Catch Performances By 300+ D.C. Artists at Capital Fringe Festival

Capital Fringe’s 16th annual festival will run from July 12-23 and features original theatre, dance and music by more than 300 artists. 

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

This famous phrase is the inspiration and theme for Capital Fringe’s 16th annual festival, a celebration of theatre and freedom of expression.

From July 12-23 the festival will feature original theatre, dance and music by more than 300 artists.

Performances will be presented at venues throughout Dupont and Georgetown and will highlight diverse perspectives from Indigenous, Black, queer and femme artists.

“[Capital Fringe] celebrates art not as a commodity but as expression,” staff member Armando Lopez-Bircann says at the festival’s preview event.

A Celebration of Diversity

Founded in 2005, Capital Fringe’s mission is to celebrate cultural democracy and access to art and artistic expression for all. The festival is known for providing space, resources and opportunities for both individual artists and companies, as well as a place for community building and expression.

Capital Fringe operates outside the institutionalized model of regional theatre, giving independent artists freedom to write and perform what they want. The festival is an opportunity to see unfiltered voices interpreting the struggles (and wins) of modern life through the “life gives you lemons” theme.

The festival’s programming is also diverse and ranges from lighthearted brunch humor to struggles with skin cancer and dementia.

“The productions open up exploration into an array of human experiences,” Capital Fringe says of this year’s festival.

7 Fringe Performance Previews

“Brunch with the Boys.” In this comedic opera about gay friendship written by Sean Pflueger, five guy friends gather for cocktails and waffles while their sassy waitress plays matchmaker.

“This is an opera for people who don’t know they like opera,” the writer says.

The performance is loud, fast, funny, bold and risqué. Pflueger says opera is a medium where queer people are not typically represented, but every person in this performance is LGBTQ+. He says it gives the audience a chance to see the way gay people might talk with each other away from straight observers.

“Dementia Man: An Existential Journey.” Samuel A. Simon’s autobiographical drama questions if it’s possible to believe in a meaningful future while suffering from a neurocognitive disease. The show confronts the audience with the struggle of aging, a broken medical system and a personal and family tragedy.

“Sip & Paint: A Manifesto in the Year 2023.” Stand-up comedian Ginny Simmons examines the sip-and-paint trend and other cultural behaviors we may want to reconsider. She hilariously questions if there is a worse gift you can receive than a painting someone made while drinking cheap wine.

“29th and Oakes.” In this musical directed and written by Daniel Niewoehner with Kemper Thornberry, a young man is forced to grapple with his identity and who he has hurt in his life. Relationships shape us but so do the stories we tell about them. As our protagonist Riley relives his first love, he must realize no one lies to us like we lie to ourselves. The chemistry between the two leads is adorable, and their powerful vocals weave you through the show.

“Bell Wringer.” From Pinky Swear Productions, this play tells the fictionalized story of the Bell Witch legend through a bluegrass band and a few songs. Hootenanny or horror show? Ghost story or get-together? Find out for yourself at Pinky Swear’s Bell Wringer.

Free Fringe Creative Music shows. The festival will also host five Free Fringe Creative Music shows featuring improvisational musicians. One of these is LMB, an improvised duo consisting of Abe Mamet (French horn and effects) and Jamie Sandel (violin and effects). With all their music, the duo tries to use practiced improvisation to seek beauty and peace within the spaces and communities they perform for and with.

“Tender.” In this dramatic telling of an imagined evening between Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, Fitzgerald must choose between his obligation to his marriage and his passion for personal and artistic wisdom (and his secret lover, Hemingway). For any fans of these writers, this show gives you the chance to view them like never before.

The festival will take place in two unoccupied office properties in Georgetown equipped with four stages, as well as two additional stages at the Edlavitch DCJCC and Theater J. Performances. Event venue Powerhouse in Georgetown will serve as the community bar space with free live music and community space for festival goers and participants.

Tickets for each show are $15, with $10.50 of that going directly to the artists.

To buy tickets and view the full festival schedule, visit capitalfringe.org // @capitalfringe

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Mariah Jallad