Photos: FringeArts to Host Preview Nights and Fringe Fair Ahead of Philly Fringe Festival

FringeArts is hosting a series of events ahead of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, including free Preview Nights, a Fringe Fair, and guided 'Tour de Fringe' outings.

Preview Nights take place Mondays, August 24 and 31, at 7pm at FringeArts, offering audiences a sample of a handful of festival shows in one sitting. Each night spotlights a new group of performances on the FringeArts stage, giving attendees a chance to meet performers, preview their shows, and learn more about the upcoming festival. Preview Night tickets are Pay What You Can from $0, with 100% of ticket revenue from the event split between the participating artists.

The August 24 Preview Night features excerpts from Dickie Dickie Dicky Donnie by BETTY (MK Tuomanen, Shelby Richardson, Paul Kruse), running Sept 9-20 as part of Cannonball. Fringe veteran MK Tuomanen and Minneapolis artists Shelby Richardson and Paul Kruse merge clown, drag, and rich visual design to explore the shocking history of Practice Babies, when post-WW2 American universities used orphans to train future mothers.

Also featured is I Don't Dance! by Morgan Kirner, running Sept 8–9 as part of Performance Garage. The heartfelt show is described as a reluctant, but enthusiastic, mover's journey to Broadway, condensing 150-plus years of Broadway history into 60 minutes, from 42nd Street to Chicago to A Chorus Line and beyond, as Morgan retells how she fell in love, out of love, and back in love with Broadway.

The lineup also includes William Acker is William Acker and William Acker is Running for the Mayor of Philadelphia by William Acker, running Sept 26–27, which follows an incompetent (ostensibly), flawed (purportedly), narcissistic (allegedly), yet intensely driven (factually) and idealistic (factually again) citizen running for the mayor of Philadelphia.

The August 31 Preview Night highlights additional festival shows. Your Queen Presents: PETRUS by Edu Díaz runs Sept 9–11 as part of Cannonball. Queen Catherine de' Medici herself unveils PETRUS, the extraordinary story of a man from the Canary Islands who inspired Beauty and the Beast, as award-winning Canarian artist Edu Díaz (A Drag Is Born) conjures a Renaissance spectacle in collapse through shadow puppetry and theatrical invention.

Jane Eyre Wasn't a Whore by Carly Polistina runs September 12–20 as part of The Lemonade Stand. Brontë enthusiast and actor Anne Brauer is staunchly opposed to modern dating, and suddenly finds herself in a situationship of GOTHIC proportions; much like in a musical where characters break out into song, in this she breaks into passages from Brontë novels, in a show described as part rom-com, part period piece.

1A Clown's Way: A Clown's Guide to Falling in Line by Frontline Theatricals Group runs Sept 9–15 as part of Cannonball. Madi Distefano has a lesson: as the U.S. government becomes an absolute circus show, one desperate clown will teach an incoming circus class in an experimental workshop production exploring fascism and indoctrination, described as a comic look at the seductive nature of power. Matt Pfeiffer directs.

Betsy Ross Groundhog Day by Grace Lazarz, Patrick Burke, and Claire Bronchick runs Sept 10–20 as part of Cannonball. The historical dramedy follows Betsy Ross stuck in a time loop, trapped in the prison of colonial America, perpetually locked in the year between making the American flag and her wedding night, pitting Punxsutawney Phil against the Mother of our Country in a brawl for the ages.

HUMAN / NATURE : SUNDIAL by Conrad Junior runs Sept 13–25 as part of Cannonball. The piece is set at an experimental treatment center for a variety show host addicted to his shadow, using music, interview, and documentary elements to explore his personal and familial history with addiction, and to get clean the absolute worst way: publicly.

Notice Me, Gwyneth by Matthew Reid runs Sept 13–26 as part of The Lemonade Stand. Matthew's job is critical — he manages GP's schedule, her celery juice, and more — in a heartfelt solo show that follows the perfect assistant on a path to prove he can do more than comb cashmere, as he tries to impress his boss, defeat his frenemy, and complete a marathon juice cleanse.

archy & mehitabel, presented by Jayson Borenstein Presents, runs Sept 19. Featuring a book co-written by Mel Brooks, the bare bones, bizarre musical follows a typewriter as cockroach, poet, philosopher, and moralist, archy (who's too small to hold down the shift key), as he tries hopelessly to bring alley cat mehitabel into a respectable home as a housecat.

Fringe Fair

The Fringe Fair takes place September 5 from 12-5PM at Cherry Street Pier. Described as a drop-in opportunity, the fair offers pop-up performances, artists flyering to promote their shows, roaming characters visiting from their Fringe shows, busking, interactive activities, and other surprises throughout Cherry Street Pier. Attendees can get personalized show recommendations from Fringe staff to help build a festival lineup, and pick up Festival Guides and flyers to learn more about the festival's 370+ shows.

Tour de Fringe

'Tour De Fringe' is described as an exclusive offering for festivalgoers who don't know where to start, or who want a deeper dive into the festival. Throughout the festival, a FringeArts staff member will lead a small group of audiences to two-three performances in one day. The experience includes dinner at Fringe Bar before the last show of the day to talk about what attendees have seen.

Friday, Sept 11: KRAMER/FAUCI at FringeArts + ha ha ha ha ha ha ha at The Drake

Saturday, Sept 19: 2 Fringe shows + Friday Night Rat Catchers at FringeArts

Saturday, Sept 26: 2 Fringe shows + Utopian Hotline at The Franklin Institute Fels Planetarium

More information on Preview Nights is available at phillyfringe.org, and more on the Fringe Fair is available at phillyfringe.org. Details on Tour de Fringe can be found at phillyfringe.org. FringeArts is located at 140 N Columbus Blvd at Race St.

Don't Miss a Philadelphia News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...