Lineup Announced for 2018 Orlando Fringe Winter Mini-Fest

This afternoon the Orlando Fringe released the names of each of the 26 shows that will be appearing at their upcoming Winter Mini-Fest in January.

In its second year, the Orlando Fringe Winter Mini-Fest is a weekend of award-winning, hand-picked, and fan favorite performances. These shows are invited to perform; a concept that is completely opposite of the annual 14-day festival in May.

"In our May festival shows are selected through a random lottery drawing. It's completely unjuried," said Festival Producer Michael Marinaccio. "The Winter Mini-Fest is the best of the best. I've purposely selected a wide variety of shows to make sure there is something for everyone."

Like the annual May festival, Winter Mini-Fest is bringing a mix of artists, some local, some national and even artists from as far away as The United Kingdom and Canada.

"We are doing a little differently this year," adds Marinaccio. "This year we have selected four shows that have never played at the Orlando Fringe." Part of Marinaccio's job with Fringe as Festival Producer is to travel to other festivals around the globe to encourage artists to come to Orlando. "I've seen these fantastic shows and know our audiences will love them."

After the success of last year's inaugural event, the festival will start a day early and have two new venues including the Margeson Theatre, otherwise known to Fringe goers as the "Orange Venue," and the popular off-site "Black Venue."

When asked why should someone who has never attended the Orlando Fringe Festival, buy tickets for the Winter Mini-Fest, Alauna Friskics, the organizations new Executive Director said, "The May festival can be a little overwhelming if you've never been before. The Winter Mini-Fest is a great way to test drive a Fringe experience with low risk and no pressure. For seasoned Fringe fans its a way to revisit some favorites, catch a show they missed or see a brand new, never-before-seen show."

Marinaccio encourages anyone and everyone to come to the Winter Mini-Fest, "Just grab a festival button and a ticket and get ready for a great time."

Tickets to each of the twenty-six shows can be purchased by visiting orlandofringe.org where you can also get detailed information about the festival along with some tips and tricks to Fringe like a pro.

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LINE UP OF WINTER MINI-FEST SHOWS:

Alignment
Navarro Performs - Orlando, Florida
Life's simplest problems may have imbalanced or blocked us at our root. It is up to us to encounter ourselves to reach full alignment. Violinist and cellist Jose Navarro, will take you on a deep journey through the chakras. This colorful adventure will highlight the meanings and challenges of each energy center. Remember, the universe is perfect. Where there is light, there must be darkness. Try not to get lost in the rainbow.

Baker's Dozen: 12 Angry Puppets
The Pucking Fuppet Co.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Rub-a-dub-dub, the Baker's dead in the tub! Now his husband the Butcher is on trial. And whatever happened to this mysterious Candlestick Maker? A single puppeteer, Adam Francis Proulx, transforms one puppet into the twelve members of the jury using a briefcase full of eyeballs, noses, and other facial features. These are the characters who must decide the Butcher?s fate in this courtroom comedy / puppet show / mystery / one-man show.

Beers About Songs
Ryan Adam Wells
Houston, Texas
'Beers About Songs' communicates an underlying theme that will make you both laugh and cry. With personal stories and touching songs, it is guaranteed to make you open your eyes to the world of relationships.

Black in the Box
Marlon Andrew Burnley
Athens, Georgia
Black in the Box follows a man that is able to embody and trace the steps of blacks from the slave era to current-day America through the use of masks. As the result of his immersion, the man gains insight and understanding as to why frustrations have grown within the black community. This revealing performance provides a profound and panoramic chronicle of the historic black experience.

Commencement
Beth Marshall Presents
Orlando, Florida
"Commencement looks into the heart of tragedy and stabs it."-NYtheatre.com "Brace Yourself"-Edmonton JournalA hauntingly deep exploration of the lives of three women drawn together in the aftermath of a high school shooting-the mother of the shooter, one of the shooter's victims, the mother of that victim. A timely lesson in empathy leaving the audiences with greater understanding. #onelove

The Devil
Mike Delamont
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
From critically acclaimed comedian Mike Delamont, the creator and star of God Is A Scottish Drag Queen comes an all new character and the world premiere of an all new show! Fans of 'God' will finally get to meet The Devil and hear the other side of the story as Satan himself takes on everything the gays to the gospels in an unforgettable hour of comedy. Hell has never been this funny!

Evacuated!
Paul Strickland Presents
Covington, Kentucky
Forced to flee Indonesia! The unforgettable true story of a strange girl in a strange land.2014 Best Female Performance Award winner Erika Kate MacDonald (Tap Me on the Shoulder, Tales Too Tall for Trailers) returns! This new storytelling adventure won the Critics' Award at the 2016 Cincinnati Fringe.

Forget Me Not - The Alzheimer's Whodunnit
Rob Gee
Leicester, United Kingdom
Jim's wife, a patient on a dementia ward, has died from what appears to be natural causes. Jim is a retired police detective and he smells a rat. He's determined to solve one last murder. The problem is he also has dementia. It's a case worthy of the greatest detective mind. But this will have to do.Written & performed by comic, poet & ex-psych nurse Rob Gee.

Fringe Family Feud
Jester Theater
Orlando, Florida
We asked 100 Fringe artists to be part of our show. Will it be Magicians vs Canadians? Drag Queens vs Lutherans? Mimes vs Mamet? Different teams every show.Teams answer our survey questions, like: "What's the strangest thing you've ever seen at Fringe?" Who will give the top answer AND win prizes for some lucky audience members?Jester Theater is back with their twist on this classic game show. Hosted by audience favorite Jay Hopkins.

Interstellar Eldar (NEW!)
SNAFU
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
A BADASS GRANDMA IN SPACE is adrift in a spaceship carrying cryogenically frozen human cargo (the audience) as she waits for Earth to heal itself.

La Riena Yolanda
Leesa Castaneda
Winter Park, Florida
Meet Yolanda, a fierce Latina who we follow from childhood to old age. Beset by tragedy, she leans on her sharp mind and family to land on her feet. An advocate for her family and the less fortunate, her mind becomes ravaged by Alzheimer's. She's faced with the fight for her mind, sense of self and the family she has fought hard to protect. When who we are begins to disappear piece by piece, how do we hold on to the essence of what defines us.

The Ladies and Lady Boys of the Peek-A-Boo Lounge
BlueLALA Entertainment
Orlando, Florida
The Award Winning Ladies of The Peek-a-Boo Lounge get DOWN and DIRTY and dance out your sexual frustrations This one night only show of DANCE, DEBAUCHERY and apparatus's will leave you having very grown up feelings.

The Legend of White Woman Creek (NEW!)
The Coldharts
Brookly, New York
The American frontier, 1867-A young woman flees her war-torn home to start a new life in an unfamiliar land. A thirteen-song cycle of love, betrayal, and redemption sung by the ghost of Anna Morgan Faber. From the creators of the Fringe hit "Edgar Allan" comes "The Legend of White Woman Creek". A new music-theater piece told from the perspective of a ghost in western Kansas. It weaves a narrative through thirteen original folk songs based on the traditional music that first inspired Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez.

Love Hertz
Tate Street Productions
Greensboro, North Carolina
The hilarious adventures of a man and an antique radio that fall in love! Mark Twain meets The Brothers Grimm meets Pee Wee Herman in this sillier-than-thou musical comedy brought to you by the oddest couple of fringe favorites, Paul Strickland (Papa Squat) and Brandon Roberts (Sport, Stump). A time machine, a waiting room building factory, a minister who preaches fairy tales, and more! Tune in to a show so delightful, weird and funny it must be seen to be believed!

Masquerade of the Red Death: A Dark Burlesque Fantasy
Big Bang BOOM! Cabaret
Orlando, Florida
His excellence, Prince Prospero, cordially invites you to his deviant masquerade. Join us in the grand abbey, far from the pestilence of the outside world, to revel in safety and depravity within its illustrious halls.

Mike Delamont: Husky Panda (NEW!)
Mike Delamont
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
From the creator & star of God Is A Scottish Drag Queen comes Husky Panda. Critically acclaimed comedian Mike Delamont brings his popular stand up comedy show to Orlando for the first time ever! Join one of the fringe's favorite perfomers as he takes on everything from marriage to skydiving in a hilarious hour of stand up comedy. Mike has appeared at the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York, the world famous Comedy Store in Los Angeles and was a finalist on SiriusXM's Top Comic.

Ominous George
Carpenter Aunt Productions
Orlando, Florida
Heavy metal black comedy. Evil cabaret. Regrets that go up to 12. An original rock & roll recital by a sarcastic antihero who dives face-first into the empty swimming pool that is his mind. From Steve Schneider, creator of Fringe hits The Wait List Murders (Patrons Pick 2015) and Escape from Baldwin Park (Orlando Sentinel Best of Fest 2014). It's like Tony Orlando and Dawn... of the Dead!

Petunia and Chicken
Animal Engine
New York, New York
From the creators of last year's DARLINGS comes a 2 person epic prairie love story inspired by the works of Midwest author Willa Cather. Sprawling fields of wheat, bustling train stations, rain-soaked kisses, wind-blown hair, and the rest of Petunia and Chicken's world are brought to life with just a hat, a scarf, and song.

Psycho Mode
John B. deHaas
Ocoee, Florida
The cinematic artistry of Alfred Hitchcock. The music of Depeche Mode. A psychological horror thriller set to the music of one of the most prolific bands of the 80's.A live retelling of one of the world's greatest motion pictures.Live music. Live singing.A unique twist on a classic story.From Fringe award winner John B. deHaas, creator of Theme Park Diva, Tappin' and Yappin', Just This Once, and half of Toiley T. Paper: Roll Model.

QUICKIES by Tracey Jane Smith
Equal Play
Oviedo, Florida
Explore the unexpected ups and downs of love as this smart, sexy ensemble presents four original plays by Tracey Jane Smith: Sex and a Story (The foreplay that launched One Thousand and One Nights.) Meet the Pets(Approval must be earned.) Buried (The deepest love is the hardest to bury.) Welcome to Intercourse (On the road to love, sometimes you just need a sign.) Directed by Robert Cunha.

Thankskilling the Musical
Johnnie Maier
Winter Garden, Florida
Based on the 2009 movie Thankskilling, this comedy musical follows five unsuspecting teens through a Thanksgiving homecoming from hell. Starring "Turkie", the Homicidal Turkey, Thankskilling is Stuffed with Gore, catchy tunes, and an occasional nip slip. Don't forget to bring your favorite adult beverage for the "Horror Cliche Drinking Game". Thankskilling is bound to make you gobble with excitement.

There Ain't No More: Death of a Folksinger
Willi Carlisle
Fayetteville, Arkansas
A raucous one-man operetta based on legends of American folk music and the early vaudeville stage. A bawdy old folk singer tries to burn the barn down one final time before his last waltz is called. Facing the life he has led and the legacy he will leave behind, he uses every trick he knows to confront his past. Experience an authentic and sometimes troubling American music tradition on five instruments with clowning, puppets, dirty jokes, and a crankie in this haunting and heartfelt hootenanny. It's ragged, but right!

Til Death: The Six Wives O. Henry VIII
Monster Theatre
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
It all starts in a bizarre waiting room in the afterlife room. One by one, the wives O. Henry VIII arrive, much to the shock and dismay of each previous wife. What culminates is a heated frenzy of an ex-wives club where these women swap stories, toss Anne Boleyn's head around, pick on the ugly German one and fight for the right to be acknowledged as Henry's true bride and eternal partner.But when Henry arrives, everything changes!

VarieTEASE: Room 100 (New!)
BlueLALA Entertainment
Orlando, Florida
Stories of the Chelsea Hotel set in the 1970's... during the New York PUNK Rock Era!What else happened other than Sid and Nancy? Come find out!

Wanzie with A Z
Wanzie Presents & D Squared Productions
Orlando, Florida
The real-life journey of Actor/Playwright Michael Wanzie from age 6 to 60. Follow this multi-award-winning Fringe fave as he progresses from performing for hotdogs in Shelton CT to Magic Kingdom Jungle Cruise Skipper. Catholic to Mormon to Atheist. Closet-case to Gay Activist. Muppet to Producer. Lisping outcast to Radio Personality. Single to Still Single. Featuring Josh Roth, Josh Lefkowitz & Wanzie. Comedy Drama Singing & Dancing! You'll laugh - You'll Cry - It's Practically CATS!

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The Orlando Fringe produces The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, the longest running Fringe in the United States. It is a member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF), United States Association of Fringe Festivals (USAFF) and the World Fringe Association and follows the CAFF mandate to remain 100% unjuried, 100% uncensored, 100% accessible for artists and audiences alike, with 100% of ticket sales given back to the artists. Orlando Fringe is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and receives generous funding from Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs, United Arts of Central Florida, City of Orlando, and the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.