Lesbian
Trans
People of Color
Drag Queen/King
I’ve been dying to get into Gunnar’s head for quite sometime. How can someone make something so grotesque and beautiful at the same time? In college my favorite type of theatre was “Theatre of Cruelty,” The Theatre of Cruelty can be seen as break with traditional Western theatre, and a means by which artists assault the senses of the audience, and allow them to feel the unexpressed emotions of the subconscious.
EXPOSED is like nothing you’ve ever presented before, what makes it different?
I create my shows to be challenging not only for my audiences, but for myself as well. EXPOSED is fashioned as an “inside the actors studio” style production. I’m excited to actually speak into a microphone and share some deep dark secrets about the work I’ve created and the new stuff to come. I find very little opportunity to speak about my work, so I’ve turned the tables on myself to allow the audience to see a different, more intimate side of Gunnar Montana.
Is there a number you’re most fond of from the past?
EXPOSED is a collection of my personal favorites throughout the last four years of my work. They are the crème of my artistic crop! Each dance has its own story and message, and each represents a different piece of me.
If you could have anyone perform (dead or alive) in one of your shows, who would it be?
Hands-down Jessica Rabbit. I’ve choreographed for an assortment of performers from strippers at Delilah’s to drag queens at Voyeur. Cartoon or not, Ms. Rabbit singing “Why Don’t You Do Right” blows everyone out of the water.
You’ve been performing for quite some time in a variety of venues, Do you still get nervous before show time?
Of course!! It’s just as difficult as it is fun to expose yourself on any type of stage. My shows tend to be even more nerve racking for the performers because the audience is usually uncomfortably close in a very intimate setting.
How do you combat that?
You don’t. If you aren’t nervous, you aren’t challenging yourself enough as a performer.
What does the future hold for the GM brand?
I’m currently working on an original production that will premiere in September for the Philadelphia FringeArts Festival. A preview of the new show as well as the Title will be revealed at Gunnar Montana: EXPOSED.
Gunnar Montana: EXPOSED
March 17 – March 19
10 PM
William Way LGBT Community Center
1315 Spruce St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
