“The beauty of the performance is in the subtle paradigm shift from beginning to end. Where it starts with the idea that distractions don’t allow us to process information, it ends with the idea that distractions may allow us the opportunity to explore inward. We come to terms with the fact that the reality we are escaping in the world and the reality of who we really are might collide. ”
“The point of the show, then, is to remind you that distractions don’t have to be all ingestion without digestion. Distractions can be mile markers and way finders. Distractions can be the White Rabbit and you could either find a lot of useless dirt or a whole new world.”
What Distracts You?
(2020)
What Distracts You? dissects the nature of distraction as both a form of escapism and a method of meditation. There is no limit to what can sidetrack, confuse, and even overwhelm us. We often seek out entertainment to divert our attention from more pressing matters. Distraction can be isolating, but can it also bring us together? Can it even help us process grief? Is it possible to separate distractions that disconnect us from ourselves and those that bring us closer to knowing who we are?
What Distracts You? is an outdoor, live, two-person show performed by HOLDTIGHT founder and director Gwendolyn Gussman and collaborator Kevin Quinn Marchman with music and sound design by Johnny Butler. Kevin Quinn Marchman is known for his work as Artistic Director, Education Director, and Co-CEO of Black Actors Guild. Johnny Butler is a Grammy award winning saxophonist, recording artist, arranger, composer, and technologist.
August 27-29th, September 10-12 & 17-19th, 2020 at the Wash Park UMC, Denver, Colorado.
(photos by Jade Warner)
