KINK HAÜS
2017 (Philadelphia), 2018 (NYC)
Created for the 2017 Philadelphia Fringe Festival, KINK HAÜS transformed Philadelphia’s historic Latvian Society into a hyper saturated underground queer nightclub inspired by the nightlife of Berlin.
The idea began after Montana was denied entrance to an infamous Berlin nightclub. Left standing outside, he began imagining what might be happening on the other side of those doors. That rejection became the starting point for KINK HAÜS and a way for Montana to explore his own relationship with queer nightlife and the desire to belong.
Inside KINK HAÜS, there was only one rule. No inhibitions. Fetish and nudity met athletic choreography and pounding club music in a space where almost anything could happen.
In one high energy duet, a massive amount of cocaine fell from the ceiling, completely engulfing the performers as they continued dancing beneath it.
Another number began with a woman in a trench coat walking a pair of kink dressed men in pup masks on leashes. She eventually stripped down and slid naked through a pool of baby oil, turning the room into a spectacle of sexuality and absurdity.
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Overseeing the entire world was a massive illuminated sign spelling out FAGGOT. Montana took a word historically used against queer people and made it impossible to ignore, glowing above the room as part of the environment. After performances, the sign took on another life as audiences gathered beneath it for selfies, becoming one of the most recognizable images from KINK HAÜS.
But underneath the spectacle was a more personal story. Montana used the production to examine his complicated history with sex, drugs, alcohol, body image, and sobriety. KINK HAÜS celebrated sexual freedom while also looking at what happens when nightlife becomes an escape and the party eventually ends.
The production became one of Montana’s most widely recognized works. Time Out Philadelphia awarded KINK HAÜS four out of five stars and named it “Recommended.” WHYY praised the polish of the production and called the dancing “so exciting,” while PhillyGayCalendar described a Gunnar Montana production as “a fully immersive experience.”
In 2018, KINK HAÜS traveled to New York City for a run at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in Manhattan’s East Village. The transfer marked Montana’s New York stage debut and brought the underground club he had created in Philadelphia to a new audience.
The production sold out its runs in both Philadelphia and New York City, bringing Gunnar Montana Productions its largest audiences to date.
New York responded enthusiastically. The Advocate called KINK HAÜS a “breathtaking tour de force.” OnStage described it as a “fantastic celebration” of dance and LGBTQIA culture, while New York Theater called the production “flagrant, fabulous, fun and sexy” and praised both the choreography and the world surrounding it.
What began with Montana being denied entrance to a nightclub became an invitation of his own.
