At Can Can, we take immense pride in fostering an environment of inclusivity and celebration of diverse identities. As we explore the vibrant world within our walls, we have had the privilege of witnessing the transformative power of the performing arts for queer individuals. Today, we invite you to join us on a captivating journey as we delve into the remarkable experiences of two exceptional queer performers, Tori Gresham, and Travis Guerin. In their interviews, they offer a glimpse into their personal journeys, highlighting the profound impact of Can Can and the performing arts space on their lives. Through their stories, we hope to shine a light on the joy, authenticity, and artistic brilliance that arise when queerness is embraced in its fullest expression on our stage. Happy reading!

Photo by Nate Watters, *Crimson and Clover (2023)*

THECANCAN.COM: First off, how do you identify, and what are your pronouns?

Tori Gresham: I am a Lesbian woman and my pronouns are she/her.

Travis Guerin: I am a gay man and my pronouns are he/him.

THECANCAN.COM: How has being part of the queer community influenced your experience as a cast member at Can Can?

Tori Gresham: Can Can and queerness really go hand in hand. The queer experience has a lot to do with self-expression and the freedom you find within that. The nature of Can Can is a perfect marriage to that. It’s the most empowering job I’ve ever had. There is a reason why, though seemingly on the outside filled with glitter and confetti, our shows touch people so deeply. You can tell when you’re watching our shows that the artists onstage have found creative freedom and a sense of power. Which is a strength most queer folks are trying to achieve walking down the street every day. A huge part of my queer journey has been through finding the freedom to be my full self on the Can Can stage. And having a creative team and owners behind it that encourage me to be all the dynamic parts of me… well that is something that shouldn’t go without acknowledgment.

THECANCAN.COM: In what ways does Can Can provide a platform for queer expression and celebration, and what impact do you think it has on the audience?

Tori Gresham: One of the most amazing things about Can Can, specifically as a performer, is the wide range of people we get to perform for and meet every night. Our audiences become very close to us in that short period of time and we get to see people from all over the world, different cultures, different identities. As a queer performer, it is impossible to not feel comradery with such a diverse crowd and it’s very fulfilling to express onstage that queer can come in all shapes and sizes.

Travis Guerin: I've never really thought of myself as an activist or anybody that, you know, goes out and makes a political change. But I do feel like with everything that's going on in terms of new laws and hostile environments for queer individuals, it does feel like every time I get on stage, it's a little bit of a rebellion.

I go out in a sparkly pink thong and dance around; people cheer, and it feels subversive. We'll be sitting in the dressing room and reading the news, and then I put on my rhinestones sparkly underwear and go out.

I know we're on the West Coast and in some ways, it's preaching to the crowd. But at the same time, I wouldn't be able to do this all over the place in this country anymore. It feels powerful to shamelessly express myself in front of people and to get positive responses.

My professional experience comes from the ballet world. That environment is very traditional, very old-fashioned, and still really stuck in binary thinking. We spend a lot of time working on presenting ourselves as traditionally “masculine or feminine” depending on the bodies we're in.

We didn't get a choice and we would get corrections if something was too feminine or didn't look “right”. It was a very strict structure that we had to navigate, for example, their definition of how a Prince should act was based on our society 200 years ago, in feudal Europe.

So to come from that experience into the Can Can world where we don't focus on that is liberating. We have fun, we do our choreography and my choices are respected. There's no correcting my presentation or expression of myself. And that also kind of feeds into that act of rebellion too. I'm so used to having to tame myself or watch myself…and I don't have to do that here. That kind of response is really gratifying in that nobody expects me to act a certain way as defined by traditional society. I think that it has an impact on the audience because you can see that, and we don't point out, “Hey, look at this gay person.” I'm just me and I'm allowed to be me. We see people from all walks of life, all sexualities and expressions and identities, and I feel proud of the shows that we do and how inclusive, loving, safe, and celebratory they are.

Photo by Nate Watters, *The Hitchcock Hotel (2022)*

THECANCAN.COM: Can you share a memorable moment or performance at Can Can or elsewhere that specifically celebrated queerness?

Tori Gresham: Well for me, the journey of working at Can Can was a long process. I worked here in the brunch shows pre-pandemic and had been asked to do the night shows. I had just come out at the time and was finding who I was as a queer person and what my voice was in the community. At that time, some of the people around me thought it wasn’t a good choice to work at a place that, to them, looked like it viewed the world through such a heteronormative lens. To their eyes, they saw the glitz and the glam of specifically the female presenting performers and felt that must be targeted for the straight male gaze only; and basically told me “That’s not you.” And I believed them for a long time as I figured out myself on my coming out journey. I finally realized that even within a community built around inclusion, you will still find people who try to tell you who you are. And the only person who can tell you that is you. I had the epiphany that because these humans looked at the Can Can and assumed all the performers were straight, it was even more essential that I do it. So I listened to my gut and I’m so glad I did because I can be a representation that I am also what a Lesbian looks like. During The Hitchcock Hotel, I got to sing the song “You Don’t Own Me” and every night I dedicated it in my head to those who told me how I needed to live in my queerness. Can Can has given me a home of true queer expression.

Travis Guerin: In my first show at Can Can, Wonderland, we changed a lot of the past year’s script based on who we had involved. They added in a few tongue-in-cheek jokes about not being able to get a straight answer from me. Travis laughs. Little fun things like that were a little subversive, but are just supposed to be fun and lighthearted. And, again, it's a joke. It's celebratory, and it puts people in the audience at ease with the whole situation too, because it's not threatening. We're all just people, and so I really embraced that aspect of that character because I've never been able to do that anywhere else.

THECANCAN.COM: How do you think the representation of queer identities in the performing arts helps to challenge societal norms and promote inclusivity?

Tori Gresham: Queerness looks like a million different things. What we have seen for so long in the performing arts is very clearly binary. And it’s just simply not a reflection of the world we live in. It used to be when queerness was so hidden in the shadows. But we have the opportunity and the responsibility as artists to reflect the human experience and to represent those that have never had their stories told. And for some mediums, that is in a big way, and for some, it’s as simple as putting queer performers of all kinds in a cabaret show that used to be very clearly binary. It makes a difference. You never know who will be sitting in the audience saying “That’s just like me!”

Travis Guerin: As I mentioned before, we don't point out characters’ sexualities. It's just, “People are people and there are two people in a relationship.” I feel like that creates a safe space for people from all over with their wide variety of experiences. It allows people to feel celebrated and like an integral part of society.

Then going back to ballet, the audiences that come are totally different. There's a lot of overlap just because it's performing arts and it's dance. Ballet, while still being old-fashioned, is open to everybody and it's beautiful. There are contemporary pieces that are trying to break away from that structure. But the audiences are just very different and it’s generally a more heteronormative crowd. Then with the Can Can it's just, it's so much fun to see the wide breadth of humanity that we have here in Seattle. Can Can is for everyone and everybody will find something that they like. It's not closed off to anybody, it's not presented as one way being better or more normal than anybody else and that is strikingly different from the ballet experience.

THECANCAN.COM: Can you discuss the importance of creating spaces like Can Can that celebrate and uplift queer voices in the entertainment industry?

Tori Gresham: As stated before we get people from all walks of life. I can’t tell you how many times I have talked to a couple from say the Midwest after the show and they express they have never been to something like this before. They are smiling ear to ear and say “if we had known what it really was we might NOT have come, it might have been out of our comfort zone, but after seeing it we just want to say thank you and we can’t wait to come back when we are in town!” People are scared of things they don’t know, and to be frank we forget living in the area we do that some people aren’t even EXPOSED to queer people. What we do and how welcome we make people feel, it changes people’s minds. It really does.

Travis Guerin: I think especially with the politics that's going on now, someone has to do it, you know? And again, it is a rebellion to put on shows like we do. But if we don't do it, who else will? I never considered myself to be an activist, but I do feel proud to be involved in this and to put up a middle finger to certain aspects of society.

THECANCAN.COM: What do you hope to see over the next few years that would help continue to grow the queer conversations in performing art spaces?

Tori Gresham: I think at this moment a lot of great work is happening but more can be done for our non-binary and trans performers. I’m still seeing a need for work in the performing arts that does not limit those to binary roles. I think a cabaret-style theatre is a perfect vehicle for that. It’s always been the style of theatre that embraces everyone. And anything and anyone can be sexy. As always there is more work to be done. But I can’t tell you how proud I am to be working Can Can. They are always thinking of the world through a lens of love, acceptance, truth… and glitter.

Travis Guerin: One thing I’d love to share is that my partner is a mental health therapist for Pacific Northwest Ballet. He used to dance there and is now a social worker and they've hired him to kind of come in at the ground level and change everything.So in terms of gender acceptance and putting mental health first and everything, there are places that are wanting to change. Performing arts organizations are seeing the value in looking at the structure that is in place at places like that Ballet.

It’s really cool that Can Can was always like this. It’s been established that part of their goal was to create this open and inclusive, wild, fun place. Whereas other organizations are kind of having to change and adapt the way that they do things. But Can Can has always been like this, so maybe we have a template that others could borrow or adapt to their own situations. It's cool to be at the forefront of something that is pushing the boundaries and trying to be different and create something new and open for everybody in this wonderful city in which we live.

You can see the incredible talents of Gresham and Guerin in Can Can’s newest show, Crimson and Clover. Purchase your tickets here:

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As part of our commitment to supporting our LGBTQ+ community, Can Can is proud to maintain its partnership with Pride Foundation. You can learn more about Can Can’s partnership with The Pride Foundation here:

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Celebrating Queerness at Can Can: Unveiling the Vibrant Journey of Tori Gresham and Travis Guerin

Interview: Writing Crimson and Clover with Chris Pink and Jonathan BEtchtel

Interview: Can Can’s Essential Music Collection with Pink & Pezzner