It’s time again for San Diego’s International Fringe Festival with 11 days of eyeball busting shows.
What is your taste in entertainment? The mostly downtown events include circus, opera, comedy/drama, music, dance, puppetry, street theater, Family Fringe and visual art. There are more than 80 shows to choose from; most are $10, while a few are free.
One hundred percent of the tickets sales are turned over to the artists. The festival runs through July 2.
The event is truly international, with acts from Mexico, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, Italy and other countries. A special feature is Bi-National Fringe, with some acts performing in both Tijuana and San Diego. This cross-cultural artistic collaboration and exchange is with our neighboring city’s professional arts.
I can recommend all of the shows I’ve seen so far.
One entertaining show is “Into the Walker Woods,” a clever mash-up of Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Into the Woods” and the hit TV show “The Walking Dead.” The show includes two excellent performances by Edgar Diaz-Gutierrez and Shane Roddick Allen, who have been standouts in Chula Vista’s OnStage Playhouse plays.
A mind blowing mentalist and magician “6 Quick Dick Tricks: A Dirk Darrow Investigation” is an award-winning amazing show. As an audience members who became part of the act, I have no idea how he does it.
A few other mentions I’ve both seen and would recommend:
“Specific Gravity” — a masterful combination of dance, aerial acts and spoken word that speaks to the immigrant experience.
“Flight” — a fanciful sequel to “the Little Prince” that is straight from Off-Broadway using acrobats.
“Beau & Aero: Crash Landing” — a 16-time award winning company that uses acrobats, antics, and comedy that is perfect for all ages.
“In Security: the Musical” — this comedic and politically savvy show relates completely to our times and to the world of office politics.
“Echoes of Gallows Hill” _ this production uses dance, aerial arts, and incredible costumes, sets, and staging to reveal an allegorical story of six women of Salem who are accused of witchcraft.
“Eleanor’s Story: An American Girl in Hitler’s Germany” — based on her grandmother’s memoir, Ingrid Garner passionately portrays this moving story of survival during the war.
Visit the website at sdfringe.org for more information. Shows close on different dates, so check availability.
