DC Fringe Guide

Fringe This Year

2010-06-14T12:58:00.002-04:00

DC Fringe Guide will not be returning this year.

Why? Because creator Brett Abelman is working on his own Fringe show: The Water Plays.
thewaterplays.blogspot.com

Thank you for stopping by, and hope to see you at Fringe!

The Guide: Post-Fringe

2009-07-27T12:36:00.008-04:00

Return Engagements of Fringe Shows
4.48 PSYCHOSIS - October 8-25, 2009 at Warehouse see here - this version has some different actors and is in a different venue than the award-winning original Fringe production

DC FRINGE FOLLY - Halloween, 8pm - benefit show featuring the stars of CABARET COOCOO as emcees, and a special midnight performance of DIAMOND DEAD - at Fort Fringe - see here

look for return engagements of THE TERRORISM OF EVERYDAY LIFE and other shows soon!

Hello, friends, whomever might be visiting this blog after the conclusion of the 2009 Fringe Festival.

It was a great Fringe. Record-breaking sales, a very high quality of shows.

I hope this page will serve as a resource now that Fringe is over. I will attempt to collect links to ALL reviews for EVERY show - so if you're looking for a starting place for finding out how a show was received, try here.

Best-Received Shows
For my money, the best-received shows were:
4.48 Psychosis - Annabel Lee* - Bad Hamlet* - Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting* - The Bea and the Bug... - Born of a Fairytale - Cabaret CooCoo* - Captain Squishy - Children of Medea - Cover Me in Humanness* - Diamond Dead* - Dizzy Miss Lizzie's The Saints - Fall of the House of Usher - Headscarf and the Angry Bitch - Irish Authors Held Hostage - Jack the Ticket Ripper* - Lila: Love Story of Radha and Krishna - The Lost Ones - Magnum Opus - My Fabulous Sex Life - Please Listen* - Riding the Bull - - Sex Dreams and Self Control - The Sin Show - A Tactile Dinner - Terrorism of Everyday Life - Titus X*

In this space, I'll try and keep updates on any shows that are having return engagements in the DC area.

The Guide: Introduction

2009-07-07T23:00:00.021-04:00

How to Decide What to See at Capital Fringe Festival, 2009: An Only Slightly Biased Guide

Salutations, gentle readers and Fringegoers-to-be. My name is Brett, and I will attempt to guide you in choosing what shows to see at this year’s Capital Fringe Festival. With over 120 performances, choosing what to see is no easy task.

The Guide itself consists of three parts. Part One) I make an attempt to categorize the kinds of shows you see at Fringe, and try to include all or nearly all of the shows in these categories. Part Two) I suggest different ways you might go about selecting your shows. Part Three) I make concrete suggestions for shows to see, including some “package” recommendations.

My aim is for this to be the most central location for going about the business of deciding what shows you want to see. In Part One, the heart of the Guide, I will try to connect each show to 1) its ticket page, 2) its capfringe.org wall page, 3) its artist homepage when it exists, and 4) every review that comes out about it. I will also summarize the prevailing critical and audience opinion, in addition to including my own and categorizing it.

The links to the right go to the major sites connected with Fringe. I am a guest reviewer with Fringe and Purge blog and recommend them for a more down-n'-dirty and in-depth observation of Fringe.

If you are completely new to Fringe, I recommend starting at the Capital Fringe homepage. In this guide I will assume you know what Fringe is and how to buy tickets & use the Fringe button.

Read on for an extended introduction, or scroll down for the rest of the Guide.

Last Updated July 27.
WHAT'S NEW: ALL reviews I'm aware of added. ALL shows (except the unnoticed Two Girls) categorized. Post-Fringe roundup post posted, including a list of the best-received shows. My thoughts on the venues added to my complete Personal Fringe list.

So what is it, you may ask, that makes me think I am capable of such a monumental task as a guide to Fringe? Well, first of all, the fact that I seem to have the patience/insanity to go attempt it in the first place. Second of all, I’m not directly affiliated with any shows or with Capital Fringe this year (which means I’m free to speak my opinion), but I did participate two years ago (which means I have had something of an insider’s view). Third of all, this is the third (out of four) Fringes I’ll have attended, and between the previous two Fringes I saw 36 shows combined. 28 of those shows I saw last year acting as a reviewer for the City Paper’s Fringe and Purge blog, reviewing some dozen of them, and I will be reviewing with the Paper again this year. (Admittedly, while I saw a lot, that number doesn’t put me close to last year’s Fringe Fantatic winner Mike Riley, who saw a whopping 47.) So with my experience, a certain amount of intuition, and what hearsay I can I gather, I feel I can put a decent guide together here.

Please note, that while I am reviewing for the City Paper separeately, this blog is not directly affiliated with the Paper, and should not be attributed to the Paper. Attribution should be to some variation of "DC Fringe Guide blog" or "Brett Abelman."

So what about “slightly biased?” Besides having strong opinions about performing arts, I must tell you, in full disclosure, that I am friendly or personally acquainted with a number of the people putting Fringe shows on, so you may question my judgment of those shows. Throughout this guide, any show title I mark with a (*) is one that has a personal acquaintance of mine in its cast or crew. Full disclosure complete.

But enough about me. Before we get to the guide itself, let me direct you to the Capital Fringe website and the ticket purchase website. Between the two, you can get the show listings organized by almost any heading – genre, age-appropriateness, venue, time, etc. Also, the Fringe folks will probably include in the official program, like they did last year, a general ‘guide’ to Fringegoing – transportation, ticketing, and how to handle those Fringe buttons. The ticket website, on the other hand, contains not only the ticket information, but the official blurbs from the artists themselves. (Beware – the listings on the Fringe site do not precisely match the Theatermania listings – some shows are listed only on one, not the other.) Go to those sites for that more cut-and-dry and from-the-horse’s-mouth information, because I will not be attempting to duplicate the official efforts in any way, although I will quote and link to them often. No, friend, my guide will be much more opinionated and, I hope, helpful when it comes to making decisions on shows to see.

The Guide begins in the three blog posts below:

Part One, The Seven Kinds of Fringe Shows
Part Two, Show-Picking Methodology
Part Three, Package Deals

The Guide, Part One: Show Listing/Fringe Categories

2009-07-07T22:45:00.073-04:00

THE GUIDE, PART ONE – The Seven Kinds of Fringe Shows

There are seven kinds of Fringe shows.

These are the Proven, the Ringer, the Fringearrific, the Property, the Hidden Gem, the Genre Show, and the Mess.

Jump to:
the Proven
the Ringer
the Fringearrific
the Property
the Hidden Gem
the Genre Show
the Mess

Alphabetical Show Listing

If you're looking for a particular show, try your browswer's Find function - or go to the alphabetical list of shows at the bottom to find out where each show is categorized.

Clicking the show title link will take you to the ticket purchase site.
Clicking the "Fringe page" link (forthcoming) will take you to the show's page on the Fringe website, which has a wall where guests can comment. Both these two sites contain the show's blurb and its performance schedule.
Links to previews and reviews also provided. "F+P" = City Paper's Fringe and Purge review blog; "DCTS" = dctheatrescene.com's Fringe review site; "EXMR" = the Examiner.

The Proven
Jump back to the top.

The Proven Fringe show is your most surefire, best bet. One could say (if one felt alliterative) that these are the leading lights, familiar faces and homegrown hallmarks of the Capital Fringe Festival; the companies who have proven themselves year after year, and continue to deliver the same high quality show in their signature style. Some of these even bring back the same hit show, often spruced up. The Proven are the second most likely to sell out ahead of time (after some of the Fringearrific) due to their reputation; and in general, so long as they sound remotely like something you’re interested in, you can’t go wrong with these.

The Proven Fringe shows this year are:

Annabel Lee*
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review - DC Decider review
Best Dance Theatermania Audience Award winner
Old Lore Theater, winners of 2008 Best Dance audience award

Cabaret CooCoo*
Fringe page - company website
Wash Times preview - EXMR preview - F+P review - Post review - Two Hours Traffic review - DCTS review
Best Comedy Theatermania Award Winner
Happenstance Theater, multi-Fringe sellout act, back with a new cabaret/carnival of delights. If neither the reviews, nor the poster on their website, sell you on the show, nothing will.
Sold out one or more shows.

Captain Squishy's Yee Haw Jamboree! (the musical)
Fringe page
DCTS review - F+P review - Post review
I Like Nuts! Company – creators of last year’s improbably-titled hit, I Like Nuts! the Musical. Great buzz around this one, too.
Sold out one or more shows.

Children of Medea
Fringe page
F+P review of 2008 production - DCTS review
Sue Jin Song – winner of 2008 Director’s Award for Children of Medea. An excellent show.

Closet Land
Fringe page - company website
F+P review - original production reviews - Landless Approved review - DCTS review
Molotov Theater Group – winner of 2008 Best Show audience award. Known for their intense, Grand Guignol-style shows, this remounted show (which I attended) is extremely painful, but perhaps necessary, to watch.

Diamond Dead (Continued...)*
Fringe page - company website
F+P review - DCTS review - Post review
Best Musical DC Theatre Scene Audience Award winner
Landless Theatre Co's continuation of their 2008 Best Musical audience award-winner.
Sold out one or more shows.

Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue presents The Oresteia
Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue- The Saints
Saints Fringe page - Oresteia Fringe page - company myspace page
F+P review of Oresteia 2008 production - F+P review of Saints - DCTS review of Saints - DCTS review of Oresteia 2009 production - Post review of Saints - DCist review of Saints
Dizzy Miss Lizzie, possibly the quintessential repeat offender Fringe company;
two shows this year! -last year’s favorite The Oresteia, and new show The Saints, which Fringe and Purge deemed "the Platonic Ideal of Fringe."
The Saints is one of the Examiner's ten shows "you don't want to miss."
Sold out one or more shows.

Irish Authors Held Hostage
Fringe page - show website
DCTS review - Two Hours Traffic review - F+P review - DCist review
A unique and decently-reviewed show from the 2006 Fringe and New York Fringe (check the website's press page). Everyone loves it.
One show has already sold out. So I'm calling it Proven now.
Sold out one or more shows.

Journey #8
Fringe page
DCTS review
WEERD SISTERS – winners of 2008 Best Experimental audience award. Not so well-received this year, though.

MAY 39th/40th*
Fringe page - playwright's website
Wash Times preview - EXMR preview - Post preview - F+P review - DCTS review - Post review
11:11 Productions, playwright Callie Kimball – both this returning show with a new addendum and Kimball’s Nutshell in 2007 were hits in previous Fringes.
One of the Examiner's ten shows "you don't want to miss."

McSwiggin's Pub
Fringe page
F+P review of 2008 production - DCTS review
Mike Kalyan – well-reviewed returning sellout hit from 2008, which appears to be played very topical and in-the-moment; so if you saw it last year, you could see it again and get a whole different show.

Not Your Granny's Revolution
Fringe page - Laura Zam's website
F+P review - DCTS review
Laura Zam’s Solo Performance Lab – anything connected with Laura Zam belongs here. A good Fringe and Purge review and a decent DC Theatre Scene one.

The Sin Show
Fringe page - company website
Post review - F+P review - DCTS review
SpeakeasyDC – master storytellers, contending with Dizzy Miss Lizzie for 'quintessential.'
Sold out one or more shows.

Titus X*
Fringe page - show myspace page
Wash Times preview - DCTS review - Post review - Two Hours Traffic review
Charlie Fink Presents, writer Shawn Northrip – Northrip’s work is as Fringe as it comes, and Titus itself was a big hit in the past, and come here with several improvements and additions. DCTS loved it (and so did I), the Post liked it a lot; there's no reason in the world to believe that anyone should want to skip this.
Sold out one or more shows.

The Ringer
Jump back to the top.

Pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Every once in a while, some performers with serious credentials decide, hey, let’s do a Fringe show. Sometimes these are touring shows which stop at multiple Fringe festivals, honing their act. Some of these shows might even be return shows from previous Capital Fringes that didn't get quite the solid reaction required for Proven.

The Ringer shows that I am aware of this year include:

A.D.
Fringe page - company website
F+P review - DCTS review
Riverrun Theatre – the professional theater of Madison, IN, apparently on tour. They produced last year's modestly well-recieved A Report of Gunfire. Contains nudity.

Bag Lady
Fringe page - company website
EXMR preview - DCTS review - F+P review
Almost a Property show - a script by Jean-Claude van Itallie - but as the company website attests, this is a revival of a rapturously reviewed show. DC Theatre Scene felt it was good if lightweight; Fringe and Purge was more appreciative.

Cabaret Carousel [misspelled "Caberet" on the ticket site]
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review - F+P review
Produced by the InSeries, an organization with a reputation for quality music/theatre hybrids. Probably the most pure cabaret in Fringe. Note that there are three different shows (one blues-based, one bossa nova, and one musical theatre), taking turns from night to night; check their website to catch the one you want.

FlagBoy
Fringe page - performer's website
Blade preview - On Tap preview - F+P review - DCTS review
Cornelius Jones Jr. – well-reviewed touring solo show

The Honest-to-God True Story of the Atheist
Fringe page - show website
DCTS review - DC Decider review
Intensely praised at New York Fringe, including by the writer of Herbie: Poet of the Wild West. One of several Fringearrific shows that seems to pack maximum wackiness and still carry an underlying message. DC Theatre Scene gave it a good score, if seeming somewhat perplexed by it.

Is There Anybody Out There?
Fringe page - company website
F+P review - DCTS review
Open Circle Theatre – a high-quality local theatre company. The show is a cabaret of popular song with sign interpretation.

It's Not Easy Being Green*
Fringe page - company website
F+P review - DCist review - DCTS review
Journeymen Theatre Ensemble – another local pro theatre company of high reputation. Fringe and Purge thought the show didactic; DCist and DC Theatre Scene liked it better.
Sold out one or more shows.

Jamaica Farewell [misspelled “Farwell” on the ticket site]
Fringe page - show website
DCTS review - F+P review
Check out this solo show's credentials at the website - it looks quite amazing. Great response to this one.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Fringe page - company website
F+P review - DCTS review
Adventure Theatre – one of the major local children’s theatre companies.
A two-person all-the-characters adaptation.

Revolutionary! Isadora Duncan
Fringe page - company website
F+P review of 2008 production - DCTS review - DC Decider review
A return show. The website contains video of last year's decently-received (not enough of a hit for Proven) Fringe performance, so this may be the easiest of all Fringe shows to decide whether you're interested or not.

Riding the Bull
Fringe page - show website
EXMR preview - DCTS review - Post review - DCist review
This Fringearrific show won the Village Voice's Audience Favorite in New York and features some of DC's best. MASSIVELY positive audience reaction and buzz - laughter and tears!
One of the Examiner's ten shows "you don't want to miss."
Sold out one or more shows.

Sex, Dreams and Self-Control
Fringe page - show website
DCTS review - F+P review
VTP Music/Kevin Thornton – another solo with serious cred. Lots of great buzz, and you can't miss Thornton walking around Fringe with his sandwich board.

The Terrorism of Everyday Life
Fringe page - artist website
F+P review [by me] - DCTS review
Director's Award winner
Ed Hamell – as the blurb says, this solo show won an award at Edinburgh, the Original Fringe. Songs, comedy, wisdom, rock n roll, awesomeness (a summation of both my Fringe and Purge review and the DC Theatre Scene one).
One of the Examiner's ten shows "you don't want to miss."
Sold out one or more shows.

They Call Me Mister Fry
Fringe page - show website
DCTS review - F+P review
A solo piece about education. The website evidences a long tour to rapturous reviews.

Tour Starts Here
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review
Liz Lerman Dance Exchange – local professional dance troupe of renown. Performing three times on July 18 at the Corcoran as a site-specific dance piece.

The Fringearrific
Jump back to the top.

Ah, the Fringearrific. The bread-and-butter of Fringe, or perhaps more accurately the bread-and-marshmallow-banana-peanut butter of Fringe. These are the shows that define what it means to be “Fringe-y,” “Fringalicious” or any other such derived adjectives – including Fringearrific, which I realize is a circular definition, so I’ll explain. These are the shows that couldn’t be done anywhere but Fringe – they work because of, not despite of, the anything-goes attitude and, like a roomful of hyperactive third-graders, only get wilder and crazier the more of them you put in one place.

It is hard to identify the common threads here, but you can bet that if a show contains some combination of burlesque, nudity, vulgarity, original song, amateur dance, mimes and clowns, audience participation, bawdy comedy, fart jokes, food fights, stage combat, wild costumes, and/or a certain pop-cultural zinginess, you’ve found a Fringearrific entry. (Looking back, you’ll realize that a good number of the Proven shows are, not surprisingly, Fringearrific as well – specifically Cabret CooCoo, Captain Squishy, Closet Land, Diamond Dead, Dizzy Miss Lizzie and Titus X.)

Expect a plot which is secondary to the titillation and entertainment, if present at all – in the battle for Fringegoers' hearts and wallets, anything goes. Whether or not these shows are good is an entirely pointless question, though many are; these are the potpourri of Fringe experience – the shows you want to see at Fringe, because even if you could catch them elsewhere, you wouldn’t want to.

P.S. This year’s Fringeariffic theme is: (sometimes naked) women with swords.

The Fringearrific shows this year include:

2 shows: Disorder / Plant Psychic*
Fringe page - show website
F+P review - DCTS review
Hilary Kacser and Dave Coyne have had well-reviewed shows in multiple Fringes; I almost put this into "Proven" thanks to their track record. Skip the website and check this video. Fringe and Purge thought there were some kinks needing ironing out; DC Theatre Scene saw it later and loved it.

Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting*
Fringe page - company website
PG "preview" pictures here - F+P review - DCist review - Post review - DCTS review
Heir apparent to last year’s “The Naked Party” for self-descriptive sellout spectacle. Contains nudity. Also swords.
Sold out one or more shows.

Bargain Basement Game Show*
Fringe page - artist website
EXMR preview - DCTS review - DCist review - Post review
Apparently it’s an actual game show you participate in. It's a return from last year's Fringe, where it was (unfairly, I think) given little notice. Seems to be a passable execution; I've heard it skews a bit geeky, which is good or bad on your personal preference.
One of the Examiner's ten shows "you don't want to miss."

The Comic Roach: A Roadhouse Picture Show
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review - Post review
Silent film set to live music, according to the blurb, plus cabaret.

Deconstructing the Myth of the Booty
Fringe page - show/artist website
DCTS review - F+P review - Post review
It's about a woman whose buttocks were so famous, pieces of her were kept in museums after her death; it might contain nudity. Have you seen the postcards (on the website)? DC Theatre Scene describes it as a mixed bag of monologues and vignettes.

Dorks on the Loose: Facey Facey Face Face*
Fringe page - company myspace page
F+P review - DCTS review
A new show by a returning comedy duo. Having seen last year's edition, I'd say "loose" definitely describes their approach - drunk on silliness, as opposed to polished sketches.

The Elephant Man - The Musical
Fringe page - company website
F+P review [by me] - Post review - DCTS review
Well-loved in New York and performed here by no11productions (of last year's We Three). I saw and reviewed it, and thought it was pretty good, but kind of predictable even as a farce. The Post gave it a similarly mild receptionl DC Theatre Scene was a little more appreciative. Would be a Genre Show if it weren't still pretty Fringey.

The Escapades of Farty Johnson
Fringe page
DCTS review - F+P review
Contains NO nudity or beans, despite the tagline! I saw the first showing. The solo performer is enormously talented... but she does barely anything on stage. (Literally - we're talking 3-minute pauses.) DCTS liked it pretty well and so did Fringe and Purge; it sounds like it has improved somewhat, but is still kind of unfinished.

The Fifth Musketeer*
Fringe page - company website
EXMR preview - F+P review - DCTS review
Features a number of highly praised local actors. A possibly overlong but thoughtful "sequel" to the Dumas classic.
Contains NO nudity, and very little swords - the Theatermania ticket site lies! One of the most-reviewed shows so far; it sounds like it's good enough to see if the concept at all intruiges you.

Headscarf and the Angry Bitch
Fringe page - performer website
DCTS review - DCist review - F+P review - DC Decider review
Best Solo Theatermania Audience Award winner - Best Solo DC Theatre Scene Audience Award winner
On her website, talented local actress Zehra Fazal describes her character Zed Headscarf as "The Muslim Wierd Al." And check out those funny faces. DC Theatre Scene loved it; there's little doubt this is not one to miss.
Sold out one or more shows. The run extended, playing at Source.

Herbie: Poet of the Wild West*
Fringe page - company website
Blade preview - DCTS review
"Parody Hamlet with spurs" = Fringearrific. By excllent playwright Adam Szymcowicz.

Jack, The Ticket Ripper*
Fringe page - company website
Post preview - DCTS review - F+P review
By the playwright who wrote returning show Irish Authors Held Hostage, it's a backstage revenge comedy. DC Theatre Scene loved it.
Sold out one or more shows.

Let's Sing Gospel 101!
Fringe page - F+P review - DCTS review
Apparently it’s not so much as a show as… teaching the audience to sing gospel. Really. And apparently, it works. Pretty dang straightforward; go unless you're cripplingly shy. Most everyone who's attended has loved it.
One of the Examiner's ten shows "you don't want to miss."

My Fabulous Sex Life
Fringe page - performer's blog
Blade preview - Post preview - F+P review - DCist review - DCTS review
As described in the Post preview, a very frank, yet mature, solo performance. As described in the Fringe and Purge review, a very frank, yet thought-provoking and challenging, solo performance. Lots of good buzz about this one.

Pepe! The Mail Order Monkey Musical
Fringe page - show website
Blade preview - DCTS review - F+P review - DCist review - Post review
Any show with that title which claims to be based on a true story is Fringearrific. The website speaks for itself; so much talent is behind this, I nearly placed it as a Ringer. Some reviewers loved it; some hated it.
Sold out one or more shows.

Please Listen: A Musical Chaos*
Fringe page - company website
two preview videos here - DCTS review - F+P review - DCist review
Best Musical Theatermania Audience Award winner
A show about two fellows trying to make a concept album about robots; ridiculous plot married to absolutely stunning songs and group harmonies. Produced by Open Drawer Theatre of last year's Lebensraum, though the show couldn't be more different. Prevailing response so far = an irreverent delight.
One of the Examiner's ten shows "you don't want to miss."
Sold out one or more shows.

A Tactile Dinner
Fringe page - company website
Wash Times preview - F+P review - DCTS review - Post review - DCist review
banished? productions has been building a reputation. I saw this show, and wow - it's a sensory experience, wherein you are put in a silly costume and instructed to eat various familiar (and not so) foods in strange and enjoyable ways, whilst remarkably silly Futurist nonsense is performed for your amusement. Not for the incredulous, but a massively enjoyable experience for everyone else.
Fringe and Purge loved it, DC Theatre Scene loved it, the Post loved it - catch it before it's too late - two shows left, both on Sunday the 19th.
Bring a couple extra bucks to buy drinks and extras; a light dinner is included in the ticket price as part of the program.
Sold out one or more shows.

Uncorseted
Fringe page - show website
DCTS review - F+P review
Contains nudity. Also swords. However it might not be in the way we’re expecting. DC Theatre Scene called it "fringey."

The Property
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This is where I get opinionated. Property shows are, simply put, performances of well-known properties, or to be less businesslike about it, stuff by people we've heard of. In my opinion, these are not the things you go to Fringe to see; after all, with a little effort you can find a Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead being performed just about year-round, so why bother during Fringe? Not to mention, the nature of Fringe means that shows intended for a more professional and studied production will not receive such attention. On the other hand, if you like knowing what you’re going to get to some degree, by all means go see one of these; and besides, some well-known works were, arguably, meant for the kind of bare-bones production Fringe necessitates, and even an overworn work can get new life when juiced up by that Fringe electricity. So, in summation: *shrug.*

(Note that there are several other Property-like shows, including Bad Hamlet, Tempest! The Musical, The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, and Life in Death: An Opera Electronica (based on Poe), not to mention Titus X. What distinguishes the ones listed below is they are, by all accounts, unaltered versions of the original text, whereas those six are clearly altered and adapted.)

The Property shows this year include:

4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane
Fringe page - company Facebook page
Blade preview - EXMR preview - F+P review [by me] - DCTS review - Post review - Examiner interview with the director
Best Overall Theatermania Audience Award winner - Best Drama Theatermania Audience Award winner - Best Play DC Theatre Scene Audience Award winner
If ever there was a (in)famous playwright meant for the Fringe, Kane is that playwright. Featuring some of DC's greatest, this is definitely a not-miss; I saw it myself (see my F+P review); it's not for the light of heart or those seeking a good-ol'-time, but it's emotional storytelling of the first order. DCTS loved it, too.
Sold out one or more shows.

Four Dogs & a Bone by John Patrick Shanley
Fringe page - company website
F+P review - DCTS review
A Hollywood comedy by the guy who wrote Doubt (and Moonstruck and Joe Vs the Volcano). The script and production are reported to be decent-to-good, but no glowing responses.
The company seems to be related to the one putting on Waiting for the Trigger.

The Girl Who Waters the Basil
Fringe page - show blog
F+P review - DCTS review
"Based on" the play by Gabriel Garcia Lorca. It's a children-friendly princes-and-princesses operetta. Might not qualify for Property, depending on how "based on" it is. See here for a review of a different production. The reviews of this produciton vary.

home free
Fringe page - (company website doesn't work)
F+P review - DCTS review
Early 1-act by Lanford Wilson, writer of Hot L Baltimore & Pulitzer winner for Talley’s Folly. I'm familiar with the play; it's a very 60's-surrealist-Ionesco kind of thing, but could be engrossing done right.

The Lost Ones by Samuel Beckett
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review - F+P review
If any show can bear the weight of a pretentious blurb, it's one by Beckett. With puppets. Produced by Spooky Action Theater, a local company of talent. Lots of great response to this one - if it sounds at all like the thing for you, this can be something of a Hidden Gem.
Currently the production is embroiled in some controversy.

The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan
Fringe page
F+P review - DCTS review
Self-explanatory. One of the few family-friendly performances, albeit a long one. Fringe and Purge liked it, DC Theatre Scene loved it.

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
Fringe page
company website
DCTS review - F+P review [by me]
NOT self-explantory, apparently. An all-women, much-shortened production of this ur-Fringe show. It remains to be seen whether the changes make it more than just a Property; several audience members have remarked they liked it a lot; in my review with Fringe and Purge I thought it was flawed; DC Theatre Scene loved it.
Sold out one or more shows.

The Hidden Gem, the Genre Show, and the Mess
Jump back to the top.

The final three types are all of a piece, or on the same spectrum. In a way, I could call these “Great” “Decent” and “Bad,” but that wouldn’t be very Fringey. What these shows have in common is they are all not quite wild enough to be Fringearrific, nor established like the Proven, Ringer or Property. Going to these shows might be much like going to a new neighborhood restaurant at its grand opening; with few exceptions, nobody really knows what you're going to get.

The majority of these shows will eventually prove to be one of these three types:

Most of them will be Genre Shows– shows with a direct purpose, some quality, and some restraint. These are shows that manage to do what they set out to do, no more and no less. The most important thing about these (despite the somewhat dismissive category title) is to trust your own preferences; if the show's subject is not your thing, it won't win you over, but if the blurb catches your eye, you'll find it satisfying. Thus, it is a Genre Show; a passable example within the constraints of the genre. (I formerly called this category the "Didit," but decided that was too negative-sounding.)

Secondly, there will be the Hidden Gems, those shows that, despite their lack of reputation and Fringe-iness, will wow everybody who sees them. Last year’s best drama winner, Ethan Now, was one of these. In contrast to the Genre Shows, these are shows that manage to reach beyond their grasp – to do what they set out to do and more, and capture the heart of whoever sees it.

Finally, there are the Messes, those shows which just don’t have their heads on straight, and not in the fun way that Fringearrific shows do. Pretentious, ill-advised or uninformed, or sophomoric to the point of embarrassment, these shows are laudable for their commitment, but difficult to recommend in good conscience. In other words, they don’t even quite manage to do what they set out to do, and even people interested in the subject may be let down.

Some shows are now placed into these categories. The undetermined shows are listed by genre: dramatic presentations (in other words, more or less straight comedy, drama and musical), straight dance/music pieces, and direct-address/monologue shows (one-person shows, standup, storytelling).

Before I continue, for your edification, I quote the City Paper’s Trey Graham with a generally accurate warning: “The more artsy-fartsy the Fringe-brochure come-on, the more unbearable the show is likely to be.” Caveat emptor.

P.S.: This year’s other theme is dramas about education.

The Hidden Gems for this year so far:
Jump back to the top.

Bad Hamlet*
Fringe page
EXMR preview - Two Hours Traffic review - DCTS review - Post review - F+P review - DCist review
Best Experimental Theatermania Audience Award winner
Something of a Property (it’s two Hamlets mashed together, after all). Some talented people working on this one. Shakespeare nerds will probably love that it brings in the "Bad" edition of the play. Reviews suggest it's good and very interesting, but depends on familiarity with Hamlet (but you're familiar, right?) and occasionally gets confusing.
One of the Examiner's ten shows "you don't want to miss."
Sold out one or more shows.

The Bea & The Bug, Writing Stories, Wowser Bowser!
Fringe page - show website
DCTS review
Best Family Show DC Theatre Scene Audience Award winner
A children’s educational, musical theatre piece.

Beyond DarkCorners
Fringe page - performers' website
F+P review - DCTS review - Post review
Two local solo performers with good reputations. A very good Fringe and Purge review, and the same from DC Theatre Scene.

Born of a Fairytale
Fringe page
F+P review - DCTS review
Combines dance and fairy tale. Out of nowhere (neither myself nor anyone I spoke to had heard much about this in advance), lots of positive responses to this, from Fringe and Purge, DC Theatre Scene, and folks on the street. The definition of a Hidden Gem.
Sold out one or more shows.

Cover Me In Humanness*
Fringe page - company blogsite
On Tap preview - F+P review - DCist review - DCTS review
A small-scope, but very original and quirky, poetic drama. I saw it; it's all about human connections and what prevents them, and has an appreciably winning sense of humor about itself, plus lots of Kevin Bacon. Fringe and Purge liked it.
One of the Examiner's ten shows "you don't want to miss."
Sold out one or more shows.

The Fall of the House of Usher
Fringe page - show website
preview article - F+P review - DCTS review
A musical adaptation. Apparently not so much of a Property, being very freely adapted (drawing in elements of Annabel Lee).
Best Musical Play Theatermania Audience Award winner
Sold out one or more shows.

Freakshow*
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review - F+P review
I saw it, and it’s great – definitely Hidden Gem, if the encore-bow-demanding full house I attended with is any indicator, not to mention the DC Theatre Scene review. A quieter, sadder show than the title might make it seem; a wry tragicomic piece about 19th century sideshow freaks.

The Girls Inside*
Fringe page
DCTS review - F+P review - Post review
A drama about young women in prison by a recent Univertisy of Maryland graduate. Great buzz and great reviews.
Sold out one or more shows.

In the Flesh
Fringe page
DCTS review
Dance inspired by an art exhibition, performed at that very art exhibition. Only one performance - July 23, 6:30pm.

Krapp's Last Power Point
Fringe page - performer website
DCTS review
The question is: how much do you need to know Beckett to like this show?
The possible answer: not at all, because it's barely related (see Fringe and Purge's response to the preview performance). Performer Feffer appears, from his website, to be a policy wonk and author by day.
DC Theatre Scene aboslutely loved it, and word on the street is good.
Sold out one or more shows.

Lila: The Love Story of Radha and Krishna
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review - F+P review
Best Dance DC Theatre Scene Audience Award winner
Sounds really cool to me. The preview performance seems to've been well-liked, and DC Theatre Scene and Fringe and Purge loved it.

Magnum Opus
Fringe page - company website
F+P review - Post review - DCTS review - DCist review
A short, modern opera in English about a "Faustian bargain." I've heard "decent" and I've heard "fantastic;" the Post and DCist liked it a lot; DC Theatre Scene loved it.
Sold out one or more shows.

The Quick Brown Fox Jumped over the Lazy Dogs
Fringe page - company website
F+P review [by me] - DCTS review
I saw it and liked it a lot; probably not for everybody, although word of mouth and the DC Theatre Scene review were both very good.
Sold out one or more shows.

Sezze Sun
Fringe page - company website
F+P review - DCTS review
Always a couple "multimedia explorations" at Fringe. They can be great, like last year's Iconicity, or they can be excrutiatingly amateurish. I suggest waiting for word-of-mouth. Fringe and Purge and DC Theatre Scene both thought this was very captivating.

So Do You Love Me Yet?
Fringe page - performer website
DCTS review - F+P review
Response has been very good from reviewers and audience; I eat my previous words predicting a so-so show.

The Teacher's Lounge or One Child Left Behind
Fringe page - company blog
F+P review - DCTS review
A drama about education. Great reviews all around.

Vincent
Fringe page - company website
F+P review - Landless Approved review - DCTS review
...as in Van Gogh, or more accurately in this case, his brother. By the folks who put on last year's Genre Show Self-Accusation, the F+P review, at least, portrays this as a pleasantly intimate, if minor, one-man show, whereas DC Theatre Scene and others consider it a Hidden Gem. Also, it was written by Leonard Nimoy?!
One of the Examiner's ten shows "you don't want to miss."
Sold out one or more shows.

The Genre Shows for this year so far:
Jump back to the top.

The A Cappella Party*
Fringe page
DCTS review - F+P review - Post review - DCist review
A dramatic comedy about rival a cappella groups which each take on one of two lovers West Side Story-style, and which will feature some actual a capella song. Lots of good response to this one. The music has been praised universally, less so the plot.
Sold out one or more shows.

All Good Men
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review
Videos of other productions at the website suggest that sometimes they're great, and sometimes they're a little staid.

All That Was Left of Them
Fringe page
F+P review - DCTS review - DCist review
Something of a Property in its narrative/theatrical performance of two Hans Christen Anderson tales. A so-so Fringe-and-Purge review; a great DC Theatre Scene review that nevertheless gives the show a 3 out of 5; a very good DCist review.

Billy the Kid: First Exhumation
Fringe page
DCTS review - F+P review - Post review
Another blurb with which to keep Trey Graham's warning in mind, even if it implies serious cred. DC Theatre Scene praises it as a collection of thought-provoking, well-performed short pieces; Fringe and Purge liked it a good bit and so did the Post. May be too experimental for everybody, though.

Catherine Gropper's Miss Crandall's Classes
Fringe page
DCTS review
A drama about education.

Cirque Du' SAPAN: A Showcase of South Asian Arts
Fringe page - company website
DCist review
The website reveals these folks are a true class act; but DCist thought the show had problems. Beware: DCist, Fringe, and Theatermania all list different sets of performance dates..

Concord, Virginia: A Southern Town in Stories
Fringe page - show website
F+P review - DCTS review
I'm tempted to put this one in Ringers, because as testified at the website,
the book this show is based on is award-winning - however, the show itself is unproven.

Dancing to Ancient Rhythms
Fringe page - company website
DCist review - F+P review
The website reveals they put on sumptuous shows. DCist thought it was decent overall; Fringe and Purge was less appreciative.

Domestic Snakes
Fringe page - artist website
DCTS review
No snakes - it's about hair. Performer Karin Abromaitis has a solid reputation, and in lieu of reptiles, the show features aerial work - it's performed by Abromaitis hanging and climbing withing a mass of ropes.

Dust of Babylon
Fringe page
F+P review - DCTS review
Preview performance = incomprehensible. Real performance reveiwed as also incomprehensible by Fringe and Purge, but DC Theatre Scene loved it. Conclusion: if you're really open to wild, unmoored, science-y madness, you might love it; if you have no tolerance for the like, you won't.

Fictitious The Musical*
Fringe page - show website
DCTS review - F+P review
A new musical about a Governator, performed by Landless Theatre of "Diamond Dead," on loan to the producing artist. I saw it; the performances and songs are Landless-quality, but the writing cliched and sophomoric (DC Theatre Scene and Fringe and Purge seem to agree).

Flying to America
Fringe page
DCTS review
Keep in mind Trey Graham's warning. Who knows what it's about.

Goodbye Love, Goodbye Joy, Hello Travis McElroy.
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review - F+P review
A title in meter! The blurb is uninformative, but director Patrick Torres is a well-known, quality artist. Response is middling so far.

GS-14
Fringe page
Roll Call preview - F+P review - DCTS review - Post review
Every Fringe it seems features a couple workplace comedies. Responses range from great to "it's flawed but good" to terrible. Some shows have sold out; so it seems this show runs hot-or-cold depending your taste.
Sold out one or more shows.

Hello! My Name Is Jonah
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review
The blurb makes it hard to place.; it seems this (these) Jonah(s) is (are) the Biblical one(s). Produced by an "Arts Ministry" devoted to better religious worship through theatre. DC Theatre Scene liked it a lot; I'm putting it in Genre show, although if there was more feedback we might've found it to be a Hidden Gem.

Hopelessly Devoted
Fringe page - show blog
F+P review - DCTS review
The video clip at the blog shows serious promise and great comic timing!

How to Eat an Elephant
Fringe page
F+P review - DCTS review
Of all the storytellers, she sounded most like a challenger (if that's even possible) to SpeakeasyDC's crown; but going with the Fringe and Purge and the DC Theatre Scene reviews, this performer is talented but not-quite-ready.

I'm Not Oedipus
Fringe page - performer website
DCTS review
Ignore the blurb: the (very positive) reviews linked to by the website
reveal this is a half-serious, half-lighthearted autobiographical solo piece.

Immoral Combat, a satire on the news business
Fringe page - company website
Post preview - DCTS review - F+P review - DCist review
Every Fringe it seems features a couple workplace comedies, though this one was previewed by the Post, and the writer seems to really know the news business. The reviews, however, suggest the play is interesting, even well-performed, but not quite fulfilling.

Late Bloomers and Glory Days
Fringe page - company? website
DCTS review - F+P review
Sounds promising to me. Related to dramas about education – a school reunion. The website links to the prestigious National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, but to be clear, the show appears to not be an official production by them - rather, produced by some of their alumni. Genre Show?

Leave A Tone After The Message!!!
Fringe page - company website
F+P review [by me]
Keep in mind Trey Graham’s warning… I reviewed it, and considered it interesting if often uninspiring programmatic dance.

Life in Death: an Opera Electronica
Fringe page - artist website
DCTS review - F+P review [by me] - DCist review
Based on a Poe story, myself at Fringe and Purge and DC Theatre Scene both liked it a lot. DCist was less positive.
Sold out one or more shows.

Life Inside an Open Kaije
Fringe page - show website
F+P review - DCTS review
Whatever a "kaije" is ("Cage," I guess? But why spelled so?), it's about a man's experience living with diabetes. The reviews and word on the street suggest it's a flawed but pretty good/passable Genre Show.

Lincoln and God
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review - F+P review
While Fringe doesn’t have a good history with Lincoln shows, DC Theatre Scene liked it. On the other hand, Fringe and Purge didn't.

Live! Girls! Organize
Fringe page - (company website not working)
DCTS review
By the author of last year’s “Lexi Star’s Privates.” I almost put this in Fringearrific, if not for having seen that previous play (and reviewed it), which was an entertaining and interesting, but flawed, character drama. Response has been negative to middling thus far.

Missing Pages a new play by Susan Austin Roth*
Fringe page - show website
Post preview - F+P review - DCTS review
As described in the Post preview, Roth sounds to me like a writer with good sensibilities. Plus, it's about espionage from the angle of a agency man's family. Response seems to be that the play has potential but isn't quite there yet.
Sold out one or more shows.

Peace Warriors
Fringe page - company website
extensive preview - F+P review - DCTS review - DCist review
Vaguely related to the dramas about education; of academia, Israel and activism. Critical response suggests it is interesting especially for those interested in the subject, but not without flaws.
Sold out one or more shows.

Pebble-and-Cart Cycle: one-line tragedies
Fringe page - company website
F+P review - DCTS review
Fringe and Purge and DC Theatre Scene suggest that most people actually walk out of this one; but the reviewers felt the show was of unbelievably high quality. Conclusion: it appeals to a particular taste, but was a Hidden Gem for those possessing that taste.
Sold out one or more shows.

The Rise of General Arthur
Fringe page - artist website
DCTS review - F+P review
Hard to tell - the website reveals the writer is prolific, at least. DCTS thought it was a Genre Show at best; the preview was unengaging, albeit rushed; Fringe and Purge liked it.

Sari to Skin
Fringe page - performer website
F+P review - DCist review - DCTS review
Contains some dance, too - maybe. The performer claims a good notice in the Post; Fringe and Purge and DC Theatre Scene liked it pretty well.

Self-Service
Fringe page
F+P review
Another show of one man's personal journey of sexual awakening and identity. Fringe and Purge thought it was half-great, half-flawed.

She Moved Through the Fair
Fringe page
EXMR preview - F+P review - Post review - DCTS review
It’s Irish! Fringe and Purge felt it was decent, but a little same-y; the Post it was decent but inconsistent.

Slow News Day*
Fringe page - company website
Post review - F+P review - DCTS review
Long-form improv. Improv at Fringe (or anywhere) is always a touchy proposition - excrutiating when performed by those unprepared - so it's a good thing that the preview performance appears to have been quite funny; the Post and Fringe and Purge both thought it was alright; and I myself saw it and would say that you can rely on some good laughs if you attend.

Skywriter
Fringe page - company blog
EXMR preview - DCTS review - Post review - F+P review
A drama(/comedy) about education in D.C. Good overheard buzz and a good DC Theatre Scene review. The Post said "you just have to see it." But Fringe and Purge thought it was limp.
Sold out one or more shows.

Soup!
Fringe page - show website
F+P review [by me] - DCTS review - Post review - DC Decider review
Sketch comedy. I saw and reviewed; both I and DC Theatre Scene thought it was well-executed but not full of laughs, nor particularly "dark" as claimed. The Post liked it a lot more. According to Fringe and Purge, the preview performance was funny.

South-Asian American Dance
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review - F+P review
The website reveals a quality company. DC Theatre Scene thought it was decent.

The Tempest: A Musical
Fringe page - company website
Two Hours Traffic review
Something of a Property (it’s The Tempest, after all). The Rude Mechanicals are a local community theatre with professional-quality aspirations. According to Two Hours Traffic blog, the show was well-done with lovely singing, if not strictly a musical. It might have been a Hidden Gem, but there wasn't enough response to categorize it as such.

This Is NOT My Life
Fringe page - show website
DCTS review - F+P review
You might be forgiven (I hope I can be) for not realizing this is a musical. It's by a group of young artists with an impressive website, if nothing else. DC Theatre Scene thought it was okay, and Fringe and Purge thought it was terrible. It seems to be one for a very narrow demographic.

Waiting for the Trigger
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review
"A calm, moody comedy" is an interesting tagline, but other than that, who knows what this is about? I saw the preview - apparently it's at least in part concerned with Stoppard-style flights of linguistic fancy; the writing was appropriately labyrinthine, but the performers were a little community-theater-ish. DC Theatre Scene found it quite funny. Probably not for everyone.
The company claims relation to the folks putting on Four Dogs and a Bone.

Youth Fringe Showcase
Fringe page
Seemingly a mishmash of dance, music, etc. Could have promising talent.

The Messes for this year so far:
Jump back to the top.

2 Shorts in Black and White: Count Dracula's Cafe
Fringe page - playwright's website
Blade preview - F+P review - DCTS review
Fringe and Purge didn't like it; DC Theatre Scene liked the second piece, but not the first; the first piece in general seems reviled. So I guess that makes it half-Mess, half-Genre Show.

The Attack of the Big Angry Booty
Fringe page - show myspace page
F+P review - DCTS review
Mediocre to poor reception; the Myspace page was not helpful.

The Devil's Christmas Carol*
Fringe page - company website
F+P review - DCTS review - Post review
A musical about souls performing A Christmas Carol in hell: a Mess, judging from the reviews.

The Foley Artist
Fringe page - company website
DCTS review
An old-timey radio show comedy. DCTS deemed it a Mess.

Good Enough for Government Work
Fringe page - show website
DCTS review
Every Fringe it seems features a couple workplace comedies. This one is a return engagement of a show which was poorly recevied last year.

Lipstick Handgun
Fringe page
F+P review - DCTS review
Award for most Fringey tagline: "A broken mind scar heart chasm blast of desperate fun!!" However, the show itself left reviewers quite cold.

Murth
Fringe page
DCTS review - F+P review - DCist review
Very nearly made my Fringearrific list. Prostitutes, halucinations, uncertain identities... But DC Theatre Scene, DCist and Fringe and Purge all found it insufferable.

The Real Adventures of Tom Mix
Fringe page
DCTS review - F+P review
About one of the first cowboy movie stars. DC Theatre Scene thought it fell very flat, Fringe and Purge wasn't even that forgiving.

Thou Shalt Not Kill: A Collection of One Acts
Fringe page - company website
Post preview - DCTS review - F+P review
From the preview, it sounds like the three plays are well-written – but both DC Theatre Scene and Fringe and Purge thought otherwise.

The Undetermined:
These shows were not reveiwed or talked about enough to pass any judgment at all.

Jump back to the top.

Two Girls
Fringe page - show not-quite-a-website
Two girls escaping apartheid South Africa; the website is not helpful.

* - read the introduction to find out what the asterisk means.

So that’s my categorizing of all 120+ shows in Fringe, containing every show I could find. In part two, some suggestions about how to decide what to see. Below, an alphabetical list, noting where each show was categorized.

Alphabetical List with link to the Category:
Jump to the top

2 Shorts in Black and White: Count Dracula's Cafe Mess
2 shows: Disorder / Plant Psychic Fringearrific
4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane Property
The A Cappella Party Genre Show
A.D. Ringer
All Good Men Genre Show
All That Was Left of Them Genre Show
Annabel Lee Proven
The Attack of The Big Angry Booty Mess
Bad Hamlet Hidden Gem
Bag Lady Ringer
Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting Fringearrific
Bargain Basement Game Show Fringearrific
The Bea & The Bug, Writing Stories, Wowser Bowser! Hidden Gem
Beyond DarkCorners Hidden Gem
Billy the Kid: First Exhumation Genre Show
Born of a Fairytale Hidden Gem
Cabaret CooCoo Proven
Caberet Carousel Ringer
Captain Squishy's Yee Haw Jamboree! (the musical) the Proven
Catherine Gropper's Miss Crandall's Classes Genre Show
Children of Medea Proven
Cirque Du' SAPAN: A Showcase of South Asian Arts Genre Show
Closet Land Proven
The Comic Roach: A Roadhouse Picture Show Fringearrific
Concord, Virginia: A Southern Town in Stories Genre Show
Cover Me In Humanness Hidden Gem
Dancing to Ancient Rhythms Genre Show
Deconstructing the Myth of the Booty Fringearrific
The Devil's Christmas Carol Mess
Diamond Dead (Continued...) Proven
Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue presents The Oresteia Proven
Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue- The Saints Proven
Domestic Snakes Genre Show
Dorks on the Loose: Facey Facey Face Face Fringearrific
Dust of Babylon Genre Show
The Elephant Man - The Musical Fringearrific
The Escapades of Farty Johnson Fringearrific
The Fall of the House of Usher Hidden Gem
Fictitious The Musical Genre Show
The Fifth Musketeer Fringearrific
FlagBoy Ringer
Flying to America Genre Show
The Foley Artist Mess
Four Dogs & a Bone by John Patrick Shanley Property
Freakshow Hidden Gem
The Girl Who Waters the Basil Property
The Girls Inside Hidden Gem
Good Enough for Government Work Mess
Goodbye Love, Goodbye Joy, Hello Travis McElroy. Genre Show
Headscarf and the Angry Bitch Fringearrific
Hello! My Name Is Jonah Genre Show
Herbie: Poet of the Wild West Fringearrific
home free Property
The Honest-to-God True Story of the Atheist Ringer
Hopelessly Devoted Genre Show
How to Eat an Elephant Genre Show
I'm Not Oedipus Genre Show
Immoral Combat, a satire on the news business Genre Show
In the Flesh Hidden Gem
Irish Authors Held Hostage Proven
Is There Anybody Out There? Ringer
It's Not Easy Being Green Ringer
Jack, The Ticket Ripper Fringearrific
Jamaica Farwell Ringer
Journey #8 Proven
Krapp's Last Power Point Hidden Gem
Late Bloomers and Glory Days Genre Show
Leave A Tone After The Message!!! Genre Show
Let's Sing Gospel 101! Fringearrific
Life in Death: an Opera Electronica Genre Show
Life Inside an Open Kaije Genre Show
Lila: The Love Story of Radha and Krishna Hidden Gem
Lincoln and God Genre Show
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Ringer
Lipstick Handgun Mess
Live! Girls! Organize! Genre Show
The Lost Ones by Samuel Beckett Property
Magnum Opus Hidden Gem
MAY 39th/40th Proven
McSwiggin's Pub Proven
Missing Pages a new play by Susan Austin Roth Genre Show
Murth Mess
My Fabulous Sex Life Fringearrific
Not Your Granny's Revolution Proven
Peace Warriors Genre Show
Pebble-and-Cart Cycle: one-line tragedies Genre Show
Pepe! The Mail Order Monkey Musical Fringearrific
The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan Property
Please Listen: A Musical Chaos Fringearrific
The Quick Brown Fox Jumped over the Lazy Dogs Genre Show
The Real Adventures of Tom Mix Mess
Revolutionary! Isadora Duncan Ringer
Riding the Bull Ringer
The Rise of General Arthur Genre Show
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead Property
Sari to Skin Genre Show
Self-Service Genre Show
Sex, Dreams and Self-Control Ringer
Sezze Sun Hidden Gem
She Moved Through the Fair Genre Show
The Sin Show Proven
Skywriter Genre Show
Slow News Day Genre Show
So Do You Love Me Yet? Hidden Gem
Soup! Genre Show
South-Asian American Dance Genre Show
A Tactile Dinner Fringearrific
The Teacher's Lounge or One Child Left Behind Hidden Gem
The Tempest: A Musical Genre Show
The Terrorism of Everyday Life Ringer
They Call Me Mister Fry Ringer
This Is NOT My Life Genre Show
Thou Shalt Not Kill: A Collection of One Acts Mess
Titus X Proven
Tour Starts Here Ringer
Two Girls Uncategorized due to Lack of Response
Uncorseted Fringearrific
Vincent Hidden Gem
Waiting for the Trigger Genre Show
Youth Fringe Showcase Genre Show

The Guide, Part Two: How to Pick Shows

2009-07-07T22:30:00.002-04:00

THE GUIDE, PART TWO – Show-Picking Methodology

There are many, many things to consider when trying to decide what to see at Fringe.

If you’re lucky, you have some of your decisions made for you. If you have friends in a show – go see it. If a friend of yours raves to you about a show – go see it. If you are only free on Sunday afternoons – your choices will be narrowed down a lot. And if you decide to volunteer (http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2int2b4fuojhzyy/start) you can see shows for free, so money will no longer be a limiting factor.

The key to Fringegoing is your attitude towards seeing shows. I see three approaches: one, you adopt a see-as-much-as-possible, money-no-object approach; two, you pick a number of shows ahead of time, and find the best ones to fill that number; three, you sit on the sidelines and wait and see if the Post gives something a dazzling write-up.

If you’re taking the third approach, you don’t need to be reading this in the first place.

If you’re taking the second (perhaps the sanest) approach, then obviously your first step is to pick the number. Then, go to the third section of this guide for some recommended “packages,” or pick a Fringe category and grab the right number of interesting-sounding shows from it. For example, if you want six shows and want the down and dirty Fringe experience, grab six Fringearrifics; or if you’re a novice who wants only the highest quality, fill your bag with Provens and Ringers.

For those of you going whole hog, so to speak, congratulations. I’m with you. I’ll tell you how I go about Fringeing-without-end:

1) Clear as much of your calendar as possible. Saturdays are by far the best Fringe days, with performances morning through night. I more than once have caught 3-4 shows in a single Saturday – and sometimes was still able to go hang out with friends like a normal person afterwards. Be aware that Friday and Sunday, too, both feature daytime shows, and sometimes even during the week there are late-night performances.

2) Start off by selecting a handful of “definite” shows that you know you want to see in advance. For me, I pick the ones my friends are in; you might go for the shows with buzz or Provens. Get these tickets in advance, get friends to join you, and build the rest of your Fringegoing around these anchors. It helps if you schedule these shows at off-peak times (at Fringe as everywhere else, early evenings on the weekends are peak) so there will be more options for your open slots.

3) Go with the Fringe flow. Whenever you hear something good about a show or see it’s selling out, grab a ticket. With Fringe, following the crowd isn’t a bad thing – it’s part of the thrill to go where the people are going and experience the hot item then and there. (That’s why my categorization system is based almost entirely on reputation.) Go down to Fort Fringe during peak hours and buy a drink, then see what’s playing under the tent, or ask the ticket sellers what they can sell you a ticket to see right now. Go see a show in a Fringe venue, and then stick around and catch the show that follows it in the same venue. It’s up to you how random or how discerning your unplanned choices are; either way, keep an open mind.

4) Take a loose approach to going with friends. It takes a lot of commitment and cellphone minutes to coordinate attending shows with friends on the fly. Head out on your own, let your friends know, and if they can meet you there, great. Or, if you’ve got those right kinds of friends, just head down to Fringe en masse and pick something together then and there.

5) Note: the downside to this approach is the ticket prices. You get discounts on purchases of four, six or ten tickets at a time. Purchasing all singlets gives you the versatility to make choices on the fly, but costs more; purchasing the packages locks you in to seeing a certain number, which could end up costing you more in the end if your eyes were bigger than your stomach or you ran out of time. It’s up to you. Of course, there’s always the $300 all-access pass – which pays for itself if you see twenty plays.

Capital Fringe is still in its childhood. Major Fringes like Edinburgh are more akin to a theatrical Burning Man or Woodstock than anything else (from what I gather), whereas in DC it really is a good-ol’ festival, not much different than the Folklife Festival or the hundreds of others our city plays host to each year. Everything is close-knit and close together geographically, which means the anonymity is reduced to almost nil. Word gets round like wildfire, and it’s quite possible that the two or three truly standout shows at Capital Fringe could sell out before you make up your mind. (I regret not making it to the Hidden Gem
Air Heart two years back.) Hang around the Fringe bar long enough and you’ll get to know the folks who run the event. Large Fringe festivals are dispersive; Capital Fringe is inclusive.

Onward, friend, to part three/
Where I suggest some shows to see!

The Guide, Part Three: Recommendations

2009-07-07T22:15:00.006-04:00

THE GUIDE, PART THREE – Package Deals

Now here is the part where I get truly opinionated and more than a little biased. Below I will recommend the shows which I think you should see in various “packages” based on the total number of shows (including packages for the four-, six-, and ten-ticket discount deals offered by Fringe) and some basic preferences (i.e., edgy Fringey shows vs. family-friendly quality productions). This is a lot like handicapping a horse race; I’m basing these recommendations on the shows’ track record and what I can gather from their self-appointed blurbs, but in the end this is all guesswork.

I have arranged my package recommendations to match Fringe's ticket deals, which save you money over individual $15 tickets, plus they come with the required Fringe button, $5 otherwise - the $50 four-ticket pass ($10 savings), the $75 six-ticket pass ($15 savings), the $110 ten-ticket pass ($40 savings) and the $300 all-access pass (which breaks even at 20 shows). At the end, I have compiled a sample opening weekend schedule in which you could see 21 shows (I myself am only seeing 15, so this is strictly theoretical). Note: the all-access pass becomes truly cheapest at 26 regular shows. Any fewer than that, and it's technically cheaper to combine smaller passes.)

Jump to:
Four-Ticket Deals
Six-Ticket Deals
Ten-Ticket Deals
Sample Opening Weekend Schedule

Before I progress to the specific-number "package deals," an unnumerated list of the hottest ticket items and most buzz-generating performances thus far:

4.48 Psychosis; Cabaret CooCoo*; Irish Authors Held Hostage; Magnum Opus; My Fabulous Sex Life; Please Listen A Musical Chaos*; Riding the Bull; A Tactile Dinner; Titus X*.

That said, onward!

If you only see one Fringe show
first of all, what is wrong with you, and second of all, make it Children of Medea if you prefer emotion and drama, Titus X* if you prefer blood and rock n’ roll, Cabaret CooCoo* if you prefer fun and silliness, and The Sin Show if you prefer a ripping good yarn.

4-Packs
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The Bare Minimum Four Pack:
If you see four Fringe shows, see Cabaret CooCoo*; Children of Medea; Titus X*; and The Sin Show. Then after you’re hooked, pick another package.

Family Friendly Four Pack:
The Bea & The Bug; The Girl Who Waters the Basil; The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; The Pirates of Penzance.

The Educational Issues Four-Pack:
Catherine Gropper's Miss Crandall's Classes; Skywriter; The Teacher's Lounge or One Child Left Behind; They Call Me Mister Fry.

The "Workplace" Comedy Four-Pack:
Good Enough for Government Work; GS-14; Immoral Combat; Live! Girls! Organize!

The Naked People and Swords Not-Quite-a-Four Pack:
Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting*; The Fifth Musketeer*; Uncorseted.

The Not-Quite-Shakespeare Shakespeare Four-Pack:
Bad Hamlet*; Herbie: Poet of the Wild West; The Tempest, the Musical; Titus X*.

The Not-Quite-Poe Poe Not-Quite-a-Four-Pack:
Annabel Lee*; The Fall of the House of Usher; Life in Death: An Opera Electronica.

6-Packs
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The That’s Better Than the Bare Minumum Four Pack, Six-Pack:
Cabaret CooCoo*; Children of Medea; either Dizzy Miss Lizzie; May 39th/40th*; Titus X*; The Sin Show.

The I Already Did the Bare Minimum Four Pack, What Now? Six-Pack:
Captain Squishy; Closet Land; Diamond Dead*; either Dizzy Miss Lizzie; Jamaica Farewell; May 39th/40th*.

The Lovely and Affecting Fringe Six-Pack:
Annabel Lee; Children of Medea; Freakshow*; I'm Not Oedipus; Jamaica Farewell; Journey #8.

The Autobiographical Love Life Monologues Six-Pack:
Beyond DarkCorners; Flag Boy; My Fabulous Sex Life; Self-Service; Sex, Dreams and Self-Control; So Do You Love Me Yet?

The Straight-up Comedy Six-Pack:
Captain Squishy; Dorks on the Loose*; Headscarf and the Angry Bitch; Hopelessly Devoted; Slow News Day*; Soup!

10-Packs
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The Bare Minimum Four- and Six-Packs Combined, Ten-Pack:
Cabaret CooCoo*; Captain Squishy; Children of Medea; Closet Land; Diamond Dead*; either Dizzy Miss Lizzie; Jamaica Farewell; May 39th/40th*; Titus X*; and The Sin Show.

The Ten Pack After Those Ten, Ten-Pack:
2 shows: Disorder / Plant Psychic*; 4:48 Psychosis; A.D.; Annabel Lee*; Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting*; Journey #8; McSwiggins Pub; Not Your Granny’s Revolution; Riding the Bull; Sex, Dreams and Self-Control.

The Fringiest Ten-Pack:
Bare Breasted Women Sword Figthing*; Captain Squishy; Closet Land; either Dizzy Miss Lizzie; The Elephant Man the Musical; Fictitious the Musical*; Please Listen: A Musical Chaos*; Riding the Bull; Titus X*; Uncorseted.

The Gemlike Potential Ten-Pack:
Bad Hamlet*; Dust of Babylon; Freakshow*; Hopelessly Devoted; I'm Not Oedipus; Late Bloomers and Glory Days; Life in Death: An Opera Electronica; South-Asian American Dance; A Tactile Dinner; Thou Shalt Not Kill: A Collection of One Acts.

The Promising Young Artists Ten-Pack:
The A Capella Party*; Fall of the House of Usher; home free; The Girls Inside*; Not Your Granny's Revolution; Please Listen: A Musical Chaos*; Pirates of Penzance; So Do You Love Me Yet?; This Is NOT My Life; Youth Fringe Showcase.

The Multi-Cultural Showcase Ten Pack:
Cirque Du' SAPAN: A Showcase of South Asian Arts; Dancing to Ancient Rhythms; Headscarf and the Angry Bitch; Jamaica Farewell; Lila: The Love Story of Radha and Krishna; Sari to Skin; She Moved Through the Fair; South-Asian American Dance; Two Girls; Youth Fringe Showcase.

The Beyond Thunderdome Out-There Ten+One Pack:
4:48 Psychosis; Bargain Basement Game Show; The Escapades of Farty Johnson; Herbie: Poet of the Wild West*; The Honest-to-God True Story of the Atheist; Leave A Tone After The Message!!!; Let's Sing Gospel 101!; Lipstick Handgun; Murth; Riding the Bull; Waiting for the Trigger.

and finally...

The Musicals Ten+Four Pack: (opera, song stylings and cabaret excluded)
Captain Squishy's Yeehaw Jamboree; Diamond Dead - Continued*; The Devil's Christmas Carol*; Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Review The Saints; Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Review The Oresteia; The Elephant Man the Musical; Fictitious the Musical*; The Girl Who Waters the Basil; Pepe! The Mail Order Monkey Musical; Pirates of Penzance; Please Listen A Musical Chaos*; The Tempest the Musical; This Is NOT My Life; Titus X*.

A Fringealicious Opening Weekend, for the Insane
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Here is a recommended example of a show schedule you could put together in order to see as much as possible, and as much of a breadth of what’s out there, in Fringe’s opening weekend July 9-July 12. (Note that I myself am not crazy enough to be attempting anything close to this.) Take it as an example of just how wildly immersed you could get into Fringe.
For those looking to duplicate this effort (but on a smaller scale?), my method was thus: I went to the Fringe website and organized by day. I looked for the earliest and latest shows in the time period I wanted, and picked the one early-or-late show that I most wanted. I then worked forwards or backwards from that point, selecting my most preferred show in the next reasonable time slot (leaving at least 15 minutes for travel, and occasional breaks of up to an hour for digesting the performances just seen as well as some food). Occasionally, I would go back and move something around when I saw an opportunity to catch something on a different day at a better time slot.

Please note again that I myself will not actually be attempting this schedule:

Total shows: 21 plus 3 FAST musical performances
Total hours: approximately 40.
Total cost: a $300 all-access pass would do it and cover you for the rest of Fringe, although technically two ten-ticket passes plus one regular ticket and three FAST tickets would cost less, at $265. But who would see all this and then not catch at least three more shows? (Someone crazy enough to do this in the first place, perhaps?)
Note: if you skipped the FAST performances, the 21 shows would cost $235. The all-access pass becomes completely cost-effective at 26 shows.

THURSDAY, JULY 9

Uncorseted - 5:30-6
Closet Land - 7-8:30
Catherine Gropper's Miss Crandall's Classes - 10-11:15

FRIDAY, JULY 10

Flag Boy - 5-6:10
Annabel Lee* - 6:45-7:30
All That Was Left of Them - 8-8:55
Captain Squishy - 9:30-10
Cabaret CooCoo* - 11-midnight

and end the day at the bar with a FAST musical performance by Totally Psyched.

SATURDAY, JULY 11

Fictitious* - noon-2
Dizzy Miss Lizzie's The Saints - 2:30-3:40
4:48 Psychosis - 4:15-5:15
Journey #8 - 6-7
Is There Anybody Out There - 8-9:30
Escapades of Farty Johnson - 9:45-10:30
Titus X* - 10:45-12:15am

and end the day at the bar with a FAST musical performance by Dynamite/Lazerbeam.

SUNDAY, JULY 12

Cover Me in Humanness* - noon-1
Leave a Tone After the Message!! - 2-3
Skywriter - 3:15-4:15
Irish Authors Held Hostage - 5-6:25
McSwiggin's Pub - 7-7:45
A Tactile Dinner - 8:15-9:35

and end the day at the bar with a FAST musical performance by Radar Jamming.

* - read the introduction to find out what the asterisk means.

---

Well, that's it for the Guide.

Don’t forget to watch for my reviews and those of some dozen other Fringe-seeking reviewers at the Fringe & Purge blog!

Questions? Recommendations? Looking for recommendations? Complaints (remember this is one man’s only slightly biased opinion)? I’d love to discuss. Comments are unscreened for speed of conversation; please don't be abusive or I'll have to take action. I recommend saving your more detailed thoughts on the shows themselves for Fringe & Purge and dctheatrescene.com. Comment here if your comment is directly related to this Guide.

Thank you for reading, and happy Fringing!

Brett's Personal Fringe

2009-07-07T22:00:00.009-04:00

Out of interest of full disclosure if nothing else, this bottom-dwelling post will note my personal Fringe schedule - which shows I've seen, liked and reviewed, and which I plan to see.

Also, a couple thoughts on the venues.

My schedule for the first weekend of Fringe:

THURSDAY 9th

5-6 Cover Me in Humanness* @ Redrum Liked it, good performances, albeit a minor script.
7:30-8:30 4.48 Psychosis @ Bodega Loved it, thought it was a major achievement - see my Fringe and Purge review.

FRIDAY 10th

5:15-6 Escapades of Farty Johnson @ Shop I disliked it. The performer was very talented, but she wasted that talent mumbling, doing literally nothing but sitting on a bench for three minutes [not even any business], and generally being perplexingly self-absorbed.
6:45-7:30 Annabel Lee* @ Apothecary Lovely, engaging, moving.
8:30-9:30 Leave a Tone!!! @ Apothecary Not bad; some interesting parts. See my F+P review.

SATURDAY 11th

12-2:07 Fictitious* @ Warehouse Mainstage Good performances and good songs, a very weak book.
2:30-3:40 The Saints @ Baldacchino Dizzy Miss Lizzie rock!
3:45-4:45 Soup! @ Shop Not bad stuff, not nearly as funny or thoughtful as I suspect it was intended to be. See my F+P review.
7-8:20 Freakshow* @ Baldacchino I loved reading the script, and loved it in performance.
9:15-10:35 A Tactile Dinner @ Arthur S Fleming 9th+P Definitely 'the Fringiest.' A sensory-experiential romp. Marvelous Maranetti Mandates you see this.

SUNDAY 12th

12-1 Slow News Day @ Apothecary Funny, though I wish I hadn't seen it so early in the day - hot and sleepy.
2-3:30 Titus X @ Warehouse Mainstage TITUS. (thump thump) TITUS. (thump thump). TITUS. (thump thump). Awesome.
4:15-5:35 Please Listen* @ Baldacchino Spectacular and funny.
6:45-7:45 Elephant Man @ Baldacchino Bit of a letdown, though not bad. See my F+P review.
8:45-10:15 Closet Land @ Redrum Harrowing, essential.

THURSDAY 16th

6-7:30 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead @ Redrum Not living up to the show's power. See my F+P review
8:30-9:45 Children of Medea @ Bedroom Deserving of its great reputation.

FRIDAY 17th

5:15-6 Life in Death: An Opera Electronica @ Redrum I liked it quite a bit. See my F+P review
6:30-7:30 The Terrorism of Everyday Life @ Warehouse Nextdoor Amazing, ridiculous, spectacular, rock and roll. See my F+P review.

SATURDAY 18th

2:45-4 The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over the Lazy Dogs @ Redrum Words, words, words. But funny and provactive ones. See my F+P review
4:30-6 They Call Me Mister Fry @ Goethe Mainstage Quite good solo confessional on teaching in L.A. Tugs at heartstrings.
6:30-8 Diamond Dead, Continued...* @ Baldacchino Due to my association with the company, I've seen both previous versions of this awesome show. The audience I saw it with clapped for many minutes in order to get an encore bow. Ne-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ecrophilia-a...

WEDNESDAY 22nd

Attempted to see Bad Hamlet @ Bodega, but got there late. :(

THURSDAY 23rd
7:15-8:30 The Lost Ones @ Warehouse Nextdoor BeckettBeckettBeckettBeckett excellence.
10-11 Headscarf and the Angry Bitch @ Source A lot more thoughtful that I'd gotten the impression it would be; so doubly good, as it was very funny too.

FRIDAY 24th
7-8 Krapp's Last Power Point @ Bedroom Highly absorbing, and left me with a whole lot of brain-food to chew on.
11-12:15a.m. May 39th/40th @ Bodega I didn't think the production lived up to the script's potential in some ways. Cool ideas.

SATURDAY 25th
3:15-3:50 The Girls Inside @ Bodega Brief, direct and strong.
4-5 Cabaret CooCoo 4-5 @ Mountain A Lovely Afternoon's Entertainment.
6:45-8:15 Riding the Bull 6:45-8:15 @ Bodega What a ride! More emotional range and humor and moral cosmology packed into this brief show than in many shows half again as long.
11-12:15 Irish Authors Held Hostage @ Bodega Quite entertaining.

SUNDAY 26th
(not Fringe obviously, but I saw King Lear @ Shakespeare Theatre I found it sumptous, entertaining, not as emotionally impactful as I'd hoped)
6-7 Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting @ Source Provocative, in all senses of the word. An excellent way to end the Fringe - not just because it was equal parts Titillation and Meaning, but because it blended them together, and so it was a show about the Meaning of Titillation - and more.

The venues:

The Baldacchino - Seating comfort pretty good, sightlines very good, temperature = temperature outside (but not as bad as other places, because the heat wasn't locked in), sound = absolutely terrible, so much overheard noise from the bar. Worked for some shows, not for others.

The Bedroom - Seating comfort decent, sightlines better during in-the-round setups, not so much in proscenium style, temperature = not too bad, sound = good. A decent place for solo shows.

Redrum - Seating comfort good, sightlines very good, temperature = only Bodega was worse, sound = average at best. The weird scope of the space, I think, makes it work best for weirder shows like The Quick Brown Fox.

Warehouse Mainstage - Everything fantastic, of course. Great for any large show.

Warehouse Nextdoor - Everything pretty good, temperature great, sightlines a little less than great. Proved surprisingly versatile with The Lost Ones.

The Apothecary - Seating comfort good, sightlines pretty good, temperature = not great, sound = bad; lots of bleedover from the Bodega and outside. Worked pretty well for dance pieces.

The Bodega - Seating comfort average, sightlines good, temperature = disgusting, sound = bad; lots of bleedover from the Bodega and outside. Worked well for 4.48 Psychosis and okay for Girls Inside and Riding the Bull, but other than that everything else would have done better in one of the other spaces.

The Mountain - Everything fantastic. Great for any classic proscenium-capable show.

Goethe Mainstage - Everything fantastic, except it feels more like a lecture hall or cinema than a theatre. Doesn't work for a lot of styles.

Goethe Gallery - The only official venue I didn't see.

Source - Non-official venue, but important nonetheless. As always a largely excellent and versatile performance space, lacking only in backstage room.

Update History

2009-07-07T05:00:00.013-04:00

Last Updated July 27, 2009.
ALL reviews I'm aware of added. ALL shows (except the unnoticed Two Girls) categorized. Post-Fringe roundup post posted, including a list of the best-received shows and an ongoing list of remounted Fringe shows. My thoughts on the venues added to my complete Personal Fringe list.

The Guide was updated at 12:45p.m. on July 21, 2009 - some more reviews added, and notes designating the shows selected by the Examiner as "shows not to miss" added to Part 1.

The Guide was updated at 3p.m. on July 20, 2009 - all new reviews added, from Fringe and Purge, DC Theatre Scene, DCist and the Post's Going Out Gurus. Most shows sorted into Hidden Gem, Genre Show or Mess. Show closings noted in both the regular listing and in the alphabetical list. Exmainer's "10 Shows You Don't Want to Miss" list added to links.

The Guide was updated at noon on July 14, 2009 - some new reviews and categorizations added. The Lost Ones and Born of a Fairytale added to the buzziest-shows list. Skywriter awaiting promotion to Hidden Gem.

The Guide was updated at 5:30p.m. on July 13, 2009 with a new post, containing a list of "buzziest" Fringe shows and inviting comments and thoughts from readers, added, and that list repeated in Part Three. All Fringe page links added. LOTS of new reviews linked. First shows placed into Hidden Gem, Genre Show and Mess categories. My personal opinions on this weekends' shows added to the Brett's Fringe post. More sellouts noted. Fictitious changed to Genre Show from Fringearrific; Escapades of Farty Johnson awaiting demotion to Mess.

The Guide was updated at an insomniacal 5:30a.m. on July 12, 2009 with notes of sellouts added, new review links added, notes from shows I saw added. Irish Authors promoted to Proven.

The Guide was updated at some point with full weblinks to show sites.

The Guide was updated at 4:30pm on July 9, 2009 with more weblinks for shows and theater companies in Part One. A couple Fringearrific shows moved to Ringers after learning of their credentials (Cabaret Carousel, The Honest-to-God True Story of the Atheist). Decently-reviewed returning shows Irish Authors Held Hostage and Revolutionary! Isadora Duncan moved to Ringers. Minor changes to the Introduction concerning the purpose & use of this site.

The Guide was updated at 11:59pm on July 8, 2009 with some new weblinks for shows and theater companies in Part One.

The Guide was transferred to Blogger at 2:00am on July 8, 2009.

The Guide was created as a Facebook note at 1:00am on July 2, 2009, and updated frequently between then and its migration to this blog.

Fringe Buzz - Hot Ticket Items

2009-05-07T22:50:00.000-04:00

My current list of shows I've heard the most positive buzz about:
4.48 Psychosis; Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting*; Born of a Fairytale; Cabaret CooCoo*; Diamond Dead*; Dizzy Miss Lizzie; Irish Authors Held Hostage; The Lost Ones; Magnum Opus; My Fabulous Sex Life; Please Listen A Musical Chaos*; Riding the Bull; Sex Dreams and Self-Control; The Sin Show; A Tactile Dinner; Titus X*.

(This was the list as of July 21. I preserve it for reference's sake.)