press

folklab QUEER: new american tall tales

“…Folklab head Lis-Perlis embellishes on this balance of outrageous and devastating, stating that much of the power and success of “tall tales” comes from exploring the nuances of a dichotomy of “bizarre and relatable.” Indeed, Gia Fagnelli’s tall-tale interpretation perhaps most vividly and ruefully epitomizes this dichotomy, with a piece centering around a cyber-dancer’s Philip K. Dick-esque, synthetic multimedia dreamscape allows the audience member to tune into the cosmic vibrance and splendor of queerness, while also brutally being exposed to the astronomical loneliness and disconnection.”

vice: on being a lesbian stripper

“Outside of queer hubs, many queer and lesbian dancers build their own communities within the strip clubs where they work. “Being a queer stripper is a special experience,” says Gia Fagnelli, a stripper and drag performance artist based in Pittsburgh. As a stripper, she’s worked in a variety of clubs that cater to typical male clientele, and “at least a third of the dancers I've worked with in clubs across the country are LGBTQ,” Fagnelli said. “It adds a level of camaraderie the same way any other marginalized identity finds comfort in finding each other. I've had the joy of working with queer customers, and most of those experiences have been powerfully subversive in a (seemingly) heteronormative space.” ...