District Fringe is proud to announce the artists selected for its first festival, which will take place in July 2025 with exact dates and location to be announced.
“We were thrilled to see the variety of creative submissions we received,” said Tracey Erbacher, co-leader of the festival. “We had everything from clown to cabaret to new plays and musicals to solo shows, and it was difficult to narrow down the entries. If we had the time and space, we’d love to put every single one of these works on stage.”
Out of almost 50 submissions, nine were chosen for full multi-night runs with an additional seven selected for one-night-only performances.
All acts in the festival are locally grown, from first-time playwrights to established producers. All of the artists are looking forward to bringing some much-needed light and energy into the community this summer.
Magdalen Rose “Gigi” Cammaroto, who is sharing her work Lotus: A Quarantine Story, had this to say when she got her acceptance letter: “District Fringe is living, breathing proof that nothing can stop us from finding community in art-making.”
In addition to shows that have multiple performances, District Fringe has also created a program for one-night only performances for entries that could not fit in the main schedule but deserved to have an audience. “Limited slots meant not everyone could have a full run, so we decided to do this sampler series to allow more artists their moment on stage,” said Erbacher.
“With the government reneging on NEA grants and creating chaos in our community, we are glad to give area artists and audiences something to look forward to this summer,” Karen Lange, co-leader of the festival, said. “We’re going to keep creating no matter how much our government tries to quash art. The artists who applied are so inspiring – their spirit keeps us motivated and hopeful for a better future.”
2025 District Fringe performance lineup
A Certain Age / Pinky Swear Productions
A Guide to Modern Possession / Caro Dubberly
Are You Out of Your Mind? Songs of Obsessing, Confessing, and Second-guessing / Oren Levine
GO / Rodin Alcerro & Pablo Guillen
Lotus: A Quarantine Solo Show / (co)crearth
Out of My Wheelhouse / Nora Dell
Prey Most Difficult / Sad Druid Productions
The H Twins / Hope Campbell
THE HARDEST WORDS TO SAY / Ché Navïn Arrington & Gaelyn D. Smith
One-night-only performances
Now to Ashes / THEATRE51
The Pit / Confetti Collective
“Be Good!” With Paulette / Daniel Maseda
Body Play / Elle Marie Sullivan
Hey Pamela? Yes Pamela? / Pamela Leahigh
Matt and Lily Tell Some Jokes / Lily Kerrigan Presents
Meet Cute: Live Blind Dating Show / Erick Acuña Productions
Full details for these shows, including location and ticketing, will be updated on the www.districtfringe.com website shortly. Tickets will go on sale in late June. District Fringe will send additional releases as the festival time approaches.
About District Fringe
District Fringe was created by artists for artists to promote and propel the strong independent theater tradition in the DC area. At a time when the arts community is under direct threat from the current administration, District Fringe unapologetically stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion as they work to create an open, egalitarian space for artists to produce work that challenges, entertains, and inspires. District Fringe was founded by the artistic leaders of Pinky Swear Productions, Theatre Prometheus & Nu Sass Productions.
About Pinky Swear Productions
Pinky Swear is a women-focused company that debuted to critical acclaim at the 2009 Capital DC Fringe Festival. They have produced a variety of shows, from the popular “Cabaret XXX” series to the site-specific “Use All Available Doors,” an ode to DC’s public transit system. They are three-time winners of best musical and one best overall audience awards at Capital Fringe Festival. Pinky Swear seeks to elevate and empower women on stage.
They have produced a variety of shows, from the popular Cabaret XXX series to the site-specific Use All Available Doors,” an ode to DC’s public transit system. Pinky Swear seeks to elevate, explore, and empower women on stage.
About Theatre Prometheus
Centered around compassion, courage, and care, Theatre Prometheus invites artists and audiences to engage in queer and feminist art, both new and classic. They enkindle exploration and revolutionary empathy through practice, performance, and the nurturing of a person-first artistic community.
About Nu Sass Productions
Nu Sass Productions promotes marginalized genders in all aspects of theater, especially in those roles traditionally dominated by cis-men. They explore how disregarding prescribed genders can change the overall experience for the audience. Nu Sass functions as a critical foothold in the theater world for artists who face discrimination and lose opportunities based on their gender, age, body type, or race. Above all, Nu Sass aims to create engaging, thought-provoking art while being a responsible local and global citizen. Nu Sass Productions was founded by Aubri O’Connor and Emily Todd in 2009.
