I AM THE GENTRY
I AM THE GENTRY is a witty, unabashedly honest solo performance that traces one woman's life as she realizes her role in the gentrification of her Washington, DC neighborhood. The play hilariously and provocatively deconstructs notions of racial and socio-economic stereotypes and redefines the nature of community in a transitional neighborhood.
Cara Gabriel moved to DC a decade ago and purchased a home in a "transitional" neighborhood. I AM THE GENTRY chronicles Gabriel's adventures and foibles in her new, unfamiliar surroundings: her beagle takes on a pair of pit bulls, she dances at a neighborhood shrine to Michael Jackson, and strolls her baby through an arrest-in-progress, all while falling in love with the neighborhood and poignantly examining her role in the process of neighborhood gentrification.
The show played to sold-out crowds, beginning in 2013, when it premiered at The Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival in Washington, DC. Since then, GENTRY has also appeared at DC’s Capital Fringe Festival, San Francisco’s EXIT Theatre, and the UNITED SOLO Festival in NYC. GENTRY has garnered critical acclaim and incited passionate discourse among diverse audiences on themes of social, racial, and economic disparity.
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DC Metro Theater Arts
“ Heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny”
“Surprisingly relevant”
“Gabriel’s honesty and vulnerability onstage is impressive and raw, not only calling into question her role in gentrification but also painting the world and people around her with vibrancy and passion.”
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The Washington Post
“Gabriel… tells the story with humor and humility. The piece is nicely written… The subject is tough and immediate, and it’s enough to hear the words.”
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Washington City Paper
“I Am the Gentry succeeds admirably at talking comfortably about uncomfortable topics.”
“Poignant, episodic, and often very funny”