THEY TEND TO THEMSELVES WINS 2 AWARDS AND EARNS 5 NOMINATIONS AT HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL 2026

They Tend To Themselves: A Choreopoem

Gabrielle Jackson’s Debut Choreopoem Recognized for Excellence Across Five Categories
Including a Nomination for Off-Broadway Transfer at SoHo Playhouse
Funded by Hollywood Pantages Theatre and County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath

LOS ANGELES, CA — They Tend to Themselves, the world premiere one-woman
choreopoem written and performed by Gabrielle Jackson, has won two awards and
earned five nominations at the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival — one of the largest
open-access theatre festivals in the United States. The show, which sold out multiple
performances during its run, was recognized across categories spanning dance and
physical theatre, international exchange, community impact and artistic excellence.
Among the show’s nominations is a nod for the International Fringe Encore Series 2026
“Hollywood Prize,” presented by SoHo Playhouse in New York City — an honor that has
previously recognized productions that went on to extensive Off-Broadway runs and
international success.

AWARDS WON
Denver Fringe Festival Exchange Award
Presented by the Denver Fringe Festival, this award recognizes exceptional work at
Hollywood Fringe and creates an opportunity for the selected production to connect with
the broader international Fringe community.
Ella Turenne Award
Presented by the Hollywood Fringe Access Advisory Board, this award honors
productions with a majority BIPOC and/or disabled cast and crew whose work uplifts
marginalized voices, enhances the culture and presence of BIPOC communities, and
demonstrates inclusive theatrical leadership. The award is given in honor of Ella
Turenne, a founding member of the Hollywood Fringe Access Advisory Board whose
dedication transformed the festival into a more inclusive and diverse space.

ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS
International Fringe Encore Series 2026 “Hollywood Prize” — SoHo Playhouse
This nomination recognizes exceptional talent at Hollywood Fringe and offers selected
shows an extended Off-Broadway run in New York City. Alumni of the series include
some of the most celebrated solo performers working today.
Fringe Award for Dance & Physical Theatre
A community-voted award recognizing outstanding use of movement and physicality in
theatrical performance at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Fringe Italia Off Exchange Award — Fringe Italia Off, Italy
This nomination considered They Tend to Themselves for an international exchange
opportunity to perform at the Catania Off and Milano Off Festivals in Italy in 2027,
recognizing the show’s potential to connect with global audiences.
They Tend to Themselves follows Rainbow Delicious, a Black woman navigating the
intersections of race, gender, sexuality and selfhood, as she confronts the fear of her
own reflection. Moving through grief, ancestral wisdom and radical self-love, the show
draws on Afrofuturism and Indigenous Futurism to arrive at a single revolutionary truth:
that tending to yourself is not an indulgence but an inheritance. Built around three
mirrors and one woman’s body, the production weaves spoken word, movement and
music into an evening of theatre that sold out multiple performances and left audiences
in tears.
“Gabrielle Jackson held the audience in a space of healing and empowerment. I was left
breathless. I left the theatre in tears but ready to tend to my spirit. Words are not
enough. Go see this show.”
— Audience Review, Hollywood Fringe Festival 2026
“Jackson’s performance is powerful, grounded, and graceful. Her poetic delivery lingers
long after the show ends. A meaningful production and one worth seeing.”
— Dondre Tuck, LATheatrix
ABOUT GABRIELLE JACKSON
Gabrielle Jackson is a director, writer, performer, and educator based in Los Angeles,
California. She is a multidisciplinary storyteller whose work explores the intersections of
identity, memory, spirituality and liberation through Afrofuturist and community-centered
lenses. She is a 2026 Hollywood Fringe Scholarship recipient selected from hundreds
of applicants festival-wide. They Tend to Themselves is her debut full-length solo work.