Orlando Fringe Welcomes Two Organizations To Join The Fall 23' Lineup At Fringe ArtSpace

Orlando Fringe is excited to announce two new additions to its fall season at Fringe ArtSpace! During the month of October, Ghost Light Theatricals and The Orlando Artist Guild will produce two unique offerings. 

Ghost Light Theatricals in association with Fringe ArtSpace and Florida Theatrical Association present readings of The Laramie Project and The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming who was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. In honoring the memory and legacy of Matthew Shepard, this unique event strives to inspire our community to see themselves in the citizens of Laramie and reflect on their own reaction to recent attacks on the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, both here in Florida and nationally. This moment is an opportunity to connect, comfort and organize in this troubling time and to honor the mission of the Matthew Shepard Foundation to amplify the story of Matthew Shepard to inspire individuals, organizations, and communities to embrace the dignity and equality of all people. “Through local, regional, and national outreach, we empower individuals to find their voice to create change and challenge communities to identify and address hate that lives within our schools, neighborhoods, and homes.

With a cast composed of local actors, artists and community leaders this reading will bring a whole new perspective on the work by putting community at the center of the storytelling and offering space for conversation and reflection,” said Artistic Director and GLT founder Joseph C. Walsh. What can we learn about ourselves by examining the words and actions of another community? “...this emotionally searing production asks us to listen to the citizens of Laramie and see ourselves.” The Laramie Project is a breathtaking theatrical collage that explores the complexity of identity and the human experience through the lens and voices of a community in crisis. 

The piece invites us to see ourselves in the fullness of our individual humanity and as a member of a larger community.  The piece tempers an honest look at a horrific crime with the coming together of a community to say “Hate is not a Laramie value.” Readings of The Laramie Project will take place on Thursday, October 12 (which will include cameo readings and a post-show talkback with the cast and community leaders) at 7:30pm and Saturday, October 14 at 2:00pm. A reading of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later will take place on Saturday, October 14 at 7:30pm.

From October 20 - October 29, 2023, The Orlando Artist Guild will present The Spider Queen. A web slinging hero. A genius director. A rock star. And 75 million dollars. What could go wrong? Winner of the 2022 Broadway World Award for Best New Play, Patron's Pick and Best Ensemble at the 2022 Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, and award-winner at the 2022 New York Winter Fest, “The Spider Queen” returns to Orlando this Halloween in a brand new full-length production. The show tells the saga of the greatest flop in Broadway history from inception to closing, and all the previews in between. 12 actors inhabit everyone from Julie Taymor to Bono & The Edge in a script called “A big web of fun” and “Hilariously unhinged” (Orlando Weekly).  The Orlando Artist Guild are multi-award winning Orlando Fringe Festival veterans who are a non profit theatre company dedicated to creating brave & inclusive spaces for Central Florida artists.

Tickets for the select fall events are now on sale! For more information and to purchase tickets, visit orlandofringe.org.

For artists and volunteers interested in getting involved with Fringe ArtSpace, email booking@orlandofringe.org and volunteer@orlandofringe.org. For more information, updates and future programming for Fringe ArtSpace, visit www.orlandofringe.org.

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 the Downtown Development Board, Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs, United Arts of Central Florida, City of Orlando and the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.

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