Venue: On the Boards, Merrill Theater
June 21 - Summer Solstice
7pm - Doors open and installations viewing
8pm - Seance and performance
9:30-10pm - Installations and socializing
Approximate Runtime: 3 hours
This performance will be filmed and photographed
MELTED RIOT: SPECTRA(L) uses tactics rooted in dance, punk music, durational performance, and visual art to investigate the effects peaceful and violent forms of support and sabotage have on the bodies, minds, and spirits of the transgender and queer community. Inspired by the Stonewall Riots of 1969, seances and apocalyptic cinema, this Gender Tender performance event happens on the summer solstice celebrating the longest day of the year and the journey we travel physically and spiritually from the darkness into the light.
SPECTRA(L) features The Gender Tender Experiment, the collaborative band iteration of Gender Tender started by Fox (band director, dancer + drummer) during the darkest days of the pandemic with his household pod: artist collaborators Will Courtney (vocals, dancer), Moonyeka (vocals, dancer) and Otto (saxophone, bass, synth). Inspired by the restrictions of the pandemic the band channels messages from QT ancestors and predicts the future via photographs taken during the Stonewall Riots in 1969. This event will not only feature the band but will feature guest appearances from longtime and brand new Gender Tender artist collaborators of all disciplines.
Photos by Fox Whitney
The ongoing MELTED RIOT performance series is a surreal protest song, a queer meditation, a psychedelic research project, a punk prayer. Fox and his Gender Tender collaborators unearth the queer and transitional qualities of a longtime experimental performance collaboration centered on investigating the nature of queer relationships, transgender histories and the surreal nature of transformation that are the foundation of the Gender Tender approach to performance making. MELTED RIOT:SPECTRA(L) haunts us from its previous iterations: MELTED RIOT: Stonewall Edition presented by Velocity in 2019 in person, MELTED RIOT: ROYGBIV and CHROMATIC supported by On the Boards online in 2020 and MELTED RIOT: RGB, CMYK + SATURATION presented by the Henry Art Gallery online) in 2020 transmuting into the SPECTRA(L) iteration of the ongoing experimental performance series.
About the artists
Credits
Co-produced by On the Boards and Velocity Dance Center
THIS IS AN IN-PERSON SHOW WITH SPACE LIMITED TO 300 PEOPLE PER PERFORMANCE
Contains Considerations: Nudity, sexual and violent subject matter, and language
Proof of vaccination* or negative Covid test within 24 hours will be required for entry. Patrons are required to wear masks during the entire event.
*Photo of vaccination card is acceptable. If you do not have your card, you can access your vaccination record remotely by creating an account on the WA Dept of Health Immunization Information System, WA.MyIR.net.