The Eighth Annual Charm City Fringe Festival is taking place in the Bromo Arts District from October 10 through 20, 2019. Here’s a listing of all the shows. Ready, Set, Fringe!
Fringe Shows with Descriptions, Dates, and Times
URBAN SPRAWL: A Sketch Comedy Event by BOUXSCAL Productions
BOUXSCAL Productions has gathered a group of Baltimore’s finest comedic talent for an evening of original, premiere sketch comedy. Audience members are invited to a fully unique event of sketch, improv, and crowd participation. Join us for a night of entertainment in the most charming city in America!
Venue: MAP 5th Floor, 218 West Saratoga St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Saturday, October 12, 2019 – 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 13, 2019 – 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 – 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 – 4:45 pm to 5:45 pm
In the MetroDome: A Post-Trumpocalypse American Musical by Brianstorm Productions
Music comedy solo show: In 2038, America is rebuilt into politically divided bubble cities. Singing Prof. Martin Taylor uses song parodies to expose Trump era events fact and fiction, and a sci-fi future world’s rebirth. Tunes span pop and Broadway history, in a character study satirizing American obsessions and ills.
Venue: MAP 5th Floor 218 West Saratoga St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Thursday, October 17, 2019 – 8:15 pm to 9:15 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 – 8:15 pm to 9:15 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – 4:45 pm to 5:45 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 – 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Tiramisu by Michael Burgos
After a completely sold-out run at the 2016 and 2017 Rochester Fringes, Michael Burgos returns with his second show, Tiramisu. Several years after their relationship ends, Tony – a washed-up American musician – realizes that Teresa – an Italian pastry chef – was the one who got away. Not knowing what else to do, Tony writes a musical about tiramisu and tours it globally, in the hopes that Teresa will see the show and fall in love with him again. *Please note the venue for this show is not handicap accessible.
Venue: Downtown Cultural Arts Center Lounge, 401 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Thursday, October 17, 2019 – 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 – 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – 9:45 pm to 10:45 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 – 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Black When I Was a Boy by BWIWAB Productions
Cooper’s recollection of the extraordinary inner life of his younger self – Frankie Bates – who grew up as the only Black child in a Caucasian community in Kansas. *Please note the venue for this show is not handicap accessible.
Venue: Downtown Cultural Arts Center Lounge, 401 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 – 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Thursday, October 17, 2019 – 9:45 pm to 10:45 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 – 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 – 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm
Belle! An improvised comedic play by Fade To Black
Fade to Black presents an improvised play done in the style of Tennessee Williams. This original comedic one-act play lovingly parodies great works such as a Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie. Never heard of those works? Come out and see a hilarious play filled with big characters, bigger secrets and steamy love triangles.
Venue: Current Space, 421 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21218
Saturday, October 12, 2019 – 8:15 pm to 9:15 pm
Sunday, October 13, 2019 – 1:15 pm to 2:15 pm
Thursday, October 17, 2019 – 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 – 1:15 pm to 2:15 pm
Beauty and the Beat by Jane Franklin Dance
Physical story-telling and humorous fun is inspired by true events and by the Tom Waits song, “What’s He Building in There?” The beauty of the moment is that it has a life of its own, like a disaster waiting to happen if a tree falls in a forest!
Venue: Downtown Cultural Arts Center Ground Floor, 401 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Friday, October 18, 2019 – 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 – 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 – 5:45 pm to 6:45 pm
Runaway princess, a hopeful tale of heroin, hooking and happiness by Mary Goggin
“Once upon a time, there was a Princess born to a King and Queen who were banished from their island, forced to flee to America in a coffin ship.” Thus begins the tale of the Runaway Princess… in which Mary Goggin shares a true story, laced with wicked humor and much pathos, of her Irish Catholic upbringing, drug addiction and prostitution, and the multitude of characters she encountered along the way to ultimately finding joy. The play swept up three awards at United Solo Festival 2018 in New York City (Best Storyteller, Solo Critics Choice, Best Seller), Goggin brings Runaway Princess, A Hopeful Tale of Heroin, Hooking and Happiness to Charm City Fringe. Yes! “Miss Goggin injects effortless humor into a masterful story of drugs, homelessness and prostitution… from Ireland to the Bronx she vividly describes the debaucheries of the 70s…the story of someone who has come into herself.” All About Solo Critics Choice.
Venue: Current Space, 421 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21218
Thursday, October 17, 2019 – 8:15 pm to 9:15 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 – 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – 4:45 pm to 6:45 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 – 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Crusading Mrs. Catt by Lisa Hayes
Carrie Chapman Catt, once one of the most famous women in the world but now nearly forgotten, is being honored for her role in getting women the vote. A college is erecting a statue and presenting an actress in her solo play about Catt. Angry students claim Catt was a racist. Will the show go on?
Venue: MAP Underground, 218 West Saratoga St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 – 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Thursday, October 17, 2019 – 8:45 pm to 9:45 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 – 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Chair, Center Stage, Knocked Over by Max Hromek
How language fails us, deceives us, and flat out confuses us. How long can two people dance around an issue before they are forced to confront it? We follow the argument of two characters debating what it means for a chair to be a chair, illuminating everyone’s need for trust.
Venue: Current Space, 421 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21218
Saturday, October 12, 2019 – 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 13, 2019 – 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 – 8:15 pm to 9:15 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 – 4:45 pm to 5:45 pm
Poly-Theist by Brett Johnson
Brett was a married, 21-year-old monogamous Evangelical. Then he became the opposite. Coming off a 23-show run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, actor and comedian Brett Johnson’s solo show about polyamory, faith and KFC hits the Charm City. ★★★★ “A rich and absorbing show…Superb” (Three Weeks) “A uniquely poignant story, with humor and deep sensitivity” (PortFringe Reviews)
Venue: MAP Underground, 218 West Saratoga St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Friday, October 11, 2019 – 8:45 pm to 9:45 pm
Saturday, October 12, 2019 – 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Saturday, October 12, 2019 – 10:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Sunday, October 13, 2019 – 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
The Possible Place by Out of Ink Productions
When reality feels impossible, just close your eyes. Anything can happen. So Maddie has discovered, 11 years old and learning how much the real world can hurt. Instead, she’d rather become a cowgirl. A witch. A captain on a spaceship far away. How long can she keep her eyes closed?
Venue: MAP Underground, 218 West Saratoga St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Saturday, October 12, 2019 – 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Sunday, October 13, 2019 – 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 – 10:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 – 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
The Jew in the Ashram by Amanda Erin Miller
When a struggling young woman studies yoga on an Indian ashram, a cheerful guru’s lessons provoke reflections on the role of Judaism in the lives of her late father and his mother, a Holocaust survivor he never met. A funny, poignant, lightly interactive solo show exploring spiritual healing and identity. *Please note that the venue for this show is not handicap accessible.
Venue: Downtown Cultural Arts Center Banquet Hall, 401 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Thursday, October 17, 2019 – 8:15 pm to 9:15 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 – 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – 8:15 pm to 9:15 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 – 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Marvelous Mechanical Musical Maidenby Spectacle & Mirth
A storytelling cabaret. Discover this woman, once flesh and blood like you, who tangled with the Wizard of the Electric Age and lost her voice to a body of brass. This is her story of loss, love, rebellion, and catastrophic whimsy. Will your spark wake her?
Venue: MAP Underground, 218 West Saratoga St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Friday, October 11, 2019 – 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Saturday, October 12, 2019 – 3:15 pm to 4:15 pm
Saturday, October 12, 2019 – 8:45 pm to 9:45 pm
Sunday, October 13, 2019 – 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
The Channeling of Ms. Sybby Grant by WombWork Productions, Inc.
An immersive production based on the life of the enslaved Baltimore cook Ms. Sybby Grant, based on a letter written on December 6, 1861 to her imprisoned master showcasing a micro-history of Union-occupied Baltimore.
Venue: MAP Underground, 218 West Saratoga St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Thursday, October 17, 2019 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 8:45 pm to 9:45 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 3:15 pm to 4:15 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 3:15 pm to 4:15 pm
LIVE NUKES! by The Central Scrutinizers
Two government lackeys accidentally launch a nuclear weapon, and go through metaphorical and literal Hell to stop it. Live Nukes!! Explodes onstage with ridiculous pantomime, acrobatics, rocket chases, scat-jazz gibberish, and interdimensional travel, without the use of props, a set, or even words.
Venue: Downtown Cultural Arts Center Ground Floor, 401 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 – 9:15 pm to 10:15 pm
Thursday, October 17, 2019 – 9:15 pm to 10:15 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 – 11:00 pm to 12:00 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – 9:15 pm to 10:15 pm
3 Women Walk Into A Bar by The Hallucination Project
Poof! Like that, you’ve been transported to an atypical Baltimore dive bar! One where strangers (ew!) actually engage in meaningful conversation. You’ll cackle! You’ll weep! You’ll get so drunk you’ll spill your biggest secret! Come have a drink with The Hallucination Project, where corny ex-lover infused cocktails are topped with interactive video technology! The next round’s on us! *Please note that the venue for this show is not handicap accessible.
Venue: Downtown Cultural Arts Center Banquet Hall, 401 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 8:15 pm to 9:15 pm
Thursday, October 17, 2019 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 4:45 pm to 5:45 pm
FROM GUMBO TO MUMBO by The Keegan Theatre
A dreadlock-rocking SouthEast DC b-boy and video game geek who crochets his way through “have and have (k)not” meets up with a bald and bearded New Orleanian science teacher turned rhyme speaker who uses comedy to contemplate his place in Trump’s America. Together, they conjure a dynamic cauldron of hip hop, poetry, and theatre to colorfully redefine masculinity, question social and political issues, and celebrate love and the search for home. *Please note that the venue for this show is not handicap accessible.
Venue: Downtown Cultural Arts Center Lounge, 401 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 9:45 pm to 10:45 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 9:45 pm to 10:45 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm
Momma Was A Bad Mutha… Shut Yo Mouth! by The Other Side Of Money Productions
It’s the HOTTEST House Party on Stage! YES! There are ‘Black people in Omaha, Ne.’ It’s 1982, and a movin’, groovin’ house party, jamming R & B from the 70’s-90’s, in the sticks of Nebraska becomes the backdrop of this universal story of a young girl’s untimely coming of age amidst her mother’s wild weekend house parties. From the countless card games to the local veterinarian/pediatrician and the Midwest’s notorious P.I.M.P, relative, there’s always something going on at Momma’s house – it’s always Loud, FUN and Dramatic! *Please note that the venue for this show is not handicap accessible.
Venue: Downtown Cultural Arts Center Banquet Hall, 401 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 8:15 pm to 9:15 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 4:45 pm to 5:45 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
H.P. Lovecraft’s: The Call of Cthulhu by The Phenomenal Animals
A terror stirs in the night, apocalypse looms, and on an island somewhere in the middle of the Pacific, the great priest Cthulhu opens his eyes. Join us for this immersive encounter with Lovecraft’s tale of eldritch horror.
Venue: Downtown Cultural Arts Center Ground Floor, 401 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Thursday, October 17, 2019 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Friday, October 18, 2019 9:15 pm to 10:15 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 5:45 pm to 6:45 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Modern Witches by Tres Brujas Productions
Recently single Kate is given an opportunity to play Virginia Woolf. As she struggles to make a self-tape audition in an uprooted life, she finds guidance, wisdom, and inspiration from three witches that she meets along the way. Their magic seeps into Kate’s creative process with surprising results.
Venue: MAP Underground, 218 West Saratoga St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Friday, October 11, 2019 10:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Saturday, October 12, 2019 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Sunday, October 13, 2019 3:15 pm to 4:15 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 8:45 pm to 9:45 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
How Many Orgasms Does It Take to Stop Dropping Bombs? by Ron Kipling Williams
Welcome to Professor Ron’s Ethics Class! How Many Orgasms Does It Take to Stop Dropping Bombs takes you on a pedagogical, Socratic, interactive, radical performance deep dive into ethics. A raw and real show where the audience are the students, and what happens in the classroom, stays in the classroom.
Venue: MAP 5th Floor, 218 West Saratoga St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Saturday, October 12, 2019 4:45 pm to 5:45 pm
Sunday, October 13, 2019 4:45 pm to 5:45 pm
Thursday, October 17, 2019 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 19, 2019 8:15 pm to 9:15 pm
Sunday, October 20, 2019 1:15 pm to 2:15 pm
For more information and to purchase tickets, check out the Charm City Fringe website.
