"Gay for the Stay"
Interactive Game Cabinet
Artist Statement
This branched dialogue game allows the player to converse with a prisoner character on a screen, simulating the digital visitation system used in some prison systems. The physical work is a small arcade cabinet in the style of prison visitation systems, with buttons to ‘speak’ with the prisoner. The story will follow a middle aged gay man recently incarcerated and his evolving relationship with his former lover. The themes explored are the relationship between queerness and homosocial contexts, such as men’s prisons, and the stigma of queer identity. I am drawing character details and story from works related to homosexuality in the context of prisons, such as the play, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and the prison writings of Oscar Wilde. Overall, it will challenge audiences with its interactive mechanics and exploration of difficult societal topics.