F***ED UP FAIRYTALES to Make Philadelphia Debut at Cannonball
Michael Hagins wrote the interactive comedy, co-directed by Akia Squitieri and Rachael Langton.
Rising Sun Performance Company will bring F**ed Up Fairytales* to Philadelphia for the first time this fall as part of Cannonball at the 2026 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Performances will take place September 25–27 at Asian Arts Initiative Third Floor.
The engagement follows the production's run at the 2025 New York City Fringe Festival, where it received both the Audience Choice Award and Sold Out Award, and marks Rising Sun Performance Company's Philadelphia debut.
Written by Michael Hagins and co-directed by Akia Squitieri and Rachael Langton, F**ed Up Fairytales* reimagines familiar fairy tales in a 21+ interactive theatrical experience driven in part by audience participation.
The production transforms Hansel and Gretel into a manga saga, The White Snake into a raunchy slapstick comedy, Rumpelstiltskin into film noir, Rapunzel into a spy adventure and Little Red Riding Hood into a horror story.
Each performance features three stories selected live by the audience through gameplay, challenges and real-time interaction. The production also incorporates immersive elements and optional drinking-game components, meaning no two performances are exactly the same.
"We knew when we created this show that we wanted it to feel different every time an audience walked through the door," said Squitieri. "Winning the Audience Choice Award and Sold Out Award at the New York Fringe was an incredible affirmation from the people who came to play with us. Being able to extend the production in New York and now bring it to Philadelphia during Rising Sun's 25th producing season feels like the next chapter of that adventure. Philadelphia audiences are going to have a chance to make the show their own."
Langton added, "The audience isn't just watching the show—they are part of the engine that drives it. Every night brings a different combination of stories, different audience choices and different moments of chaos. That's what makes this production so much fun to perform and, hopefully, impossible to experience the same way twice."
F**ed Up Fairytales* premiered at the 2025 New York City Fringe Festival, presented with FRIGID New York. Following its Fringe engagement, the production was extended for additional performances at The Rat NYC in Brooklyn, where it ran weekly from June through December 2025.
The Philadelphia cast features David Anthony Anderson, Eric Austin, Orlando Rodriguez, Ally Harwell, Rick Benson, Laura Walter and Kiki Dowell, with additional company members and performers joining the ensemble.
The creative team includes playwright Michael Hagins, co-directors Akia Squitieri and Rachael Langton, associate producer Alexandra Scordato, and Costume Designer Tiffini Minatel-Schreiber and sound designer Max Feldman. Additional production team members will be announced.
The Philadelphia engagement is presented through Cannonball, an artist-centered hub of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival bringing together independent performance makers across multiple stages and venues throughout the city.
The engagement also comes as Rising Sun Performance Company enters its 25th producing season. Founded in 2001 by Squitieri, the New York City ensemble theatre company has presented more than 500 productions, workshops, readings, immersive theatrical experiences and community events.
"Rising Sun has always been about creating opportunities for artists to take risks and make theatre that invites audiences into the experience," Squitieri said. "Philadelphia's Fringe community has such a strong tradition of independent, experimental and artist-driven work, so bringing F**ed Up Fairytales* to Cannonball feels like a natural fit for us. We're thrilled that our first Philadelphia production gets to be this particular show—and that our Philadelphia audience gets to decide what happens."
Performances of F**ed Up Fairytales* will take place Friday, September 25 at 7:15 p.m., Saturday, September 26 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, September 27 at 3:30 p.m. at Asian Arts Initiative Third Floor, 1219 Vine Street in Philadelphia.
The production runs approximately 60 minutes without intermission and is intended for audiences 21 and older. Tickets are $25, with Pay What You Can options beginning at $5.
Photo Credit: David Anthony
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