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FringeNYC Draws Theatrical Adventurers
The largest multi-arts festival in North America is back this August
This year’s FringeNYC includes Citizen Ruth: A New Musical Comedy
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The New York International Fringe Festival, better known as FringeNYC, is a smorgasbord for the adventurous, where you can sample 201 musicals, comedies, dramas or solo performances. Now in their 15th year, FringeNYC is the largest multi-arts festival in North America, with more than 200 companies worldwide performing for 16 days in over 20 venues. This year, that adds up to 1,300 performances, running from August 14–30. FringeNYC tickets are only $15, so it’s easy to find a show that piques your interest or matches your mood. The variety is endless, and selection is helped by clever cross-referencing.
Having a hard time deciding which production to attend? Go to the Fringe’s website and use their Slice-O-Matic search facility. In addition to date, venue or title options, the drop-down menu catalogs shows by interest and genre. Feel like an outer-space zombie adventure with a touch of summer camp? Catch Devil Boys from Outer Space, directed by Theater-in-Limbo’s Kenneth Elliott and starring the Ridiculous Theatrical Company’s Everett Quinton.
Is Dante Alighieri more to your taste? There are two ways to enter his nine circles of hell. Inferno: The New Rock Musical by Rick Merino or Black Moon Theatre Company’s one-hour multimedia drama Dante’s Divina Commedia – Inferno which re-examines our traditional take on the classic tale.
Perhaps you’d prefer the joys of escapism? Catch I Can Has Cheezburger: The MusicLOL!, is inspired by the cats on the cult website ICanHasCheezburger.com. Hear an interview with the creators, including clips from the show at video.aol.com. Or settle into satire with Citizen Ruth: A New Musical Comedy, based on the Alexander Payne film. Christian conservatives face-off against radical feminists to influence a pregnant mother. For a sampling of the musical’s songs, visit citizenruth.info.
While there are plenty of funny, over-the-top productions, FringeNYC also has its share of dramas. Testify addresses Darfur, war, devastation and desire, via the medium of dance. Jagged and angular movements illustrate the physical embodiment of hard-hitting emotional truths. Closer to home, Every Love Story Ends in Tears, set in both 2007 and 1949, explores two chapters in the same love story and asks: What happens once you’ve already lived happily ever after? Based on a true story, Tears explores love and loss in a Puerto Rican family.
For theatergoers, FringeNYC is a chance to catch up-and-coming talents, as well as shows that push the creative envelope. There are several success stories that had its genesis here, most notably, the Tony-winning musical Urinetown. So, unpack your suitcase and fly on an artist’s imagination.