It’s July in DC, which means it’s hot, it’s humid, and it’s time for Fringe! On the last day of June at the Baldacchino Gypsy Tent Bar, 21 shows brought their A game for the annual Fringe Preview. The night was everything I love about Fringe – random, hilarious, moving, and sometimes tipping just into fabulous. The theme of the year is spinning cardboard into gold, which I guess is what a girl dressed in gold represented as she threw glitter into the audience and helped shuffle acts on and offstage along with a superior piano and drum duo.
The acts range from ones for kids to acts that definitely are not for children, acts in air conditioning to ones in attics and one shirt of happiness. Even in the preview, there was something for every human in this city.
There was a super spy and the woman he’s currently having sex with with, H street housewives who do not know who they’re sleeping with, talented black women singing the “30-something Black Girl Blues”, an extraterrestrial Orson Wells, interpretive dance to ticking clocks, a rapping, grenade-toting hillbilly, a carrot smoking detective, Grindr production numbers, a new kind of safe sex and what 1000 likes of Facebook smell like, death by rock paper scissors, and three gorillas dancing burlesque to a didgeridoo in honor of Stanley Kubrik. We also learned the essential rules of dancing naked. (Rule 1: Don’t get caught.)
Some acts didn’t shy away from the dramatic as well – soldiers trapped in Afghanistan debating the Taliban, broken bones and delusions, 1960’s riots in a reworking of Faulkner’s Absolom Absolom, bayou poetry, and an exploration of women and our veils.
From the preview, I am very excited about Four Women, A Guide to Dancing Naked, Ron Littman and Fish Outta Water, Godiva Dates and One Night Stands, Faulkner reimagined in Dark House, and the big gay musical One Night in New York! Their scenes all blew me away, but I concede this may because I’m into snarky humor, social commentary, and classic literature. If that’s not your thing, I guarantee there will be something on offer for you too (but who doesn’t love a big gay musical? I mean, really…). Mostly I am looking forward to the shockingly good, the absurdly badass and the purely absurd offerings in our hometown, un-juried, uncensored awesomeness that is the Capital Fringe.
Capital Fringe’s 130 performances play from July 11-28, 2013 at 19 locations around DC. Check online for shows, calendars and tickets.
Check DCMetroTheaterArts’ 2013 Fringe page with over 50 Fringe Previews.
Featured shows:
The Continuing Adventures of John Blade, Super Spy
Check out the preview here.
Body Armor
Check out the preview here.
H Street Housewives
Check out the preview here.
Four Women
Check out the preview here.
The Shirt of Happiness
Tell-Tale
Check out the preview here.
Waiting for Orson
Check out the preview here.
A Guide of Dancing Naked
Fish Outta Water
Detective Pimbley and the Case of the Rich Dead Lady
The Snuff Musical
Check out the preview here.
Godiva Dates and One Night Stands
Check out the preview here.
A Killing Game
Check out the preview here.
Bayou Blues
The Clocks
To Know a Veil
One Night in New York!
Double Freakquency
Kubrilesque
Great job on the article, Jessica! Great meeting you last night!