The Capital Fringe festival kicked off the13th year of its summer theater events at an exuberant preview at The Pearl on July 8. Twenty of the almost 80 shows this year gave four-minute highlights from a variety of dramatic, comic, musical, and mime productions.
This year was a first for The Capital Fringe in several ways. One was its relocation to the Southwest neighborhood, where the venues are close together and visitors can see several shows in a row. From St. Augustine’s Church to Blind Whino is about a 15-minute walk and the distance from Westminster Church to Christ United Church is a 3-minute walk.
Capital Fringe CEO and Co-Founder Julianne Brienza shared how the productions were chosen. Fringe Run Venue and Find Your Own Venue categories are first come, first served, starting in October of the year prior, with agreements reached in February for Fringe training sessions to take place in March and April. This year was also an expansion of the Fringe Curated Series, an invite-only series based on themes and goals of the festival.
Both professional productions and new shows are in the mix with shows coming from as far as San Francisco, Cali., and Toronto, Canada, as well as Colorado, Alabama, Oregon, and Ohio.
So will the Capital Fringe festival be back in Southwest next year and how does that feel? Brienza shared, “We are very thrilled to say yes! It feels great. Come and see some awesome performances, check out all the activities at Market SW and CityBar, and have fun!
By: Sheila Wickouski