FringeArts Announces Full Details for 2021 Philadelphia Fringe Festival

FringeArts, Philadelphia's home for contemporary performance, has announced the full roster of programming for the 25th Annual Philadelphia Fringe Festival, a city-wide celebration of progressive, world-class art that expands the imagination and boldly defies expectations.

The festivities will highlight the festival's silver anniversary, featuring 179 diverse productions and experiences throughout the city of Philadelphia. Audience members will be able to enjoy all that the Philadelphia Fringe Festival will offer from September 9 through October 3, 2021. Funding for this year's festival is provided in part by PNC Arts Alive.

Of note, this year's festival includes a world premiere by acclaimed performance troupe Elevator Repair Service; the Philadelphia premiere of the award-winning visual opera production Sun & Sea; plus, the return of Pig Iron Theatre Company, New Paradise Laboratories, Nichole Casuso Dance Company, and The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, all longtime FringeArts collaborators and festival favorites. Celebrated choreographers Mariana Valencia and Kyle Marshall will also make their curated Fringe Festival debuts, along with Mark Lord and Catharine Slusar's newly-branded collaboration Joyous Eddies House of Theater.

"This year's Festival is a special one for both our organization and Philadelphia," notes President and Producing Director Nick Stuccio. "For 25 years, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival has elevated our city as a primary nexus for cultural conversation, progressive ideas, and innovative art-making. As we celebrate this milestone in our organization's history, we are excited to welcome audience members to enjoy this year's programming and hope that the festival can act as a social space in which conversation can blossom between artists and audiences, artists and artists, and Philadelphia and the world."

"We've long recognized just how vital the arts and cultural sector is to our community. The PNC team is once again excited to support the arts and cultural organizations in the Delaware Valley," said Joe Meterchick, PNC regional president for Philadelphia, Delaware and Southern New Jersey. "The arts and culture strengthen the local economy and have the power to bring people together. Now, as we look forward to resuming everyday activities, we invite our neighbors to join us and be a part of art."

The 25th Annual Fringe Festival call for artists produced 199 submissions, a record for the organization. Fringe audiences can expect an assortment of live theatrical and dance performances, art installations, circus arts, and genre-bending experiences that highlight the wide variety of local and national talent that the festival attracts. The artistically daring performances include live and in-person national and International Artists curated by FringeArts, and both live and digital works that are produced by independent artists from across Philadelphia and beyond and promoted by FringeArts.

The Philadelphia Fringe Festival has featured a Digital Fringe component since 2015, and the 2020 Fringe Festival was predominantly virtual. This year, digital shows make up a notable amount of the 2021 Independently Produced lineup. Some will be available to watch throughout the festival, while others will have specific viewing times and involve a degree of interactivity between performers and audiences.

Tickets go on sale to FringeArts Members on Monday, August 9 at 10am, and to the general public on Friday, August 13 at 10am unless otherwise indicated. Tickets can be purchased online at FringeArts.com, by phone at 215.413.1318, or by visiting the Fringe Festival Box Office at FringeArts (140 N Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia) Aug 30-Oct 3.