LGBTQ artist, performer, choreographer, and producer Gunnar Montana brings his masterful choreography, stunning set design, and bone-chilling storytelling to the stage with his latest production, BLACK WOOD: WINTERBORN. The production is a sequel to last year’s Fringe smash-hit and most popular show to date, BLACK WOOD. Montana’s Fringe Festival show runs at the Latvian Society of Philadelphia (531 N. 7th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123) through October 30, with an exceptional Halloween performance on October 31.
WINTERBORN brings back the heroines from last year, a coven of witches channeling their spellbinding femininity for power and features new scorned lovers and creatures of the night. Embracing notions of sorcery, enchantment, and even cannibalism, Montana takes audiences on an hour-long journey into the shadows of the night to explore the dark side of humanity, spiritualism, and mysticism through stunning choreography and a twisted tale.
A visually intricate show, WINTERBORN begins when audience members step into the 75-seat venue resembling a realistic dark, eerie, and cold forest, highlighted by snow and ice. Massive set pieces like a 100′ by 15′ spooky tree mural have transformed the venue into a frosty, woodsy landscape with a slaughterhouse, haunted well, elk antlers, fur pelts, thickets, and trees. As in past years, audiences will be in awe of the set Montana spent the last several months designing and building from scratch. He also created the choreography and costumes and curated the pulsating and hauntingly beautiful soundtrack. Fans of the artist have been invited to follow the behind-the-scenes process on social media over the last several months, building excitement for the show.
“I am so stoked to be bringing this coven of badass witches back to life again this year,” said Montana. “WINTERBORN is a place where audience members are invited to tap into their inner strength and think about the things in their lives worth fighting for. Behind the mysticism and magic is a story of love and survival that we all can relate to.”
Montana fans will recognize the cast of WINTERBORN, which includes Jessica Lynn Daley, Desirée Naval, Danielle Currica, Tiffany Wright, Kat Corbett, Mika Romantic, Frank Leone, and Teddy Fatscher, who have performed in previous Montana productions.
The BLACK WOOD series is a departure from previous Montana works like BATH HOUSE and MOTEL MONTANA, which featured glitter, neon, and bold queer-themed performances. For this series, Montana keeps in line with his dark side, reminiscent of previous works, including 2019’s BASEMENT, 2017’s KINK HAÜS, AND 2016’s WROUGHTLAND.
WINTERBORN runs from September 5 to October 31, Wednesday to Sunday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $49 and can be purchased HERE. There are also discounted student tickets available for $45. VIP packages and enhanced seating options are also available, beginning at $65. Audiences can also experience a one-night-only spooktacular Halloween performance on October 31 featuring never before-seen additional content, a post-performance party with the cast and crew, and a swag bag full of WINTERBORN merchandise. Please click HERE for more information.
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