It’s that time of year again, when all the art and theatre kids band together to show whatever cool/weird stuff they’ve been up to all around town. This year’s Capital Fringe Festival starts July 6th, and there is no shortage of fun here. From beautiful dance performances to music acts and theatre shows, there is plenty to look forward to while meandering around the city this summer.
The main venue is the Logan Fringe Arts Space (1358 Florida Ave NE), right around the corner from H Street NE in the Trinidad neighborhood. The Logan Fringe Arts Space has a courtyard bar with live music, food, and drinks, so you can hang out even if you weren’t planning on seeing a show. Since the courtyard is connected to the Trinidad Theatre it’s even easier to go see a show in the festival.
Make sure you see 8 Bit Circus Sh*t, a choreographed performance piece based on the concept of bringing video games to life. One half of the show feels like a live-action version of the video game Mortal Combat. At the end of their preview, they informed us that the real full-length show uses actual fire on the weapons. It was amazing without the fire, so put this one on your to-do list.
Got a math nerd friend? Bring them to Numesthesia a show kind of like synesthesia except the numbers appearing as humans, instead of colors. More into poetry and Alan Ginsberg? You should try out HOWL: In The Time of Trump for a serious look at #onecrazyassperformer.
One of the dramatic shows, The Blind is about a group of eight people who have lost their sight and are stranded in the woods, waiting for the return of their caretaker. Who are they and why are they out there? I guess the only way to find out is to wander down the street to see the full show over at Gallaudet University, another partner venue. The Regulars is an all too real story about the struggles of dating in D.C. as a young black woman, and the social pressures and awkwardness therein.
My personal favorite is I’m Margaret Thatcher, I Is! because there’s something still very special about seeing a trio of actors dressed as Thatcher pledging allegiance to Ayn Rand.
Fringe has partnered with some of the restaurants on H Street to give discounts to Fringe button-wearing patrons. So if you go to one of the shows at the Atlas Theatre, you can start with some drinks and end it with a funny show like Exit, Pursued By A Bear. That one features a woman who has tied up her definitely-now ex-husband to get revenge. In the post Get Out world we live in, it makes it all the more amusing that the lead actress reminded me just a little bit of Allison Williams (but only a little).
Gather up your favorite hippie, artist, or regular person who you secretly think is a little boring, and take them all to Fringe!
You can buy tickets online at capitalfringe.org, where they have a full listing of events, locations, and more. The festival’s official run is July 6 – July 23, 2017.
