SAVE THE CAVE
by Ida cuttler & georgia petersen
by Ida cuttler & georgia petersen
“I don’t know how to deal with being both hot and smart!”
The play follows Pissy Hardling, a former Vegas showgirl, facing down the closure of her bar, The Cave. When Dame Eleanor Poop seeks refuge from the British authorities at the Cave, the two join forces to overcome their respective threats.
Dame Eleanor Poop
One of the central characters is Dame Eleanor Poop, a British aristocrat who arrives in America in absurd fashion—riding her horse across the ocean. This idea emerged during the development process and was proposed by me; I was committed to realizing it and built the horse myself as part of the character’s visual presence. The image draws from photographs of Queen Elizabeth II on horseback and the broader visual language of British aristocracy.
Her costume was built around a system of constantly changing hats—an essential element of aristocratic identity—allowing her character to shift with each situation. A defining detail—a pirate-like eye patch—added a slightly off-balance, almost comic distortion to her otherwise controlled appearance and was ultimately written into the character.
Her costume was built around a system of constantly changing hats—an essential element of aristocratic identity—allowing her character to shift with each situation. A defining detail—a pirate-like eye patch—added a slightly off-balance, almost comic distortion to her otherwise controlled appearance and was ultimately written into the character.
Pissy Hardling
Another central character is Pissy Hardling, a former showgirl who has abandoned her career and initially conceals that past while hiding in the Cave. Her costume begins with an oversized yellow fur coat, which became a key visual anchor, evoking a cave-dwelling, almost animal presence.
As the play unfolds, Eleanor recognizes her past, and this concealment collapses. Pissy reappears in her showgirl identity, using performance to raise money and support her new companion. For this transformation, I constructed a show bra and hat to integrate with a skirt I sourced, completing the look. This shift moves her from heaviness and isolation toward something more exposed and performative.
As the play unfolds, Eleanor recognizes her past, and this concealment collapses. Pissy reappears in her showgirl identity, using performance to raise money and support her new companion. For this transformation, I constructed a show bra and hat to integrate with a skirt I sourced, completing the look. This shift moves her from heaviness and isolation toward something more exposed and performative.
Together, these characters create a world driven by contradiction, humor, and performance—where making and making each other laugh sit at the core.