This summer, Capital Fringe Festival celebrates it’s tenth year bringing the boldest theater, dance, music and spoken word performances to stages throughout the city. With a focus on artistic innovation, Fringe presents some of the most risk-taking, unconventional works in contemporary performing arts. There are hundreds of performances throughout the next three weeks, so we at BYT decided to highlight a few possible can’t-miss shows. Keep in mind all of the productions are premiers and, according to the Fringe site, “without any curatorial barriers.” Capital Fringe begins July 9 and runs until August 2.
TICKET INFO:
First, everyone attending needs a Fringe Admission Button to get in to the shows. They are $5 if you get them before July 10th, and then $7 after that. DO NOT LOSE YOUR BUTTON. You need it for every show. You will need to buy another if you don’t have it. So just DON’T LOSE IT. After the general admission button, you can buy single tickets for $17. Then there are multi-show Festival Passes (details below):
- Foh-ty Pass: $60 for 4 tickets (save $15)
- 6 Pack Pass: $80 for 6 tickets (save $29)
- 110 Proof Pass: $120 for 10 tickets (save $57)
- Magic Pass: $220 for 20 tickets (save $127)
- All-Access Pass: $300 for 1 advance or door ticket to any and all shows. Â See 20 shows and it pays for itself, see more and you start saving!
In a play by Casey Bower directed by Jonathan Wong, two roommates live in an absurdest world filled with Ferris wheels and Monday-morning milk deliveries. The pair invite a traveling dentist into their home for a drink of vinegar, resulting in both a love connection and blazing fiery death.
Location: Gallery O on H 1354 H St NE Washington, DC 20002
Running Time: 60 minutes
Dates: 8pm Wednesday 7/15, Thursday 7/16, Friday 7/17 Saturday 7/18
mostly The Voice: a black lesbian journey. Â
As a community activist, musician and poet, J. Scales, has built her life’s work on helping to empower marginalized communities. Her one-woman show features stories, music and dialog about her journey to find herself and embrace the struggles of being both black and a lesbian.
Location: Gallaudet University: Eastman Studio Theater
800 Florida Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002
Running Time: 55 minutes
Dates: Thursday 7/9 6:15pm, Saturday 7/11 6:00pm, Friday 7/17 8:30pm, Friday 7/24 10:00pm, Sunday 7/26 noon.
Playwright Alexandra Petri is known for her previous works featured at Capital Fringe such as Miss Emma’s Matchmaking Agency for Literary Characters and Tragedy Averted, and her opinion pieces in the Washington Post. This year Alexandra Petri debuts Never Never, a dark comedy directed by Kevin O’Connell through Barabbas Theatre. The plot focuses on a man who struggles to control his deviant tendencies and now faces the ultimate temptation. Despite its tragic nature, Never Never is set to elicit huge laughs.
Location: Atlas Performing Arts Center: Sprenger 1333 H St. NE Washington, DC 20002
Running Time: 85 minutes
Dates: Saturday 7/11 10:45pm, Wednesday 7/15 8:15pm, Sunday 7/19 6:15pm, Thursday 7/23 8:15pm, Saturday 7/25 12:15pm
Native Washingtonian, Ron Litman, spews poignant commentary on politics, the city, gentrification and his experiences growing up in DC.  Insert a few original music theater numbers staged from the inside of his trash truck, and you have a brash, yet earnest performance.Described by DC Metro Arts as “Blunt, intelligent, hilarious”  DC Trash first premiered at Capital Fringe in 2012 and returns with updated diatribes, music and more.
Location: Logan Fringe Arts Space: Trinidad Theater
1358 Florida Ave NE, Washington DC, 20002
Running Time: 70 minutes
Dates:
Friday 7/10 6:00pm, Saturday 7/11 4:15pm, Saturday 7/18 6:05pm, Sunday 7/19 1:30pm, Saturday 7/25 2:15pm, Sunday 2/26
The first rule of improve is to say “Yes”. Â Agree to all possibilities, consider all options. In this competition between DC improv teams, Anything goes! Say “Yes” to craziness, props, and all around chaos.
Location: W.S. Jenks & Son
910 Bladensburg Rd NE, Washington, DC 20002
Running Time: 95 minutes
Dates: Thursday 7/9 9:30pm, Sunday 7/12 6:30pm, Tuesday 7/14 6:15pm, Sunday 7/19 6:30pm, Wednesday 7/22 8:45pm
Technology is reality. The two have become fluidly indistinguishable, yet we constantly fumble our way through awkward texts and implied communications via pixels on a screen. Written and directed by Andy Day, #SEXTS is a comedy that explores how the parallel worlds intertwine to both help and impede upon our relationships.
Location: Logan Fringe Arts Space: Trinidad Theater
1358 Florida Ave NE, Washington DC, 20002
Running Time: 60 minutes
Dates: Sunday 712 12:15pm, Tuesday 7/14 Â 7:15pm, Friday 7/17 Â 6:30pm, Tuesday 7/ 21 Â 8:00pm, Saturday
7/25 Â 6:30pm
Reeling from the death of his father, a geeky overweight teenager works through questions of sexuality, drugs, vulnerability, manhood and career. Eventually becoming a successful real estate broker in NYC, Alex Mahgoub tells us about his struggle from being a fat nerd to a successful and productive member of society.
Location: The Argonaut
1433 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Running Time: 60 minutes
Dates: Â Thursday 7/9 6:00pm, Saturday 7/11 8:00pm, Thursday 7:23 6:00pm, Friday 7/2410:50pm, Sunday 7/26 12:45pm
Dance Ethos with The West Shore Piano Trio
For Capital Fringe, Dance Ethos studio is putting on a massive collaboration between local dancers, choreographers, spoken-word artists and musicians. This diverse performance will highlight a  range of musical styles from contemporary and avant garde to more traditional styles of poetry and dance.
Location: Dance Place: Cafritz Foundation Theater
3225 8th Street NE, Washington, DC, 20017
Running Time: 90 minutes
Dates: Thursday 7/23 7:45pm, Friday 7/24 7:15pm, Saturday 7/25 1:15pm
A poetic, stream-of-consciousness narrative, Chris Davis weaves John Bortle’s scientific theory with his own inner exploration of truth through darkness. This rapid spoken-word voyage through time, space and the unknown has been called “Brilliant”  and an “idiosyncratic, well-constructed journey” by Phindie magazine.
Location: The Argonaut 1433 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Running Time: 55 minutes
Dates: Friday 7/17 6:30pm, Saturday 7/18 5:15pm, Sunday 7/19 1:00pm, Wednesday 7/22 6:00pm, Saturday 7/25 8:15pm, Sunday 7/26 2:30pm
Tammy Fey was an animal-print-loving, blue-eyeshadow-wearing 80’s televangelist icon. She was a guiding voice for millions of stay at home Christians and the inspiration for many a halloween costume. Sadly, the men in her life did her dirty, and in this Final Audition it’s her turn to address these jerks head on! This is a show I personally will not miss. Check out the trailer below.
Location: Dance Place: Brookland Artspace Loft Studio 3305 8th St. NE
Running Time: 75 minutes
Dates: Thursday 7/9 8:15pm, Saturday 7/11 4:15pm, Sunday 7/12 1:30pm, Tuesday 7/14 6:15pm
All images courtesy of capitalfrigen.org
