Queer artist, David A. Gaines, is drawing upon a broad range of his artistry experience for the premiere of “Gabardine,” Feb. 14-16 at Icebox Project Space. Exploring issues of Black grief, inner healing, shame and joy, the experimental solo show blends live poetry with immersive sound and film projections to explore the complexities and challenge audience perceptions of those issues.
For Philly native Gaines, who is a writer, actor and director, this performance brings together many aspects of his creative disciplines.
“This is the first time I’ve put together an art project that is challenging me on every front creatively, and I’m so grateful to be doing it with such an amazing team,” he said, referring to his collaborators, director Brooke O’Harra and production company, Ugly Art Films. “I couldn’t do this without them. But really, this project is me making my kind of thesis statement to the world saying that all these disciplines, the acting, the poetry, the performance and the filmmaking — they are all poetry. They’re all coming from the same place and the disciplines. The expressions are just different languages that are expressing the poetry. I’m really excited for it.”
When asked about how and if the visual aspects might possibly compete with or distract from the poetry itself, Gaines said that risk is what makes a performance like this worthwhile.
“Because I sit in this rare intersection of so many poetry and film communities, I recognize the different ways that folks engage with film and poetry and theatres, which is vastly different,” he said. “It is so much easier for folks to go see a movie in the theaters versus a poetry feature or even a play. And I’m hyper-aware of the accessibility concerns that vary in each discipline. Poetry demands all of your attention whereas [with] watching something, you know you can put something on in the background and still go about your life. So yeah, I am very aware of the way that bringing audio and bringing video can complicate the digestion of my work and I think that my answer to that dilemma is to give it to you in all the forms and you can decide which form works best for you. So, if you enjoy film, you have ‘Gabardine,’ the short film. If you like theater, you have this poetry show. I’m really trying to meet folks where they are, which is very different from how I used to operate, which was very much like I’m going to make whatever I want to make. However, I want to make it and folks will find it. Now, I’m much more intentional about making things as easy as possible for my audience.”
As for the significance of the title, “Gabardine,” you’re just going to have to show up for the performance to find out. Gaines is keeping that information close to the vest.
“I can’t give away all the goodies,” he said. “I will say that everyone has their Gabardine. Everyone has something, a word that maybe is nonsense and maybe has no inherent meaning to anyone but you. But for you, it means the world. And so, throughout this show, I will reveal what my Gabardine is, and my hope is for audiences to recognize and own their Gabardine for themselves.”
Even though “Gabardine” comes from a personal place for Gaines, he hopes audiences of all kinds will be able to relate to the journey he takes them on.
“My hope is that audiences will leave ultimately feeling inspired, feeling encouraged to conquer their own demons, to survive whatever it is they are overcoming in their own lives, and if there is a message that I hope ‘Gabardine’ can communicate to everyone who sees it, it’s that there is no bad part of you,” he said. “Every part of you that maybe even has self-destructive expressions is speaking to an unmet need inside of you, and therefore it’s not inherently bad. I would love for audiences to walk away overall just feeling better about themselves, not in a romantic way, not in a way that ignores the very real problems and struggles and oppressive forces that folks are navigating, but that allows them to sit with all of that and still choose joy, laughter, community and connection.”
Painted Bride presents “Gabardine” Feb. 14-16 at Icebox Project Space, 1400 N. American St. For more information visit paintedbride.org or davidagaines.com.