News: FRIGID New York Announces Schedule of Performances for New York City Fringe Festival, April 3-21
FRIGID New York has announced the full schedule of performances for the 2024 New York City Fringe Festival at UNDER St. Marks (94 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009), The Wild Project (195 E 3rd St, New York, NY 10009), and the 14Y Theater (344 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003). The festival will take place from April 3rd-21st, and tickets ($5-$35) are available for advance purchase at www.frigid.nyc. Many performances will also be available to livestream from home.
The New York City Fringe Festival (formally the FRIGID Fringe Festival) is an open lottery-based theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in an environment that values freedom of expression and artistic determination. In true support of the Indie Theater Community, 100% of box office proceeds go directly to the artists whose work is being presented. New York City Fringe is a proud member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF) and the United States Associate of Fringe Festivals (USAFF). See below the performance schedule and other information on the festival shows, and check back for some reviews after the festival begins!
This one-woman show will be performed by the author. Deborah DeGeorge Harbin (she/her) is a playwright and performer currently living in Virginia. Her first script, Constellations, won the Marc A. Klein Student Playwriting Award in 2003. Harbin staged Jane Bald, a ghostly Appalachian one-act, at New York's Emerging Artists Theatre Festival in 2015, and her "delightfully silly" comedy Ruts! The Oregon Trail Experience toured fringe festivals from New England to North Carolina in 2016. Harbin holds an MFA in Playwriting from the Catholic University of America.
Director Starleisha Gingrich (she/her) is a storyteller, a creative, and a self-described mirror and a lens: a reflection of what she holds dear and a look into how she views the world. Starleisha studied theatre at Messiah University and in the summer of 2018, she studied Community-Based Theater with Cornerstone Theater Company in Queens, New York. She is also a Certified Intimacy Captain for the stage through Intimacy Coordinators of Color. Starleisha lives on the land of the Susquehannock people, now known as Lancaster City, Pennsylvania.
A Series of Wildfires is sponsored by Disrupt Theatre Company.
Wed 4/3 at 6:30, Sun 4/7 at 3:40pm, Wed 4/10 at 9:50pm, Sat 4/13 at 8:40pm & Sun 4/14 at 2pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes.
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Wed 4/3 at 8:10pm, Thu 4/4 at 9:50pm, Sat 4/6 at 10:20pm & Wed 4/10 at 6:30pm. Livestreaming.
Wed 4/3 at 9:50pm, Fri 4/12 at 8:10pm, Tue 4/16 at 8:10pm & Sat 4/20 at 5:20pm
La Trobe will present Sonnets from a Sin-Eater, a new solo play written and performed by Kara Hadden and directed by Jack McAuliffe.
Sin-eating is a ritual older than Jesus. It’s been practiced across the globe, but the iteration I will be practicing comes from 17th century Wales. In essence, you eat a meal off the chest of a dead person, and, in doing so, you absorb their sins. The deceased can thus transition peacefully, free from the weight of their mortal wrongdoings.
Calgary has not yet died, so instead of eating off her corpse, I’ll be meditating on her spirit—and internalizing her sins—as I eat this Taco Bell.
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K is a recent grad looking for fast cash and moral purity. Calgary is a dykebaiting pop star who can’t stop getting canceled. TikTok is a social media app for short-form video content. And Sonnets from a Sin-Eater is a multimedia solo play about desire, absolution, and detoxifying diets.
La Trobe is a theater company based between Brooklyn and DC. Find it on Instagram @lalalalatrobe.
Thu 4/4 at 6:30pm, Tue 4/9 at 6:30pm, Mon 4/15 at 8:10pm & Fri 4/19 at 6:30pm. Livestreaming.
The performance will run approximately 60 minutes.
Thu 4/4 at 8:10pm, Sat 4/6 at 2pm, Sat 4/13 at 3:40pm, Sun 4/14 at 5:20pm & Wed 4/17 at 9:50pm. Livestreaming.
The cast will feature Gracie Rittenberg, Langston Belton, Hallie Chametzky, Daniel Sbriglio, Amanda Stamm, and Georgia Gabriele.
The creative team includes Brandon Rumaker, Charlotte Wilshire, and Emily Ross.
Fri 4/5 at 6pm, Sun 4/7 at 7pm, Fri 4/12 at 9:50pm, Tue 4/16 at 6pm & Sat 4/20 at 1:30pm.
Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 80 minutes.
Fri 4/5 at 8:10pm, Tue 4/9 at 8:10pm, Sat 4/13 at 10:20pm, Thu 4/18 at 8:10pm & Sun 4/21 at 7pm. Livestreaming.
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A portion of profits from the show will benefit the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) for its 50 years fighting for AAPI civil rights issues.
See the latest “Emil Amok” columns at www.aaldef.org/blog. He also hosts “The PETA Podcast,” and “Emil Amok’s Takeout,” see and hear at YouTube.com/@emilamok1
Emil appeared in Ishmael Reed’s The Conductor at Theater for the New City in New York’s East Village in 2023.He’s also in an online production of The Shine Challenge at Nuyorican.org Feb-March 2024. Emil has studied storytelling with Mike Daisey, Seth Barish, April Yvette Thompson, and Adam Wade, among others. A collection of Emil’s published work, Amok: Essays from an Asian American Perspective, won an American Book Award in 2000. As a broadcaster, he was the first Filipino American to host a national news show when he was with NPR’s All Things Considered. Born and raised in San Francisco to immigrant parents from the Philippines, Emil went to public schools, including O.J. Simpson’s middle school, and the very Asian Lowell High School. Emil was the first in his family to travel east of Reno when he attended Harvard. In his varied career, he was once press secretary and speechwriter to then Congressman Norman Mineta, a two time cabinet member; a radio talk show host in Washington, D.C., and a colleague of Morton Downey, Jr.; a joke contributor to Jay Leno; a creative writing student of Stanley Elkin and Ishmael Reed; and a radio deejay, leaving Harvard sophomore year to become “Emil For Real,” on KLOL Houston where he played Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” 10,978 times. There was nothing left to do but go back to Harvard and deliver the Ivy Oration as class clown, the same speech given by fellow Lampoon members like Jim Downey and Conan O’Brien. His true-life stories are real, based on imagination.
Fri 4/5 at 9:50pm, Mon 4/8 at 8:10pm, Sat 4/13 at 5:20pm, Fri 4/19 at 8:10pm & Sun 4/21 at 5:20pm.Performance runs approximately 59 minutes.
Meredith Brandt (she/her) is an NYC-based, South Jersey-bred comic, actor, writer, singer, producer, brand strategist, and Twizzler-lover. Some favorite past experiences include directing and performing with Bloomers Comedy, writing her mini-musicals Guts and Way Past Bedtime, and hosting her annual holiday variety show Ha La La at Caveat. She is currently a lyricist in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and is working on a new, soon-to-be-titled zombie comedy musical. @merbrandt // www.meredithbrandt.com.
Sat 4/6 at 5:20pm, Thu 4/11 at 8:10pm, Sun 4/14 at 3:40pm & Sat 4/20 at 7pm. The performance will run approximately 50 minutes.
The creative team will include Melony Reyes as Production Stage Manager.
JJ Ivey (they/she/he) is a nonbinary plus-size theatre professional who believes in a better Broadway and Beyond. They are a founding member of Clementine Players and trained at Atlantic Acting School. JJ has been seen onstage in Bloom (SheNYCArts), Pride and Prejudice (Clementine Players), Significant Other (Atlantic), The Addams Family (PSC). They recently Stage-Managed Clementine Player’s summer play, Macbeth. They also Company Manage, Direct, and Play with Lights and so much more. JJ is very excited to be bringing Death of a Dandelion to the stage. This play had been brewing in their mind ever since the dark days of 2020. JJ could not do it without the support of the real-life Mama Judy along with all their friends and family. To learn more about them, visit jjivey.com or @jjivey_actor on socials.
The cast will feature Ariella Carmell and Kaiya Lingkugel with Stage Manager Matthew Ramirez.
Sat 4/6 at 8:40pm, Fri 4/12 at 6:30pm, Sat 4/13 at 2pm & Sat 4/20 at 3:40pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 50 minutes.
Sun 4/7 at 2pm, Thu 4/11 at 6:30pm, Mon 4/15 at 9:50pm & Fri 4/19 at 9:50pm. Livestreaming.
Sun 4/7 at 5:20pm, Mon 4/8 at 9:50pm, Wed 4/17 at 6:30pm, & Sat 4/20 at 10:20pm. Livestreaming.
Wed 4/3 at 8:10pm, Sat 4/6 at 2:10pm, Wed 4/10 at 7:40pm & Fri 4/12 at 6pm. Livestreaming.
Written & performed by Rachel Pallante - Austin, TX
What if Bette Midler and Jerry Garcia had a love child? Hop on the Magic Mushroom School Bus as one woman journeys down the Rabbit Hole and Over the Rainbow in a multimedia ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ musical comedy experience. Can she survive Cult Leaders, Law Enforcement, and Bears? Oh My! You will choose her fate Live!
Come hear the real tale of how Rodwin fell in love with the history of Miami despite its rabidly anti-Semitic founding fathers. And how he connected with his family history when he discovers his great-grandfather was one of the 'Binder Boys' who fomented the great Florida land rush that ended in a real estate bubble that makes the 2008 financial crisis look like child's play.
Throw in a producer obsessed with shoehorning in a drag queen as the narrator, insistent on including scenes with "Indians" dressed like X-rated Disney cartoons and who becomes infatuated with a love story between a black panther and a sexy manatee that was intended as an absurdist joke... and we get pure madness, as only Miami can deliver.
Based in San Francisco, Rodwin is coming to New York for the World Premiere of his 9th solo show, which is then going on a North American tour throughout 2024.
Thu 4/4 at 9:20pm, Sun 4/7 at 4:50pm, Tue 4/9 at 7:40pm, Sat 4/13 at 12pm & Sat 4/20 at 2:10pm. The performance will run approximately 85 minutes.
Fri 4/5 at 7:40pm, Mon 4/8 at 6pm, Sat 3/13 at 2:10pm & Tue 4/16 at 7:40pm. Livestreaming.
“My mission is to make comedy that embodies the joy and whimsy of the queerness I see in myself and my communities with full heart,” reflects Michael John, “and in our current sociopolitical climate, I am so proud to celebrate the healing power of queer love at the New York City Fringe this April! We've created a romantic comedy romp for audiences that has me get down on bended knee and ask them to say 'yasss' to love over fear, new beginnings, and the abundant potential of being very silly and very gay. No pressure, but tell me that doesn't sound like happily-ever-after! Lovefool is for queers and allies, folks who are sober or sober-curious, and anyone who wants to laugh their way to a mended broken heart."
Ciszewski is joined by the creative team of Brian Dudley and Noah Simes. Dudley began working with Ciszewski to co-create the show after hearing an early developmental reading of the text in 2021. They were joined by Simes after the work-in-progress performance in June 2022. Both share enthusiasm for the spirit and immediacy of the show: “Lovefool is quintessential Michael John,” shares Dudley, who helped shape the show’s writing and design. “It marries deep sincerity and thoughtfulness with off-the-wall gay nonsense and invites the audience to the reception. Michael John is an unstoppable whirlwind of humor, poignance, and vulnerability in equal measure.” Simes, whose direction has sharpened the piece with wit and style, echoes these sentiments: “Lovefool is everything theater should be—fun, gay, honest, and about an hour long. The show asks the question, ‘if love always breaks something, why bother?’ And it answers with a clear-eyed conviction, but also with a wink and a nod and a wiggle on the dance floor. It’s an impassioned manifesto on the importance and beauty of following love through to whatever life has in store for us.”
Fri 4/5 at 9:50pm, Sat 4/6 at 12:30pm,, Sat 4/13 at 4:20pm & Mon 4/15 at 6pm. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes.
Brokeneck Girls: The Murder Ballad Musical is a dark comedy based on the tradition of violence against women in folk music and the true crimes it inspired. The social commentary delivers fast-paced laughter while addressing issues of class, race, gender, and power. Revenge, redemption, free will and the conflict between good and evil unfold unexpectedly in a story focused on three women who bond over music and share increasingly outrageous secrets. Eventually the truth comes out- the desire to survive has driven all of them to become what they fear most.
Sat 4/6 at 6pm, Wed 4/10 at 9:20pm, Sun 4/14 at 4:50pm & Fri 4/19 at 7:40pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 90 minutes.
Schmaltz! was written by Armie Chardiet, Yoni Gutenmacher, Julia Rotgin, and David Slarskey, all current or former students affiliated with the Kelly Writers House at the University of Pennsylvania. They began writing the play in September 2023.
Stroke of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation Throughout Performing Arts History is a live comedy performance that takes the form of an academic lecture…with a twist. The stage show– fully scripted with some elements of improvisation– centers around a polished multi-media video/slide lecture. This impassioned presentation is given by a (fictional) career academic whose field of specialized research is best described as “bizarre.”
Earlier this year, the Stroke team was excited to again be selected by Orlando Fringe (the United States’ largest Fringe organization, with annual attendance of 50,000 - 75,000) for its prestigious curated winter festival. Creative Loafing, Tampa’s alt-weekly print news mainstay, issued the show a Best of the Bay 2023 Staff Pick Award: Best D!ck Joke. Soon, they will delight and confuse New York audiences with their careful artisanal blend of cultured and juvenile humor. For example, in addition to familiar offerings like stickers, their merch table features “Intellectual Masturbation lotion.”
In his overly serious college professor persona, Boiled Horse founder Shane Mayforth maintains an impenetrable “straight man” deadpan. But offstage, he is franker: “Stroke of Genius is exactly the story we have been wanting to tell,” said Mayforth. “Is it a story that needed to be told? That’s going to depend on how easily offended you are. To me, it’s about three things: one, the futility of looking for hidden subtext where none was intended. Two, the absurdity of people who fixate on inherently stupid subject matter. And, most importantly: three, the opportunity to make d!ck jokes. So many d!ck jokes.”
Stroke of Genius features nine professionally shot and edited “silent film” segments, historically accurate points of interest, and–as previously stated–dozens upon dozens of d!ck jokes. It also has an interesting tie-in to the LGBTQ+ community, as the 1920s Spankin’ Shyster is played by genderqueer/trans-identifying performer/head writer Vulva Va-Voom in impressive male makeup.
Monqui Biznes will present Delirantes, written by Eugene Ionesco, adapted and directed by Monica Piñeros.
During the Covid-19 world pandemic New York state is paused and issues a stay-at-home order. A couple suddenly finds themselves confined in their home with no other option than to face the cruel reality of their long unhappy marriage. Trapped by the situation, they find themselves constantly immersed in a never ending discussion that only confirms their deepening delirious state. The city outside is flooded with riots, looting and New York is the epicenter of the virus. The world seems to be falling to pieces with no way out. How long will they bear the unbearable?
Performed in Spanish with English subtitles
The cast will feature Brigitte Silva and Jorge Perez, two Colombian actors with combined experience that spans over three decades of working in professional staged productions both in Colombia and EEUU. Their prizes and recognitions include Outstanding Actress Drama with catalyst stories at Duluth and ATI Best Actor award.
The creative team includes Assistant Director Daniel Diaza, Sound Designer Antonio Piñeros, Music Producer Julian Rhodes and Lighting, Costume & Set Design by Monica Piñeros.
Tue 4/9 at 6pm, Thu 4/11 at 9:20pm, Sun 4/14 at 7pm & Sat 4/20 at 8:10pm. The performance will run approximately 50 minutes.
CONTENT WARNING: math, bad words, audience interaction, challenges to status quo
Playwright Pamela L Paek relishes self-expression and creativity in as many forms as they can juggle, including solo shows, stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, physical comedy, and clown. No f***s given. None taken. All done. won a producer’s encore award and was a best immersive finalist at Hollywood Fringe 2023, as well as Best of Week and Best of Fest at Frontera Fest 2023. Pamela created a sketch comedy show called 1.5 KOREAN, which won three awards at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2021, and the short film of that work was honored by the Asian American Film Lab. In 2020, Pamela beat out 350+ stand-up comedians and won the grand prize in Uncle Clyde’s Comedy Contest. She has also won multiple awards for their writing, including artist residencies and fellowships for their poetry. More info on Pamela.
Tue 4/9 at 9:50pm, Fri 4/12 at 7:40pm, Thu 4/18 at 9:20pm, Sat 4/20 at 4:20pm & Sun 4/21 at 4:50pm. Livestreaming.
Walt Kelly's Songs of the Pogo recreates the hysterical, imaginative and wonderful world of cartoonist Walt Kelly. In this musical revue, suitable for the whole family, the writings, songs and comic strip stories are mixed with Kelly’s personal memoirs and a magazine interview with comic book creator Gil Kane. Walt Kelly's Songs of the Pogo, directed by Farrell, will include Broadway performer Aisha de Hass and Danny Crawford as Walt.
Producers and co-adaptors Frank Farrell and Ben Masterton created the currently running eight-episode podcast Songs of the Pogo: https://sites.libsyn.com/451542. They both appeared in a live stage production of Songs of the Pogo at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater back in 1995.
“Ben and I look forward to seeing how Walt Kelly’s world of words sit with today’s audiences,” says Farrell. “The show has a timeless appeal, adorable songs, entertaining storytelling, some funny jokes with a fractured fairy tale sort of vibe mixed in,” he added. “We want our audience to sit back, relax and be entertained!” said Ben Masterton.
The cast for this 2024 Actors’ Equity Association approved showcase production includes actors Tom Beckett*, Danny Crawford*, Lee DeCecco, Aisha De Haas*, Greg Horton*, and Haley Karlich. The production’s Technical Director is Thomas J. Donohoe II. Claudia Egli serves as Assistant to the Director.
Wed 4/10 at 6pm, Sat 4/13 at 9:50pm, Thu 4/18 at 7:40pm & Sun 4/21 at 1:30pm. The performance will run approximately 55 minutes.
Sun 4/14 at 3:10pm, Tue 4/16 at 6pm & Fri 4/19 at 6pm. Livestreaming.
Mon 4/15 at 8:10pm, Wed 4/17 at 9:20pm, Fri 4/19 at 9:50pm, Sat 4/20 at 12:30pm & Sun 4/21 at 7pm. Livestreaming.
What if love is not enough? Conversations with My Divorce Attorney is a fast-paced 90-minute 2-hander about a heartbroken NYC playwright who strikes up a cross-country connection with her LA divorce attorney at the top of his game. A brutally funny dramatic comedy about love, loss, and never letting go.
Written and performed by local playwright Kim Barke, Blocks of Sensation, a one-person show, is directed by the legendary Linda Mussmann, co-director of Time and Space Limited. Under the scalpel gaze of Kim Barke, poet and former scientist who studied addiction with funding from NIDA, Blocks of Sensation bushwacks into the tragic irony of queer mothering an adult addict 27 years after leaving the lab. This raw elegy is an unflinching journey into the heart of human behavior and the meaning of truth. Witness the metamorphosis of shame into art.
As Blocks of Sensation makes its poignant debut at the New York City Fringe Festival, it reaches beyond the stage, bringing the stark reality of America's opioid crisis to the forefront in a deeply personal way. We are a nation grappling with nearly 280,000 prescription opioid-related deaths from 1999 to 2021. A portion of ticket sales is dedicated to supporting Truth Pharm, a trailblazing organization that aims to mitigate the harms caused by substance use through education, advocacy, and policy change. This alliance not only amplifies the impact of the performance but also reinforces the importance of community and collective action in the face of a national emergency that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, claimed nearly 92,000 lives in 2020 alone. Additionally, to foster inclusivity and community engagement, the production introduces a sliding scale admission fee and is available for live streaming across the globe. Kim Barke's transformation of personal grief into a universal call to awareness not only challenges us to confront the stark realities of addiction but also kindles a flame of hope through the transformative power of theater.
Fri 4/5 at 5:30pm, Wed 4/10 at 8:50pm, Sun 4/14 at 3:10pm & Sat 4/20 at 8:10pm. Livestreaming. Running Time: 50 minutes.
Awaken, explore, and transform. Repeat. After sold-out runs in 2021 and 2022, In Harmony is excited to return with its unique showcase of musical moments, rich vocal harmonies, spoken word, movement, and ensemble storytelling. Join us on a theatrical journey that celebrates community and explores what it means to be human.
The cast will feature Theo Austin, Ethan Badders, Eric Michael Byers, Yang Chen, Kate Connors, Kyana Fanene, Isis ‘Ice’ Ferreira, Savidu Geevaratne, Tyrone Kiaku, Riley Mahan, Kevin Ivey Morrison, Bridget Rose Perrotta, Aubrey Porter, Moana Poyer, Alexia Rastelli, Brandon Reid, Ethan Treiman, and Suka.
The creative team will include Yang Chen & Bridget Rose Perrotta as Co-Directors/Producers, Maddie Allen & Kevin Ivey Morrison as Co-Choreographers, Nicholas Pollock as Lighting Designer, Daniel Wilde as Marketing Consultant, Will Stevens & Rachel Bard as Stage Managers, Allison Kraus as Assistant Music Director/Keys, Josh Conklin on Percussion, and Daniel Basilio-Fernandez on Bass.
Fri 4/5 at 7:10pm, Mon 4/8 at 5:30pm, Sat 4/13 at 6pm & Thu 4/18 at 8:50pm. Livestreaming. The performance runs approximately 90 minutes.
Sat 4/6 at 12:30pm, Wed 4/10 at 5:30pm, Sun 4/14 at 7pm & Sat 4/20 at 2:10pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 54 minutes.
Breathe in, Billions out!!! Yoga for Billionaires is an immersive comedy that pokes fun at our obsession with extreme wealth. It parodies American culture’s interest in eastern spirituality and its non-stop infatuation with making money. We strive for peace and enlightenment but don't we just want to be filthy rich? Set in an Indian temple, this comedy pokes fun at what happens when eastern spirituality meets the American obsession with wealth. The show is immersive, and only partially scripted. Audience members can sit back in their chairs or join on stage to participate in Billionaire yoga asanas, meditation, and mantra chanting sequences.
The play stars Sara Raj, a stand-up comedian of South Asian origin, as a megalomaniac Yoga Guru and features Lindita Kulla as her disgruntled assistant. The hilarious duo guides selected audience members through uniquely designed yoga asanas (poses) inspired by our most-beloved Billionaires, all while making a commentary on wealth, class, and capitalism in America today. This show will make you laugh, move and never look at meditation the same way.
The show is written and directed by Raj (she/her), a writer, stand-up comedian and playwright raised by first generation immigrant parents from Andhra Pradesh, India. Her comedy centers on her experience as the child of immigrant parents – navigating the vast difference between spirituality in Eastern and Western cultures, what it means to be successful in society, poverty, privilege, the challenges of dating and romance, colonization and its current day implications. She has performed at various juried and unjuried festivals throughout North America, including PHYS FEST NYC, SOLOCOM, and the upcoming Toronto Fringe. More info here www.sararaj.com/yogaforbillionaires
Sat 4/6 at 9:50pm, Sat 4/13 at 8:10pm, Wed 4/17 at 8:50pm, Fri 4/19 at 9:20pm & Sat 4/20 at 4:20pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run for approximately 60 minutes.
On Cats and Dogs and Other Family Revelations wraps big ideas in focused stories about Ella Veres's pets, offering glimpses of her human family and life in her place of birth, Transylvania, Romania. With her dark humor and heart, Ella takes audiences from her childhood under communist rule, to her present quirky experiences in East Harlem, using her dog and cat as reference points. She expresses herself in such a whimsical and charming way that one could listen all day. Each performance will be a different iteration.
The cast will feature Ella Veres and her companion dog, Pandele. Rosamunda, her cat, was asked to perform but declined. She’d rather lounge under the sofa than be in the limelight.
“Being from Transylvania, is expected of me to be creepy, so I oblige, from time to time, albeit not in Hollywoody style,” said Ella Veres, lead performer and director of On Cats and Dogs and Other Family Revelations. “The war in Ukraine riled my memories up, and urged me to point out how much there is to lose."
Ella Veres is an independent performer and writer who has been active in the New York City cultural community since 2001. Her work has been presented at the Immigrant Theater Festival, Galapagos Art Space, Manhattan Theater Source, IWAS, The Field, Theater for the New City, The Moth, Stage Left, Bowery Poetry Club, Chashama, and her present incubator, Fountain House Gallery. For several years she focused on her visual art, but in 2022, serendipity made her act in Stories From My Mother at the Theater for the New City, and thus reminded her how lovely it is to be in front of a live audience. Her current solo storytelling show, On Cats and Dogs and Other Family Revelations, was shaped during her 2023 Fountain House Gallery summer residency on Governors Island and in Adam Wade’s Magnet Theater Solo Workshop.
www.ellaveres.com www.catdogrevelations.com
Mon 4/8 at 7:40pm, Mon 4/15 at 7:40pm, Tue 4/16 at 5:30pm & Sun 4/21 at 1:30pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately one hour.
Return to the scene of the crime for the highly-anticipated NYC premiere of Clown Bar 2, follow-up to the hit noir-thriller-comedy-NYT Critic's Pick by Adam Szymkowicz. There's been a murder at Clown Bar. Grab a drink and a seltzer-gun and follow two cops undercover to crack the case as you immerse yourself in the clown crime underworld at Parkside Lounge.
Sun 4/14 at 2pm, Mon 4/15 at 7:30pm, Tue 4/16 at 7:30pm, Sat 4/20 at 3pm & 7:30pm & Sun 4/21 at 3pm at Parkside Lounge
Debut album "Music/Pictures/Words" and book now available / www.mothprojectlive.com
Sat 4/6 & 4/13 at 7pm & 9pm at MCM Stages. Run Time: 60 minutes.
The New York City Fringe Festival (formally the FRIGID Fringe Festival) is an open lottery-based theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in an environment that values freedom of expression and artistic determination. In true support of the Indie Theater Community, 100% of box office proceeds go directly to the artists whose work is being presented. New York City Fringe is a proud member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF) and the United States Associate of Fringe Festivals (USAFF). See below the performance schedule and other information on the festival shows, and check back for some reviews after the festival begins!
At UNDER St. Marks:
A Series of Wildfires
Presented by Deborah Harbin Productions - Lynchburg, VA
A Series of Wildfires is a seriocomic meditation on escaping conservative religion and discovering the self. Raised in an evangelical Christian community, Deborah learns young that the creative fire she stokes is dangerous. Unable to extinguish it, she turns the flame inward and burns for God, seeking purification in the eyes of an exacting deity. What will happen when the fire can no longer be contained? This interactive show -- funny, elemental, and personal -- documents an arduous journey of sometimes-unwilling self-discovery.This one-woman show will be performed by the author. Deborah DeGeorge Harbin (she/her) is a playwright and performer currently living in Virginia. Her first script, Constellations, won the Marc A. Klein Student Playwriting Award in 2003. Harbin staged Jane Bald, a ghostly Appalachian one-act, at New York's Emerging Artists Theatre Festival in 2015, and her "delightfully silly" comedy Ruts! The Oregon Trail Experience toured fringe festivals from New England to North Carolina in 2016. Harbin holds an MFA in Playwriting from the Catholic University of America.
Director Starleisha Gingrich (she/her) is a storyteller, a creative, and a self-described mirror and a lens: a reflection of what she holds dear and a look into how she views the world. Starleisha studied theatre at Messiah University and in the summer of 2018, she studied Community-Based Theater with Cornerstone Theater Company in Queens, New York. She is also a Certified Intimacy Captain for the stage through Intimacy Coordinators of Color. Starleisha lives on the land of the Susquehannock people, now known as Lancaster City, Pennsylvania.
A Series of Wildfires is sponsored by Disrupt Theatre Company.
Wed 4/3 at 6:30, Sun 4/7 at 3:40pm, Wed 4/10 at 9:50pm, Sat 4/13 at 8:40pm & Sun 4/14 at 2pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes.
The Climate Fables: Debating Extinction & The Trash Garden
Written by Padraig Bond
Presented by The Torch Ensemble - New York, NY
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Torch Ensemble, an acclaimed Gen Z theatre company fresh off a successful run at the 2023 Edinburgh International Festival Fringe, is proud to announce their debut at UNDER St. Marks as part of the return of the New York City Fringe Festival this April with a double bill of environmentalist plays, Debating Extinction and The Trash Garden, collectively titled The Climate Fables.
In Debating Extinction, a climate change retelling of Rapunzel, audiences will be transported to the wasteland of New England, where a young climate refugee couple grapples with the decision of whether to bring a child into a world facing environmental uncertainties. Alongside their journey, a Witch seeks to restore the forest without human intervention, exploring the complex relationship between humanity and nature.
Meanwhile, The Trash Garden brings a comedic twist to the tale of Adam and Eve. Through the skilled performances of two Gaulier trained clowns, the play depicts the last two remaining human beings on Earth playing games in the rubble, raising questions about survival, responsibility, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of ecological collapse.
These captivating plays, born out of Torch Ensemble's engagement with real-world climate disasters like Hurricane Ida and the Canadian Wildfire Smog, are deeply informed by environmental science predictions about the actual future of our planet in the context of climate change.
The cast of The Climate Fables features the exceptional talents of Penelope Deen, Luis Feliciano, Kristen Hoffman, and artistic director and playwright Padraig Bond, who are all Hunter College alumni that incorporated after performing together in Tony award-winning director Gregory Mosher’s college production of Hamlet.
Torch Ensemble previously enchanted audiences at the Edinburgh International Festival Fringe in August 2023, garnering critical acclaim and leaving a lasting impression with their unique theatrical vision. Now, they are thrilled to bring The Climate Fables to the New York City Fringe Festival, offering audiences in their home city an opportunity to engage with pressing environmental issues through the power of theatre.
For more information about The Torch Ensemble, please visit: www.linktree.com/torchensemble
Instagram: @torchensemble
In Debating Extinction, a climate change retelling of Rapunzel, audiences will be transported to the wasteland of New England, where a young climate refugee couple grapples with the decision of whether to bring a child into a world facing environmental uncertainties. Alongside their journey, a Witch seeks to restore the forest without human intervention, exploring the complex relationship between humanity and nature.
Meanwhile, The Trash Garden brings a comedic twist to the tale of Adam and Eve. Through the skilled performances of two Gaulier trained clowns, the play depicts the last two remaining human beings on Earth playing games in the rubble, raising questions about survival, responsibility, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of ecological collapse.
These captivating plays, born out of Torch Ensemble's engagement with real-world climate disasters like Hurricane Ida and the Canadian Wildfire Smog, are deeply informed by environmental science predictions about the actual future of our planet in the context of climate change.
The cast of The Climate Fables features the exceptional talents of Penelope Deen, Luis Feliciano, Kristen Hoffman, and artistic director and playwright Padraig Bond, who are all Hunter College alumni that incorporated after performing together in Tony award-winning director Gregory Mosher’s college production of Hamlet.
Torch Ensemble previously enchanted audiences at the Edinburgh International Festival Fringe in August 2023, garnering critical acclaim and leaving a lasting impression with their unique theatrical vision. Now, they are thrilled to bring The Climate Fables to the New York City Fringe Festival, offering audiences in their home city an opportunity to engage with pressing environmental issues through the power of theatre.
For more information about The Torch Ensemble, please visit: www.linktree.com/torchensemble
Instagram: @torchensemble
Wed 4/3 at 8:10pm, Thu 4/4 at 9:50pm, Sat 4/6 at 10:20pm & Wed 4/10 at 6:30pm. Livestreaming.
Solitary
Written & Performed by Seán Griffin - Queens, NY
Solitary confinement is anything but quiet. Sammy scatters crumbs from his meals to bring out a mouse, who he named Marcelle, to talk to. All just to pass the time. Only, this mealtime, his Marcelle doesn't show. An intimate play that examines the cruelty of solitary confinement, regardless the reason it's issued, regardless the crime of the person.Wed 4/3 at 9:50pm, Fri 4/12 at 8:10pm, Tue 4/16 at 8:10pm & Sat 4/20 at 5:20pm
Sonnets From a Sin-Eater
Written & performed by Kara Hadden
Presented by La Trobe - Brooklyn, NY
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| Kara Hadden. Photo by Aaron Petykowski |
Sin-eating is a ritual older than Jesus. It’s been practiced across the globe, but the iteration I will be practicing comes from 17th century Wales. In essence, you eat a meal off the chest of a dead person, and, in doing so, you absorb their sins. The deceased can thus transition peacefully, free from the weight of their mortal wrongdoings.
Calgary has not yet died, so instead of eating off her corpse, I’ll be meditating on her spirit—and internalizing her sins—as I eat this Taco Bell.
***
K is a recent grad looking for fast cash and moral purity. Calgary is a dykebaiting pop star who can’t stop getting canceled. TikTok is a social media app for short-form video content. And Sonnets from a Sin-Eater is a multimedia solo play about desire, absolution, and detoxifying diets.
La Trobe is a theater company based between Brooklyn and DC. Find it on Instagram @lalalalatrobe.
Thu 4/4 at 6:30pm, Tue 4/9 at 6:30pm, Mon 4/15 at 8:10pm & Fri 4/19 at 6:30pm. Livestreaming.
The performance will run approximately 60 minutes.
How I Died a SUPERHERO
Written & Performed by Luis Roberto Herrera - Sunrise, FL
In a world where injustice runs rampant - one man must step up to fight for those that can’t. Join him on his journey to become the superhero everyone needs, until he comes face to face with his greatest enemy… himself.Thu 4/4 at 8:10pm, Sat 4/6 at 2pm, Sat 4/13 at 3:40pm, Sun 4/14 at 5:20pm & Wed 4/17 at 9:50pm. Livestreaming.
A Little Less Than Kind
Written by & performed by Gracie Rittenberg
Presented by Bluebird Theatre Company - New York, NY
A Little Less Than Kind, by Gracie Rittenberg, is a genderbent adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Rittenberg stars as Hannah, the caustic bisexual heir to a Silicon Valley Tech Company. While ALLTK adapts Hamlet into the modern day, it also brings the laughs, skewering Shakespeare’s classic and the tech industry alike.The cast will feature Gracie Rittenberg, Langston Belton, Hallie Chametzky, Daniel Sbriglio, Amanda Stamm, and Georgia Gabriele.
The creative team includes Brandon Rumaker, Charlotte Wilshire, and Emily Ross.
Fri 4/5 at 6pm, Sun 4/7 at 7pm, Fri 4/12 at 9:50pm, Tue 4/16 at 6pm & Sat 4/20 at 1:30pm.
Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 80 minutes.
Drugs, Sex, and Reggaeton: A Colombian Comedy Adventure
Written by Alberto Botero - New York, NY
Drugs, Sex, and Reggaeton: A Colombian Comedy Adventure is a hilarious stand-up comedy show that takes audiences on a wild ride through the life adventures of a charismatic Colombian comedian. With uproarious tales and anecdotes, our comedian navigates the absurdity of relationships, the temptation of the nightlife, and the quirky cultural clashes, all while blending in the infectious rhythms of reggaeton. From family dynamics to Colombian idiosyncrasies, this side-splitting performance explores life's highs and lows in the most entertaining way possible. Get ready for a rollercoaster of laughter, cultural insights, and unforgettable punchlines as we delve into the comedic world of a Colombian comedian living life to the fullest.Fri 4/5 at 8:10pm, Tue 4/9 at 8:10pm, Sat 4/13 at 10:20pm, Thu 4/18 at 8:10pm & Sun 4/21 at 7pm. Livestreaming.
Emil Amok: Lost NPR Host, Wiley Filipino, Vegan Trans-Dad
Written & performed by Emil Guillermo - San Francisco, CA
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Emil Guillermo goes amok as he considers all things in a comic memoir solo show about his father’s colonized past, Harvard, NPR, being married to PETA, and his trans offspring. Emil Amok is like John Leguizamo’s Latin History for Dummies, only more uniquely American Filipino.
See the latest “Emil Amok” columns at www.aaldef.org/blog. He also hosts “The PETA Podcast,” and “Emil Amok’s Takeout,” see and hear at YouTube.com/@emilamok1
Emil appeared in Ishmael Reed’s The Conductor at Theater for the New City in New York’s East Village in 2023.He’s also in an online production of The Shine Challenge at Nuyorican.org Feb-March 2024. Emil has studied storytelling with Mike Daisey, Seth Barish, April Yvette Thompson, and Adam Wade, among others. A collection of Emil’s published work, Amok: Essays from an Asian American Perspective, won an American Book Award in 2000. As a broadcaster, he was the first Filipino American to host a national news show when he was with NPR’s All Things Considered. Born and raised in San Francisco to immigrant parents from the Philippines, Emil went to public schools, including O.J. Simpson’s middle school, and the very Asian Lowell High School. Emil was the first in his family to travel east of Reno when he attended Harvard. In his varied career, he was once press secretary and speechwriter to then Congressman Norman Mineta, a two time cabinet member; a radio talk show host in Washington, D.C., and a colleague of Morton Downey, Jr.; a joke contributor to Jay Leno; a creative writing student of Stanley Elkin and Ishmael Reed; and a radio deejay, leaving Harvard sophomore year to become “Emil For Real,” on KLOL Houston where he played Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” 10,978 times. There was nothing left to do but go back to Harvard and deliver the Ivy Oration as class clown, the same speech given by fellow Lampoon members like Jim Downey and Conan O’Brien. His true-life stories are real, based on imagination.
Fri 4/5 at 9:50pm, Mon 4/8 at 8:10pm, Sat 4/13 at 5:20pm, Fri 4/19 at 8:10pm & Sun 4/21 at 5:20pm.Performance runs approximately 59 minutes.
The Princess Strikes Back: One Woman's Search for the Space Cowboy of her Dreams
Written & performed by Victoria Montalbano - Chicago, IL
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| Victoria Montalbano. Photo by Peter Serocki |
In 1997, 13-year-old Victoria Montalbano was introduced to her perfect man, Han Solo, and she's been looking for him ever since. In this "powerhouse performance", watch her grow from awkward theatre kid to professional out of work actress while swiping her way through a galaxy far, far away! "The force is strong with this fresh, funny celebration of fangirldom!"
The creative team will include Vincent J. Greco (Director) and Emily Nelson (Costume Design).
Sat 4/6 at 3:40pm, Thu 4/11 at 9:50pm, Mon 4/15 at 6:30pm, Sat 4/20 at 8:40pm & Sun 4/21 at 3:40pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes.
Sat 4/6 at 3:40pm, Thu 4/11 at 9:50pm, Mon 4/15 at 6:30pm, Sat 4/20 at 8:40pm & Sun 4/21 at 3:40pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes.
Joy Ride
Written & performed by Meredith Brandt - New York, NY
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| Meredith Brandt. Photo by Miguel Garzón Martinez |
Sticky cup holders. License plate bingo. And a whole lotta Meat Loaf. Join musical comedian Meredith Brandt as she shares stories from the backseat of her family's 2006 Toyota Sienna, told entirely through song parodies inspired by the albums that were forever stuck in the minivan's once-high-tech multi-disc CD player.
Meredith Brandt (she/her) is an NYC-based, South Jersey-bred comic, actor, writer, singer, producer, brand strategist, and Twizzler-lover. Some favorite past experiences include directing and performing with Bloomers Comedy, writing her mini-musicals Guts and Way Past Bedtime, and hosting her annual holiday variety show Ha La La at Caveat. She is currently a lyricist in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and is working on a new, soon-to-be-titled zombie comedy musical. @merbrandt // www.meredithbrandt.com.
Sat 4/6 at 5:20pm, Thu 4/11 at 8:10pm, Sun 4/14 at 3:40pm & Sat 4/20 at 7pm. The performance will run approximately 50 minutes.
Death of a Dandelion
Written & performed by JJ Ivey
Presented by Clementine Players - Brooklyn, NY
Judy was too young to have grandchildren at 40, so she demanded that all the children call her Mama Judy instead. As her first grandchild, JJ brings her story to the stage. From her greatest triumphs to her bleakest moments, we meet a woman who has persevered to see her children and grandchildren grow into adults themselves. Mama Judy will have you laughing and crying at her brutal honesty and deep nurturing spirit.The creative team will include Melony Reyes as Production Stage Manager.
JJ Ivey (they/she/he) is a nonbinary plus-size theatre professional who believes in a better Broadway and Beyond. They are a founding member of Clementine Players and trained at Atlantic Acting School. JJ has been seen onstage in Bloom (SheNYCArts), Pride and Prejudice (Clementine Players), Significant Other (Atlantic), The Addams Family (PSC). They recently Stage-Managed Clementine Player’s summer play, Macbeth. They also Company Manage, Direct, and Play with Lights and so much more. JJ is very excited to be bringing Death of a Dandelion to the stage. This play had been brewing in their mind ever since the dark days of 2020. JJ could not do it without the support of the real-life Mama Judy along with all their friends and family. To learn more about them, visit jjivey.com or @jjivey_actor on socials.
Sat 4/6 at 7pm, Wed 4/10 at 8:10pm, Thu 4/18 at 6:30pm & Sun 4/21 at 2pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 50 minutes.
Please Let Me Save You
Written by Ariella Carmell & Kaiya Linkugel - Brooklyn, NY
“Repeat after me: I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. You’re not answering. Do you accept Him or not? Your soul is in danger. Are you there? Please let me save you.” Please Let Me Save You is an absurdist comedy grappling with faith, loss, and codependency was born. A one act about two motherless daughters facing the world alone together. After yet another rendezvous with death, one finds God while the other questions her sanity.
Sat 4/6 at 8:40pm, Fri 4/12 at 6:30pm, Sat 4/13 at 2pm & Sat 4/20 at 3:40pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 50 minutes.
Fanatical Optimism
Written & performed by Adam LeBow
Presented by Chalant Productions - New York, NY
Comic rant and heartfelt lament in which the author/performer looks at the state of the world and asks, “how did my generation let it get this way?”Sun 4/7 at 2pm, Thu 4/11 at 6:30pm, Mon 4/15 at 9:50pm & Fri 4/19 at 9:50pm. Livestreaming.
No Bones About It
Written & Performed by Matt Storrs - New York, NY
Matt Storrs has never loved anything more than his first love: dinosaurs. After romantic rejection in elementary school, Matt copes by starting a movement to advocate for his favorite dinosaur and get the governor of Arizona recalled. Years later, Matt revisits his obsession to see how healthy it really was.Sun 4/7 at 5:20pm, Mon 4/8 at 9:50pm, Wed 4/17 at 6:30pm, & Sat 4/20 at 10:20pm. Livestreaming.
Dad Girl
Written & Performed by Emily Walsh - Astoria, NY
Emily Walsh doesn't know if she wants kids, but given the choice, she'd like to be the dad. Join Emily on her darkly hilarious journey navigating gender norms, societal expectations and if you can be the dad if you grew up without one. A must-see if you've ever been a child or thought about having one.
Emily Walsh’s dad is dead, but she’s doing ok. She was 11, which was basically 16, which is basically an adult. But now Emily and her husband are trying to decide whether to have kids. She is struggling on what it means to be a parent without getting the
chance to really get to know her father. The only conclusion she’s come to is that she’d prefer to be the dad. A story about buried grief, a big choice, and having to put your dreams on hold for something you still don’t know if you want.
“Emily Walsh’s Dad Girl is hilarious while also being moving and so relatable, especially to anyone who has dealt with loss; beautifully executed by Emily, a stand-up up at the top of her game.” - Ophira Eisenberg, former host of NPR’s Ask Me Another
“Emily Walsh’s Dad Girl is hilarious while also being moving and so relatable, especially to anyone who has dealt with loss; beautifully executed by Emily, a stand-up up at the top of her game.” - Ophira Eisenberg, former host of NPR’s Ask Me Another
Mon 4/8 at 6:30pm, Sat 4/13 at 7pm, Wed 4/17 at 8:10pm & Thu 4/18 at 9:50pm. Livestreaming.
The cast will feature Melani Carrié, Asha Devi, Sarah Hogewood, Nancy Umba, and Katherine Winter.
Wed 4/3 at 6pm, Sat 4/6 at 9:50pm, Thu 4/11 at 7:40pm & Sun 4/14 at 1:30pm Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 40 minutes.
At The Wild Project:
The Leading Lady Club: A Feminist (But Still Likable) Sketch Show
Presented by Leading Lady Creative and Guptanya Studios - New York, NY
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| The Leading Lady Club Cast. Photo Credit: Miguel Garzón Martínez |
Fresh off a critically acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, you're invited to join The Leading Lady Club! At this meeting, the women are sharing their experiences with dating apps, self-defense, workplace interactions, women's health, assault, plus varying degrees of MANspreading, MANsplaining, and MANipulation. But don't worry, they'll do it all with humor and grace. Well...they'll do their best! Imagine SNL-meets-the Barbie movie in this hilariously dark commentary on what it means to be a woman in the world today. Inspired by interviews with real women of different backgrounds, ages, races and experiences.
The cast will feature Melani Carrié, Asha Devi, Sarah Hogewood, Nancy Umba, and Katherine Winter.
Wed 4/3 at 6pm, Sat 4/6 at 9:50pm, Thu 4/11 at 7:40pm & Sun 4/14 at 1:30pm Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 40 minutes.
Curry & Catharsis
Written & performed by Azhar Bande-Ali
Presented by Needle Works - New York, NY
Being a 19-year-old salesperson at an Indian jewelry store in Atlanta is exactly as fun as it sounds. The joy ride ends when the family-owned business puts Azhar in his place. Come see how the curry is made and the catharsis it takes.Wed 4/3 at 8:10pm, Sat 4/6 at 2:10pm, Wed 4/10 at 7:40pm & Fri 4/12 at 6pm. Livestreaming.
Miss. Adventure
Written & performed by Rachel Pallante - Austin, TX
What if Bette Midler and Jerry Garcia had a love child? Hop on the Magic Mushroom School Bus as one woman journeys down the Rabbit Hole and Over the Rainbow in a multimedia ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ musical comedy experience. Can she survive Cult Leaders, Law Enforcement, and Bears? Oh My! You will choose her fate Live!
Rachel Pallante is a full-time actor and teaching artist based in Austin, TX. Her work has been featured in National Commercials and Network Television Series. She made her Co-Star debut with Bob Odenkirk in Better Call Saul and won the 2022 ADDY Award for Radio & Television. Rachel can be seen performing Live around town and is known for her musical-comedy sketches and characters she creates for YouTube. www.rachelpallante.com
Wed 4/3 at 9:50pm, Thu 4/4 at 6pm, Sat 4/6 at 8:10pm, Sun 4/7 at 3:10pm & Mon 4/8 at 8:10pm. Livestreaming.
After getting raves in London and Los Angeles, The Importance of Being Anxious brings the angst to where it belongs: New York City. Featuring the voice of the iconic Ricki Lake, the play is a raw, honest, painfully hilarious look at mental health and anxiety around identity, relationships and intimacy — though at its core, the triggers and tribulations about coming out in mid-life form the heart of the piece. It’s a coming-of-middle-age comedy. With lots of gay sex. What’s not to like?
Thu 4/4 at 7:40pm, Fri 4/5 at 6pm, Wed 4/17 at 7:40pm, Thu 4/18 at 6pm & Sat 4/20 at 9:50pm. Livestreaming.
Rodwin shares a hilarious story about getting hired to write a musical about the history of Miami. To be staged on a boat. Owned by a Russian oligarch. Produced by a guy who sold timeshares. Hold tight as Rodwin takes his boss’s horrifying comedic taste and spins it into gold. Who will win the death match between San Francisco culture and Floridian worldview? No one on a boat.
Wed 4/3 at 9:50pm, Thu 4/4 at 6pm, Sat 4/6 at 8:10pm, Sun 4/7 at 3:10pm & Mon 4/8 at 8:10pm. Livestreaming.
The Importance of Being Anxious
Written & Performed by Hal Cantor
Presented by Made From Concentrate - Lake Worth Beach, FL
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Hal Cantor. Photo Credit: Richard Dean |
Thu 4/4 at 7:40pm, Fri 4/5 at 6pm, Wed 4/17 at 7:40pm, Thu 4/18 at 6pm & Sat 4/20 at 9:50pm. Livestreaming.
David Rodwin: Miami Madness
Written & performed by David Rodwin
Presented by Story Emporium - San Francisco, CA
Rodwin shares a hilarious story about getting hired to write a musical about the history of Miami. To be staged on a boat. Owned by a Russian oligarch. Produced by a guy who sold timeshares. Hold tight as Rodwin takes his boss’s horrifying comedic taste and spins it into gold. Who will win the death match between San Francisco culture and Floridian worldview? No one on a boat.
Come hear the real tale of how Rodwin fell in love with the history of Miami despite its rabidly anti-Semitic founding fathers. And how he connected with his family history when he discovers his great-grandfather was one of the 'Binder Boys' who fomented the great Florida land rush that ended in a real estate bubble that makes the 2008 financial crisis look like child's play.
Throw in a producer obsessed with shoehorning in a drag queen as the narrator, insistent on including scenes with "Indians" dressed like X-rated Disney cartoons and who becomes infatuated with a love story between a black panther and a sexy manatee that was intended as an absurdist joke... and we get pure madness, as only Miami can deliver.
Based in San Francisco, Rodwin is coming to New York for the World Premiere of his 9th solo show, which is then going on a North American tour throughout 2024.
Thu 4/4 at 9:20pm, Sun 4/7 at 4:50pm, Tue 4/9 at 7:40pm, Sat 4/13 at 12pm & Sat 4/20 at 2:10pm. The performance will run approximately 85 minutes.
The House of Clytemnestra
Zoe Bloomfield - New York, NY
The Trojan War is over. Years after the sacrifice of her young daughter, it’s time for Queen Clytemnestra to face her grief, her ghosts, and her husband. Her other daughter Electra…is also there. An award-winning play for a work in heightened language, using classical and modern text to examine the daily performances of women.Fri 4/5 at 7:40pm, Mon 4/8 at 6pm, Sat 3/13 at 2:10pm & Tue 4/16 at 7:40pm. Livestreaming.
Michael John Ciszewski: LOVEFOOL
Written & performed by Michael John Ciszewski - Jersey City, NJ
You’ve heard of LOVE before... You knew it was kinda gay, but you just WAIT till big queer lovefool Michael John Ciszewski gets his limp wrists on it! Join him on an absolute ROMP through flings and flirtations, from first love to forever, as he ritually reassembles the pieces of his heart in a silly, romantic reclamation of heartbreak. A very GAY hour that bridges stand-up COMEDY and CONFESSIONAL, Lovefool is a solo spectacular that makes a starry-eyed argument for falling head-over-heels through life. The show invites audiences to hit the disco ball-lit dance floor of our dreams and find happily ever after alongside Michael John. Will he say “yasss” to a life-long commitment to queer love and all its abundant potential? Will you?
“My mission is to make comedy that embodies the joy and whimsy of the queerness I see in myself and my communities with full heart,” reflects Michael John, “and in our current sociopolitical climate, I am so proud to celebrate the healing power of queer love at the New York City Fringe this April! We've created a romantic comedy romp for audiences that has me get down on bended knee and ask them to say 'yasss' to love over fear, new beginnings, and the abundant potential of being very silly and very gay. No pressure, but tell me that doesn't sound like happily-ever-after! Lovefool is for queers and allies, folks who are sober or sober-curious, and anyone who wants to laugh their way to a mended broken heart."
Ciszewski is joined by the creative team of Brian Dudley and Noah Simes. Dudley began working with Ciszewski to co-create the show after hearing an early developmental reading of the text in 2021. They were joined by Simes after the work-in-progress performance in June 2022. Both share enthusiasm for the spirit and immediacy of the show: “Lovefool is quintessential Michael John,” shares Dudley, who helped shape the show’s writing and design. “It marries deep sincerity and thoughtfulness with off-the-wall gay nonsense and invites the audience to the reception. Michael John is an unstoppable whirlwind of humor, poignance, and vulnerability in equal measure.” Simes, whose direction has sharpened the piece with wit and style, echoes these sentiments: “Lovefool is everything theater should be—fun, gay, honest, and about an hour long. The show asks the question, ‘if love always breaks something, why bother?’ And it answers with a clear-eyed conviction, but also with a wink and a nod and a wiggle on the dance floor. It’s an impassioned manifesto on the importance and beauty of following love through to whatever life has in store for us.”
Fri 4/5 at 9:50pm, Sat 4/6 at 12:30pm,, Sat 4/13 at 4:20pm & Mon 4/15 at 6pm. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes.
Brokeneck Girls: The Murder Ballad Musical
Written by Eve Blackwater - New York, NY
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| Emily Ross, Tiffany Knight, Alexandria Thomas, Jeannie Skelly, Eve Blackwater and Kendra MacDevitt. Photo by Adrian Buckmaster |
The score, performed by the NYC-based, folk noir band Brokeneck Girls, features songs of murder, mayhem and dirty deeds spiced with juicy gossip and facts about real people and events in the songs. Loyalty, murder, quick wit, and banjo jokes tell the hilarious and unflinching story of hidden history and the beginning of cultural obsession with true crime and make for a thoroughly entertaining evening. Join us for the thrilling new version, compressed and edited specifically for the NYC Fringe Festival!
The cast will feature Alexandria Thomas, Emily Ross, Olivia Whicheloe, Eve Blackwater, Kendra MacDevitt and Jeannie Skelly.
The creative team includes Eve Blackwater, Michael Hagins, Adam Sherwin, and Tiffany Knight.
Brokeneck Girls, the Murder Ballad Musical, began in 2019 when songwriters Eve Blackwater and Jeannie Skelly attended an open mic and noticed an alarming trend of songs featuring violence against women. The tradition of Murder Ballads, a genre of music frequently based on real events, began hundreds of years ago and were the original version of the true crime podcasts that are so popular today. Jeannie and Eve, along with fellow songwriter Kendra MacDevitt, formed the folk-nouveau band Brokeneck Girls, providing an alternative take on these songs. The group found a macabre humor in the lack of outage surrounding the popularity of an artform glamorizing domestic violence, particularly the song Knoxville Girl, which cheerfully depicts the torture and killing of Ann Nichols in 1683, and currently boasts over 100 modern covers on Spotify alone. They made it their missions to highlight the hypocrisy while indulging in the goosebumps and guilty pleasure of the genre. After a few months of yelling historical facts into drunken crowds at shows, and a brief attempt at performing musical skits alongside their songs, Eve took it upon herself to write a play about the characters in their songs. Friends in the art community speak the word, FRIGID New York offered a space to workshop the production and the show sold out its first run in October of 2023.
Website Brokeneck Girls: The Murder Ballad Musical
The cast will feature Alexandria Thomas, Emily Ross, Olivia Whicheloe, Eve Blackwater, Kendra MacDevitt and Jeannie Skelly.
The creative team includes Eve Blackwater, Michael Hagins, Adam Sherwin, and Tiffany Knight.
Brokeneck Girls, the Murder Ballad Musical, began in 2019 when songwriters Eve Blackwater and Jeannie Skelly attended an open mic and noticed an alarming trend of songs featuring violence against women. The tradition of Murder Ballads, a genre of music frequently based on real events, began hundreds of years ago and were the original version of the true crime podcasts that are so popular today. Jeannie and Eve, along with fellow songwriter Kendra MacDevitt, formed the folk-nouveau band Brokeneck Girls, providing an alternative take on these songs. The group found a macabre humor in the lack of outage surrounding the popularity of an artform glamorizing domestic violence, particularly the song Knoxville Girl, which cheerfully depicts the torture and killing of Ann Nichols in 1683, and currently boasts over 100 modern covers on Spotify alone. They made it their missions to highlight the hypocrisy while indulging in the goosebumps and guilty pleasure of the genre. After a few months of yelling historical facts into drunken crowds at shows, and a brief attempt at performing musical skits alongside their songs, Eve took it upon herself to write a play about the characters in their songs. Friends in the art community speak the word, FRIGID New York offered a space to workshop the production and the show sold out its first run in October of 2023.
Website Brokeneck Girls: The Murder Ballad Musical
Sat 4/6 at 6pm, Wed 4/10 at 9:20pm, Sun 4/14 at 4:50pm & Fri 4/19 at 7:40pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 90 minutes.
Schmaltz!
Written by Armando Chardiet, Yonatan Gutenmacher, Julia Rotgin & David Slarskey
Presented by Liquid Gold Productions - Philadelphia, PA
A lighthearted and serious classical dramatic comedy, Schmaltz! presents an eclectic cast of authentic characters to tell the story of Golding’s, a kosher deli in Midwood Brooklyn. Once vibrant, Golding's has fallen on hard times. Isaac Golding, the heir apparent to the deli, sets out to save the business, aided by Mindy, the deli's long-time, Latina manager. A 60-minute tour through the real and imagined, the ensemble presents answers to age-old questions, and questions demanding timeless answers. Come for the day-old tuna salad. Stay for the...SCHMALTZ!Schmaltz! was written by Armie Chardiet, Yoni Gutenmacher, Julia Rotgin, and David Slarskey, all current or former students affiliated with the Kelly Writers House at the University of Pennsylvania. They began writing the play in September 2023.
Sun 4/7 at 1:30pm, Thu 4/11 at 6pm, Fri 4/12 at 9:50pm, Sat 4/13 at 8:10pm, Sat 4/20 at 6pm & Sun 4/21 at 3:10pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes.
Stroke of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation Throughout Performing Arts History
Written by Vulva Va-Voom
Performed by Shane Mayforth
Presented by Boiled Horse Productions - Tampa, FL
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| Shane Mayforth. Photo by Gontran_Durocher |
This professor takes "jacking around" very seriously. Dr. Walter Winkworth-Pérez has devoted the past decade of his academic career to the study and preservation of a highly specialized art form. His research has made him the world's foremost expert on pantomime masturbation conventions dating back to ancient Greece. Attendees of this prestigious multi-media lecture series will become familiar with techniques and regional styles of comedic simulated self-pleasure in their correct historical contexts.
Following last semester's workshop, "All in the Wrist: Vaudeville Jack Practicum," this syllabus expands its focus on early film. Experience an in-depth study of the mysterious genius who immortalized timeless theatrical skills on the 1920s silver screen: the man who became the sultan of sexual subterfuge, the legendary Spankin' Shyster.
Following last semester's workshop, "All in the Wrist: Vaudeville Jack Practicum," this syllabus expands its focus on early film. Experience an in-depth study of the mysterious genius who immortalized timeless theatrical skills on the 1920s silver screen: the man who became the sultan of sexual subterfuge, the legendary Spankin' Shyster.
Earlier this year, the Stroke team was excited to again be selected by Orlando Fringe (the United States’ largest Fringe organization, with annual attendance of 50,000 - 75,000) for its prestigious curated winter festival. Creative Loafing, Tampa’s alt-weekly print news mainstay, issued the show a Best of the Bay 2023 Staff Pick Award: Best D!ck Joke. Soon, they will delight and confuse New York audiences with their careful artisanal blend of cultured and juvenile humor. For example, in addition to familiar offerings like stickers, their merch table features “Intellectual Masturbation lotion.”
In his overly serious college professor persona, Boiled Horse founder Shane Mayforth maintains an impenetrable “straight man” deadpan. But offstage, he is franker: “Stroke of Genius is exactly the story we have been wanting to tell,” said Mayforth. “Is it a story that needed to be told? That’s going to depend on how easily offended you are. To me, it’s about three things: one, the futility of looking for hidden subtext where none was intended. Two, the absurdity of people who fixate on inherently stupid subject matter. And, most importantly: three, the opportunity to make d!ck jokes. So many d!ck jokes.”
Stroke of Genius features nine professionally shot and edited “silent film” segments, historically accurate points of interest, and–as previously stated–dozens upon dozens of d!ck jokes. It also has an interesting tie-in to the LGBTQ+ community, as the 1920s Spankin’ Shyster is played by genderqueer/trans-identifying performer/head writer Vulva Va-Voom in impressive male makeup.
Sun 4/7 at 7pm, Mon 4/8 at 9:50pm, Sat 4/13 at 6pm, Tue 4/16 at 9:50pm & Wed 4/17 at 6pm.
Delirantes
Written & directed by Monica Piñeros - New York, NY
Monqui Biznes will present Delirantes, written by Eugene Ionesco, adapted and directed by Monica Piñeros.
During the Covid-19 world pandemic New York state is paused and issues a stay-at-home order. A couple suddenly finds themselves confined in their home with no other option than to face the cruel reality of their long unhappy marriage. Trapped by the situation, they find themselves constantly immersed in a never ending discussion that only confirms their deepening delirious state. The city outside is flooded with riots, looting and New York is the epicenter of the virus. The world seems to be falling to pieces with no way out. How long will they bear the unbearable?
Performed in Spanish with English subtitles
The cast will feature Brigitte Silva and Jorge Perez, two Colombian actors with combined experience that spans over three decades of working in professional staged productions both in Colombia and EEUU. Their prizes and recognitions include Outstanding Actress Drama with catalyst stories at Duluth and ATI Best Actor award.
The creative team includes Assistant Director Daniel Diaza, Sound Designer Antonio Piñeros, Music Producer Julian Rhodes and Lighting, Costume & Set Design by Monica Piñeros.
Tue 4/9 at 6pm, Thu 4/11 at 9:20pm, Sun 4/14 at 7pm & Sat 4/20 at 8:10pm. The performance will run approximately 50 minutes.
No f*cks given. None taken. All done.
Written & Performed by Pamela L Paek - Los Angeles, CA
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| Pamela L Paek. Photo by Keida Mascaro |
Through a no-BS TED-esque talk, a professional curmudgeon will smack the audience with their unconscious assumptions that have them perpetuate harmful social norms. In 55 minutes, they’ll reckon with their complicity in humanity's demise, chant profanities, and realize how math can prove anything. It’s like NYC every day, but people will laugh.
Playwright Pamela L Paek relishes self-expression and creativity in as many forms as they can juggle, including solo shows, stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, physical comedy, and clown. No f***s given. None taken. All done. won a producer’s encore award and was a best immersive finalist at Hollywood Fringe 2023, as well as Best of Week and Best of Fest at Frontera Fest 2023. Pamela created a sketch comedy show called 1.5 KOREAN, which won three awards at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2021, and the short film of that work was honored by the Asian American Film Lab. In 2020, Pamela beat out 350+ stand-up comedians and won the grand prize in Uncle Clyde’s Comedy Contest. She has also won multiple awards for their writing, including artist residencies and fellowships for their poetry. More info on Pamela.
Tue 4/9 at 9:50pm, Fri 4/12 at 7:40pm, Thu 4/18 at 9:20pm, Sat 4/20 at 4:20pm & Sun 4/21 at 4:50pm. Livestreaming.
Walt Kelly's Songs of the Pogo
Presented by Frank Farrell Productions - Ridgewood, New Jersey
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| Haley Karlich, Danny Crawford, Aisha de Haas |
Producers and co-adaptors Frank Farrell and Ben Masterton created the currently running eight-episode podcast Songs of the Pogo: https://sites.libsyn.com/451542. They both appeared in a live stage production of Songs of the Pogo at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater back in 1995.
“Ben and I look forward to seeing how Walt Kelly’s world of words sit with today’s audiences,” says Farrell. “The show has a timeless appeal, adorable songs, entertaining storytelling, some funny jokes with a fractured fairy tale sort of vibe mixed in,” he added. “We want our audience to sit back, relax and be entertained!” said Ben Masterton.
The cast for this 2024 Actors’ Equity Association approved showcase production includes actors Tom Beckett*, Danny Crawford*, Lee DeCecco, Aisha De Haas*, Greg Horton*, and Haley Karlich. The production’s Technical Director is Thomas J. Donohoe II. Claudia Egli serves as Assistant to the Director.
*Denotes actors are members of the Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
Wed 4/10 at 6pm, Sat 4/13 at 9:50pm, Thu 4/18 at 7:40pm & Sun 4/21 at 1:30pm. The performance will run approximately 55 minutes.
A Little Bit Pregnant
Presented by Paper Dog Press - Montreal Quebec Canada
Sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll.... and a baby? The dramedy A Little Bit Pregnant gives audiences an intimate look at the highs and lows of four young people trying to adult. The play deals with all things pregnancy; including abortion, miscarriage, and IVF and the choices that arise from them.
Sun 4/14 at 3:10pm, Tue 4/16 at 6pm & Fri 4/19 at 6pm. Livestreaming.
"LUCINE!" or "birdshit: a human concerto with string & void”
Written & performed by Christian De Gré Cárdenas
Presented by Alkimia - Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
Luna’s daughter unapologetically reorchestrates her glorious phases as she approaches her final dawn. Offensively tamed yet tamed offensively. From the award-winning creators of Acedia and Twisted Operettas' emerges a new "human concerto." Oh Lucine, she was as cruel as she was kind.Mon 4/15 at 8:10pm, Wed 4/17 at 9:20pm, Fri 4/19 at 9:50pm, Sat 4/20 at 12:30pm & Sun 4/21 at 7pm. Livestreaming.
At 14th St. Y Theater:
Conversations with My Divorce Attorney
Written & directed by Suzanne Bachner
Presented by JMTC Theatre - New York, NY
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| Bob Brader and Kat Nardizzi. Photograph by Nadia Volvic. |
Playwright Bachner shared what inspired her to write this play, “Many years ago I was a New Yorker going through a divorce in LA. It was not the typical acrimonious, hate-filled divorce. My then husband and I loved each other very much, but were in a cycle of constantly disrupted intimacy dealing with his alcoholism and my attachment. So, I was heartsick about the marriage ending and didn’t know what to expect. My divorce attorney struck me as arrogant and distracted when I first met him and then as the process went on, I found him comforting, compassionate and an insightful expert. Even though he told me that it would be easier if I hated my 'soon-to-be ex-husband,' he ended up calling us 'The Poster Children of Divorce.' The play came out of that experience.”
Bachner went on to say, “I wrote the first scene of this play before my divorce was even finalized, and I worked on it over the years, but I could never seem to complete it. Then the pandemic happened, and I started to work on it again. I was writing about loneliness and isolation at a time when we were all dealing with that. I was developing the play with the incredible team we still have today. At one point we were doing virtual readings and making these human connections with each other and with the characters and our audience. Now, we are getting to create a different work on stage together and share it live and in-person. So, the timing seems just about perfect.”
The play stars Kat Nardizzi (Lighthouse: An Immersive Drinking Musical/Off-Broadway Soho Playhouse) and Bob Brader (RISK! Podcast & Spitting In The Face Of The Devil/Best Script and Best Encore at the United Solo).
The creative team features projection and sound design by Chris Kateff, original music by Dan Siegler, Siegler’s original song ‘Maybe’ performed by Deanna Kirk, website design by Michael Koch, set, costume, and prop design by Nadia Volvic and Associate Producer Nathan Faudree.
Wed 4/3 at 5:30pm, Tue 4/9 at 7:10pm, Thu 4/11 at 8:50pm, Mon 4/15 at 5:30pm & Fri 4/19 at 7:10pm. Livestreaming. Running time: 90 minutes.
The pace of change is messing with our heads, and to psychotherapist, improviser and storyteller Jude Treder-Wolff, comedy is part of the cure. Through true stories about trying to understand her partner’s opposite approach to change, she frames a narrative about the impact of constant uncertainty as the pace of change picks up speed and transforms the world faster - and more often - than our brains are built to process. Weaving the personal with the universal, FASTER is about how the pace of change impacts mental health and what love has to do with expanding into a future that will definitely be improvised.
Jude shared what inspired her to write the show, “I've been fascinated by the accelerating pace of change for the past 20 years, mainly because of technology turning us all into James Bond with handheld computers in our pockets that are more powerful than the ones NASA used to send astronauts to the moon, but with none of James Bond's special training to deal with the constant sense of urgency and excitement it brings”.
“I became kind of obsessed about it when Facebook became this gigantic, cyber small town where I was running into people I had forgotten about from my past and would otherwise never have seen or heard from again, meeting people I would otherwise never have access to, and every move people made in their lives broadcast to the whole world. As a therapist my whole job is to help people understand how they deal with and think about change. Too much change without time to adjust makes people feel a chronic sense of low-key grief and loss, mainly a loss of control. I want to explore this topic because it is impacting mental health and comedy can help.”
Wed 4/3 at 7:40pm, Fri 4/5 at 9:20pm, Fri 4/12 at 5:30pm & Sat 4/13 at 12:30pm. Livestreaming. Running time: 60 minutes.
Meet Mulan, an average employee in today's cutthroat corporate jungle at a leading cosmetics firm, whose life takes an extraordinary turn when she's mystically transported to ancient battlefields. Here, she transforms into the legendary warrior whose name she shares. This isn't just a play; it's an interactive odyssey where the audience holds the power to navigate Mulan's fate.
Mulan, and NOW unfolds the journey of a modern-day protagonist caught between the expectations of corporate America and her own aspirations. Her dual existence challenges her to navigate gender norms, leadership, and self-discovery. The play is a testament to the timeless struggle for identity and acceptance, resonating with themes of feminism and empowerment, targeting audiences across the spectrum, including Asian Americans, the LGBTQ+ community, and young adults.
Bachner went on to say, “I wrote the first scene of this play before my divorce was even finalized, and I worked on it over the years, but I could never seem to complete it. Then the pandemic happened, and I started to work on it again. I was writing about loneliness and isolation at a time when we were all dealing with that. I was developing the play with the incredible team we still have today. At one point we were doing virtual readings and making these human connections with each other and with the characters and our audience. Now, we are getting to create a different work on stage together and share it live and in-person. So, the timing seems just about perfect.”
The play stars Kat Nardizzi (Lighthouse: An Immersive Drinking Musical/Off-Broadway Soho Playhouse) and Bob Brader (RISK! Podcast & Spitting In The Face Of The Devil/Best Script and Best Encore at the United Solo).
The creative team features projection and sound design by Chris Kateff, original music by Dan Siegler, Siegler’s original song ‘Maybe’ performed by Deanna Kirk, website design by Michael Koch, set, costume, and prop design by Nadia Volvic and Associate Producer Nathan Faudree.
Wed 4/3 at 5:30pm, Tue 4/9 at 7:10pm, Thu 4/11 at 8:50pm, Mon 4/15 at 5:30pm & Fri 4/19 at 7:10pm. Livestreaming. Running time: 90 minutes.
FASTER
Written & performed by Jude Treder-Wolff
Presented by Lifestage, Inc. - Port Jefferson, NY
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| Jude Treder-Wolff |
Jude shared what inspired her to write the show, “I've been fascinated by the accelerating pace of change for the past 20 years, mainly because of technology turning us all into James Bond with handheld computers in our pockets that are more powerful than the ones NASA used to send astronauts to the moon, but with none of James Bond's special training to deal with the constant sense of urgency and excitement it brings”.
“I became kind of obsessed about it when Facebook became this gigantic, cyber small town where I was running into people I had forgotten about from my past and would otherwise never have seen or heard from again, meeting people I would otherwise never have access to, and every move people made in their lives broadcast to the whole world. As a therapist my whole job is to help people understand how they deal with and think about change. Too much change without time to adjust makes people feel a chronic sense of low-key grief and loss, mainly a loss of control. I want to explore this topic because it is impacting mental health and comedy can help.”
Wed 4/3 at 7:40pm, Fri 4/5 at 9:20pm, Fri 4/12 at 5:30pm & Sat 4/13 at 12:30pm. Livestreaming. Running time: 60 minutes.
Mulan, and NOW
Written & Performed by Siqi Zhang
Presented by TBT Canvas Collective - Philadelphia PA
Mulan, and NOW unfolds the journey of a modern-day protagonist caught between the expectations of corporate America and her own aspirations. Her dual existence challenges her to navigate gender norms, leadership, and self-discovery. The play is a testament to the timeless struggle for identity and acceptance, resonating with themes of feminism and empowerment, targeting audiences across the spectrum, including Asian Americans, the LGBTQ+ community, and young adults.
Stay connected with Mulan, and NOW on its journey to the premiere:
Instagram: @mulan_and_now
Facebook: Mulan and NOW
Instagram: @mulan_and_now
Facebook: Mulan and NOW
Wed 4/3 at 9:20pm, Thu 4/4 at 5:30pm, Mon 4/8 at 9:20pm, Sat 4/13 at 2:10pm & Sun 4/21 at 7pm. Livestreaming.
Lolo lands a dream-come-true European tour with her punk cabaret show. But when it gets canceled after just a few weeks, she’s forced to pack up her funky costumes and drag them back to her mom’s house in suburbia. Lolo thought she’d be famous and happily married by now. Her Psychic told her she would be. Instead, she doesn’t even have a job. A tempting invitation from The British Guy she met on tour could be her ticket to a happier life. He’s different. He takes showers. He hasn’t asked her for money. He didn’t bring a stripper on any of their dates. But his attempts to woo end up triggering a traumatic trip through boyfriends past. From The Yogi to The Texter to The Addict, Lolo’s penchant for attracting the bizarre really cuts her up. As she grapples with her ghosts, Lolo has a radical realization: maybe…just maybe…there’s a different path to happiness in this world.
Lolo’s Boyfriend Show will be performed by Lauren O’Brien, whose previous solo show, Jaxx & Lolo, won the awards Best Show and Excellence in Multi-Media at the New York City Frigid Festival in 2020. The play is directed by Broadway veteran Christine Bokhour.
TransMasculine Cabaret, Starring Vulva Va-Voom
Presented by Vulva Va-Voom & Company - Tampa, FL
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| Vulva Va-Voom. Photo by Robb Lee |
Nationally-touring cabaret artist Vulva Va-Voom (pronouns: they/them/their), who is bi/pansexual and identifies as a transmasculine non-binary, will re-stage their autobiographical show at the New York City Fringe Festival this April. The show premiered last year at Tampa International Fringe, where it won the festival’s “Social Good Award” and a “Venue Choice” Award.
TransMasculine Cabaret is a 60-minute solo piece that interprets the performer’s distressing real-life experiences of queer gender identity through the lens of the persona they’ve played onstage for 18 years. This emotionally intimate script is a stylistic departure for Va-Voom, whose larger-than-life character has mostly been built upon brassy, flippant drag- and burlesque-style obscenity and absurdism. TransMasc retains the provocative underground “NeoVaudeville” elements of earlier shows—frank social critiques, rude sexual jokes, musical numbers, striptease, and absurdist world-building—but weaves them around the artist’s true heartbreaking recollections of growing up in a 1990s agricultural Southern small town, in constant fear of ostracism and violence.
A recurring motif in the show, Il Pagliacci (a sad, mentally-ill clown), illustrates the ways marginalized individuals lean on unhealthy coping mechanisms—in this case, incessant joke-making—to be accepted by mainstream society. Fun trivia: the performer’s longtime voice professor, Noelle Rogers, played the lead female role in Il Pagliacci opposite Luciano Pavarotti.
The artist’s website describes Va-Voom as “a ‘legit,’ classically-trained song-and-dance comedian gone bad. Very, very bad.” Their output as a playwright has consistent themes of “high-brow culture meets low-brow humor,” and their most G-rated tagline is, “Picture Frasier and Niles Crane, but they’re drunken, singing, dancing strippers.”
TransMasculine Cabaret includes stand-up bits, guitar, opera, and other elements from the Vaudeville tradition, including a “We Didn’t Start the Fire” parody with re-written lyrics serving as rapid-fire trigger warnings. The show’s narrative flows around a live, onstage “female to male drag” makeup/costuming transition as the performer shares intensely personal mental health struggles, carefully balanced with dark humor.
The production company’s de facto director, C. Aulby Cornette, said this: “Transgender identity is a complex topic to address, especially under the political climate in our home state of Florida. Non-binary people have a difficult time getting others to perceive our identities as ‘valid,’ outside—and even within—our queer communities. Non-binary expression has been a lifelong struggle…but theater is a space that turns tragedy into art. The trick is to do so in a way that is also highly entertaining! Fortunately, our production team has a lot of experience turning dark, depressing sh!t into very funny, edgy comedy.”
Va-Voom’s previous International Fringe Festival honors for scriptwriting/production include one “Social Good” Award, two “Venue Choice,” three “Edge” Awards, two juried winter festival selections at Orlando Fringe, a shared award for community building, and a shared “Best of the Bay” Staff Pick award for “Best D!ck Joke.” (They served as head script writer and—in male makeup—the film actor in their creative partner’s Stroke of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation Throughout Performing Arts History, which is also at NYC Fringe this year.) The 2024 touring season will take Va-Voom’s solo works to Fringes in Asheville, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, and the Twin Cities.
Thu 4/4 at 7:10pm, Sun 4/7 at 1:30pm, Tue 4/9 at 5:30pm, Fri 4/12 at 9:20pm, Sat 4/13 at 9:50pm & Wed 4/17 at 7:10pm. Livestreaming.
TransMasculine Cabaret is a 60-minute solo piece that interprets the performer’s distressing real-life experiences of queer gender identity through the lens of the persona they’ve played onstage for 18 years. This emotionally intimate script is a stylistic departure for Va-Voom, whose larger-than-life character has mostly been built upon brassy, flippant drag- and burlesque-style obscenity and absurdism. TransMasc retains the provocative underground “NeoVaudeville” elements of earlier shows—frank social critiques, rude sexual jokes, musical numbers, striptease, and absurdist world-building—but weaves them around the artist’s true heartbreaking recollections of growing up in a 1990s agricultural Southern small town, in constant fear of ostracism and violence.
A recurring motif in the show, Il Pagliacci (a sad, mentally-ill clown), illustrates the ways marginalized individuals lean on unhealthy coping mechanisms—in this case, incessant joke-making—to be accepted by mainstream society. Fun trivia: the performer’s longtime voice professor, Noelle Rogers, played the lead female role in Il Pagliacci opposite Luciano Pavarotti.
The artist’s website describes Va-Voom as “a ‘legit,’ classically-trained song-and-dance comedian gone bad. Very, very bad.” Their output as a playwright has consistent themes of “high-brow culture meets low-brow humor,” and their most G-rated tagline is, “Picture Frasier and Niles Crane, but they’re drunken, singing, dancing strippers.”
TransMasculine Cabaret includes stand-up bits, guitar, opera, and other elements from the Vaudeville tradition, including a “We Didn’t Start the Fire” parody with re-written lyrics serving as rapid-fire trigger warnings. The show’s narrative flows around a live, onstage “female to male drag” makeup/costuming transition as the performer shares intensely personal mental health struggles, carefully balanced with dark humor.
The production company’s de facto director, C. Aulby Cornette, said this: “Transgender identity is a complex topic to address, especially under the political climate in our home state of Florida. Non-binary people have a difficult time getting others to perceive our identities as ‘valid,’ outside—and even within—our queer communities. Non-binary expression has been a lifelong struggle…but theater is a space that turns tragedy into art. The trick is to do so in a way that is also highly entertaining! Fortunately, our production team has a lot of experience turning dark, depressing sh!t into very funny, edgy comedy.”
Va-Voom’s previous International Fringe Festival honors for scriptwriting/production include one “Social Good” Award, two “Venue Choice,” three “Edge” Awards, two juried winter festival selections at Orlando Fringe, a shared award for community building, and a shared “Best of the Bay” Staff Pick award for “Best D!ck Joke.” (They served as head script writer and—in male makeup—the film actor in their creative partner’s Stroke of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation Throughout Performing Arts History, which is also at NYC Fringe this year.) The 2024 touring season will take Va-Voom’s solo works to Fringes in Asheville, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, and the Twin Cities.
Thu 4/4 at 7:10pm, Sun 4/7 at 1:30pm, Tue 4/9 at 5:30pm, Fri 4/12 at 9:20pm, Sat 4/13 at 9:50pm & Wed 4/17 at 7:10pm. Livestreaming.
Lolo’s Boyfriend Show
Written & Performed by Lauren O'Brien - Beacon, NY
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| Lauren O'Brien |
Lolo’s Boyfriend Show will be performed by Lauren O’Brien, whose previous solo show, Jaxx & Lolo, won the awards Best Show and Excellence in Multi-Media at the New York City Frigid Festival in 2020. The play is directed by Broadway veteran Christine Bokhour.
Thu 4/4 at 8:50pm, Sat 4/6 at 2:10pm, Fri 4/12 at 7:10pm & Sun 4/21 at 4:50pm. Running time: 90 minutes.
Blocks of Sensation
Written by Kim Barke
Presented by Scientists and Poets and Time and Space Limited - Brooklyn, NY
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| Photo by Claudia Bruce |
As Blocks of Sensation makes its poignant debut at the New York City Fringe Festival, it reaches beyond the stage, bringing the stark reality of America's opioid crisis to the forefront in a deeply personal way. We are a nation grappling with nearly 280,000 prescription opioid-related deaths from 1999 to 2021. A portion of ticket sales is dedicated to supporting Truth Pharm, a trailblazing organization that aims to mitigate the harms caused by substance use through education, advocacy, and policy change. This alliance not only amplifies the impact of the performance but also reinforces the importance of community and collective action in the face of a national emergency that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, claimed nearly 92,000 lives in 2020 alone. Additionally, to foster inclusivity and community engagement, the production introduces a sliding scale admission fee and is available for live streaming across the globe. Kim Barke's transformation of personal grief into a universal call to awareness not only challenges us to confront the stark realities of addiction but also kindles a flame of hope through the transformative power of theater.
Fri 4/5 at 5:30pm, Wed 4/10 at 8:50pm, Sun 4/14 at 3:10pm & Sat 4/20 at 8:10pm. Livestreaming. Running Time: 50 minutes.
In Harmony
Presented by BY Productions - New York, NY
Awaken, explore, and transform. Repeat. After sold-out runs in 2021 and 2022, In Harmony is excited to return with its unique showcase of musical moments, rich vocal harmonies, spoken word, movement, and ensemble storytelling. Join us on a theatrical journey that celebrates community and explores what it means to be human.
The cast will feature Theo Austin, Ethan Badders, Eric Michael Byers, Yang Chen, Kate Connors, Kyana Fanene, Isis ‘Ice’ Ferreira, Savidu Geevaratne, Tyrone Kiaku, Riley Mahan, Kevin Ivey Morrison, Bridget Rose Perrotta, Aubrey Porter, Moana Poyer, Alexia Rastelli, Brandon Reid, Ethan Treiman, and Suka.
The creative team will include Yang Chen & Bridget Rose Perrotta as Co-Directors/Producers, Maddie Allen & Kevin Ivey Morrison as Co-Choreographers, Nicholas Pollock as Lighting Designer, Daniel Wilde as Marketing Consultant, Will Stevens & Rachel Bard as Stage Managers, Allison Kraus as Assistant Music Director/Keys, Josh Conklin on Percussion, and Daniel Basilio-Fernandez on Bass.
Fri 4/5 at 7:10pm, Mon 4/8 at 5:30pm, Sat 4/13 at 6pm & Thu 4/18 at 8:50pm. Livestreaming. The performance runs approximately 90 minutes.
The Fountain
Written & directed by Tony Patryn
Presented by Patrynize Productions - New York, NY
Two strangers from different time periods become traveling companions when they find themselves lost in a giant labyrinth. While attempting to find a way out, they stumble upon a mysterious fountain being watched over by a stone guardian who promises them anything they wish...but for a price.The cast will feature Larissa McCoy, Hugo Salazar, Jr. & Jordan Grzybowski.
The creative team will include Tony Patryn, Clare Solly, MC Baroska, Ross Lampert,
Will Thomae, and Rob Mobley.
Sat 4/6 at 12:30pm, Wed 4/10 at 5:30pm, Sun 4/14 at 7pm & Sat 4/20 at 2:10pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately 54 minutes.
Yoga for Billionaires: An Immersive Play
Written & Performed by Sara Raj - Toronto, Ontario
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| Photo by Fab Cometto |
The play stars Sara Raj, a stand-up comedian of South Asian origin, as a megalomaniac Yoga Guru and features Lindita Kulla as her disgruntled assistant. The hilarious duo guides selected audience members through uniquely designed yoga asanas (poses) inspired by our most-beloved Billionaires, all while making a commentary on wealth, class, and capitalism in America today. This show will make you laugh, move and never look at meditation the same way.
The show is written and directed by Raj (she/her), a writer, stand-up comedian and playwright raised by first generation immigrant parents from Andhra Pradesh, India. Her comedy centers on her experience as the child of immigrant parents – navigating the vast difference between spirituality in Eastern and Western cultures, what it means to be successful in society, poverty, privilege, the challenges of dating and romance, colonization and its current day implications. She has performed at various juried and unjuried festivals throughout North America, including PHYS FEST NYC, SOLOCOM, and the upcoming Toronto Fringe. More info here www.sararaj.com/yogaforbillionaires
The production team includes Fabrizio Cometto as General Manager and Wendy Cascade as sound designer.
Sat 4/6 at 4:20pm, Tue 4/9 at 9:20pm, Sun 4/14 at 1:30pm & Tue 4/16 at 9:20pm. The performance will run approximately 1 hour.
Sat 4/6 at 6pm, Sun 4/14 at 4:50pm, Thu 4/18 at 7:10pm & Sat 4/20 at 12:30pm.
Sat 4/6 at 8:10pm, Sat 4/13 at 4:20pm, Mon 4/15 at 9:20pm, Tue 4/16 at 7:10pm & Sat 4/20 at 6pm.
Fulbright-awarded artist from The Canary Islands Edu Díaz presents and performs in A Drag Is Born, a solo show directed by Rachel Resnik.
In a twist of fate, a man is thrust into the spotlight for his drag queen debut. With advanced age, abundant body hair, and limited talents, he is an unlikely candidate. Clown, drag, and magic fuel a whimsical journey through delightful music and colorful outfits as the man discovers it’s never too late to embrace your true self.
A Drag Is Born is a nonverbal celebration of queer empowerment to World Premiere at the New York City Fringe Festival (April) and The Orlando Fringe (May). The show began as a 10-minute sketch at Pridefest (The Tank) and the HOT! Festival (Dixon Place) during the summer of 2023 with several iterations in iconic venues in New York City, such as The Stonewall Inn and The Slipper Room.
Edu Díaz, creator, producer, and performer in the piece, is a queer Fulbright-awarded artist from The Canary Islands based in New York City, where he premiered his first solo show, Fantastic Mr. S, at the United Solo Festival (2022) and Twin Towers, a play written and directed by Esther Caporale winner of the SPF Best Play (The Players Theatre, 2023). Edu is a member of two improv companies and produces and hosts the Clown Open Mic, a monthly variety show at Pine Box Rock Shop.
“A recent homophobic attack, a mid-life crisis, and the need to have fun with the audience began this project, in which I’m honoring my - so far - private life as a campy crossdresser” says Díaz.
A Date With My Wild
Written & performed by Alexandria Rengifo
Presented by Expression Sessions - Brooklyn, NY
This original one-woman storytelling show follows the protagonist, Alexandria Rengifo, as she struggles between her pure spiritual lifestyle and a growing desire for physical pleasure. Will she have the courage to trust? Join along on this bold, sexy journey that ultimately connects Alexandria back to her youngest, freest self.Sat 4/6 at 6pm, Sun 4/14 at 4:50pm, Thu 4/18 at 7:10pm & Sat 4/20 at 12:30pm.
Don't Stop Believing: A Theatric Remix of the 1980s
Written & Performed by Torrey Shine - New York, NY
A dramatic comedy about “coming of age” in the 1980s, mashing hundreds of iconic 80s songs and movies into alternating dialogue and song (a la Moulin Rouge). Clever witty writing. Sassy theatric performance. Jam-packed with nostalgic Easter Eggs, this show explores themes of independence, love, and having faith in yourself.Sat 4/6 at 8:10pm, Sat 4/13 at 4:20pm, Mon 4/15 at 9:20pm, Tue 4/16 at 7:10pm & Sat 4/20 at 6pm.
A Drag is Born
Written & performed by Edu Díaz - New York, NY
In a twist of fate, a man is thrust into the spotlight for his drag queen debut. With advanced age, abundant body hair, and limited talents, he is an unlikely candidate. Clown, drag, and magic fuel a whimsical journey through delightful music and colorful outfits as the man discovers it’s never too late to embrace your true self.
A Drag Is Born is a nonverbal celebration of queer empowerment to World Premiere at the New York City Fringe Festival (April) and The Orlando Fringe (May). The show began as a 10-minute sketch at Pridefest (The Tank) and the HOT! Festival (Dixon Place) during the summer of 2023 with several iterations in iconic venues in New York City, such as The Stonewall Inn and The Slipper Room.
Edu Díaz, creator, producer, and performer in the piece, is a queer Fulbright-awarded artist from The Canary Islands based in New York City, where he premiered his first solo show, Fantastic Mr. S, at the United Solo Festival (2022) and Twin Towers, a play written and directed by Esther Caporale winner of the SPF Best Play (The Players Theatre, 2023). Edu is a member of two improv companies and produces and hosts the Clown Open Mic, a monthly variety show at Pine Box Rock Shop.
“A recent homophobic attack, a mid-life crisis, and the need to have fun with the audience began this project, in which I’m honoring my - so far - private life as a campy crossdresser” says Díaz.
Sat 4/6 at 9:50pm, Sat 4/13 at 8:10pm, Wed 4/17 at 8:50pm, Fri 4/19 at 9:20pm & Sat 4/20 at 4:20pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run for approximately 60 minutes.
Too Much of a Good Thing
Written & performed by Rachel Redleaf
Presented by RAR Entertainment - New York, NY
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| Rachel Redleaf. Photo by Jessica Frieling |
From barely qualifying for The Itty Bitty Titty Committee to being president of The Big Booby Brigade, join Rachel and her two breast friends on a journey of chestal development. Best known for portraying Mama Cass in Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Beth in Netflix's Atypical, Rachel's over the top body and personality are on full display in this comedic extravaganza!
Rachel Redleaf is an actress, comedian, singer, and director. She grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona where she spent much of her time performing in community theater, starting at age four. Rachel is a huge advocate for body positivity and is honored to represent the plus size girlies. Rachel is also a proud founding board member of Kid in the Corner, where she is a tireless advocate for helping children and teens take care of their mental health.
The creative team includes stage manager Sarah Pansing and producer Breagh Watson.
Sun 4/7 at 3:10pm, Thu 4/11 at 5:30pm, Wed 4/17 at 5:30pm & Sat 4/20 at 9:50pm. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes.
Sun 4/7 at 4:50pm, Thu 4/11 at 7:10pm, Thu 4/18 at 5:30pm & Fri 4/19 at 5:30pm. Livestreaming.
Rachel Redleaf is an actress, comedian, singer, and director. She grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona where she spent much of her time performing in community theater, starting at age four. Rachel is a huge advocate for body positivity and is honored to represent the plus size girlies. Rachel is also a proud founding board member of Kid in the Corner, where she is a tireless advocate for helping children and teens take care of their mental health.
The creative team includes stage manager Sarah Pansing and producer Breagh Watson.
Sun 4/7 at 3:10pm, Thu 4/11 at 5:30pm, Wed 4/17 at 5:30pm & Sat 4/20 at 9:50pm. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes.
Flossy Follies
Presented by Queerly Femmetastic and Professor M - Brooklyn, NY
A provocative, artful showcase celebrating life, body autonomy, and glamor. Join us for an ELEMENTAL experience, as we explore the four aspects of astrology: earth, air, fire, and water. Flossy Follies centers performances at the intersection of Black and queer people within the art of striptease, live singing, circus arts, and more.Sun 4/7 at 4:50pm, Thu 4/11 at 7:10pm, Thu 4/18 at 5:30pm & Fri 4/19 at 5:30pm. Livestreaming.
On Cats and Dogs and Other Family Revelations
Written & performed by Ella Veres - New York, NY
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| Ella Veres and Pandele by Miguel Garzón Martínez at @miguelgarzonmar |
The cast will feature Ella Veres and her companion dog, Pandele. Rosamunda, her cat, was asked to perform but declined. She’d rather lounge under the sofa than be in the limelight.
“Being from Transylvania, is expected of me to be creepy, so I oblige, from time to time, albeit not in Hollywoody style,” said Ella Veres, lead performer and director of On Cats and Dogs and Other Family Revelations. “The war in Ukraine riled my memories up, and urged me to point out how much there is to lose."
Ella Veres is an independent performer and writer who has been active in the New York City cultural community since 2001. Her work has been presented at the Immigrant Theater Festival, Galapagos Art Space, Manhattan Theater Source, IWAS, The Field, Theater for the New City, The Moth, Stage Left, Bowery Poetry Club, Chashama, and her present incubator, Fountain House Gallery. For several years she focused on her visual art, but in 2022, serendipity made her act in Stories From My Mother at the Theater for the New City, and thus reminded her how lovely it is to be in front of a live audience. Her current solo storytelling show, On Cats and Dogs and Other Family Revelations, was shaped during her 2023 Fountain House Gallery summer residency on Governors Island and in Adam Wade’s Magnet Theater Solo Workshop.
www.ellaveres.com www.catdogrevelations.com
Mon 4/8 at 7:40pm, Mon 4/15 at 7:40pm, Tue 4/16 at 5:30pm & Sun 4/21 at 1:30pm. Livestreaming. The performance will run approximately one hour.
At Parkside Lounge (317 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002):
Clown Bar 2
Presented by SparkPlug Productions - New York, NY
Written by Adam Szymkowicz, Directed by Andrew Block
This production is part of the NYC Fringe Festival’s Bring Your Own Venue site-specific programming this year.
Sun 4/14 at 2pm, Mon 4/15 at 7:30pm, Tue 4/16 at 7:30pm, Sat 4/20 at 3pm & 7:30pm & Sun 4/21 at 3pm at Parkside Lounge
At MCM Stages (253 West 28th St. 3rd floor, NYC, NY 10001):
The MOTH PROJECT - Music/Pictures/Words
Written by Peter Kiesewalter
Presented by The Moth Project - New York, NY
David Attenborough meets Laurie Anderson in The MOTH PROJECT - Music/Pictures/Words, a show tracing the parallel journeys of a moth’s life cycle and one family’s migration to North America. Transformation, seduction, death/life - themes experienced in both the human and natural world – are explored with stunning visuals, live music, storytelling and science.
This production is part of the NYC Fringe Festival’s Bring Your Own Venue site-specific programming this year.
Sat 4/6 & 4/13 at 7pm & 9pm at MCM Stages. Run Time: 60 minutes.
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