RICH LOPEZ | Staff Writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
Local queer singer and musician Sam Cormier’s own childhood became a personal obsession for the artist. He couldn’t remember his childhood, and he wondered if that was a universal queer experience. Whether through pain or discomfort, do queer people often disassociate with their own youth?
So, he went looking for answers.
“The essence of who we are is still there when you’re a kid,” the singer said. “I asked people and did interviews with queer folks all around DFW about their own experiences — their childhood, their memories, being queer and their Pride.”
He took those interviews and stitched in his own music and their words into the show Remember Me, a piece described as an immersive soundscape performance that blends original music, photography and theater performance from queer Dallas artists.
Cormier premieres the show — which sounds like a queer mini-palooza that features art, meditation and more from a rainbow perspective — this weekend, Feb. 6-8, at the Wyly Studio Theatre as part of The Elevator Project’s current season.
“I wanted to do a collage of sorts in a way that tells the universal story of discovering who you are in a world that doesn’t always understand you,” he explained.
He utilizes projections and recorded narratives of participants’ stories woven in with his own original songs as well as guest music.
“There are stories of coming out, being outed and religious struggles, but stories of joy and happiness, too. And they show how they make us a strong and resilient community,” he said.
The challenges came in meshing both his work and others’ words into a cohesive product.
He wanted to be sure that the perspectives of queer immigrants and POC were featured alongside his own perspective as a “white gay man.”
“That was a big challenge, and I searched deep to find the ways these and my stories connected,” Cormier said. “I was listening for feelings they expressed that were similar to those I exp erienced.”
New venue, new experience
Cormier is used to performing at such venues as Double Wide, Three Links or The Kessler. Working with The Elevator Project has been an entirely new experience for him.
“A musician friend suggested I apply for The Elevator Project, and it’s been this really cool opportunity,” he said. “Being in a theater space, sometimes I’m like, ‘What?’ And then I have these meditative moments where I realize this is a whole new experience you don’t get at a bar or concert setting.”
The initiative by AT&T Performing Arts Center has evolved into a series of productions often geared toward theater, dance and experimental music.
“Remember Me is exactly what The Elevator Project was created to uplift — bold local artistry that reflects the heartbeat of Dallas artists,” said ATTPAC’s director of strategic services, Hector Garcia, who oversees The Elevator Project series. “Sam Cormier has crafted a joyful, deeply personal celebration of identity, memory and queer creativity in our LGBTQ+ community.”
The show starts immediately when guests walk off the elevator into the venue. And there’s a whole other aspect to Remember Me.
“I don’t want to give away too much, but I have a couple of artists making installations when you walk in, and those are centered on dreams and childhood playfulness that speak to the show’s themes,” Cormier said.
Friday’s opening night will also feature a DJ after the show.
Cormier has a calm demeanor to his voice as he discusses the show, but he does say that he wants people to be loud and raucous after the show.
“I hope they leave with a sense of joy and holding their hearts and spirit of their inner raucous child. Take up space and make noise and don’t be afraid.
“My music project is really about standing proud and looking fear directly in the eyes,” he declared. n
For tickets, visit ATPAC.org. Follow Sam Cormier at @cormislay.