If your idea of theater is limited to people with British accents making overly serious speeches, or (even worse) Broadway-style blowouts with full chorus lines of fake felines, you really need to get to St. Lou Fringe. Inspired by the massively popular Fringe Festival begun in Edinburgh in 1947, St. Louis' annual DIY theater festival is both edgy and experimental, racy and riotous, sobering and silly. It all depends on which production you catch — and there are plenty of options.
This year, says St. Lou Fringe Festival President and Artistic Director Matthew R. Kerns, every single applicant was granted acceptance to the festival. That means no fewer than 42 productions are scheduled for a seven-day sprint through Grand Center and its neighboring environs beginning August 14. Perhaps even more impressive? A full 85 percent of casts are local. "Our city really wants to tell our stories this year," Kerns observes.
That leaves you with a whole lot of options — which is kind of the point. You don't need to choose just one. Shows are typically just an hour, and you can get a three-show pass for just $43. Or go big and binge the whole damn festival for an all-access "Binge the Fringe" pass, priced at $105.
For those planning their own personal Fringe journey — tickets are on sale now at stlfringe.org — and here are some of this year's highlights from Kern.
Second Sifting. An immersive experience from Big Plate Dance Co., this is best enjoyed by someone who doesn't just like dance but wouldn't mind getting up and participating in it. August 20, 3 p.m., .ZACK, 3224 Locust Street.
Bawdy Positivity. A burlesque show featuring all plus-size performers. August 19, 11:05 p.m., .ZACK, 3224 Locust Street.
Sweet Potato Pie. Local performer Britney N. Daniels' one-person show depicts her journey of fulfilling her creative self and working through the loss of her grandmother. August 19 to 20, 8:30 p.m., High Low, 3301 Washington Avenue.
The Bellydancer Monologues. This show features performers with local troupe Dance Hipnotíque demonstrating their craft and discussing how dance healed them. August 19, 4:30 p.m., .ZACK, 3224 Locust Street.
Zoe Rose Spills Her Guts. A one-woman show with immersive, participatory elements featuring a Xennial clown. "It's as Fringe as you get," promises Kerns. August 18, 10 p.m., August 19 to 20, 4:30 p.m. High Low, 3301 Washington Avenue.
Vestals. Unusually for the Fringe, this is a full play and will run closer to an hour and a half. "Most of our shows are 50 minutes, but if we have the space and we can make the time, we can program it," Kerns notes. Written by Susie Lawrence, a teacher at Chaminade College Prep School, it's a drama about the final days of vestal virgins in ancient Rome. August 19 to 20, 10 a.m., High Low, 3301 Washington Avenue.
How to Do a Sideshow for Fun and Profit. One of the more memorably named performances in this year's festival, this is an interactive show and lecture all rolled into one. Thomas Nealeigh, who grew up in his parent's traveling theatrical troupe, weaves a story of classic carnivals "filled with danger and laughs," Kerns promises. August 18, 11:05 p.m., High Low, 3301 Washington Avenue.
Checking Out: A Bed, Breakfast & Burial Story. Talented local writing team Panagiotis Papavlasopoulos and Analicia Kocher explore the hijinks that result when Tabitha and Normal take over the family bed and breakfast, Grudge & Griddle. "They've been around the Fringe a long time, and I'm always thrilled when they come back," says Kerns. August 18, 7 p.m., August 19 to 20, 3 p.m., High Low, 3301 Washington Avenue.
Unlicensed Musical Therapy. Fly North Theatricals may be St. Louis' most exciting young theater troupe, and this musical is a great chance to see what the buzz is about. A rare 90-minute show, it features Bradley Rohlf as a man being therapized on stage by friends "including but not limited to" Colin Healy and David Lemon. August 17, 10 p.m., August 18, 11:05 p.m., August 19, 8:30 p.m., August 20, 7:30 p.m., .ZACK, 3224 Locust Street.
Heretic: The Eulogy of a Christian Ex-Pat. Former St. Lou Fringe technical director Kevin Bowman premieres this new work that tells the story of how he was a "church leader who broke up with the church," in Kerns' words. August 17 to 18, 8:30 p.m., .ZACK, 3224 Locust Street.
LGBTQ Comedy Showcase. Featuring headliner Charlie Meyers, this show includes six comedians who all identify as LGBTQIA. August 17, 8:30 p.m., High Low, 3301 Washington Avenue.
Songs of a Movement: From Suffrage to Today. Singer Toni Finch's cabaret show shares songs of American women. August 16, 7:30 p.m., High Low, 3301 Washington Avenue.
Humans of St. Louis. Theater veteran Joe Hanrahan teamed up with Humans of St. Louis co-founder Lindy Drew to adapt the wildly popular Facebook-series-turned-book into a play. The show features actual people who previously shared their stories with Drew and her team. "To me, this feels like the epitome of what the Fringe is," Kerns says. "At our core, it's about grassroots people stepping up and taking the stage." August 16, 6 p.m., August 17 to 18, 7 p.m., August 20, 4:30 p.m., .ZACK, 3224 Locust Street.
Big Dad Energy. Comedian Jamie Campbell talks about getting married in his 40s and, in Kerns' words, "everything that comes with that" — which he learns isn't necessarily parenthood. The show won "Best of Fringe" honors in its Kansas City Fringe debut last year. August 15, 9 p.m., .ZACK, 3224 Locust Street.
Bare: A Pop Opera. This show by the talented youth at the Gateway Center for Performing Arts is already "selling like wildfire," Kerns says, so you'll want to act fast. Be forewarned: It's a full-length musical, clocking in at more than two hours. August 18, 7 p.m., August 19, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., August 20, 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. The Marcelle, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive.
The Oreo Complex. Lillian Burns traveled to last year's festival from Wisconsin, but her one-woman show about being a Black woman in America today was so powerful, she was invited back as this year's national headliner. "We wanted more people to see it," Kerns says. August 15 to 16, 7:30 p.m., .ZACK, 3224 Locust Street.
The Final Performance of Midnight Annie. Last but never least, RFT Society Columnist Chris Andoe makes his Fringe debut in a one-man show that puts his formidable storytelling talents on display. This year's late-night headliner, Andoe has been working with Kerns since October to weave some of his greatest pieces of writing about others into a richer, more intimate tale about not just others, but also himself. It's a show that's largely set in and focused deeply on St. Louis' gay community, yet St. Louis is likely only the beginning of its journey. "It has legs to transcend the Fringe Festival and go to other places," Kerns promises. As for its star, Kerns says, aptly, "He is the Carrie Bradshaw of St. Louis." August 18 to 19, 10 p.m., .ZACK, 3224 Locust Street.
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