Theatre Artists Workshop Hosts First Annual Fringe Festival This Weekend

Today and tomorrow, June 26th and 27th at 8 PM and Sunday June 28th at 3 PM, Theatre Artists Workshop will present its first annual Fringe Festival. Covering the full spectrum of works for the stage, the Fringe features off-beat, off-kilter, and avant-garde works of movement, song, drama, and comedy. Suggested donation: $10. No reservations needed. For more information call 203-854-6830 or visit www.taworkshop.org.

Produced by Vanessa David of Stamford, with lighting and sound by P.J. Letersky of Westport, the show features the Workshop's gifted ensemble of professional actors, writers, and directors. The first Fringe Festival originated in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival. The idea of a Theatre Artists Workshop Fringe Festival was born as a way to challenge and inspire our artists and audience members to experience work outside the comfort-zone of theatrical realism.

"Polarize" by Vanessa David is a poetic address about the state of our nation, featuring Vanessa David and directed by Melody James of Westport.

"Turtle Love," written and directed by Vanessa David, is a true story of abandonment and redemption set in a nature preserve, with Larry Greeley of Wilton, Stephanie Hazard of New Canaan, Melody James, Marca Leigh of Stratford, and Kimberly Wilson of Westport.

"The End of Words," written and directed by Fran Dorf of Stamford, is a moving poem written after Sandy Hook, featuring Kimberly Wilson.

An ontological encounter at a bus stop takes place in "Change," written and directed by Drew Denbaum of Stratford, with Larry Greeley and Norman Allen of Norwalk.

"Loverly," written and directed by Drew Denbaum, is a tranny light fantastic, with Larry Greeley and Jim Noble of Norwalk.

In "Theatre without Words," written and directed by Rosemary Foley, a conductor trying to create a new kind of theatrical experience is driven to distraction, with Drew Denbaum, Kristin Graham of Stratford, Melody James, Jim Noble, Chilton Ryan of Weston, Katie Sparer of Stratford, Kimberly Squires of Milford, Nadine Willig of Stratford, and Kimberly Wilson.

A man seeks help from a woman who works with people suffering from fairy tale affliction in "He Would Would Be Frog" by Rosemary Foley, with Emilie Roberts of Weston and Allan Zeller of Milford, directed by Chilton Ryan.

"The First Bridge," written and directed by Jim Gordon, clears up the difference between the legal and the moral, with Frank Piazza of Bridgeport and Stephanie Hazard.

"The Painting," written and directed by Jim Gordon, features Jim Noble as a man trying to understand a society's priorities.

A disciple finds her teacher in "Words of Wisdom," written and directed by Laura Warfield, with Richard C. Leonard of Cos Cob and Marca Leigh.

The Theatre Artist's Workshop, founded over 30 years ago by Keir Dullea, is the only professional theatre of its kind in Connecticut. Each Monday night, actors, writers, and directors put up scenes, audition pieces, and new written scripts and receive the support and critique of other members, develop work, and hone the craft, and then several times a year share their talents in public performances, including the annual Spring Benefit, Classic Night Readings throughout the year, and the new annual Fringe Festival.

Three of the pieces in the Fringe, "Polarize," "Change," and "Loverly" began as "Word of the Week" exercises, in which Theatre Artists Workshop writers are given a word to incorporate into a scene.

For more information or to reserve a seat for any TAW event, call the box office at 203-854-6830, or go to www.taworkshop.org.

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