Sixth Annual Charm City Fringe Festival: What to See and Where to See It

The Sixth Annual Charm City Fringe Festival is in full swing! Today alone (11/4/17), there are TEN different shows for you to enjoy. And after that, there are two Fringe After Dark events. Here’s a listing (courtesy of Charm City Fringe) of all the shows and events planned through November 12. Get fringing!

Fringe Shows with Descriptions, Dates, and Times

BARRIERS by Trajectory Dance Project || Barriers, a collection of dance works presented by Trajectory Dance Project, investigates the obstacles separating us as individuals: physical barricades as well as invisible social barriers that divide us. Movement works include “FistFights,” an examination of gender roles and “Battle Cry”, an exploration of the phases of war. Venue: 322 Loft – 322 North Howard Street – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Friday, Nov 3 at 9:30pm; Saturday, November 4 at 7:00pm; Sunday, November 5 at 4:00pm; and Thursday, November 9 at 7:00pm.

FOODLESS FOOD by BlueShift Dance || Recent research has shown that 1 in 4 Baltimore City residents live in a food desert. Yes, really!! But what is a food desert? What is it like to be confined to one? What can you do to help? One way is to attend this show. FIFTY PERCENT of BlueShift’s proceeds will be donated to Boone Street Farm. Come help your city, and get some free food while you’re at it! Venue: 322 Stage – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Nov 3 at 8:45pm; Saturday, November 4 at 7:00pm; Friday, November 10 at 8:45pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 6:00pm.

A DIFFERENT WAY OF THINKING by Cody Clark || Cody Clark has performed magic for 13 years. He tours fringe festivals and small theatres with his show, which combines magic, comedy, and storytelling to share how autism impacts his life. His show won Best of Venue at KC Fringe 2017 – and he is the Society of American Magicians’ 2017 – Rising Star of Magic. Venue: 322 Studio – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Nov 3 at 8:15pm; Saturday, November 4 at 5:15pm; Sunday, November 5 at 2:45pm; and Thursday, November 9 at 8:15pm.

CLINICALLY HAPPY by Emotions Physical Theatre ||  Emotions Physical Theatre presents “Clinically Happy,” a multi-media show that searches out the scientific root of happiness. Will a $50,000 salary hike make you happier? What about a good poop? From money and toilet talk to love life and community, “Clinically Happy” leaves no stone unturned in the quest for happiness. Venue: 322 Loft – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Saturday, November 4 at 1:30pm; Saturday, November 4 at 9:30pm; and Sunday, November 5 at 1:30pm.

THE STRUCTURE OF US by Kitty Hubbard, Tammy Carrasco, and Brandon Whited || A delightfully immersive installation-performance piece invites audiences into the creative process of three artists who synthesize “structure” as both building and body. The artist team hails from New York and California, touring the work from one exquisitely aging building to another, assembling art in live performance inches away from audiences. Venue: MAP Underground. Performances: Saturday, November 11 at 5:00pm; Saturday, November 11 at 8:45pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 3:15pm.

DANDY DARKLY’S MYTH MOUTH! by Dandy Darkly || NYC’s internationally acclaimed, cult storytelling sensation, Dandy Darkly, makes his Baltimore debut with his latest fables focused on religion, addiction and social media obsession. Tales include a junkie Persephone, space-puppy Laika, deadly virtual reality and humanity’s premier poppycock, Cha-Cha the Caveman! Nothing else like it at the Fringe. Venue: DCAC Lounge – 401 North Howard Street. Performances: Wednesday, November 8 at 7:00pm; Friday, November 10 at 10:30pm; Saturday, November 11 at 8:45pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 2:45pm.

AMOK MONOLOGUES: ALL PUCKED UP by Emil Amok Guillermo || Guillermo, an award-winning journalist and commentator, tells the little-known story of one of the largest Asian American groups in the country through his often comic personal tale of growing up as the son of a colonized Filipino. He calls it “Spalding Gray meets Ferdinand Marcos,” based on actual American history where racism was often fanned by sexual jealousy. Venue: 322 Studio – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Saturday, November 4 at 8:15pm; Sunday, November 5 at 5:15pm; Saturday, November 11 at 8:15pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 1:00pm.

CHILLS, FRILLS, AND THRILLS ON WHEELS; A HAUNTING GOOD TIME by Fluid Movement || Deep in Druid Hill Park, two friends unleash the spirits of Halloween in the hopes of keeping the horror in the hearts of Baltimore forever. This family-friendly performance combines roller skating to spooky tunes, semi-successful conjuring, local history, and seasonal nostalgia to create a humorous mashup of supernatural proportions. Venue: Beechwood Dr and Greenspring Ave in Druid Hill Park. Performances: Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 6:00pm; Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 8:00pm; Saturday, November 11, 2017 at 6:00pm; and Saturday, November 11, 2017 at 8:00pm. Rain dates are the following day (11/5 and 11/12) at the same times.

FRUIT OF THE SEA by Emotions Physical Theatre || A pet store clerk discovers she’s actually mer- princess Calamaria, Fruit of the Sea, and travels to Florida’s premiere mermaid attraction to reclaim her tail and save the oceans from Garbage Island. Inspired by @_floridaman and roadside Americana, this dark musical comedy explores the line between harmlessly ridiculous and deceptively dangerous. Venue: DCAC Lounge – 401 North Howard Street. Performances: Thursday, November 9 at 7:00pm; Friday, November 10 at 8:45pm; Saturday, November 11 at 10:30pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 4:30pm.

CHILDISH THINGS by Hamlet Cooper || A stuffed lamb, a chatroom log, and a lament against straight boys; these artifacts and more drive writer, performer, and archaeologist Hamlet Cooper on an excavation of their past ages. In this autobiographical show, Hamlet tunnels beneath the walls that divide them as they challenge the supposed line between “grown-up,” and “childish.” Venue: 322 Studio – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Thursday, November 9 at 10:00pm; Friday, November 10 at 8:15pm; Saturday, November 11 at 10:45pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 3:30pm.

HEDY! THE LIFE & INVENTIONS OF HEDY LAMARR by Heather Massie || Hedy Lamarr, glamorous siren of the silver screen, was more than the most beautiful woman in the world. She invented Frequency Hopping and Spread Spectrum Technology that make the world of wireless communication tick. From Austria to Hollywood, WWII, torpedoes, ecstasy, and intrigue to the very cell phone in your pocket, she was there! Venue: DCAC Lounge – 401 North Howard Street. Performances: Thursday, November 9 at 8:45pm; Friday, November 10 at 6:30pm; Saturday, November 11 at 5:00pm; Sunday, November 12 at 12:30pm.

YOU DON’T KNOW JACK by Jack Golden || This philosopher clown will take you to a golf course, a hospital room, and a barbeque joint. He will dance along the fluid boundary between personal and universal, making his journey your own. Find yourself in that sweet paradox where loss becomes discovery, and the absurd reveals the profound. Venue: MAP Underground. Performances: Wednesday, November 8 at 7:00pm; Thursday, November 9 at 7:00pm; Friday, November 10 at 8:45pm; and Saturday, November 11 at 1:30pm.

YOU’RE IN DANGER! by Lucius Robinson || Members of Neighborhood Association, fourteen years ago I was chosen to defend this neighborhood against a menace from the other side. Last night I was literally tested in fire, and tonight I am here to tell you that there is something very, very wrong with Eleanor Winstor’s son Denver. Venue: 322 Studio – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Wednesday, November 8 at 8:15pm; Friday, November 10 at 10:45pm; Saturday, November 11 at 5:15pm; Sunday, November 12 at 6:10pm.

MO-TO-THE-ONCLE by elissa cole || Winner: Best Actress, 2017-Pittsburgh Fringe. A solo comedy about a Bronx teenager who must wear a monocle to school after his dad loses their vision insurance. “…Fast-paced and idiosyncratic enough to resemble a shorter, more socially conscious Wes Anderson film.” –PITTSBURGH IN THE ROUND. Venue: MAP Underground – 218 West Saratoga Street. Performances: Wednesday, November 8 at 8:45pm; Friday, November 10 at 10:30pm; Saturday, November 11 at 7:00pm; Sunday, November 12 at 1:30pm

YUM by Michael Burgos || After performing his 6-time internationally award- winning show, The Eulogy, 137 times in 23 cities across 9 time zones, Michael Burgos returns to Baltimore with a new offering. “What’s it all about?” “Who knows?! Who cares?!” “Ridiculous!” “Precisely!” Low expectations and high idiocy make for a delicious evening… Yum. Venue: DCAC Lounge – 401 North Howard Street. Performances: Wednesday, November 8 at 8:45pm; Saturday, November 11 at 3:15pm; Saturday, November 11 at 7:00pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 6:00pm.

MAGNIFICENT MACHINES & ASTONISHING TALES by Night Watch Paradox || An interactive rock opera about a steam-powered airship as it travels through time and space. Baltimore history plays a role as the heroic crew gets caught up during the Mobtown Riots of 1863 and ultimately help to defeat the British during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Venue: 322 Stage – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Saturday, November 4 at 10:30pm; Sunday, November 5 at 5:00pm; Wednesday, November 8 at 8:45pm; and Thursday, November 9 at 10:30pm.

THEM by Nine Dollar Bill Theatre || THEM explores gender and identity through poetry and movement. Members of Nine Dollar Bill Theatre have used Ovid’s Metamorphoses, an epic of mythical transformations, to share the stories of Gender Non- Conforming characters. THEM questions how we hold on to a sense of self when our bodies can’t hold shape. Venue: DCAC Top – 401 North Howard Street. Performances: Wednesday, November 8 at 7:00pm; Friday, November 10 at 8:45pm; Saturday, November 11 at 7:00pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 1:30pm.

GODLY CHAOS by QuaQuaQua || Find yourself between chaos and order – between freedom and fate – as you witness light and gesture become music and sound. With mere flicks of the wrists and twitches of the fingers, strange and mysterious noises are conjured from the ether – with no master and no puppet in sight. Venue: 322 Stage – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Saturday, November 4 at 8:45pm; Sunday, November 5 at 3:15pm; Thursday, November 9 at 7:00pm; and Saturday, November 11 at 7:00pm.

SMACK ‘EM IN THE SNOUT by Rufus Drawlings || Humdinger Diggs, gay massage therapist, is plagued by paranoia that his clients are raccoons in human disguise hell-bent on stealing his brown gravy, all while a tombstone painting across the street looms over his head, making him think of death. Who is putting these mad ideas in his head? His chicken hand-puppet husband of course! Venue: DCAC Top – 401 North Howard Street. Performances: Wednesday, November 8 at 8:45pm; Friday, November 10 at 7:00pm; Saturday, November 11 at 8:45pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 3:15pm.

BOUND TO THE ROCKS by Something About Kaz || Meet Woman and Man. Woman and Man are stuck. Woman and Man bring out the ugly in each other. Man doesn’t know why he does this. Woman doesn’t understand why a smart woman like her can’t leave. They try to listen to their parents and society and podcasts and stuff. Each time they try to leave, their history claws them back to where they started. Venue: 322 Loft – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Wednesday, November 8 at 7:00pm; Friday, November 10 at 9:30pm; Saturday, November 11 at 7:00pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 4:45pm.

DON’T COME IN by The Withering Few || Love is scary. And it just might kill you. Stubborn lovers Em and Missy, unable to express their true feelings for one another, are haunted by the demon Intimacy. The more they try to ignore it, the stronger Intimacy becomes. Intimacy may even be strong enough to take human form. Will Intimacy get its way? What will become of Em and Missy? ‘A panic attack on stage!’ Venue: 322 Stage – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Nov 3 at 7:00pm; Saturday, November 4 at 5:00pm; Saturday, November 11 at 10:30pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 3:45pm.

BIG THANK YOU by The Hallucination Project || Everyday for a year, I posted a “Thank you” to someone on facebook. And what a year it was! Beside personal encounters both cosmic and mundane, there was the Olympics, social unrest, and elections! Six actors transform the best of my daily paragraphs into a moving, funny, and vibrant performance. Venue: 322 Stage – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Nov 3 at 10:30pm; Saturday, November 4 at 3:15pm; Sunday, November 5 at 1:30pm; Thursday, November 9 at 8:45pm and Saturday, November 11 at 8:45pm.

NDE by Vaahe Art Collective || NDE is an immersive experience, reminding us life has a 100% chance of death. Vaahe Art Collective continues to explore the boundaries of audience perception. Words? Images? How can you have an experience that would change your view of life? We want to shift your perspective. Venue: 322 Stage – 322 North Howard Street. Performances: Wednesday, November 8 at 7:00pm; Friday, November 10 at 7:00pm; Saturday, November 11 at 5:00pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 5:15pm.

THE PINK HULK: ONE WOMAN’S JOURNEY TO FIND THE SUPERHERO WITHIN by Valerie David || What’s the first thing Valerie does when diagnosed with cancer again? She tries to get laid. Battling breast cancer now after lymphoma, Valerie’s afraid she might lose “the girls” and takes them for one last hurrah. Does Valerie have a “happy” ending? Come see this sexy solo show to find out! Venue: DCAC Top – 401 North Howard Street. Performances: Thursday, November 9 at 8:45pm; Friday, November 10 at 10:30pm; Saturday, November 11 at 5:00pm; and Sunday, November 12 at 5:00pm.

************************************************************

FRINGE *** AFTER *** DARK

************************************************************

all Fringe After Dark events at Le Mondo – 406 N Howard Street

Saturday, November 4 from 4:00 – 6:00pm | FREE
Fifth House Events Collective Presents: As Above, So Below
An otherworldly lounge experience that aims to embark participants in the impossible quest of finding transcendent love in inner and outer space. This installation references the nostalgic way we look at outer space, the stars, and multidimensional planes.

Saturday, November 4 at 9:30pm | $5 online, $8 door, FREE for Scorpios
Fifth House Events Collective Presents: Scorpio Rising
A Special Scorpio Dance Party. Projections, DJs, and Space.

Thursday, November 9 at 9:00pm | $10
Rufus Roundtree and Da B’more Brass Factory
Formally trained musicians, Rufus Roundtree and Da B’More Brass Factory infuse the essence of the New Orleans brass band sound that defines the mardi gras experience with a hometown contemporary flare; recreating versions of R&B and hip-hop songs with funk, neo-soul and jazz elements… guaranteed to keep the crowd dancing.

Friday, November 10 at 7:30pm | $10
Short Films and “Carnival of Souls” with Live Score Performance
Area filmmakers will present short films before a screening of psychological thriller and cult classic “Carnival of Souls,” with live musical accompaniment performed and written by Adam Sterr.

Friday, November 10 at 9:30pm | $5
One Last Dance: Charm City Fringe After Party!
Two DJs will spin music for a dance tournament between eight of Baltimore Club’s best dancers. Followed by a dance party for all!

Saturday, November 11 at 7:30pm | $10
Short Films and “Carnival of Souls” with Live Score Performance
Area filmmakers will present short films before a screening of psychological thriller and cult classic “Carnival of Souls,” with live musical accompaniment performed and written by Adam Sterr.

Saturday, November 11 at 9:30pm | $8
Comedy Jam with DarkMark
DarkMark will host a slew of local and regional comedians, featuring headliner Larry Lancaster (BET and Last Comic Standing).

Sunday, November 12 at 7:30pm | Free
Fringe Closing Party
The closing party, free and open to the public, includes the awards presentation, live music and light refreshments.

*****************************
*****************************

For more information and to purchase tickets, check out the Charm City Fringe website. Or take a look at the Charm City Fringe Program.

DCMTA’s Fringe Coverage is sponsored by Lexington Market.

LINKS:

Sixth Annual Charm City Fringe Festival: What It Is, How It Works

Charm City Fringe 2017 Coverage Sponsor: Lexington Market

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here