Natalie Chudnovsky

Some dancers previously had their sights on unionizing a different L.A. strip club: Jumbo’s Clown Room. But then the pandemic hit.

The 2022 podcast from LAist Studios has been optioned by Participant.

The organizing efforts by the mostly white group of dancers at the North Hollywood raised questions from others in the community about who would really benefit.

In Part 4 of "Imperfect Paradise: The Castle," a historian talks about the on- and off-stage gender dynamics in Western performance magic.

When the summer of 2020 brought a reckoning over diversity and inclusion, hobbyist magician Carly Usdin renewed their commitment to making the club better — just as two members tried to get Carly kicked out. 'Imperfect Paradise: The Castle,' Part 3.

In Part 2 of "Imperfect Paradise: The Castle," Carly Usdin describes the draw — and the drawbacks — of the Magic Castle's old-timey atmosphere.

For one devoted hobbyist magician, the members-only Los Angeles institution was too alluring to resist. But the love faded. 'Imperfect Paradise: The Castle,' Part 1.

Dancers at Star Garden demanded better working conditions — including protection from aggressive guests. Up next: An actual contract.

It's now the only union for strippers in the U.S. A previous strip club that unionized in San Francisco, The Lusty Lady, closed down in 2013.