Best Dominatrix: A noble dungeon mistress

For a new-millennium dominatrix, Oakland’s Mistress Lucinda Archer keeps a low profile. Even though she’s been cracking the whip for eight years, Archer eschews the obligatory bells and whistles that seem to accompany any woman who straps one on these days: the personal Web site crowded by gothic photography, the MySpace site demanding submission, the Tim Burton makeup job. “Keeping it discreet is a goal,” she said recently. “I like to keep my personal life private.” Still, in October, Archer remodeled a warehouse located near the base of the Bay Bridge to help steady the flow of worshiping clients. The dungeon area has concrete floors and high ceilings, the better for suspensions. Another room is modeled after a medical office, where a naughty nurse might perform a checkup. Yet another space is designed in typical Scandinavian furnishings, for those who like to role-play in a familiar domestic bedroom. Mistress Archer has a rep as a “sweet, playful, and sensual” dominatrix, a pleasant hand for newbies. Unless, of course, the rough stuff is on the menu. “The deal is, let’s get together and play,” she said. “What do you like? It’s all about playing and taking someone there.”