A Note from Artistic Director Cassandra Snow
As we enter nine months of semi-hiatus
On January 19th, 2018, I acquired a concussion that became post-concussion syndrome and is now being treated as a TBI. It's been an arduous time, and both Immanuel (our other Artistic Director) and myself are exhausted from trying to navigate getting me on my feet and running a full scale theatre production company. So, after The Children's Play closed, we decided to take our first substantial break in eight and a half years. This is so I can heal. It's also so Immanuel can be by my side instead of running an arts company single-handedly. The unique force that holds Gadfly together has always been the deep and abiding queerplatonic love Immanuel and I have for each other, and for the first time ever we are faced with choosing between that and art. For the first time ever, we are choosing that love over art. I have many months of healing yet ahead of me, and it's already a huge relief to know that I get to focus on that healing and won't feel so alone in it.
We at Gadfly are choosing to be incredibly public about this hiatus and the reasons for it. We have never believed that people are only worth their productivity. Yet for eight and half years, we have created 3-4 mainstage shows while wildly undersupported and underfunded, in the face of even severe chronic illness, and in spite of mental illnesses like PTSD rearing their heads over and over again. This is all while maintaining steady jobs in other fields because capitalism waits for no one. Typing it all out, I feel absurd acknowledging what we've put ourselves through with no break. We did it for art sure, but for community and the love of creating together too.
But we're exhausted. We're burning out. We never want to stop running Gadfly, but that means we have to put a HUGE pause on mainstage shows for the time being. This is a message to the queer community that we love and serve that you are worth so much more than your productivity. This is a message to our network of artists who have been so wonderful and loyal to us that you should take a break when you need a break. This is a message to every LGBTQQIA2P+ person that sees it that you have to take care of yourselves first.
We made this decision because of our love for each other. We also made it because of our love for art itself, and for our love of this community.
Now, as for the "semi" hiatus--as you can see from the top of this page, we are still doing some events. These are primarily fundraising events, because when we come back in March of 2019, we are coming BAC.K. That show has been a passion project of mine for a long time, and I decided I wanted my bounce back from my TBI to be something I've dreamed of doing and have been quietly gearing up for for a number of years. All funds raised go to pay off existing bills (like this website!) and to pay artists incredibly fairly for a huge project that will start late this year and go up in March 2019. You can expect a few Sober Queer History and Drunk Queer History events for your laughing and learning pleasure yet in 2018, and if the upcoming Queer Trivia! goes well, there will be more of those. We are NOT folding. We are NOT going under. We have a brand new board of directors who we already love working with so, so much. We are spending a lot of this break learning to make things sustainable for ourselves as Artistic Directors, for the artists who work with us, and for our community.
Donate here to help us put on the best 2019 season you can imagine, and see you at the show!
As we enter nine months of semi-hiatus
On January 19th, 2018, I acquired a concussion that became post-concussion syndrome and is now being treated as a TBI. It's been an arduous time, and both Immanuel (our other Artistic Director) and myself are exhausted from trying to navigate getting me on my feet and running a full scale theatre production company. So, after The Children's Play closed, we decided to take our first substantial break in eight and a half years. This is so I can heal. It's also so Immanuel can be by my side instead of running an arts company single-handedly. The unique force that holds Gadfly together has always been the deep and abiding queerplatonic love Immanuel and I have for each other, and for the first time ever we are faced with choosing between that and art. For the first time ever, we are choosing that love over art. I have many months of healing yet ahead of me, and it's already a huge relief to know that I get to focus on that healing and won't feel so alone in it.
We at Gadfly are choosing to be incredibly public about this hiatus and the reasons for it. We have never believed that people are only worth their productivity. Yet for eight and half years, we have created 3-4 mainstage shows while wildly undersupported and underfunded, in the face of even severe chronic illness, and in spite of mental illnesses like PTSD rearing their heads over and over again. This is all while maintaining steady jobs in other fields because capitalism waits for no one. Typing it all out, I feel absurd acknowledging what we've put ourselves through with no break. We did it for art sure, but for community and the love of creating together too.
But we're exhausted. We're burning out. We never want to stop running Gadfly, but that means we have to put a HUGE pause on mainstage shows for the time being. This is a message to the queer community that we love and serve that you are worth so much more than your productivity. This is a message to our network of artists who have been so wonderful and loyal to us that you should take a break when you need a break. This is a message to every LGBTQQIA2P+ person that sees it that you have to take care of yourselves first.
We made this decision because of our love for each other. We also made it because of our love for art itself, and for our love of this community.
Now, as for the "semi" hiatus--as you can see from the top of this page, we are still doing some events. These are primarily fundraising events, because when we come back in March of 2019, we are coming BAC.K. That show has been a passion project of mine for a long time, and I decided I wanted my bounce back from my TBI to be something I've dreamed of doing and have been quietly gearing up for for a number of years. All funds raised go to pay off existing bills (like this website!) and to pay artists incredibly fairly for a huge project that will start late this year and go up in March 2019. You can expect a few Sober Queer History and Drunk Queer History events for your laughing and learning pleasure yet in 2018, and if the upcoming Queer Trivia! goes well, there will be more of those. We are NOT folding. We are NOT going under. We have a brand new board of directors who we already love working with so, so much. We are spending a lot of this break learning to make things sustainable for ourselves as Artistic Directors, for the artists who work with us, and for our community.
Donate here to help us put on the best 2019 season you can imagine, and see you at the show!
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