of items to remove glue from where it shouldn't be.

Here's a list from the Internet:

Rubbing Alcohol - Very cheap, almost harmless, works on a few glues.

Denatured Alcohol - Dissolves many adhesives and gummy substances, but not as well as mineral spirits. Dries quickly and leaves no residue.

Mineral Spirits - Common ordinary paint thinner. Dissolves most glues. May leave a residue, which can be cleaned with rubbing alcohol.

Goof-Off™ - Very good for removing glues and gummy substances. Expensive

Automotive Brake Cleaner - An excellent solvent, leaves little or no residue, dissolves all sorts of things. May be very flammable. A good thing to have around for really quick spray-cleaning of oily/greasy parts and some clothing.

Acetone - Commonly available as finger nail polish remover. This dissolves some petrochemicals. Work on some glues such as super glue.

Hi Maggie--
Those glue-on fingernails can be a pain! I finally got them to stick better by re-using them, so that they still had some glue from the time before. I was never able to use the actual glue they provided, by the way. The adhesive came from applying small white tabs to my fingernails, which then peeled off and left a thin layer of adhesive on the nail.

When I started having to play an instrument, I had to switch to nail polish. I had to give up that long-nailed look, but it's certainly easier to maintain.
It comes off easily, too.

I'm sorry to hear your wife is not enjoying this at all. She's in an unusual position. Most SOs have to worry about family and friends discovering the secret, but here the presentation is very public--no worries there.

Well, I'm happy for YOU, anyway, because it sounds like you're having a lot of fun. Would your wife ever consider coming on here, and talking about this?
A

Hi Maggie. Glad you shows went over well. Too bad your wife can't relax and enjoy it. Guess she has some real issues. Would be real interesting to know her feelings as people reacted so positively to Maggie.

Maggie,
So happy that the show went on and it went well!!! I have thought about this and - well, I wasn't but I am anyway! Weren't you concerned about who Maggie was and how you and Maggie might get along? At this juncture, I think you may fall more into the category of a "female impersonator" as opposed to a crossdresser? To me there is a profound difference, the "FI" is simply an entertainer, nothing more. If memory serves that was your concern, what road were you following, I can only assume that you may still be inconflict as to where you are. If I have misread your posiiton I humbly apologize and you may take me to the wood shed, but be warned, several of my sisters have taken me to the wood shed and I seem to always survive.
Anyway, congratulations, and "berak a leg, Girl!"
Virginia

Virginia wrote:Weren't you concerned about who Maggie was and how you and Maggie might get along? At this juncture, I think you may fall more into the category of a "female impersonator" as opposed to a crossdresser? To me there is a profound difference, the "FI" is simply an entertainer, nothing more. If memory serves that was your concern, what road were you following, I can only assume that you may still be inconflict as to where you are.

You are correct on all counts, Virginia. I do consider myself to be primarily an actor who plays a wide variety of roles, including female impersonation. In fact, I have included "female impersonation" on my acting resume. I am currently rehearsing for a play at a community theater in which my character is a rapist who is committed to a mental institution. When I am rehearsing this role, I "get into character," but that doesn't make me a rapist.

While I was rehearsing and performing Maggie's role in the recent show, one of the reasons that I was able to appear so convincing as a woman to other people was that I had convinced myself that I was a woman. Since I hadn't done this for quite a while, I had forgotten how much I really enjoyed being Maggie. The fact that she was so convincing and well-received was a further source of pride. Therefore, even though I may not be a typical cross-dresser, Maggie does occupy a special place in my repetoire, and I wish I could do more with her.

I am disappointed that the photos of Maggie's performance taken by my wife were terribly out of focus - not nearly as good as the rehearsal photo I previously posted. Nevertheless, I include a couple here just to give you a foggy idea of how Maggie carried herself as a woman.

Even out of focus - she looks lovely!
Love,
Virginia
PS: If you need references for your resume - "we be here for ya!"