Mills Folly Microcinema presents the short film Cicada, and live performances by James D. Gavins.
Join us for The Essential Midwest James, an evening of film, dance, and music by James D. Gavins, a.k.a. "Midwest James," on Thursday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $10 ($8 student/ALL member). Day of show tickets are $15. Seating is limited, and doors open at 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets: https://midwestjames.bpt.me/
The Essential Midwest James is an interdisciplinary arts experience showcasing works created by James D. Gavins. The program will consist of three dance theater pieces; a short film, Cicada; a talkback discussion; and a musical performance by Midwest James.
Cicada is an Afrofuturistic sci-fi short film adapted from the stage play created by James D. Gavins & Karl Michael Iglesias. Through storytelling, music, movement, and comedy, we follow James in a parallel universe as he goes through the process to receive his reparations. He has been chosen to beta test a psychotherapy simulator, named Cicada, that claims to ease the trauma from black history in America.
Written, performed, and directed by James D. Gavins. Also starring the voices of Jill Huguet and Dom Ricks. Production by Mind-You-Mental Productions, in partnership with the Wisconsin Institute of Discovery Virtual Environments Lab.
Three live dance theater pieces will be performed by Gavins, Papa-Kobina Brewoo, and Roel Hernandez. Musical performance will be accompanied on drums by Tim Russell.
James D. Gavins, a.k.a. "Midwest James," is an interdisciplinary artist born and raised in Chicago. In 2008, Gavins was granted the First Wave Hip Hop & Urban Arts Scholarship to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
He received his B.A. in Theater & Drama in 2015, and became a practicing professional teaching artist with the Wallace Foundation/Youth Arts Initiatives. He has served as a Performing Arts Director with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Milwaukee & Greater Green Bay, where he facilitated film, theater, and music programs with youth. He has also served on the National Teaching Artist Advisory Board with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and as the Creative Director of the First Wave Hip Hop & Urban Arts Scholarship Program at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Gavins tours with the ShapeShift Theatrical Dance Company as a performer and creative collaborator. In 2019 he premiered his interdisciplinary theater show Cicada. The film adaptation premiered as part of the Wisconsin Science Festival in October, 2021 when Gavins was a Creator in Residence with the Wisconsin Institutes of Discovery.
The official website of James D. Gavins: https://www.midwestjames.com/
ABOUT MILLS FOLLY MICROCINEMA
Mills Folly Microcinema showcases nationally recognized experimental film and video art work from the festival and microcinema circuit. We network with regional filmmakers and organizations to bring filmmakers and guest programmers to Madison for screenings. And we incubate local experimental filmmaking by providing screen time at at Project Projection events.