2025 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival Guide

THRILL AS A

Dancer.

We are a founding partner and proud sponsor of the Rochester Fringe Festival, featuring our talented faculty, staff, students and alumni.

SEE WHEN THEY PERFORM AT: ROCHESTER.EDU/FRINGE “Table For Two” & Friends

Catch & Collide

9/11 Memorial Concert

Cobbs Hill Consort

A Body in Places— Eiko Otake

Dave Rivello’s DRE | RED

Allison’s Angry Girl Era and All the Stories Behind the Songs

Eastman Percussion Ensemble Eastman Wind Ensemble

Belly Dance Kaleidoscope: Tradition and Fusion Dance Showcase!

Eastman Wind Orchestra

Bloom—A Multisensory Percussion Experience

Four Echoes

Calon Arang

Faculty Artist Series: Justin Benavidez–Tuba In His Own Words: An Evening With Robert Frost

Letters I Wear for My Father Mark Watters: A Life in Music Petals in the Concrete Róisín Dubh Somnia in Musica Songs by David Temperley Swing Era Live Vocal Point With the YellowJackets Wander & Wonder V

Excitement abounds as we prepare to open this year's ESL Rochester Fringe Festival. Since our first festival in 2012, each has been a bit different because we strive to present unique and talented performers from around the country and world.

With more than 600 performances of music, dance, theatre, comedy, film, physical performance, and visual art, we are now recognized as the largest multidisciplinary arts festival in New York, one of the largest in the world and have been featured in the New York Times. There surely is something for everybody, so please explore our offerings.

Comedian Chelsea Handler kicks off the first weekend of the festival and Las Vegas' Matt and Heidi Morgan return with Claws Out, an all-new hilarious and exhilarating Cirque du Fringe, along with a new edition of Shotspeare, an irreverent presentation of the Bard on beer. Wrapping up the final weekend—free on Parcel 5—Italy's eVenti Verticali presents SPHERE, a magnificent, luminous spectacle that will dazzle you speechless.

Finally, a somber note of gratitude: in late December, our founding board chair, Justin L. Vigdor, passed away at 95. Justin was a brilliant and true gentlemen who possessed a love for the arts, an ever-present philosophy of service to others and who was respected by all who knew him. Not surprisingly, his drawers and walls were jammed with awards, including one given by the New York Bar Foundation only 3 times in 150 years. He will be forever remembered and missed dearly. Fringe like Justin did: Go Big!

Erica Fee CEO & Festival Producer

Mark A. Costello Board Chair

INTRODUCTION

WELCOME TO THE 2025 ESL ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL!

A WORD FROM OUR TITLE SPONSOR community enrichment. Together, and with the support of the many volunteers, artists, venues, and sponsors who help make Fringe possible, we all contribute to amplifying our collective impact.

At ESL, our purpose and reason for being is to help our community thrive and prosper.

Supporting the Fringe directly advances this by bringing exceptional art exhibitions, talented performers, and economic vitality to downtown Rochester.

This collaboration allows us to celebrate the diverse cultural fabric of our region while strengthening connections with one another through the arts. We know that the arts play a critical role in bringing to life the vibrancy and vitality of a community. Together, we’re fostering an environment where arts, business, and community intersect to create something truly special that we should all feel proud and excited to experience.

Through our sponsorships and philanthropic giving, we strive to support organizations who contribute to lifting up our community and help to make it a wonderful place to live, work, and play.

We know we have found an outstanding partner in Fringe that shares our commitment to this

Thank you for joining us. We hope you enjoy every moment of this year’s Fringe!

Faheem Masood President & CEO, ESL Federal Credit Union

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Welcome to the 2025 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival! We’re thrilled to serve as this year’s title sponsor and support Fringe’s outstanding contributions to our community’s arts and cultural landscape.

3

INTRODUCTION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Mark A. Costello (Board Chairman) Of Counsel, Bond Schoeneck & King LLP

Dave Rivello Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media, ESM; Director, New Jazz Ensemble, ESM

Festival Producer & CEO Erica Fee

Senior Assoc. Producer Rob Ferguson

Chief of Festival Services Dr. Xela Batchelder

Assistant Producer Stevie Burggraaf

Erin DiVincenzo Head of Go-To-Market, New Breed

Alexa Scott-Flaherty (Vice President) Senior Lecturer, School of Performing Arts, RIT. Director, Actor, Producer

Director of Marketing and Sponsorships Shanna Pagán

Creative Director Bonnie Miguel

Dr. Jefferson Svengsouk Emergency Medicine and Palliative Care Physician, URMC

Festival Lighting Designer & Production Consultant Emily Stork

Erica Fee (President) CEO & Producer Missy Pfohl Smith Director of the Institute of Performing Arts and the Program of Dance & Movement, University of Rochester; Artistic Director, BIODANCE Martin Presberg Independent Business Consultant and Leadership Coach

Maya Temperley Associate Vice President, Government & Community Relations, RIT Robert M. Vigdor (Corporate Secretary/Treasurer) Attorney

Publicist Corrie Carter

Media Buyer and Marketing Consultant Gloria Smith (Media Connection) Administrative Coordinator Sarah Jacobs

Director of Production Double T Hass

Senior Director of Production Director of Festival Services Sean Gleason Sophie McClung Director of Food & Beverage Renee Anderson Festival Services and Company Manager Madeline Thetard

Festival Services and Venues Manager Madeline Murray

Bookkeeper Matthew Folaron Volunteer Coordinators Lynn Harris Lisa Vitale

Controller Jamie Pillsbury Bennett Grantwriter Liz Forster (LCF Grant Consulting)

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING Gary Craig Pres. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna (MCC) Rich DiMarco Bob Duffy Kevin Gibson (ESM) Grove Street Association Vice President Vanessa J. Herman (RIT)

Ed Hourihan, Esq. Dr. Dawn F. Lipson Pres. Sarah Mangelsdorf (UR) Faheem Masood John Mealey Pres. William H. Sanders (RIT) Vice President Shaun Nelms (UR)

Nannette Nocon & Karl Wessendorf Pres. Beth Paul (Nazareth) Peter Robinson Pres. Gerry Rooney (SJFU) Dean Kate Sheeran (ESM) URMC Emergency Medicine and Neurosurgery Departments

VENUE MANAGERS Aerial Arts of Rochester Bop Shop Records

Tom Kohn

Memorial Art Gallery Emilio Fabico, Melanie Fazio, Kimberly Jones

Alicia Gunther

Eastman School of Music

Mike Stefiuk

MuCCC Karen Craft, Kevin Indovino, Doug Rice

Roger Sutphen

Photo City Music Hall

Gregory Burt, Daniel Nielsen

Alec Shiman

RIT City Art Space

George Eastman Museum

Eliza Kozlowski, Emma Rathe

John Aasp

The Harley School

Beth Bailey, Chris D'Orso

ROC Cinema

Kristina Dinino-Jeffords

The Hochstein School

Gary Palmer, David Zaccaria

Roc City Circus

Mandy Raville

Java’s

Mike Calabrese, Andy York

Rochester Music Hall of Fame

Will Young

Louis S. Wolk JCC of Greater Rochester

Ralph Meranto, Marc Cataldi

The Rose Room

Evan Brent

Salena’s

Aaron Metras

School of the Arts

Andrea Gregoire, Alan Tirré

The Spirit Room

Jacob Rakovan

UR - Spurrier Dance Theater

Missy Pfohl Smith

Writers & Books

Chris Fanning

Garth Fagan Dance

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

The Little

Central Library of Rochester The Focus Theater

4

Cate Fox, Susie Sieling, Lisa Stein

William Dovidio

Joseph Ave David Pacific Arts and Culture Alliance La Marketa at the International Plaza

Jason Barber

Thank you to our site-specific locations: Austin Steward Plaza, Genesee Waterway Center, RMSC Garden of Fragrance, Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo), Strangebird Brewery, Washington Grove, and Washington Square Park.

Most Fringe venues manage and program themselves.

The Fringe manages the Spiegeltent, Dawn's Spiegelgarden, Parcel 5 and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park,.

BAR MANAGER Tom Macomber BAR STAFF Wendy Andrews Elizabeth Bremmer Bryan Gallagher Sandy Gallagher Kaitlyn Haines Eileen Hammond Lauren Harmon Erica Kelly Andrea (Andie) Kopf Pamela Landers Cam Lewis Raheem Miller Paul M. Minniti Patrick O’Connor John Perry Kimberly Pfromm Lindsay Robach Tim Schmidt Brianna Smith Kristina Storrin Kat Sweeney Seth Trapani

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Courtney Krise Matt DeTurck Meghan Murphy

10 Comprehensive Campaign

44 SPHERE

11 Fringe Information

49 Jam Side Up!

17 Tickets & Box Office

50 Kids Day

19 Spiegeltent

56 SHOWS Key

20 Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out

58 SHOWS Comedy

HR DIRECTOR Trish Baier

23 The Returns Department

59 Bushwhacked

ON-SITE MAINTENANCE Jeff White

24 Shotspeare

69 SHOWS Dance

25 The Event

74 SHOWS Kids Fringe

26 Dram-o-cracy

76 SHOWS Multidisciplinary

27 Drag Me Home 29 Gospel Sunday

82 SHOWS Music

31 Silent Disco

95 SHOWS Theatre

33 Chelsea Handler

104 SHOWS Visual Art & Film

34 Dawn’s Spiegelgarden

106 Day-by-Day Schedule

36 Submergence

112 Venues

39 TRACES

116 Index

40 Pedestrian Drive-In 44 Fringe Finale Weekend

119 Map

GUIDE EDITOR Janice Bullard ADDITIONAL GUIDE COPY Gary Craig

CHIEF FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHER Erich Camping PHOTOGRAPHERS John Schlia Keith Bullis David Schiffhauer Katherine Kuo PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Tianna Leggette

BOOKKEEPER (ON-SITE) Christopher Hennelly

SECURITY Blackhawk Security & Investigations Inc.

BOOKKEEPING ASSOCIATES Michael Lill Tracey Mykins Roger Ramsay

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Emily Swanson

COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN MANAGER Jane Geever COPYWRITER Jonathan Everitt

GRANTWRITING ADVISOR Carolyn Kourofsky (Excelsior Editorial Consulting) TENTMASTER Dario Vazquez

STAGE MANAGERS Jennifer DeHollander Joe Valek SPIEGELTENT HOUSE MANAGERS Mark Di Nitto Laura Chekow STREET BEAT COORDINATOR William Young TECHNICAL DIRECTORS Hamilton Q AV TV COMMERCIALS & VIDEO Martin Leary (AdHouse Productions) WEB DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT Mark Lombardi Meaghan Kaste

Visit ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM for the most up-to-date information

HONORARY BOARD Dr. Sylvie Beaudette Director of Summer@Eastman and Assoc Professor, Eastman School of Music Mike Calabrese Owner, Java’s and Good Luck Mark Cuddy Founding Artistic Director, The Classics Company and Artistic Director Emeritus, Geva Theatre Center Dr. Luane Davis Haggerty Principal Lecturer (Retired), NTID/RIT Dorian Hall Community Organizer and DJ

Dr. Grant Holcomb Director Emeritus, Memorial Art Gallery Dr. Elaine Spaull Executive Director, Center for Youth Darren Stevenson Founder and Artistic Director, PUSH Physical Theatre Thomas Warfield Director of Dance, RIT / NTID Heidi Zimmer-Meyer Former President, Rochester Downtown Development Corporation

eVenti Verticali - SPHERE cover art by Matt DeTurck

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS Josefina Acosta Maeve Cullinane Teresa Ingerham Anna Kneeland Marina Pacheco-Walker Marisa Perez Cassandra Sanzotta Sara Shaw Bridget Welch

SOCIAL MEDIA & MERCHANDISING STRATEGIST Searnie Knight

94 SHOWS Spoken Word

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STAFF

5

SPONSORS & PARTNERS

The Rochester Fringe Festival is a Non-Profit Organization, and the Fringe would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and partners.

TITLE SPONSOR

COMMUNITY SPONSORS

Ames Amzalak memorial Trust

7Crest Financial Partners Ameriprise Private Wealth Advisory Practice

PUBLIC SUPPORT

FOUNDING HIGHER ED PARTNERS

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

CO-PRODUCING SPONSORS

6

Mary Mulligan Trust

Elaine P. & Richard U. Wilson Foundation The Rubens Family Foundation

OFFICIAL AUTO SPONSOR

OFFICIAL BEER

OFFICIAL HOTEL PARTNERS

PRINT MEDIA PARTNER

DIGITAL PARTNER

TELEVISION PARTNER

OFFICIAL CONSTRUCTION PARTNER

OFFICIAL LIQUOR

ONE FRINGE PLACE SPONSORS

BUSHWHACKED SPONSOR

ASSOCIATE PRODUCING SPONSORS KIDS DAY SPONSORS

The Spindler Family Foundation

SUPPORT FOR THE KIF KIF SISTERS

SPONSORS & PARTNERS

ASSOCIATE HIGHER ED PARTNERS

SUPPORT FOR TRACES JOINT AGREEMENT FUND

OFFICIAL PRINTER

OFFICIAL VIDEO PARTNER

FRINGE FRIENDS

THE LITTLE SPONSOR

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

GOSPEL SUNDAY SPONSOR

7

COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

8

COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP HONORARY CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS JUSTIN L. VIGDOR* OF COUNSEL, BOND SCHOENECK & KING PLLC FOUNDING BOARD CHAIRMAN JENNIFER LEONARD PAST PRESIDENT & CEO ROCHESTER AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION DANIEL M. MEYERS PRESIDENT EMERITUS AL SIGL CENTER COMMUNITY OF AGENCIES

STEERING COMMITTEE CHAIR: ROBERT M. VIGDOR BOARD SECRETARY & TREASURER ATTORNEY MARK A. COSTELLO CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF COUNSEL, BOND SCHOENECK & KING PLLC ERICA FEE BOARD PRESIDENT CEO & FESTIVAL PRODUCER ALEXA SCOTT-FLAHERTY BOARD VICE PRESIDENT SENIOR LECTURER, SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS, RIT. DIRECTOR, ACTOR, PRODUCER LAURA SADOWSKI COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER

VICE CHAIRS MISSY PFOHL SMITH BOARD MEMBER DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF PERFORMING ARTS AND THE PROGRAM OF DANCE & MOVEMENT (UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER) AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, BIODANCE DAVE RIVELLO BOARD MEMBER ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR OF THE NEW JAZZ ENSEMBLE, EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC LEADER, THE DAVE RIVELLO ENSEMBLE THOMAS WARFIELD HONORARY BOARD MEMBER DIRECTOR OF DANCE, RIT / NTID * deceased

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the generous donors who have contributed to the Fringe’s Comprehensive Campaign to date. Your support helps us dream big, build bold, and secure the future of our nonprofit festival— including the exciting purchase of our very own Spiegeltent. Thank you for believing in the power of the arts to transform our city.

And other philanthropic donors

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Dr. Dawn F. Lipson Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation 7Crest Financial Partners The Max and Marian Farash Charitable Farash Foundation Louis S. and Molly B. Wolk Foundation The Ames Amzalak Memorial Trust The Glazer Family in Honor of Jane and Larry Glazer The Davenport-Hatch Foundation The Estate of Marianne Rohack Anonymous The Waldron Rise Foundation Sam and Mimi Tilton The Vigdor Family The Rohack Family in Honor of Margaret E. Rohack Nannette Nocon & Karl Wessendorf Suzanne Nasipak-Chapman & Allan Chapman Jefferson Svengsouk MD Jennifer Leonard and David Cay Johnston Justin L. Vigdor Marguerite Bates J.M. McDonald Foundation The Kenlou Foundation at the Rochester Area Community Foundation The Gallina Family Foundation Robert and Rebecca Vigdor Erica Fee Mark Costello and Jennifer Jones Erin and John DiVincenzo Missy Pfohl Smith Dave Rivello Alexa Scott-Flaherty Rubens Family Foundation Gifts in Memory of John C. Fee IV Mark Cuddy and Christina Selian Jane Geever Daniel M. Meyers Martin Presberg The Westport Fund Thomas Colbert Maya Temperley

COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN

COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN DONORS

9

COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

10

You Have a Leading Role In The Future of the Fringe Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning, or discovered the nonprofit Rochester Fringe Festival for the first time today, you know it brings joy to our community.

You’ve Danced in it. Laughed in it. Loved It. Now Help Us Own It.

Now we’re launching our first-ever Comprehensive Campaign, raising $1.575 million to ensure the Fringe is always part of Rochester’s life—and yours.

The sparkling Spiegeltent is the iconic heart of the Fringe. But until now we’ve had to rent one each year, shipped across the ocean. Buying a Spiegeltent of our own—the fabulous Palais im Park—will free up those funds for other uses, diversify the Fringe’s income (by renting out our Spiegeltent to events and organizations outside of Rochester), and ensure a customized home is dependably available to present the Fringe’s unique world-class acts in the years to come.

The Best Artists, from Rochester and the World The Domestic Artists Fund will help the Fringe continue to book book and provide platforms for U.S. talents in the face of funding cuts, and to nurture our arts industry program linking artists with presenters, producers, and agents. The International Artists Fund will help us meet the rising costs of international artist visas, travel and insurance, so we can continue to bring you the jaw-dropping spectacles that are a highlight of the Fringe.

Because Hard Times Happen The Fringe has stood resilient against pandemic and economic downtowns, never failing to bring you an annual festival. A Reserve Fund will fortify the Fringe to navigate unforeseen future circumstances and continue fostering creativity, whatever life throws at us.

The great news: We’ve already raised more than $1.2 million!

Now, we need your help to finish raising the curtain on the future of the Fringe.

Ready to play your part? Your gift in any amount will help the nonprofit Fringe!

(With a gift of $1,000 you can put your name, or the name of a loved one, on a floorboard of the magical Spiegeltent!) Donate now at rochesterfringe.com/donate, or scan the QR code.

For larger Spiegeltent naming opportunities—maybe you love the bright lights of a stained glass window, or would like to name a booth?—please email development@rochesterfringe.com.

in and around Downtown Rochester

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM @Rochester Fringe Festival @RochesterFringe @RochesterFringe @RochesterFringeFestival

#rocfringe25

Search our hashtag to find info from shows, venues, and fans – and don’t forget to tag your own posts to join the conversation!

@RochesterFringe

FRINGE FESTIVALS: A BRIEF HISTORY In 1947, eight theater groups showed up—uninvited—to perform at the newly established Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland. Although not listed in the official program, the groups performed anyway, at venues they found for themselves. The following year, a Scottish journalist coined the term “festival fringe” to describe these non-curated shows that began turning up annually.

The Edinburgh Fringe is now the largest arts festival in the world: it breaks records year after year for performances, venues, audiences, and ticket sales.

With more than 51,000 performances of 3,746 shows in 262 venues in 2024, the breadth and diversity of talent offered were astounding. Today, there are more than 250 Fringe festivals worldwide, with

nearly 50 in the United States alone. The Rochester Fringe Festival was the first in upstate New York and is now one of the largest in the nation, featuring nearly 650 performances including many of the most compelling creative artists worldwide.

What is a Fringe Festival?

The U.S. Association of Fringe Festivals agrees on the following definition: Performing arts-focused: Fringes are a performing arts smorgasbord that typically includes theater, comedy, dance, music, spoken word, and the like. Some—like Rochester’s Fringe— include film and visual arts as well.

Uncensored: No one gets too fussy

about swearing or nudity, but squeaky-

clean content isn’t discouraged either.

Low-entry participation: Fees are low for both audiences and artists.

Show selection varies from festival to festival, but generally runs the gamut from emerging to superstar.

Multi-everything: Lasting a few days to several weeks, Fringe Festivals involve lots of people at multiple venues.

Rapid-fire: Typically, technical requirements (sets, lighting, etc.) are minimal and shows run an hour or less.

Original always: Fringes feature a wide array of original material because they are, by nature and design, highly attractive to those looking to be creative.

INFORMATION

September 9–20

The Rochester Fringe is a proud member of the U.S. Association of Fringe Festivals.

ABOUT ESL ROCHESTER FRINGE Set-Up & Organization

One Part Fringe-Curated:

the Fringe hosts headline events, including everything in the Spiegeltent, Dawn’s Spiegelgarden, the comedy headliner at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Street Beat at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park and at Parcel 5.

One Part Venue-Curated: The vast majority of the shows are curated by the venues themselves, from artist

History Planning began back in 2008 with a small group of like-minded cultural organizations that grew into the current not-for-profit Rochester Fringe Festival.

Since debuting in 2012, the Fringe has drawn more than nearly a million visitors from all over the world to attend nearly 6,250 diverse performances and events. In fact, Rochester’s Fringe has been noted by the New York Times as one of the country’s more prominent multidisciplinary events. Earlier this year, we were again named CITY

Magazine’s, “Best of Rochester: Best Arts Event.” It is the largest multidisciplinary performing arts festival in New York State, and one of the region’s most anticipated festivals each year.

How do I participate?

Onstage: The artist online application process for presenting a Fringe show opens each spring at rochesterfringe.com.It is absolutely FREE to apply.

Offstage: Become a Fringe volunteer (we know you want to) and sign up at rochesterfringe.com.

We welcome the help. Not to mention, volunteers can qualify for a nifty T-shirt and free tickets. Win/win.

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Rochester is based on the Edinburgh model, in that the vast majority of shows are curated by the venues themselves. Like Philly Fringe, Rochester is a bifurcated festival.

That means:

applications submitted in the spring.

Thirty-nine venues present shows during ESL Rochester Fringe.

11

INFORMATION

VISITOR INFORMATION Accessibility

The Fringe has partnered with the Center for Disability Rights and the Mary Cariola Center to provide current accessibility assessments for all our partner venues. Details are available at rochesterfringe.com/ visitor-info/accessibility. In addition, individuals being dropped off may pull up to the front of any venue. For the Spiegeltent, please use the corner of Main & Gibbs Streets. Details on ASL interpretation may be found by using the ASL filter in the show search bar. For further assistance, please contact us at accessibility@ rochesterfringe.com

Accommodation

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Stay at the center of Fringe in one of the festival's two hotel partners: the spectacular Hyatt Regency Rochester and the premier boutique Inn on Broadway. Each is centrally positioned to be your Fringe hub during the festival. We're proud to call the Hyatt and Inn on Broadway official partners during Fringe.

12

For exclusive offers at our hotel partners, go to rochesterfringe.com/visitor-info.

Book now and enjoy Fringe in fine comfort and style, minutes away from Rochester’s best cultural attractions.

Looking for more options?

Excellent information on Rochester accommodations can be found at

Visit Rochester: visitrochester.com.

Enjoy your stay in our favorite city.

Box Office & Info Booth

The Box Office and Info Booth are located at One Fringe Place (across from Eastman Theatre, corner of Main & Gibbs) and will be open daily beginning September 7. For hours and details, see page 17.

Cash or Credit? All Fringe

venues, bars and food trucks, as well as our Box Office and Fringe Store, accept cash, credit and debit cards.

Fringe hassle-free.

Fringe Store

You love the Fringe. Why not keep it with you year-round? Located at One Fringe Place (across from Eastman Theatre, corner of Main & Gibbs) for the duration of the festival. Limited edition merchandise and collectibles are forever popular.

Lost & Found

Don’t panic! Anything turned into the Fringe will be held at the Fringe office until the end of the festival. Contact the Fringe admin team at info@ rochesterfringe.com or stop by the Info Booth at One Fringe Place (corner of Main & Gibbs) to check.

One cannot Fringe on an empty stomach. We have some great spots for refueling. Eat, drink, and be merry!

Parking

One Fringe Place is in downtown Rochester’s East End. Most venues are within walking distance of one another, which allows for one-time parking. Please check the map on page 119 prior to departure, however, as some of our venues are in satellite locations.The Fringe recommends one of the many lots and parking garages located near One Fringe Place (corner of Main & Gibbs). See map on page 119 for parking recommendations. Please note that the City of Rochester charges a flat fee of $7/car for all festival parking.

Bike Parking

Venues

Speaking of venues, we have incredible ones in and around downtown Rochester.

Experience them all. GO. For more info on the glorious 39, see page 112. For a map, see page 119.

Additional Questions?

Helpful Answers:

rochesterfringe.com info@rochesterfringe.com

Venue Favorites

Grab a bite from our rotating lineup of outstanding food trucks. Chase it with a drink at the many bars on site to take care of that big thirst.

(OPEN DURING SHOWS)

Dawn's Spiegelgarden (One Fringe Place across from Eastman Theatre): urban lounge open for the entire festival September 9-20 (see page 34 for Spiegelgarden open hours) Theatre Bar and food trucks Spiegeltent (One Fringe Place across from Eastman Theatre): the crown jewel of Fringe; open September 9-20 during ticketed shows only (see page 19 for show list) vintage glam bar featuring beer, wine and cocktails.

Parcel 5 (next to One East Ave.):

Brown Hound Bistro

(Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave.) – restaurant Center City Lounge and Terrace

(Hyatt Regency, 125 E. Main St.) –restaurant and bar­ Gio’s Prime 26

(Inn on Broadway, 26 Broadway) –restaurant Java’s

(16 Gibbs St) – café and coffee The Little Theatre

(240 East Ave) – café and bar ROC Cinema

(957 S. Clinton Ave.) – café and bar

open during events on September 19 & 20 – food trucks & drinks

Salena’s

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park

The Street Craft Kitchen and Bar

open during event on September 20 – food trucks

(Village Gate, 302 N. Goodman St.) – restaurant (Hyatt Regency, 125 E. Main St.) -bar and restaurant Vanni's Jazz Lounge

(Inn on Broadway, 26 Broadway) – bar and restaurant

WORKSHOPS FOR FRINGE ARTISTS Have your act together? Get ready to take it on the road! There are 250 Fringe festivals around the world just waiting for your application.

We have FREE workshops to help you get there— and all the way to the biggest one, the Edinburgh Fringe! Use this QR code or go to rochesterfringe. com/about-fringe/workshops-for-shows for the schedule.

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

We’re big fans of pedal pushers.

Because the Fringe is a pedestrianfriendly event, it’s also an ideal venue for those traveling by bicycle. One Fringe Place is easily accessible from East Avenue with many bike racks and loops nearby. Traveling into the city from the ’burbs? Throw your bike in the car, park in one of the many city side streets off East Avenue, and bike in from there. As always, lock your bike and wear a helmet. Let’s not ruin your Fringe.

Fringe Bars & Eats

INFORMATION

FRINGE EATS & SIPS

13

J.J., ESL CUSTOMER Beechwood Neighborhood

GIVE NEW MEANING TO WHAT TRULY MATTERS

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

When you belong to ESL, you belong to something bigger. That means giving new meaning to what truly matters. Reinvesting in people. In momentous opportunities. In greater financial well-being. Believing in the worth of our collective strength and uplifting the whole community.

With ESL, you’re part of the momentum of making progress together. To rise to your full potential and thrive where you belong here in Greater Rochester.

esl.org/you-belong Membership subject to eligibility. ESL is a registered service mark of ESL Federal Credit Union.

14

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

15

person at at ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM 4 InJUSTIN 1 Online (No additional fees) L. VIGDOR FRINGE :

Buying tickets could not be easier and takes only a couple of minutes! Visit our website to get your tickets right away. You can print your tickets at home or download directly to your smartphone. Paper tickets can also be printed at the Fringe Box Office at One Fringe Place starting Sunday, September 7. .

phone (585) 957-9837 2 By (Additional phone admin. fees apply.) :

BEFORE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 Phones will operate as a voicemail-only for questions and sales. Leave your name and contact information, and you can expect a call back from the box office within one business day.

PHONE HOURS BEGINNING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 Phone lines are open during the Fringe Box Office hours.

person: VENUES 3 InTickets may be purchased at the door, if

available, starting one hour before curtain.

All venues accept cash, debit, and credit cards.

See page 118 for a list of all Fringe venues.

CHELSEA HANDLER TICKETS ONLY:

Eastman Theatre Box Office:

LOCATION One Fringe Place (corner of Main & Gibbs Streets, Rochester, NY 14604 - across from the Eastman Theatre) Open hours listed below. The Fringe Box Office accepts cash, debit, and credit cards.

BEFORE FRINGE Sunday, Sept. 7: Noon-4pm Monday, Sept. 8: 2pm-5pm DURING FRINGE Tuesday, Sept. 9 –Thursday, Sept. 11: 5pm-10pm Friday, Sept. 12: 4pm-11pm Saturday, Sept. 13: Noon-11pm Sunday, Sept. 14: Noon-10pm Monday, Sept. 15 –Thursday, Sept. 18: 5pm-10pm Friday, Sept. 19: 4pm-11pm Saturday, Sept. 20: Noon-11pm PLEASE NOTE: ALL SHOWS AND TIMES IN THIS GUIDE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE CHECK ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

All ticket sales are final. Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

Having trouble?

We’re here to help! Send us an email at boxoffice@rochesterfringe.com

MANAGE YOUR FRINGE ON OUR APP! 5Download the Official Fringe App! Explore the

full lineup, buy tickets, and stay up to date on all the festival happenings! Search “Rochester Fringe Festival” in Apple or Google Play stores. Your Fringe experience starts here. Don't miss a moment!

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

rochesterfringe.com, (585) 274-3000, or in person at the Eastman Theatre Box Office, 433 E. Main St., Rochester, NY 14604.

BOX OFFICE BUY TICKETS HERE FOR ALL FESTIVAL SHOWS

TICKETS & BOX OFFICE

5 WAYS TO PURCHASE FRINGE TICKETS

17

18

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

SPIEGELTENT

SPIEGELTENT

THE

FOR D

ETAIL10 S!

What happens in the Spiegeltent stays in the Spiegeltent.

In 2013, Rochester first swooned over our jewel box of a venue direct from Belgium: the Spiegeltent.

Originally created as traveling dance halls in the early 1900s, only a handful of these magical “Mirror Tents” exist in the world today.

This beloved piece of history boasts stained-glass windows, magical faceted mirrors, a velvet draped ceiling, VIP booths fit for royalty, and a truly spectacular vintage bar. For 12 days, the Palais im Park Spiegeltent lives in Rochester as an indelible and scintillating part of the Fringe, attracting the young and the forever-young.

LOCATION

One Fringe Place across from the Eastman Theatre, at Main & Gibbs Streets, Rochester, NY 14604. See map on page 119.

SEATING OPTIONS

SPIEGELTENT

HELP BUY T US SPIEG HE ELTE SEE P NT! AGE

Single tickets (General Admission): Single ticket seats

allow you to get “up close and personal” to the action. All seats are first-come, first-served.

Arrive early!

First or Second Row Center Seats: New this year, many

shows have dedicated seating in the first or second rows.

VIP Booths: These fabulous booths seat six and include dedicated table service. Entrance is via the right-hand side door.

All shows on the 7Crest Financial Partners Stage are presented in-the-round.

The Spiegeltent is wheelchair accessible.

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

TICKET-ONLY ADMITTANCE TO ENTER, PLEASE PURCHASE A TICKET TO: Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out • page 20 Shotspeare • page 24 The Event • page 25 The Returns Department • page 23 Drag Me Home • page 27 Dram-o-cracy • page 26 Silent Disco • page 31 Gospel Sunday (no ticket required) • page 29 The Palais im Park Spiegeltent was designed and built in Antwep, Belgium by Magic Mirrors.

Photo by John Schlia

19

SPIEGELTENT

CIRQUE DU FRINGE

claWs out

WORLD PREMIERE!

“Will have you simultaneously cringing and crying with laughter.”

- PerthNow News (on Matt & Heidi)

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

From the creators of the total-sell out hits Cirque du Fringe: Varieté, Afterglow, and D’Illusion, comes the Spiegeltent’s hottest ticket: the world premiere of Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out!

20

Join us on a mystical midsummer night when the air crackles with energy and even the trees seem to tingle with anticipation as the most galvanic gathering of the year takes place. The coolest of the cool cats come out and everyone is dressed to impress. Beloved socialite and renowned opera singer, Kitty Ross, cordially invites you to be her guests of honor for this unforgettable evening of breathtaking talent and outlandish comedy. Featuring glamorous aerialists, mind-blowing acrobats, a swashbuckling swordsman, and Las Vegas legends and festival favorites, Matt and Heidi Morgan.

Grab a nip of your favorite libation and prepare yourself for the purrrfect evening!

From America's Got Talent to Cirque du Soleil and from Las Vegas's Absinthe to Broadway and beyond, this highly skilled and seasoned cast of performers are coming from all over the world to present a show you won't want to miss.

Spiegeltent

LOCATION

One Fringe Place across from the Eastman

Theatre, at Main & Gibbs Streets, Rochester, NY 14604.

See map on page 119.

Tues., Sept. 9: 7:30pm Weds., Sept. 10:7:30pm Thurs., Sept. 11:7:30pm Fri., Sept. 12: 7:00pm Sat., Sept. 13: 7:00pm Sun., Sept. 14: 7:30pm

Tues., Sept. 16: 7:30pm Weds., Sept. 17*: 7:00pm Thurs., Sept 18: 7:00pm Fri., Sept. 19: 7:00pm Sat., Sept 20: 2:30pm** and 7:00pm

SPIEGELTENT

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Doors: 30 mins before showtime Evening Shows: 13+ : Kids Day Matinee (9/20): 5+  90 mins, including a 20-minute intermission.

The Spiegeltent’s beautiful INTERIOR BAR in the Lipson Lounge will be open for ticketholders 30 minutes prior to curtain and again at intermission.

TICKETS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHTS: Single Ticket: $34 (increases to $39 on 9/4) Front Row: $44 (increases to $49 on 9/4) VIP Booths (seat 6): Starting at $179 (increases on 9/4) SUNDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHTS: Single Ticket: $38 (increases to $42 on 9/4) Front Row: $48 (increases to $52 on 9/4) VIP Booths (seat 6): Starting at $190 (increases on 9/4)

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS:

**KIDS DAY FAMILY-FRIENDLY MATINEE (9/20):

“Funny? Yes. Shocking?

Absolutely.”

- Chicago Sun Times (on Matt & Heidi)

Kids 12 and Under: $23 (increases to $25 on 9/4) Single Ticket (over age 12): $34 (increases to $39 on 9/4) VIP Booths (Seat 6): Starting at $147 (increases on 9/4)

UPGRADE TO A VIP BOOTH! Enjoy a VIP booth! The Spiegeltent has a handful of VIP booths available per performance, which all sit 6 individuals. VIP booths have dedicated table service throughout the show *Wednesday, Sept. 17th show will be

ASL interpreted

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Single Ticket: $44 (increases to $52 on 9/4) Front Row: $54 (increases to $62 on 9/4) VIP Booths (seat 6): Starting at $219 (increases on 9/4)

21

22

Rochester Fringe Festival

Missing Socks. Flying Toasters. Total Nonsense.

100% Fun!

GREAT FOR KIDS!

SPIEGELTENT

The Returns Department

KIDS Spiegeltent

Sat., Sept. 13 at 12:30pm Sun., Sept, 14 at 3:30pm Doors: 30 mins. before showtime  55 mins ALL AGES

TICKETS Montreal’s Kif-Kif Sisters invite you to The Returns Department —a hilarious combination of physical theatre, circus, and clowning. Inspecting returned merchandise passing on a conveyor belt, the renowned clowning duo gives in to the temptation to play with the faulty items, but the objects themselves play some tricks of their own! An uproarious adventure unfolds as the twins eat, juggle, and cook.

KIDS TICKETS: Starting at $19 (increases to $23 on 9/4) ADULT SINGLE TICKETS: Starting at $24 (increases to $29 on 9/4) VIP BOOTHS (SEAT 6): Starting at $139 (increases to $158 on 9/4) These fabulous booths seat six and include dedicated table service.

Entrance is via the right hand side door.

The Returns Department is made possible, in part, from funding from

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

23

SPIEGELTENT

World Premiere!

“Fun, bawdy and completely irreverent.”

–The Clothesline (Australia)

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

With rave reviews from New York, Las Vegas, Adelaide Fringe, and previous Rochester Fringe engagements, Shotspeare puts the “Lit” in Literature!

24

Five sword wielding actors, one lucky audience member, a ton of booze, the Wheel of Soliloquy, and an entire work of Shakespeare – all in 90 minutes. Equal parts bacchanal and classical theater, Shotspeare’s all-new adaptation of Titus Andronicus takes the world's most beloved playwright, soaks him in beer, and flips him on his head.

You may know the Bard, but you’ve never experienced him like THIS, Rochester!

The Spiegeltent’s beautiful INTERIOR BAR in the Lipson Lounge will be open for ticketholders 15 minutes prior to curtain and throughout the show.

“Brilliantly conceived.”

–Time Out New York

COMEDY

Spiegeltent

Fri., Sept. 12, Sat., Sept. 13, Weds., Sept. 17, Thurs., Sept. 18, Fri., Sept. 19 and Sat., Sept. 20 at 9pm Doors: 15 minutes before showtime  90 mins, incl. a 10-minute intermission Please Note: this show contains adult

21+ subject matter and is unsuitable for anyone under the age of 21.

Admittance is with ID only.

TICKETS Wednesday, Thursday SINGLE TICKETS: $29 (increases to $35 on 9/4) FRONT ROW SINGLE TICKETS: $39 (increases to $45 on 9/4) VIP BOOTHS (SEAT 6): from $165 (increases on 9/4)

Friday, Saturday SINGLE TICKETS: $44 (increases to $49 on 9/4) FRONT ROW SINGLE TICKETS: $54 (increases to $62 on 9/4) VIP BOOTHS (SEAT 6): From $219 (increases on 9/4)

Our VIP Booths seat 6 individuals and have dedicated table service throughout the show.

“An extraordinary tour de force… so lethally accurate and funny that it’s difficult to resist.”

–The Scotsman (UK)

“Jam-packed with the best kind of smart content...Delicious, perniciously mind-bending stuff.”

SPIEGELTENT

THE EVENT

W FRIN INNER: EDIN GE F BURG IRST, H WINN FRINGE B E ADELEST ACT R: AIDE OR, FRIN GE

–Financial Times (UK)

Get ready for an unforgettable afternoon at the theatre with The Event, a one-man tour de force starring awardwinning actor David Calvitto. With sharp wit and deep insight, this play breaks down the art of performance while exploring the absurdities of life itself.

Hailed as both a comic deconstruction of theatre and a profound look at human connection, The Event goes beyond the stage, inviting you to think, laugh, and reconnect with what matters most. Whether you’re drawn to its clever humor or its philosophical musings, this is a show you can’t afford to miss.

Written by John Clancy.

The Spiegeltent’s beautiful INTERIOR BAR in the Lipson Lounge will be open for ticketholders 30 minutes prior to curtain and throughout the show.

THEATRE Spiegeltent

Sat., Sept. 13 at 2:30pm Doors: 30 mins. before showtime  65 mins 13+

TICKETS SINGLE TICKETS: Starting at $24 (increases to $29 on 9/4) VIP BOOTHS (SEAT 6): Starting at $149 (increases 9/4) Our VIP Booths seat 6 individual and have dedicated table service throughout the show.

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

25

SPIEGELTENT

Sample four premium, unreleased, single malts from the award-winning Finger Lakes Distilling in this exclusive, insider tasting experience led by president Brian McKenzie. Set in the Spiegeltent at happy hour, guests will sip, savor, and learn about the whiskey-making process—then cast their vote. The winning whiskey will be laid down and bottled as the official 2026 Fringe Whiskey. Bold spirits, expert guidance, and a Fringe twist: at Dram-o-cracy, every sip—and every vote—counts.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Spiegeltent

Fri., Sept. 19 at 5:00pm Doors: 30 mins. before showtime  60 mins 21+

TICKETS: Single Tickets: $25 (includes 4 premium tastings)

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

The Spiegeltent’s beautiful INTERIOR BAR in the Lipson Lounge will be open for ticketholders 30 minutes prior to show and throughout the show.

26

SPIEGELTENT

N ON

AS SEE

L’S RUPGAURACE DRA

Rochester, Start Your Engines!

Three legendary queens enter.

Who leaves with the crown?

Fabulous hometown stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race come together under one tent for a competition like no other: to be named THE Rochester Drag Queen.

World-famous divas Mrs. Kasha Davis, Darienne Lake,

COMEDY

Spiegeltent

Mon, Sept. 15 at 7:30pm Doors: 45 mins. before showtime  90 mins, incl. a 15-minute intermission

MA

Please Note: This show contains adult subject matter and is unsuitable for children. Mature audiences only.

and Pandora Boxx will pull out all the stops for a three-judge panel in a revved-up rivalry of glam and hilarity. Munch on some complimentary hors d’oeuvres while you devour the dazzle and daring— and of course, the vintage Spiegeltent bar will be ready with your bevvies. Bring lots of singles—you’ll want to tip up a storm! Tickets are VERY limited.

TICKETS:

Single Tickets (general admission): Starting at $47 (increases to $57 on 9/4) VIP Booths (seat 6): from $279 (increases on 9/4) Our VIP Booths seat 6 individuals and have dedicated table service throughout the show

The Spiegeltent’s beautiful INTERIOR BAR in the Lipson Lounge will be open for ticketholders 45 minutes prior to curtain and throughout the show.

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

27

28

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

S

S

S

A Fringe favorite for the whole family.

The

most soulful, spiritual,

uplifting

experience at

Fringe!

SPIEGELTENT

Gospel SUNDAY S

FREE!

No tickets required. Seating is general admission and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Packed to capacity every year!

The most soulful, spiritual, uplifting experience at Fringe returns. FREE! Sing, Sunday, SING. Reverend Rickey Harvey of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church leads an afternoon of sacred song by some of Rochester’s best gospel artists. A Fringe favorite for the whole family! No tickets required. Seating is general admission and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Arrive early; this event has reached standing room only capacity every year!

MUSIC

Spiegeltent

Sunday, September 14, 1pm  90 mins ALL FREE Photo: Rev. Dr. Rickey Harvey. Credit: Erich Camping.

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

29

30

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

(You’ve been warned.)

SPIEGELTENT

TOTAL SELLOUT EVERY YEAR!

DANCE Spiegeltent

Friday, Sept. 12 at 11pm Saturday, Sept. 13 at 11pm Friday, Sept. 19 at 11pm Saturday, Sept. 20 at 11pm The glamorous Spiegeltent will be filled once again with a giant dance party. But with a twist: you don’t hear a sound until you slip on a set of headphones. Wait! Is that YMCA on one channel, Calvin Harris on the second, and Charli XCX on the third? A three-channel system and live DJs let you switch up your music (and mood) at the touch of a button. Hugely popular at Bonnaroo and Burning Man, it’s an unforgettable experience you have to see – and not hear – to believe!

AVOID THE LINES: Headphones collection available starting at 10pm,

following check-in. Arrive early to avoid the lines and get your groove on at the THEATRE BAR in the Spiegelgarden.

 3 rockin’ hrs 18+ with ID (disco) 21+ with ID (bar)

TICKETS

SINGLE TICKETS: (General Admission): $20 STUDENTS (with ID): $16 Please Note: Headphone use with ID or credit card only.

Returned upon exit.

The Spiegeltent’s beautiful INTERIOR BAR in the Lipson Lounge will be open throughout.

Last call at 1:30am.

Photos by John Schlia & David Schiffhauer | DJs supplied by Wildbyrd

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

31

32

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

COMEDY HEADLINER Join comedian, TV host, and seven-time New York Times best-selling author CHELSEA HANDLER as she headlines the Fringe for ONE NIGHT ONLY!

COMEDY Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre

 90 mins

16+

TICKETS starting at $53 Buy online at ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM, or in person at the Eastman Theatre Box Office at 433 E. Main St., or by calling (585) 274-3000 • See all ticket purchasing methods on page 17 This show will be

ASL interpreted

Her GRAMMY-nominated special Evolution was followed by her award-winning Vaccinated and Horny Tour. In 2025, her Netflix comedy special The Feeling premiered to critical acclaim, and she continued her celebrated run as host of the Critics’ Choice Awards.

Currently, she hosts her hit iHeart Radio advice podcast Dear Chelsea and can also be seen at her Las Vegas residency Chelsea at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan, making history as the venue’s first female comedian residency.

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Saturday, Sept. 13 at 8pm

One of the most celebrated voices in entertainment and pop culture, Chelsea’s humor and candor delighted audiences in a seven-year run as host of E!’s Chelsea Lately. She has penned seven New York Times best-selling books, six of which have reached #1, including her most recent book I’ll Have What She’s Having.

33

DAWN’S SPIEGELGARDEN ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

34

Everyone’s favorite pop-up urban lounge.

UPDATE

“Meet “Meet me me in in the the Spiegelgarden” Spiegelgarden” is is aa common common call for friends who gather at the The call for friends who gather at theFringe.

Fringe.

The central location and laid-back vibe of this central location and laid-back vibe of this downtown place downtown pop-up pop-upgarden gardenmake makeititananideal ideal to chill.

Right next to the Spiegeltent, Dawn’s place to chill. Right next to the Spiegeltent, Spiegelgarden is the 1 spot to find rest,rest, the Spiegelgarden is No. the No. 1 spot to find relaxation, relaxation, refreshments, refreshments, and and friends friends during during the the festival. festival. Here Here you’ll you’ll be be greeted greeted with with aa greengreenthemed haven, gorgeously outfitted themed haven, gorgeously outfitted with with lush lush plant plant life life from from Broccolo Broccolo Tree Tree & & Lawncare, Lawn Care,comfy lounge furniture, giant games, fire pits, firepits, and comfy lounge furniture, giant games, outdoor movies.

This is where you’ll find and outdoor movies. This is where you’llthe find fabulous Theatre Bar, serving curated wines the fabulous Theatre Bar, serving curated wines and very and aa selection selection of of beers beers.including And comeour hungry—an own Fringe Beer from Three Heads!

And come ever-changing lineup of food trucks arrives each hungry—an ever-changing lineup of food

truckstoarrives night to satisfy every craving. night satisfyeach every craving.

(Daily lineup: @rochesterfringe) (Daily lineup: @rochesterfringe) Dr. Dawn F. Lipson’s Spiegelgarden is alsofor the Dawn’s Spiegelgarden is also the location location for site-specific shows aand events, a site-specific shows and events, hotly contested hotly contested trivia challenge, outdoor movies trivia challenge, outdoor movies under the stars, under the stars, and full-on shenanigans. and full-on shenanigans.

LOCATION

The Fringe Hub is conveniently anchored by One Fringe Fringe Place Place,across acrossfrom fromthe theEastman Eastman One Theatre at atMain Main&&Gibbs GibbsStreets.

Streets.That’ That’s where s where you’ll also find the Spiegeltent, Spiegelgarden, the Justin L. Box Office, Info Booth, Fringe Vigdor Fringe Box Office, Info Store, Booth,restrooms, Fringe an ATM and more.

Store, restrooms, an ATM and more.

SPIEGELGARDEN OPENSeptember HOURS 16: Tuesday, September DAWN’S 10: 4:30-10pm Monday, Wednesday, September 4:30-10pm Tuesday, Sept. 11: 9: 5pm-10pm Thursday, September 4:30-10pm Wednesday, Sept.12: 10: 5pm-10pm Friday,Thursday, September 13: 11: 5pm-10pm 4pm-11pm Sept.

Sept.14: 12: 4pm-11pm Saturday, Friday, September 11am-11pm Saturday, Sept.

13: Noon-11pm Sunday, September 15: Noon-10pm

4:30-10pm

Tuesday, 17: 4:30-10pm Sunday,September Sept. 14: Noon-10pm Wednesday, September Monday, Sept.

15 thru18: 4:30-10pm Thursday, September 4:30-10pm Thursday, Sept.19: 18: 5pm-10pm Friday,September Sept. 19: 4pm-11pm Friday, 20: 4pm-11pm Saturday, Sept.

20: Noon-11pm Saturday, September 21: 11am-11pm

Please note: Admittance to Dawn’s Spiegelgarden after 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays is limited to those with tickets to Silent Disco only.

Plants: Broccolo Tree and Lawncare Tents and Furniture: McCarthy Tents & Events Lighting Design: Emily Stork Construction: The Pike Company Movie Screen and Projector: Hamilton Q A/V

OPEN ALLS! 12 NIGHT

DAWN’S SPIEGELGARDEN

CREDITS

Shows & Events in Dawn’s Spiegelgarden ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Submergence........................................................36-37 TRACES ....................................................................39 Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies..............................43 Bushwhacked Boozy: The Roadie Experience LIVE! .......43 Bushwhacked Bonfire..................................................43 Bushwhacked Hot and Sweaty ......................................43 Dashboard Dramas XI ................................................... 43 Disco Kids .................................................................51 Jam Side Up!.............................................................49 Kids Day including Chalk Art and Pumpkin Painting.50-51 Pedestrian Drive-In................................................40-41 TriviaCITY: An Arts & Culture Quiz................................41

Photo by Keith Bullis

35

DAWN’S SPIEGELGARDEN

With over 100 appearances at iconic events from Burning Man to the Adelaide Festival and London’s Canary Wharf, Squidsoup’s Submergence makes its electrifying debut in New York at Fringe.

Don’t just see the art; step inside it.

ERGENCE

SUBMERGENCE Submergence is a large, immersive, walk-through experience of light by the U.K.’s art collective Squidsoup, pioneers in the use of light, sound, and technology. Dynamic, three-dimensional movements create a swirling, sensory experience.

The visions are ephemeral, liminal, akin to lucid dreams. We can see through, walk through, touch them. The work presents itself as a cube of virtual presence and energy placed in our physical world; something other and beguiling, there but not.

Five distinct movements play in a sequence of ascending intensity.

SUBM

SUBMERGENCE

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

MERGENCE

SUBMERGENCE

ERGENCE

36

DIRECT FROM THE U.K.!

“Submergence transforms the space it inhabits becoming a beacon, a focal point, altering the space it occupies yet not over writing it. It illuminates hidden corners, shifts, alters perspective and feel – it is in constant dialogue with its location.”

–Squidsoup

Spiegelgarden

Tues., Sept. 9 through Sat., Sept. 20 ALL FREE Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Nights: 7pm – 10pm (last entry 9:30pm) Friday and Saturday Nights: 7pm - 11pm (last entry 10:30pm)

SEE MAP ON PAGE 119

Please note: This immersive experience includes flash lighting.

TICKETS

SINGLE TICKETS: $4

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

SUBME

SUBMERGENCE

SUBMERGEN

SUBMERGENCE

Exclusive Silent Disco Entry: Friday and Saturday Nights Entry from 11pm-2am (last entry 1:30am) as an add-on to a Silent Disco ticket.

DAWN’S SPIEGELGARDEN

DAWN’S

BMERGENCE SUBMERGENCE

SUBMERGENCE

SUBMERGENCE

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

37

38

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Traces

“Elise Vigneron’s astonishing work plunges viewers into a world of sensation and contemplation; with her, they even travel to the fantastic, when ice dolls plunge through the air.” –Télérama

MULTIDISCIPLINARY DAWN’S

Spiegelgarden

Sat., Sept. 13 at 4:00pm 30 mins. FREE

TRACES brings a poetic sensibility to the interdependence of humans with one another and our environment as well as to our individual and collective journey.

Funding for TRACES is made possible in part by Institut Français, Villa Albertine, and the Joint Trust Agreement Fund.

ALL AGES

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

The internationally acclaimed Théâtre de L’Entrouvert will take Fringe spectators and a diverse cross section of the Rochester community on an unforgettable journey in TRACES. Ice puppeteer Elise Vigneron leads this spellbinding public conversation of sculpture, sound, and movement to tell a unique story of humanity in each location the team visits.

Vigneron’s work with ice has been featured in performances from the Seoul Performing Art Festival to the World Festival of Puppet Theatres in Charleville-Mézières, France, Mime London Festival, and the Chicago Puppet Festival.

DAWN’S SPIEGELGARDEN

U.S. PREMIERE TOUR! DIRECT FROM FRANCE!

39

DAWN’S SPIEGELGARDEN ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

40

FREE!

PEDESTRIAN DRIVE-IN VISUAL ART & FILM

DAWN’S

Spiegelgarden

Enjoy movies outdoors in the Spiegelgarden! Grab a drink, a snack from a food truck, and experience a one-of-a-kind film event: outdoor movies on the big screen with personalized audio via our Silent Disco headphones. Seating is first-come, first-served.

Please Note: headphone use with deposit of your license/ID (to be returned upon exit).

Photo by Erich Camping

The THEATRE BAR will be open every night for the duration of Pedestrian Drive-In for your libations-with-movie pleasure.

Tuesday, Sept. 9: 8pm

Thursday, Sept. 11: 7:45pm

Saturday, Sept. 13: 8pm

(PG, 2003, Christopher Guest, 88 mins.)

What better way to prep for the forthcoming This Is Spinal Tap sequel than with another musical mocumentary from Christopher Guest and his band of mischief-makers. Packed with Guest’s comic tribe – Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Michael McKean, among them – the heart-warming film centers on plans for a memorial concert of oncepopular but now irrelevant folk bands.

(R, 2025 Michael Morris, 124 mins.)

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy revives the charm and whimsy that made the first three Bridget Jones films so delightful. Again portrayed

by Renée Zellweger, Jones is in her 50s and still trying to navigate the confusing waters of life. Hugh Grant returns as the cad Daniel Cleaver.

(PG-13, 2023, James Gunn, 150 mins.)

Marvel’s most dysfunctional found-family returns for an emotional, action-packed farewell. Rocket’s origin story takes center stage as the Guardians face off against the sinister High Evolutionary—and their own inner demons. With the usual mix of chaos, killer tunes, and heart, this third installment sends the ragtag crew off in true cosmic style. Yes, you will cry over a raccoon.

A Mighty Wind

Wednesday, Sept. 10: 7:45pm

Conclave

(PG, 2024, Edward Berger, 120 mins.)​​ The timing of Conclave, a film about the selection of a Pope, was prescient: Seven months later the true conclave met in Rome for the selection of Pope Leo XIV. An Oscar nominee for best picture, Conclave transforms the process into behind-the-scenes back-biting and tongue-wagging. The cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini and Stanley Tucci.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

Friday, Sept. 12: 8pm

Wicked

(PG, 2024, Jon M. Chu, 160 mins.)​​ Long before Dorothy dropped in, there were two young women in Oz—one emerald-skinned and misunderstood, the other blonde and impossibly popular. Based on the smash-hit Broadway musical, Wicked reimagines the Land of Oz with spectacle, soaring songs, and the unlikely friendship at its heart. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande dazzle as Elphaba and Glinda in this much-anticipated screen adaptation.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Sunday, Sept. 14: 7:45pm

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

(R, 2019 Céline Sciamma, 122 mins.)

A multi-award winner at Cannes, this 18th century drama spotlights the romantic spark that simmers between a soon-to-be bride and the artist commissioned for her portrait. Noémie Merlant stars as Marianne, the artist, and Adèle Haenel as the engaged Heloise, and Portrait evocatively captures the longing of the two amid a world of ruling patriarchy.

DOUBLE BILL 7:15pm

Monday, Sept. 15: 7:45pm

GBF

(R, 2013, Darren Stein, 98 mins.)

Presented in conjunction with ImageOut. A teen comedy in which a high school boy is outed and subsequently besieged by female classmates wanting a gay male BFF (hence, the film’s title). Meanwhile, his best friend, still closeted, finds himself seething over the attention paid to his pal. An audience hit at ImageOut in 2013.

Tuesday, Sept 16: 7:45pm

Lion

(PG-13, 2016, Garth Davis, 118 mins.)

An uncompromising look at poverty and separation, the award-winning Lion is set in Calcutta where 5-year-old Saroo has lost his family after accidentally boarding a train. Fast forward to the future, and Saroo, portrayed by Dev Patel, is in search of his birth parents.

Nicole Kidman stars as Saroo’s adoptive mother. Based on a true story.

Thursday, Sept. 18: 7:30pm

RENT

Go gaze.

Go gasp.

GO BIG.

(PG-13, 2009, J. J. Abrams, 126 mins.)

Trekkies might have worried about the rebirth of the science fiction franchise but, in the hands of director J.J. Abrams, Star Trek returned in fine fashion, capturing the soul of the 1960s TV series. This is a prequel to the small screen Star Trek, with Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Simon Pegg as the younger Kirk, Spock, and Scotty.

9:30pm

Black Dynamite

(R, 2009, Scott Sanders, 84 mins.)

A former CIA operative takes on drug dealers and "the man" to avenge his brother's murder and clean up the streets in this fun and funky spoof of 1970s blaxploitation movies. Michael Jai White co-wrote and stars alongside the incomparable Arsenio Hall.

Saturday, Sept. 20:

DOUBLE BILL 7:30pm

Raiders of the Lost Ark

(PG, 1981, Steven Spiegelberg, 115 mins.)

Harrison Ford stars as Indiana Jones in the initial film of the archaeologistturned-adventurer franchise. Its thrills still thrill, its humor still tickles, and Lucas, Spielberg and the taciturn Ford show why their partnership made movie history. Even with its breakneck pace, we can again fall in love with Jones and his sometimes girlfriend, Marion Ravenwood, played by Karen Allen.

9:30pm

Sleepwalk with Me

(PG-13, 2012, Mike Birbiglia, 90 mins.)

Few comics could turn their somnambulism into comedy, but Mike Birbiglia has done so with this semi-autobiographical film about an uncertain comic who suffers from sleepwalking.

Known for his offbeat wit and storytelling, comedian Birbiglia assuredly makes his directorial debut. Fringegoers will remember Birbigs as the festival’s 2019 comedy headliner.

TriviaCITY

Wednesday, Sept. 17: 7:30pm Join journalists from CITY Magazine as they host an arts, culture, and all-things-Rochester trivia night!

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

(PG-13, 2005, Chris Columbus, 135 mins.)

No day but today. The groundbreaking rock musical hits the big screen with much of the original Broadway cast, including Rochester’s own Taye Diggs.

Set in New York’s East Village, RENT follows a group of bohemians navigating love, loss, and life under the shadow of the AIDS crisis. With its soaring anthems and raw emotion, it still resonates—nearly 30 years on.

Star Trek

DAWN’S SPIEGELGARDEN

Friday, Sept. 19:

41

SITE-SPECIFIC SHOWS

WHAT IS A

SITE-SPECIFIC

A theatrical production with a specially adapted location other than a standard theatre.

AVenues theatrical with a parked specially adapted other have thanall a standard suchproduction as phone booths, cars, buses,location and elevators hosted site theatre. Phone booths, parked cars, buses, and elevators have all hosted site-specific work. The Fringe embraces this sort of unorthodox theatre and its ability to engage audiences in unexpected and often far-reaching ways.

IN THE SPIEGELGARDEN EcoVibes – Unfolding Our Future

Washington Square Park

3DSEE Sound Experience in the PAGE 78 FOR SHOWTIMES

Come to an island of nature in a Immersive Igloo sea of concrete and bricks where

Multidisciplinary performers will lead you through 50 mins 13+ artistic $16creations. interdisciplinary Spiegelgarden Under the canopy of the tall trees in the park, explore the pagemusic, 46 forvisual more art, details changing climate throughSee dance, and participatory creativity.

Complimentary Forest Music Heckling Washington Grove

SEE PAGE SHOWTIMES ALL FREE Spoken Word86 60 mins FOR Spiegelgarden / Parcel 5 live music Experience the magic of See 94 for more details in page Rochester’s only old-growth forest. Forest Music features a series of instrumental performances along the trails of Washington Grove, creating an immersive encourages ALL FREE Dancesoundscape  60 minsthat exploration and reflection.

Spiegelgarden & East Main Street

the space between See page 69 for more details

Petals in the Concrete

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

.

42

SHOW?

Strangebird Brewery

SEE PAGE 71 FOR SHOWTIMES

The Rochester Adult Ballet Company presents a modern ballet telling the story of how contrasting feelings cannot exist alone. Just as one must know pain to understand love, we must collapse like Concrete in order to feel the lightness of Petal.

ROCitecture

Rochester Contemporary Art Center: Side Lawn

SEE PAGE 101 FOR SHOWTIMES

In this collaboration between RoCo and MCC, game theory dynamics will immerse audiences into collaborative decision making and strategy as they move about an interactive game board that is influenced by Rochester’s architecture.

Through engaging storytelling and interactive elements, this theatrical experience highlights the interplay between architecture and capitalism.

Bushwhacked:

Crystal Magic Wonder Cabinet Palace Tent

Comedy  60 mins 13+ Spiegelgarden Roc River Ride

$15

See page 58 for more details Genesee Valley Park:

Sports Complex

SEE PAGE 80 FOR SHOWTIMES

Now in its third year! Join a Dashboard rolling audience on bicycles Dramas IVGenesee Riverway along the

Eriemins Canalway 13+ Trails Theatreand $18to  60 explore local historySpiegelgarden and culture through a series of brief stationary performances and 102 visual along the route.

See page forart more details Riders 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Storychick Rochester The Sights and Sounds Storybooth District

Plaza ALL FREE SpokenAustin Word Steward SEE PAGE 94 FOR SHOWTIMES Spiegelgarden Experience a uniquely See page 96 for more details historical area in Rochester, from the spot where it happened. Join Matt Rogers of the Lost Borough for a special encounter of hidden history. Using wireless headphones available on site, audience members will experience stories of vice, curiosities, justice, success, failure, and a river flowing north. Bring a chair or blanket.

Wander & Wonder V

RMSC Garden of Fragrance

SEE PAGE 73 FOR SHOWTIMES

Missy Pfohl Smith/BIODANCE and Ethan Beckwith-Cohen present this site-specific performance on the outdoor grounds of the Rochester Museum & Science Center. Local dance artists, companies and choreographers perform a walking tour of dance.

Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies

Welcome to Roadie School, the immersive comedy experience where chaos, cables, and classic rock collide! Join your wildly unqualified instructors as they guide you through the ridiculous ins and outs of backstage life—no experience or common sense required. It’s silly, fun, and absolutely hilarious—grab your crotch and prepare to earn your place on the crew! Only 16 tickets per performance! 13+. $29.

SEE PAGE 59 FOR SHOWTIMES.

Bushwhacked Boozy: The Roadie Experience LIVE!

ARD O B H S DA AMAS DR SOLD

Bushwhacked: Hot and Sweaty

Two roadies, one hot tub, and zero shame—Chuck and Rodger are taking a hilariously unexpected break right in the middle of the Rochester Fringe Festival.

This free, interactive comedy show invites passersby to throw jokes, trade barbs, and riff with the duo like a backstage VIP. Catch them at random times throughout the festival, where no two dip sessions are ever the same! FREE. SEE PAGE 59 FOR SHOWTIMES.

Bushwhacked is made possible, in part, by:

Dashboard Dramas XI

OUT!

A total sell-out ten years running, this intimate theatre experience is unlike any other. You’ll find yourself immersed in four all-new ten-minute plays as you rotate from one car to the next. Don’t miss this hilarious, heartwarming, weird, and most of all, one-of-a-kind show. Only 8 tickets per performance! 13+. $33.

SEE PAGE 63 FOR SHOWTIMES. Dashboard Dramas XI is made possible, in part, by:

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

It’s a one-of-a-kind live rock concert and comedy show where the roadies take center stage! As the band Herding Cats brings the music, the chaos unfolds behind—and sometimes in front of—the scenes.

Only 16 tickets per performance - includes two drinks!

21+. $48. SEE PAGE 59 FOR SHOWTIMES.

Join Chuck and Rodger— two legendary, questionably qualified roadies—as they wind down from the chaos of the gig with a backstage bonfire. It’s stories, singalongs, and survival tips from the road, all delivered with beer-fueled wisdom and ridiculous charm. Grab a lawn chair—it’s time to kick back, roadie-style. Only 4 tickets per performance! 13+ $33.

SEE PAGE 59 FOR SHOWTIMES.

DAWN’S SPIEGELGARDEN

Bushwhacked Bonfire

43

FRINGE FINALE WEEKEND ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

44

FRINGE FINALE WEEKEND featuring

eVenti Verticali in

FREE! Sure to be an immediate Fringe classic, SPHERE, a spectacle of and about our miraculous planet, will stun downtown Rochester! Italy’s eVenti Verticali has been mesmerizing audiences worldwide, from St. Petersburg to Des Moines to Ottawa, in more than 500 performances of its mind-bending acrobatics choreographed in and around massive, luminous shapes

DIRECT FROM ITALY PREPARE TO BE WOWED

and structures. In vertical, non-traditional arenas, eVenti Verticali has created its own visual language that unites elements from theatre, circus, acrobatics, dance, music and new technologies. Through the acrobatics and light of SPHERE, eVenti Verticali tells the story of attempts to create a new planet and what can happen when greed, beauty, energy, fragility, and a collective embrace can occur.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Parcel 5

Friday, Sept. 19 and Saturday, Sept. 20 from 5:00-10:00pm SPHERE performances at 7:00pm and 9:00pm  30 mins ALL FREE See map on page 119

How to enjoy SPHERE

The show is an aerial experience and will occur above and around attendees.

Wear comfortable shoes as you’ll be standing and walking.

Limited seating in bleachers will be available, with priority given to those in need. In order to protect the safety of the performers, lawn chairs will be allowed in a separate, dedicated area only.

Get your phones out and tag us with #rocfringe25.

We want to see your WOW.

Food & Drink Grab a bite from our outstanding array of local food trucks and a drink from one of the Fringe bars.

Please, no outside food or drink allowed.

Parking

See map on page 119 for garage locations; also see Visitor Information on page 12.

Weather

FRINGE FINALE WEEKEND

DETAILS

In the event of inclement weather, please look for announcements and updates at rochesterfringe.com and Fringe Social on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Bluesky, and Tiktok.

For the safety of all, we will not allow any of the following: firearms, pets, backpacks, skateboards, bikes, hoverboards, or longboards. No smoking allowed.

DJs, buskers, street performers and more!

See the full schedule for the FRINGE FINALE WEEKEND on page 46.

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Special Rules

45

FRINGE FINALE WEEKEND ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

46

RPO POP-UP PERFORMANCES

JAM SIDE UP! DJ HA-MEEN

SPHERE

RED APPLE PEELING PARCEL 5

FRINGE FINALE WEEKEND

FRIDAY, SEPT. 19 & SATURDAY, SEPT. 20 AT PARCEL 5 A FREE grand spectacular celebration downtown at Parcel 5 (next to One East Ave), with food, drink, and new entertainment options both days — including buskers and other street performers in addition to SPHERE. PLUS: DJ ha-MEEN rocks Parcel 5 for the city’s biggest dance party.

This master mixer from Ithaca makes dancefloors pump with his unique blend of classic hip hop, R&B, funk n’ soul, house, salsa, boogaloo, dancehall, reggaeton and other miscellaneous funkiness.

For full details on SPHERE, as well as food, parking, weather, and more, see page 44.

SCHEDULE 5:00-5:45pm DJs Rock Parcel 5

9/19: DJ ha-MEEN

9/20: Wildbyrd 5:45-6:25pm Jam Side Up! (see page 49) 5:45-6:30pm RPO Pop-Up Performances (see pg 91) 6:00-6:15pm Red Apple Peeling (see page 80) 6:00-6:30pm Freeze Frame: A Juggling Experience (see page 74) 6:30-7:00pm DJ ha-MEEN 7:00-7:30pm

SPHERE by eVenti Verticali

7:30-9:00pm

DJ ha-MEEN

9:00-9:30pm

SPHERE by eVenti Verticali

9:30-10:00pm DJ ha-MEEN

48

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

SHOW KEY

Identical Twins. Unmatched Mayhem.

“Everyone had a riot of a time with the Kif-Kif Sisters!”

–Winnipeg 99.9 fm

Flying bunnies, tennis racquets for meal prep, bien sûr! This duo fights giant pink monsters, practices the art of snacking and ensures the triumph of the umbilical cord. The Kif-Kif Sisters mix surprising comedy and creativity with enough happiness to make vegetables explode! Inseparable since the womb, the twins have been doing street performances all over the world for over a decade. Each show invites the crowd to become an integral part of the experience, transforming every performance into a fun, memorable, and interactive event.

KIDS

DAWN’S

Spiegelgarden and Parcel 5 Spiegelgarden

Thurs., Sept. 18 at 5:45pm: Spiegelgarden Fri., Sept. 19 at 5:45pm: Parcel 5 Sat., Sept. 20 at 1:15pm: Spiegelgarden Sat., Sept. 20 at 5:45pm: Parcel 5  40 min

ALL AGES FREE

FRINGE FINALE WEEKEND

Jam Side Up!

Jam Side Up is made possible, in part, from funding from

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

49

FRINGE FINALE WEEKEND

Kids Day Little Fringe. BIG fun.

Welcome to Kids Day at the Fringe!

Saturday, Sept. 20

An ENTIRE day devoted to the youngest Fringers in downtown Rochester. Ready for a full day of kid-friendly events, shows, and activities the whole family can enjoy?

All events appropriate for all ages.

12:00pm – 1:20pm

DISCO KIDS FREE

Dawn's Spiegelgarden

It’s a big party for pint-size partiers OUTDOORS! Welcome to Fringe’s not-so-silent disco.

12 Noon – 2pm

PUMPKIN PAINTING

$7 per pumpkin, at the door only

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Dawn's Spiegelgarden

50

Celebrate the beginning of fall by painting your own Fringe-tastic pumpkin.

From faces to crazy designs, from spooky to silly, we want to see what your creativity brings to these pumpkin pallets!

12noon – 3pm

CHALK ART FREE

Spiegeltent

One of the most popular FREE, family-friendly events of the Fringe.

Kids transform the Spiegelgarden into a tapestry of color. We bring the chalk; you bring the creativity!

1pm-2pm

2:30pm – 4pm

CIRQUE 101 WORKSHOP

CIRQUE DU FRINGE: CLAWS OUT

FREE

Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance: Lincoln Library ..........

A fun session on the basics of balancing and juggling hosted by Ted Baumhauer of Red Tie Variety. From beginners to intermediates, Ted can get you started or guide you to the next level. See page 74 for details.

12:30pm – 5pm (Prelims 12:30–3pm; Finals 3:30–5pm)

FRINGE STREET BEAT FREE

Kids’ Tickets from $23 Spiegeltent

The fun continues after the boogie with a kid-friendly matinee performance of Cirque du Fringe! Eye-popping stunts and side-splitting laughter all around for an unforgettable afternoon in the big magical tent. See page 20 for details.

Appropriate for those aged 5 and up.

3pm-3:30pm

PORT-A-GLOBE PUNCH AND JUDY FREE

Dr. MLK Jr. Park

School of the Arts: Commons

Got moves? We’ve got the battle. From breakdancing to all-style, teams bring their A-game to the floor leading to the final dance showcase. Complete with live DJ, MC, and judges from all over the country. FREE to watch. See page 53 for details.

No matter your age, this classic puppet show is guaranteed to make you laugh.

See page 74 for details.

1:15pm-2pm

The Harley School

JAM SIDE UP! FREE

Dawn’s Spiegelgarden

Meet Quebec's favorite twins! The Kif-Kif Sisters mix surprising comedy and audience interaction with enough happiness to make vegetables explode! See page 49 for details.

4pm-5pm & 7pm-8pm

THE BFF NOTEBOOK $12

A look back at a childhood filled with creativity and warm moments. See page 96 for details.

We are very grateful to the Harley School and Wegmans for sponsoring this year’s Kids Day.

JAM SIDE UP! FREE

Parcel 5

Please see show description for the 1:15pm performance and page 49 for details.

7pm-7:30pm • 9pm-9:30pm

SPHERE BY EVENTI VERTICALI FREE

Parcel 5

MORE SHOWS ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 20 FOR ALL AGES! 10AM - Art of the Book & Page Exhibit @ Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall – See page 104 for more info 11AM - Velocity: RIT’s Urban Dance Crew @ The Little Theatre – See page 73 for more info 11:45AM - Black Deaf Male: Who Am I @ The Little Theatre – See page 76 for more info

A mesmerizing performance of acrobatics choreographed in and around massive, luminous shapes and structures. Italy’s eVenti Verticali has created its own visual language that unites elements from theatre, circus, acrobatics, dance, music and new technologies.

See page 44 for details.

1PM - Aquí Estamos @ The International Plaza – See page 76 for more info

7:30pm-9:15pm

1PM - Design X Glass @ RIT City Art Space – See page 105 for more info

12PM - Really Rosie @ CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Ballroom Stage – See page 90 for more info 12PM - Traits/Actions/Motions Geneseo Dance Ensemble @ CenterStage Theatre at the JCC – See page 72 for more info

PEDESTRIAN DRIVE-IN: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

1:30PM - Catch & Collide @ School of the Arts – See page 69 for more info

Dawn's Spiegelgarden

1:30PM & 6PM - The Navel Gazers @ The Rose Room – See page 100 for more info

FREE

Outdoors on a giant screen with our Silent Disco headphones. Grab a beanbag, sit back, and enjoy a FREE movie under the stars. See page 40-41 for other kid-friendly movies on other nights.

EVEN MORE FOR KIDS All this PLUS additional kid-friendly entertainment at many of our Fringe venues. Peek under KIDS in the SHOW listings on pages 74-75.

1:20PM - Culture Crescendo @ The Little Theatre – See page 84 for more info

2PM - A Biscuit Brothers Slightly Crooked, Big-Hearted Salute to the Erie Canal @ School of the Arts – See page 82 for more info 2PM - Rich the Magic Man Total Pandemonium Magic Show @ CenterStage Theatre at the JCC – See page 75 for more info 2:45PM - Tiger Steel Steelband Ensemble @ The Little Theatre – See page 93 for more info 3 PM - Garth Fagan Dance @ Garth Fagan Dance – See page 71 for more info

3PM - Stages of the Game Teen Improv Troupe @ MuCCC – See page 67 for more info 3PM - Ukrainian Dance Traditions @ CenterStage Theatre at the JCC – See page 73 for more info 3:30PM - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz @ School of the Arts – See page 102 for more info 4:30 PM - A Magic Problem! @ MuCCC – See page 57 for more info 5:30PM - RITPO Chamber Music Showcase @ The Little Theatre – See page 90 for more info 5:45PM - RPO Pop-Up Performances @ Parcel 5 – See page 91 for more info 6PM – Freeze Frame: A Juggling Experience @ Parcel 5 – See page 74 for more info 6PM - Lunatics Lounge, Live @ ROC Cinema – See page 65 for more info 6PM - Red Apple Peeling @ Parcel 5 – See page 80 for more info 6PM - ROCitecture @ Rochester Contemporary Art Center – See page 101 for more info 6PM - Oz @ School of the Arts – See page 66 for more info 7PM - Submergence @ Dawn’s Spiegelgarden – See page 36 for more info 7PM - Vocal Point with the Yellow Jackets @ CenterStage Theatre at the JCC – See page 93 for more info 7PM - WADAIKO Performance @ The Little Theatre – See page 93 for more info 7:30PM - Raiders of the Lost Ark @ Dawn’s Spiegelgarden – See page 41 for more info 8:05PM - A Cappella Time: Eight Beat Measure & Surround Sound @ The Little Theatre – See page 82 for more info 8:05PM - Philadelphia Freedom: A Tribute to Elton John @ The Hochstein School – See page 90 for more info 8:50PM - Echoes Through the Times @ The Little Theatre -See page 70 for more info

extravaganza that is the talk of kid town.

Music, grooving, and glow sticks. Welcome to the Fringe’s not-so-silent disco.

Mimosas will be available in the Theatre Bar. (You’re welcome, adults.)

PLEASE NOTE: Disco Kids

KIDS

DAWN’S

Spiegelgarden

Saturday, Sept. 20 at 12:00pm-1:20pm  90 min

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Back by popular demand. Big party for pint-size dance machines takes over the Spiegelgarden at One Fringe Place. The next generation of club kids is here, popping and pouting up a storm. Disco Kids is a nonstop, fun-filled, dance

is not Silent Disco for kids.

There are no headphones involved. Only DJs. And loads and loads of fun.

FRINGE FINALE WEEKEND

5:45pm-6:30pm

ALL AGES FREE

DJs supplied by Wildbyrd

51

52

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

OUTDOOR PROJECTION

The epic dance-off competition returns!

Now in its 10th year, Fringe Street Beat is allout dance battle featuring top talent from across the Northeast, featuring DJ ha-MEEN (Ithaca) and a panel of judges across the country. From breakdancing to allstyle, teams bring their A-game – and their adrenaline – to every eye-popping round, starting with preliminary trials and leading to the final dance battle.

DANCE

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park

FRINGE FINALE WEEKEND

FREE!

Saturday, Sept. 20 PRELIMS: 12:30pm-3pm FINALS: 3:30pm-5:00pm Please Note: look for announcements and updates at rochesterfringe.com and and on our social media channels in the event of inclement weather.

3 x 3 All Styles Max of 3 members per crew $1200 cash prize

Rochester Fringe Festival

FREE to watch

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

ALL

53

53

DJ HA-MEEN

Wanna compete? Have a team in mind?

Sign-ups start NOW: rochesterfringe.com/streetbeat Remaining competing teams’ slots will fill starting at 12pm day-of at Dr. MLK Jr. Park. $5 per team.

Photo by D Bennett

54

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

55

SHOW KEY

CONTENTS 57 Comedy

82 Music

69 Dance

94 Spoken Word

74 Kids Fringe

95 Theatre

76 Multidisciplinary

104 Visual Art & Film

SHOWS ARE ARRANGED by genre, and then alphabetical by show title. To find a specific show, browse the Show Index on page 108, or use the “Find a Show” search at rochesterfringe.com.

Ready to go?

Purchase tickets 24/7, online at ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM For in-person or phone orders, see the Tickets & Box Office information on page 17.

HOW TO READ THE SHOW LISTINGS Charming Disaster’s Musical Oracle

Show title

You can search for these in the Index on page 116.

Venue name

School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre Fri., Sep. 19 8:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 7pm • Sat., Sep. 20 9pm À60mins 13+ $18 NYC goth-folk duo Charming Disaster return to the Rochester Fringe with an interactive concert where original songs inspired by myth, magic, monsters, and mortality are selected by chance by audience members who draw cards from the Charming Disaster Oracle Deck. This Tarot-style divination not only determines the set list, but also provides insight into the mysterious workings of destiny (and makes each performance unique). What does the future hold? Find out before it’s too late....

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

charmingdisaster.com/rocfringe

56

Charming Disaster

PLEASE NOTE:

Show descriptions were written by the shows themselves, with minimal Fringe editing for grammar, punctuation and clarity.

Efforts have been made to ensure this guide is correct at the time of publication, but all shows and times in this guide are subject to change.

Please check ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM for the most up-to-date information.

Venue addresses are part of the Venue Listings, starting on page 112 and Map on page 119.

Show dates and times

A chronological listing of all shows happening on each day of the Fringe starts on page 106.

Icons  Show runtime

ASL interpreted

All Ages 5+ 13+ 16+ 18+ 21+ MA Age guidance (All audiences, ages 5 and up, 13 and up, 18 and up, mature audiences) These icons suggest the age group that the show is suitable for. Please note that these are recommendations only (unless stated otherwise).

Audience members should decide what is suitable for themselves and members of their group.

Ticket price Some shows have multiple ticket prices (children, students, seniors, etc.). Shows labeled FREE are free, non-ticketed events. Arrive early for seating or standing room.

Show description Production company Sponsor Website

Find more information on the show, the production company, or a member of the cast and crew.

An Immigrant’s Guide to America

JCC CenterStage Theatre: Hart Theater

Fri., Sep. 12 7pm • Sat., Sep. 13 3:30pm À60mins All Ages $20

Tue., Sep. 16 8pm • Thu., Sep. 18 8pm • Sat., Sep. 20 4:30pm À60mins 18+ $20 Seniors: $15; Students (w/ ID): $15 From 21-time Fringe Award winner Tim Motley: Everyone’s favorite psychic detective is back! Wowing crowds the world over, this hilarious private eye is part comedian, part mind-reader, and all gritty 1930s film-noir! Think Casablanca + Naked Gun + David Blaine.

Based on a story by Dashiell Hammett. “Will leave you speechless”—Theatre Matters. “In awe”—Glam Adelaide.

“Thrilled and stunned”—Australian Stage. “A side-splitter, rip snorter”—City Magazine, Rochester.

JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage

A renowned scholar is forced to test his own intercultural theories in real life when he immigrates to the United States. Can he survive in the wild among the mysterious species he studied—Americans? The awkward professor goes through painful culture shock and endless missteps before fully assimilating into American society. In this humorous solo show, awardwinning author and performer Sufian Zhemukhov will have audiences reevaluate what they thought they knew about http://sufianz.com Dr. Z Inc Americans.

http://www.timmotley.com Racing Sloth Productions

Anthony Prezutti - Comedy Mentalist

50 Shades of Gay Takes On the ’80s

JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage

School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre Fri., Sep. 12 9:30pm • Sun., Sep. 14 4:30pm À60mins MA $10 Award Winning Comedian Ike Avelli returns with a BRAND NEW "50 Shades of Gay." Ike and his cast are taking on the fabulous '80s! Join Ike along with special guests: recording artist Tym Moss and drag superstar Vivian Darling for a night of comedy, music, drag, and audience participation and GIVEAWAYS! Dress up in your favorite '80s attire! Costumes by Suze GX Designs; posters by Nina Marie Carey.

COMEDY

2 Magic Rubies, 1 Private Eye: A Dirk Darrow Investigation

Sat., Sep. 13 8pm À60mins 18+ $15 Seniors: $10; Students (w/ ID): $10; Veterans: $10 Anthony is rapidly gaining recognition in the entertainment world as a rising star known for his unique blend of adult-themed comedy and family-friendly shows. He brings a fresh, modern approach to the stage and proudly breaks away from traditional mentalist routines. Many of his acts are entirely original, making his performances one-of-a-kind. He invites only willing participants on stage, creating memorable moments, with guests often providing some of the best www.anthonyprezutti.com comedic highlights.

https://www.ikeavelli.net/50-shades-of-gay Robert Iacovelli

A Magic Problem!

The Focus Theater

Sat., Sep.13 5pm • Sat., Sep. 20 4:30pm À50mins All Ages $12

Fri., Sep. 12 9pm • Fri., Sep. 19 7pm À60mins 18+ $15

In a world where magicians bask in prestige while jugglers get no respect, one juggler has had enough.

A Magic Problem! is a farcical and thought-provoking solo show that explores the clash between the art of juggling and the illusion of magic.

Juggling is about effort not cheap tricks bought off a shelf. Can he resolve his crisis of dexterity or will magic ruin the art he loves? All profits will be donated to Camp Good Days & Special Times!

Ants to Gods is back! Get ready for 2 Strange 2 Be True, where Austin Scott and Eno Okung dive headfirst into a completely improvised series based on YOUR suggestion!

From bizarre obsessions to untold scandals, they’ll unravel a world of eccentric characters, shocking twists, and absurdly dramatic reenactments—all made up on the spot. It’s wilder than Tiger King, faker than reality TV, and funnier than a conspiracy theorist with a microphone. One suggestion. One documentary. Zero scripts. Ants to Gods

https://redtievariety.com Red Tie Variety

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

MuCCC

Ants to Gods presents 2 Strange 2 Be True – An Improvised Docuseries

57

COMEDY

The Aquatic Enigma

a vengeful panda. Wit and wisdom are dispensed, reality bent, and cheap laughs guaranteed. martingiles@gmail.com

School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre Sun., Sep. 14 1:30pm À70mins All Ages $12 This new documentary rips the lid off mysterious sightings. Many Many Mysteries and the National Cryptid Council investigate the truth behind the watery coverup shocking Monroe County. Ace historical librarian Elaine Googleman, Aussie Cyptopaleontologist Billie Byron, and Dr. Anton Ambrose, PhD, MA, BFD, a leading expert in nessiteras rhombopterx research, join real-life eye-witnesses to probe fact versus fiction. Think you can handle the truth?

Join hard-hitting host Richard Manly and find out. mostlyartistsbooks.com martha schermerhorn

Banter-Up Improv Troupe—Extra Innings The Focus Theater

Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater Sat., Sep. 13 11:30am • Sun., Sep. 14 12pm • Mon., Sep. 15 7:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 1:30pm À60mins 5+ $20 Kids 12 And Under: $15; Seniors: $15 From 21-time Fringe Festival award winner Tim Motley (Dirk Darrow): Experience the wonder of worldclass wizardry in a realm of messenger owls, robed wizards, and talking snakes! Witness feats of sorcery as a grown-up wizard delves into an untold story… with jokes! Ages 7+. “Seriously impressive”—The List (UK). “Charms your red and gold socks off ”—Winnipeg Free Press. “Fun and surprise-filled”—Kiddo Mag (Aus). “A natural comedian and illusionist”—Yahoo Entertainment. www.timmotley.com Dirk Darrow Investigations

Sun., Sep. 14 3pm • Sat., Sep. 20 5pm À60mins 13+ $15 The troupe is back on the field with its nonstop comedy continuing to hit home runs with improv and sketch humor. This "major league" show features local comics performing short-form improv and sketch comedy as they did in the past 10 Fringe festivals and local comedy clubs.

Audiences will cheer for more with their comedic fastballs using props, puns, and parodies, and patrons might even pitch in with ideas for the comics or volunteer as stand-ins. www.facebook/Banter-Up Improv Jim Harney Productions

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Bar Joke Tales: The Frog-On-Your-Head Trilogy

58

Salena's Sun., Sep. 14 7pm • Tue., Sep. 16 7pm À60mins MA $10 Rochester prodigal son Martin Giles returns for the second year with more tales spun from classic bar jokes, set in a bar rife with anomalies sublime, absurd, surreal, low comic and irrepressibly stylish. This year's offering centers on the Frog-OnYour-Head Trilogy, three tales of a talking frog that keeps getting stuck on various heads. Also featured: a demonic dummy, an interdimensional portal and

Battle Royale Improv Tournament The Focus Theater Thu., Sep. 11 9pm • Sat., Sep. 13 9pm • Thu., Sep. 18 9pm • Sat., Sep. 20 9pm À60mins 16+ $10 Three teams enter, one team leaves.

Who survives? That's up to the audience. The sold-out Battle Royale Tournament returns to the Focus Theater for the 2025 Fringe. The winner from the first three shows will advance to the Tournament of Champions, where fame, fortunate, and the praise of adoring fans awaits them. All others may experience loss, sadness, public humiliations, loss of limb, dismemberment, and other penalties up to and including death. Join the masses, and BATTLE! www.focus.theater The Focus Theater

We’re like the crispy edges of a brownie pan…

BUT IN FESTIVAL FORM.

Bushwhacked: Hot and Sweaty

Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor

Tue., Sep. 9 8:30pm • Fri., Sep. 12 9pm • Sat., Sep. 13 8:30pm • Wed., Sep. 17 8:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 4pm À30mins All Ages FREE

Thu., Sep. 11 7pm Fri., Sep. 12 7pm • Sun., Sep. 14 3pm À60mins 13+ $20 You've never played Bingo like this "B4!" Grab a card and a dabber, then follow Melissa down memory lane as she calls out numbers steeped in nostalgia. From the 1,300 games logged during her "Bingo girl summer" to the "X" that introduced her to Apprentice-era Trump, this performance combines the thrilling suspense of Bingo with audience interaction, novelty prizes, and comedic truth bombs on coming of age as JAMS Inc. a Xennial. Sponsored by NC Events.

Bushwhacked Bonfire Dawn's Spiegelgarden Wed., Sep. 10 8:30pm • Thu., Sep. 11 8:30pm • Fri., Sep. 12 7:30pm • Sat., Sep. 13 7pm • Tue., Sep. 16 8:30pm • Thu., Sep. 18 8:30pm • Fri., Sep. 19 8:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 9pm À60mins 13+ $33 Join Chuck and Rodger—two legendary, questionably qualified roadies—as they wind down from the chaos of the gig with a backstage bonfire. It’s stories, singalongs, and survival tips from the road, all delivered with beer-fueled wisdom and ridiculous charm. Grab a lawn chair—it’s time to kick back, roadiestyle. Only 4 tickets per performance!

Dawn's Spiegelgarden

Two roadies, one hot tub, and zero shame—Chuck and Rodger are taking a hilariously unexpected break right in the middle of the Rochester Fringe Festival. This free interactive comedy show invites passersby to throw jokes, trade barbs, and riff with the duo like a backstage VIP. Catch them at random times throughout the festival, where no two dip sessions are ever the same!

COMEDY

Bingo Night: Five in a Row on Memory Lane

Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Dawn's Spiegelgarden Tue., Sep. 9 7pm • Wed., Sep. 10 7pm • Thu., Sep. 11 7pm • Fri., Sep. 12 6pm • Sat., Sep. 13 1pm • Sat., Sep. 13 3pm • Sun., Sep. 14 2pm • Sun., Sep. 14 4pm • Mon., Sep. 15 7pm • Tue., Sep. 16 7pm • Wed., Sep. 17 7pm • Thu., Sep. 18 7pm • Sat., Sep. 20 2pm À60mins 13+ $29 Welcome to Roadie School, the immersive comedy experience where chaos, cables, and classic rock collide! Join your wildly unqualified instructors as they guide you through the ridiculous ins and outs of backstage life—no experience or common sense required. It’s silly, fun, and absolutely hilarious—grab your crotch and prepare to earn your place on the crew! Only 16 tickets per performance!

Bushwhacked

Catharsis Time!

Dawn's Spiegelgarden

School of the Arts: Club SOTA

Fri., Sep. 19 7pm • Sat., Sep. 20 7pm À60mins MA $48

Sat., Sep. 13 8pm • Sat., Sep. 20 7:30pm À50mins 13+ $12

It’s a one-of-a-kind live rock concert and comedy show where the roadies take center stage! Trained by the outrageously unqualified Chuck and Rodger, these backstage wannabes will rock their way through the ultimate gig.

As the band Herding Cats brings the music, the chaos unfolds behind—and sometimes in front of—the scenes. Expect classic rock, backstage mayhem, big laughs, and a night that goes gloriously off-script.

Only 16 tickets per performance - includes two drinks!

From the creative minds that brought you Fringe Gardens, Shakespeare's Sharknado, and Zoom Your Own Adventure, join us for a new season of Catharsis Time! Laugh, cringe, cry and find inspiration as Rochester's best storytellers, comedians and improvisors share 5-minute true stories in front of a live audience. Experience catharsis through clever awkward vulnerability.

Bushwhacked

https://tinyurl.com/Catharsis-Time / Ad Hoc Players

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Bushwhacked Boozy: The Roadie Experience LIVE!

59

Rochester Institute of Technology is proud to be a sponsor of the 2025 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival. RIT is renowned for intertwining the arts with technology and innovation and the campus is home to three world-class galleries. Now you can see RIT’s arts community come to life at the Fringe with more than 20 performances and exhibits. All performances are free.

10 Here's to Life: Pictures, Stories, Song

ONGOING EVENTS September 12-13, 19-20 City Art Space 1

DESIGN X GLASS 9/12 1pm-8pm 9/13 1pm-8pm 9/19 1pm-8pm 9/20 1pm-8pm

& Dance 3:30pm-4:45pm

11

Dresnack and Friends: Greatest Hits from the First & Last Decade 5:30pm-6:45pm

12 RIT Improv

7:15pm-7:45pm

Thursday, September 18 The Little Theatre 1 13 Best Films! RIT School of Film

Friday, September 12

& Animation 6:00pm-9:00pm

The Little Theatre 1 2

Mid-Century Modern Jazz Quartet 5:00pm-6:00pm

3 Poetry of Tarot: A Reading Inspired

by Tarot Images 6:30pm-7:30pm

4

5

A Selection of Films by Vashti Anderson and Christine Banna � 7:45pm-8:45pm Flying the Coop 9:00pm-9:30pm

Saturday, September 13

Friday, September 19 The Little Theatre 1 14 Musical Mysteries �

20 Cultural Crescendo

1:20pm-2:05pm 21 Tiger Steel Steelband Ensemble

2:45pm-3:45pm 22 Appropriate Audience behavior

4:15pm-4:45pm 23 RITPO-Chamber Music Showcase

5:30pm-6:15pm 24 Wadaiko

7:00pm-7:45pm 25 A Cappella Time with Eight Beat

Measure & Surround Sound 8:05pm-8:35pm

26 Echoes Through The Times

8:50pm-9:35pm

5:00pm-6:00pm 15 Banjos and Juggling: A World

Vaudeville Adventure 6:50pm-7:50pm

16 A cappella time with Encore, Vocal

Accent & Kaminari 8:15pm-8:45pm

17 Documentary Film Shorts �

9:00pm-10:00pm

ȉ

View a digital schedule:

rit.edu/fringefest

The Little Theatre 1 6 Out of Sync

11:00am-11:50am 7

Desert Rhythms Belly Dancing 12:10pm-1:00pm

8

Signatures Art & Literary Magazine 1:20pm-2:20pm

9

A capella time with The Brick City Singers, Grace Note & Proof of Purchase 2:35pm-3:05pm

Saturday, September 20 The Little Theatre 1 18 Velocity: RIT's Urban Dance Crew

#

Tag your social media posts with:

#RITFRINGE

11:00am-11:15am 19 Black Deaf Male: Who Am I?

11:45pm-12:45pm

For more information, visit rit.edu/fringefest.

Or contact Susie Sieling, Associate Director, Conference and Special Events, Government and Community Relations, 585-475-2075, sesgrl@rit.edu

Interpreted Performance � Captioned

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Flying the Coop

A Cappella Time: Brick City Singers, Grace Note & Proof of Purchase

A Cappella Time: Encore, Vocal Accent &

Kaminari 17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

Appropriate Audience behavior 26 25

A Cappella Time: Eight Beat Measure & Surround Sound

26

COMEDY

ers in their own new show.

Chelsea Handler

fybush.com/fringe Comedy On Deck Productions

Eastman Theatre: Kodak Hall Sat., Sep. 13 8pm À90mins

16+ $132

Join comedian, TV host, and seventime New York Times best-selling author CHELSEA HANDLER as she headlines the Fringe for ONE NIGHT ONLY! A celebrated voice in entertainment and pop culture, Chelsea’s humor and candor delighted audiences in a seven-year run of E!’s Chelsea Lately. She has penned seven best-sellers, including her recent I’ll Have What She’s Having. She hosts her hit iHeart Radio podcast Dear Chelsea and can be seen at her Las Vegas residency at The Cosmopolitan.

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Circumscribed: A True Tall Tale of One Father, Two Sons, and Thousands of Foreskins

62

Comedy Runway The Rose Room Fri., Sep. 12 7pm • Sat., Sep. 13 7pm À60mins 18+ $12 Comedy Runway is a one-of-a-kind stand-up comedy fashion show, where comedians are judged by a panel of fashion experts for their outfits and their outfits only! The only comedy show where funny folks strut their stuff! Hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian and Rochester native Mike Gamms (the Justice League of Queers). Featuring a lineup of western New York's funniest comedians and most fashionable personalities. Justice League of Queers

ComedySportz Buffalo

ROC Cinema

The Focus Theater

Fri., Sep. 19 8:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 7:30pm À60mins 16+ $15

Sat., Sep. 13 5pm À60mins All Ages $15

Winner of the audience choice award at the NYC Fringe, Circumscribed is a comedy storytelling show where Noam Osband talks about growing up with a father who was a mohel (Jewish ritual circumciser) who buried foreskins at home, failed efforts at finding paternal figures after his untimely death, and wrestling with circumcising his own kid. Weaving together family video, pictures, and audio recordings, this comedic storytelling is a perfect show about the loveable eccentrics we call family.

ComedySportz Buffalo is improv comedy played as a sport! Two teams of players compete for the love and laughter of the loyal fans (that's you) in the crowd. A referee presides over the match, explaining games, fielding suggestions from the fans, and calling fouls. An announcer keeps tracks of points, the fans award points to their favorite teams, and at the end of the night one team wins, the other loses, but everyone goes home laughing. ComedySportz content is suitable for all www.buffalocomedycollective.com/ ages!

www.noamosband.com/circumscribed.html Noam Osband

Buffalo Comedy Collective, LLC

Comedy On Deck: Well Seasoned

Dads For Democracy

School of the Arts: Club SOTA

The Focus Theater

Fri., Sep. 12 9pm • Sat., Sep. 20 9pm À60mins 16+ $15

Thu., Sep. 18 7pm À60mins 13+ $15

There are lots of Rochester comedians, but only one married comedy couple. As comics of a certain age (mid-50s), Lisa and Scott Fybush produce Comedy On Deck shows in their back yard every summer. To many younger comics, they're the local "comedy mom and dad," and they're real-life parents of two young adults. Their comedy shows have been fan favorites at past Fringe fests. This year, for the first time, they're sharing the spotlight as co-headlin-

The champions of the 2024 Fringe Festival Battle Royal return for a victory lap. Join Dads for Democracy for a night of improvised thrills and chills. JFT, Eno, JP and Keith will delight with nonsense and non sequiturs. The gang specializes in long form improv. Watch them develop intricate characters, weave scenes and devolve into silliness off of a single suggestion. @Dads4DemocracyImprov Dads for Democracy

Eno and Dan French

Dawn's Spiegelgarden

The Focus Theater

Tue., Sep. 9 5:30pm • Tue., Sep. 9 6:30pm • Wed., Sep. 10 5:30pm • Wed., Sep. 10 6:30pm • Thu., Sep. 11 5:30pm • Thu., Sep. 11 6:30pm • Fri., Sep. 12 5:30pm • Fri., Sep. 12 6:30pm • Sat., Sep. 13 1pm • Sat., Sep. 13 2pm • Sat., Sep. 13 3pm • Sat., Sep. 13 5pm • Sun., Sep. 14 1pm • Sun., Sep. 14 2pm • Sun., Sep. 14 4pm • Sun., Sep. 14 5pm • Tue., Sep. 16 5:30pm • Tue., Sep. 16 6:30pm • Wed., Sep. 17 5:30pm • Wed., Sep. 17 6:30pm • Thu., Sep. 18 5:30pm • Thu., Sep. 18 6:30pm • Fri., Sep. 19 5:30pm • Fri., Sep. 19 6:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 1pm • Sat., Sep. 20 2pm • Sat., Sep. 20 4pm • Sat., Sep. 20 5pm À50mins 18+ $33

Tue., Sep. 9 7pm • Mon., Sep. 15 7pm À60mins 18+ $15

Sponsored by Garber Automotive Rochester A total sell-out eleven years running, this intimate theatre experience is unlike any other. You’ll find yourself immersed in four all-new ten-minute plays as you rotate from one car to the next. Don’t miss this hilarious, heartwarming, weird, and most of all, one-of-a-kind show. Only 8 tickets per performance!

Drag Me Home Spiegeltent Mon., Sep. 15 7:30pm À90mins 13+ $47 Front Row: $59; Second Row: $53; VIP Booths (Seat 6): $279

Can I pull you for a chat?

I’LL BE AT ONE FRINGE PLACE

the estate sale School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre Sun., Sep. 14 12pm • Sun., Sep. 14 3pm À60mins 18+ $15 the estate sale: selling a lifetime of memories, love, and longing. A comedic one woman show in the immersive environment of an estate sale. You know that old saying: "One woman’s trinkets of past relationships and forty years of searching for self identity is another person's treasure." This show is sure to have you laughing as you reflect on your own relationships, farewells, and the community that shapes your life. Audience members can purchase vintage threads and unique finds. estate-sale.co/ Stewpendous Productions

Flying The Coop The Little: Theatre 1 Fri., Sep. 12 9pm À30mins

16+ FREE

Hey, we're RIT's Fowl Play. We're an open comedy troupe on campus that focuses on improv and scripted comedy. The set we'll perform for the Fringe Fesitval will consist of our scripted segments. Every script we'll be performing has been created and directed by a member of our club, so all the content you'll be seeing tonight is completely original!

We hope you enjoy what we've created.

Fowl Play

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Three legendary queens enter. Who leaves with the crown? Fabulous hometown stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race compete to be named THE Rochester Drag Queen. Mrs. Kasha Davis, Darienne Lake, and Pandora Boxx pull out all the stops for a three-judge panel in a revved-up rivalry of glam and hilarity. Munch on hors d’oeuvres while you devour the dazzle and daring—and of course, the vintage Spiegeltent bar will be ready with bevvies.

Tickets are VERY limited.

Eno and Dan are feeling très François, (very French) and hope to leave you feeling the same! They don't know much about the language or the history, and have certainly never been to France, but they are sure they can capture the feeling of the place. Join them as they revel in their fromage fantasies and meander through an off kilter collage of comedy and physical theater. This delightful duo offers a night of whimsy, comedy, and romance!

COMEDY

Dashboard Dramas XI

63

COMEDY

From Flab to Fab-ish

Guilt & Mirrors Improv Troupe

School of the Arts: Club SOTA

The Focus Theater

Sat., Sep. 20 4:30pm À60mins 18+ $15

Wed., Sep. 10 7pm • Sat., Sep. 13 7pm À60mins 13+ $15

“From Flab to Fab-ish” is a hilarious true account of two queer stand up comics, a young gay man and an elder lesbian, who embark on a journey of weight loss surgery. With determination and humor, they face the challenges of the surgery, including guzzling protein drinks and staring down the scalpel. With a unique and funny perspective, the story aims to entertain, inspire, and provide insights into the process of weight loss surgery.

Get ready to laugh with "GIRdLes GIRdLes GIRdLes," a brand-new show from Guilt & Mirrors Improv Troupe, the award-winning comedy queens known for their spicy, irreverent, and quirky humor.

These highly-seasoned comediennes create hilarious scenes and play games using audience suggestions and everyday dilemmas.

They'll bring the house down and make you laugh until you "ovary-act." You’ll fall in love with Guilt & Mirrors…they’re always original and honestly hysterical.

cindy arena

www.facebook.com/GuiltandMirrors The Guilt & Mirrors Gals

Glen Tickle Tries to Be a Person JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage Thu., Sep. 18 8pm • Fri., Sep. 19 9pm • Sat., Sep. 20 6pm • Sat., Sep. 20 9pm À60mins 16+ $15 Seniors: $13; Students (w/ ID): $10; Veterans: $13 When comedian Glen Tickle made a list of ways to try to be better at comedy, he realized the list was a combination of personality flaws, bad habits, and neurodiversity. If Glen is going to become a better comedian, he'll have to first become a better person. Which seems hard actually. That list and the ways he has tried to address it have shaped his current hour of standup in a way he wasn't expecting, but here we are. www.glentickle.com/triestobeaperson

Goes Without Saying ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

The Spirit Room: Conjure Box

64

Wed., Sep. 10 9:15pm • Thu., Sep. 11 9:15pm • Fri., Sep. 12 8pm • Sun., Sep. 14 9pm À45mins All Ages $15 MK Lebeaux is a silent clown with a show that speaks for itself! Goes Without Saying combines eccentric comedy, magic, and circus into a genre-bending experience described as “beautiful...I didn’t want it to end!”

MK’s unique physical comedy has been featured everywhere from magazines, on television, on the street, under canvas, to 1,000-seat theaters! Their resume includes featured performances with Wizbang, 20th Century Circus, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, Opera Columbus, and Queen Bee Cabaret. www.mklebeaux.com

Innerloop Podcast LIVE ROC Cinema Fri., Sep. 19 7pm À60mins 16+ $15 From the highly questionable minds behind The Innerloop Blog comes a live recording of The Innerloop Podcast! Hosts Shane Allen and Mark Maira dig into the bizarre world of western New York news.

This singular Fringe edition includes special guests, audience games, live Q&As;, and prizes no one asked for. Audiences are raving: “Finally! A podcast featuring middle-aged men!” and “It’s the only time I pay attention to local news.” innerloopblog.com The Innerloop Blog

Jackboxing The Focus Theater Tue., Sep. 9 9pm • Mon., Sep. 15 9pm À60mins 13+ FREE Some of our favorite local improvisers and comedians will battle in the digital arena of Jackbox! Think you have the quips to lash the competition? Join us. The audience can join the game or sway the scores by voting for favorites. Who will be the champion? It's up to you. This is just like chilling in your living room, if your living room were a cute little improv theater - and the best part is it's free!

focus.theater The Focus Theater

The Focus Theater

ROC Cinema

Fri., Sep. 12 7pm • Fri., Sep. 19 9pm À60mins 16+ $15

Wed., Sep. 17 7pm • Sat., Sep. 20 6pm À60mins All Ages $10

Please join John Forrest Thompson and a rotating cast of some of Rochester’s funniest comedians for a night of Chicago-style improv. This classic approach to improvisation involves a group of actors working together to create on-the-spot stories, characters and themes that recur and connect in a series of continuous scenes. Chicagostyle improv is particularly known for its commitment to patience, intelligent play, and the exploration of deep personal relationships and the human condition. www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571448695012# Just Duck Productions

Late Night With Dan The Focus Theater Sun., Sep. 14 9pm À60mins All Ages $15 Late Night With Dan is a talk show in the late-night format that travels from dimension to dimension, interviewing all sorts of characters. Since their last visit at the Focus, Dan has solved murders and wrestled for a championship belt. This time, Dan's happy to bring it back to the dimension he's pretty sure he's from and this time, he's ready to ask those hard-hitting questions.

Lateral Move Photo City Music Hall Sat., Sep. 13 6pm À60mins 18+ $10

lateralmovecomedy.com Bossone Productions

Back for a third year, (585) magazine humorist Taylor Terrance brings the absurd stories from her column to life with Lunatics Lounge, Live. Hear about the antics of family and friends with stories of a prom date gone awry, tales from the waiting room at the birth of her first godson, a Christmas party that got out of hand, and the time she accidentally helped her sister commit a robbery. www.585mag.com/magazine_author/taylor-terrance/ 585 Magazine

Lunchador Podcast-a-Rama Central Library: Kate Gleason Auditorium Sat., Sep. 13 3pm À60mins 21+ FREE Join the hosts of the Lunchador Podcast Network for a fun, fast-paced dive into the world of podcasting!

Our hosts will be selected into a few different random panels and given a topic to improvise a short show on the spot. If you like funny, thoughtprovoking conversation about arts, culture, food, and all the great things Rochester has to offer, this is the show for you!

Lunchador Podcast Network

Misery Loves Company School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre Fri., Sep. 12 5:30pm • Sun., Sep. 14 6pm À50mins 16+ $25 She’s his number one fan. He’s her captive. Misery Loves Company is an improvised horror comedy starring Joe Liss (Curb Your Enthusiasm, SpongeBob Squarepants, Major League) and Dee Ryan (The Office, United States of Tara). Based on audience suggestions these two Second City Alums will reimagine the Stephen King classic, Misery, in new horrifying and hilarious ways for a “cockadoodie” good time!

Facebook.com/MiseryLovesCompany Joe Liss

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Get ready for a fast-paced, laughout-loud ride through the absurdities of modern life and politics! Lateral Move is a bold sketch comedy show that spotlights a dynamic cast of diverse writers and performers. With sharp political satire, wildly imaginative characters, and cleverly twisted premises, this show delivers punchy, thought-provoking humor that challenges norms and embraces chaos that will leave you laughing—and thinking—long after the curtain falls.

COMEDY

Lunatics Lounge, Live

COMEDY

JFT and Friends

65

COMEDY

Mouth Harpo’s Final First Fringe Oz Tour: An Improvised Music Concert School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre The Focus Theater Wed., Sep. 10 9pm • Tue., Sep. 16 7pm À60mins 16+ $15 Mouth Harpo is your favorite band, performing your favorite songs, and all you have to do is make up the titles so that we can all find out how they go! Join Dakota Hinchman (ukelele and more), Shaun Jones (guitar, mouth harp and more), Artur Korotin (violin and more), and Kat Kuo (vocals and more) for Mouth Harpo's Final First Fringe Tour, a night of improvised comedic musical fun. instagram.com/mouthharpo Mouth Harpo

Nerds in a Basement The Focus Theater Thu., Sep. 11 7pm • Sat., Sep. 20 7pm À60mins 13+ $15 DnD meets improv where a dungeon master guides improvisors through a one of a kind adventure. The world is brought to life on stage before your eyes, completely unscripted. The audience helps build a character's quest and setting. With unique and memorable non-player characters, creatures, and live skill checks, this interactive show is a must for audience members of all nerdy backgrounds.

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555748684997

Sat., Sep. 13 4pm • Sun., Sep. 14 4pm • Thu., Sep. 18 8pm • Sat., Sep. 20 6pm À60mins All Ages $20 Kids 12 And Under: $10; Students (w/ ID): $10 Oz is a Wizard of Oz parody magic show good for the whole family! Join Las Vegas magician Jordan Rooks' return for a new take on a classic tale. 0z tells the story of a magician coming into Oz and trying to persuade the wicked witches and the people of Oz that he is a true wizard. Award winning magician Jordan Rooks sold out at Edinburgh and Edmonton Fringe festivals in 2024, and now returns to Rochester for an all new adventure. High energy, all ages, lots of audience participation! Jordan Rooks

RIT Improv The Little: Theatre 1 Sat., Sep. 13 7:15pm À30mins

All Ages FREE

RIT Improv is a group of improvisers that hail from the Rochester Institute of Technology. They meet multiple times each week to hone their improv skills and put on enjoyable free shows for the community.

Come join RIT Improv for a fun filled comedy show full of laughs, jests, and guffaws! All improv will be kept at a PG-13 rating appropriate for a variety of ages.

campusgroups.rit.edu/riti/home/

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Obsessive Comedy Disorder

66

Photo City Music Hall: Front Stage

The Roustabouts

Sat., Sep. 13 12:30pm • Sat., Sep. 13 2pm À30mins 18+ FREE

The Focus Theater

Kevin is one of five kids, is a veteran, and has OCD. Come join the battle inside his brain. In this hilarious and healing show, Kevin blends his silly life, crazy family, and the dark truth of a misunderstood disorder. The show resonates with anyone anxious or obsessive, but is meant for those suffering in silence. 2024 Burbank Comedy Festival Best of the Fest, and featured by the Anxiety and Depression of America Association.

Tue., Sep. 16 9pm • Wed., Sep. 17 7pm À60mins 16+ $15 Love to Laugh? Stuck on Yuks? Crave Sketch Comedy? Then be there when the Roustabouts take the 2025 Fringe Festival and knock it on its ear! The best comedians in town have slaved over a hot stove to concoct a funny, irreverent, and surprise-filled sketchcomedy show that will have you howling at the moon! The hilarious Roustabouts elevate silliness to an art form. Forget your troubles, get happy, and get your tickets to see The Roustabouts Sketch Comedy Troupe. self produced

Spiegeltent Fri., Sep. 12 9pm • Sat., Sep. 13 9pm • Wed., Sep. 17 9pm • Thu., Sep. 18 9pm • Fri., Sep. 19 9pm • Sat., Sep. 20 9pm À90mins 21+ Tickets from $29 more info page 24 With rave reviews from New York, Las Vegas, and previous Rochester Fringe engagements, Shotspeare puts the “Lit” in Literature! Five sword wielding actors, one lucky audience member, a ton of booze, the Wheel of Soliloquy, and an entire work of Shakespeare -- all in 90 minutes. Equal parts bacchanal and classical theater, Shotspeare’s adaptation of Titus Andronicus takes the world's most beloved playwright, soaks him in beer, and flips him on his head!

Songs of Love and Peace: David Kilimnick’s Solo Reunion Tour JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage Sun., Sep. 14 3:30pm À75mins 13+ $18 The Music Comedy singalong where David performs his original songs of love and peace for the gentile.

Backup lead singer of the Jewish Wedding Band and Dial716 goes solo as he shares his original songs and poetry of the soul. Performing all over the globe, David galvanizes the fans. A crowd members reminisces, “I've never seen so many solos before.” Another recalls, “His covers sound nothing like the originals.” Hailed by Israeli media as a “rising star” with “Seinfeldian charm.”

COMEDY

Shotspeare

www.davidkilimnick.com Off The Wall Comedy

Something Wilder Variety Show & Stages of the Game Teen Improv Secret Time Travel Meeting Troupe The Spirit Room: Conjure Box Wed., Sep. 17 10pm • Thu., Sep. 18 10pm • Fri., Sep. 19 9pm À60mins 18+ $17 Two Shows in one mind-bending night! First, comedian-futurist Shawn Wickens presents Secret Time Travel Meeting—a hilarious blend of smart stand-up and out-of-this-world science. Then, NYC’s Jared Wilder hosts SomethingWilder Variety, a chaotic, no-holds-barred circus act of magic, adventure and surprises. Show up in costume or even disguise! Timelines may blur. Realities may bend. The future awaits! secrettimetravelmeeting.com

MuCCC Sat., Sep. 13 2pm • Sat., Sep. 20 3pm À60mins All Ages $15 Get ready for a hilarious outburst of improv performed by some of the brightest (and slightly twisted) teen minds in our area. Join us for a fast-paced, family friendly, interactive experience where the audience becomes part of the show—so bring your razor-sharp wit, along with your own unique and goofy ideas. Produced by A Magical Journey Thru Stages, and performed by Stages of the the Game Improv Troupe. You'll howl with laughter at the madcap comedy created by some pretty creative kids!

www.mjtstages.org A Magical Journey Thru Stages

Stand Up for Drag Thu., Sep. 11 8pm • Sat., Sep. 13 6:30pm À60mins 18+ $15 A FABULOUS evening of some of the best Rochester has to offer including queens and/or kings of drag and hilarious stand-up comedians.

Musical performance and stand-up providing all types of laughter for an all inclusive night of enjoyment.

Come see this tradition of the Rochester Fringe Festival if you have not seen it yet, and if you have, come back and see your Stand Up for Drag family!

www.facebook.com/standupfordrag/ @kevinmarkman

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

MuCCC

67

COMEDY

Stand-Up Through the Ages

Too Fat for China

School of the Arts: Club SOTA

JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage

Sat., Sep. 13 6:30pm • Fri., Sep. 19 8:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 6pm À60mins 18+ $12

Thu., Sep. 18 6:30pm • Fri., Sep. 19 7:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 4:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 7:30pm À60mins 13+ $20

Stand-Up Through the Ages is back once again! Seven comedians, ages from the early thirties to late eighties, share their unique and hilarious observations, proving that whatever your age, life is definitely a laughing matter. The popular performers from previous sold-out shows return, bringing original jokes galore. Enjoy the wit of Kelsey Claire Hagen (9/13), Tori Hosier, Charlie Frusci, Miriam Zinter, Bob Holzwarth, Dan Mulcahy, John Sekol (9/19 & 20), and host Phyllis Reed. www.facebook.com/Stand-Up-Through-the-Ages

Too Fat for China is the award winning solo show from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that follows Phoebe Potts, comic storyteller and professional Jew, as she tries, fails and eventually succeeds to adopt a baby.

Accompanied by a life-sized comic book newsreel bursting with characters, Potts’ tragicomic journey is about looking for more—more love and more life—even if that means doing terrible things to get it. "Riotous and raw!"—NPR's Morning Edition. "Highly Amusing."—The Scotsman. //www.toofatforchina.com

Time Schmime: History Unhinged MuCCC Thu., Sep. 18 7pm À60mins 13+ $10 Time Schmime: History Unhinged— a fast, funny crash through the past, present, and future where nothing goes according to plan, presented by Rochester's Polite Ink. One moment you’re in ancient Rome, the next you’re dodging flying cars or debating a toaster. Smart sketch, sharp improv, and audience participation collide in a timeline that makes zero sense—but delivers total laughs. History may be inaccurate, but it’s hilariously unforgettable. You. Will.

Laugh.

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

www.politeink.com Polite Ink. Comedy

68

The Wedding of Kai Von Doom (A Comedy Show) The Focus Theater Sun., Sep. 14 7pm • Wed., Sep. 17 9pm À60mins 18+ $20 Rochester comedienne Kai Von Doom is finally saying "I do"—to herself in this wildly original stand-up comedy show (staged as a full-blown wedding ceremony).

Featuring a lineup of Rochester's funniest comics as guests, officiants, and possible objectors, this chaotic celebration of self-love is part stand-up show, part unhinged nuptuals, and 100% unforgettable.

THE SPIEGELTENT crossed the Atlantic to get here.

You can brave THE INNER LOOP.

Belly Dance: On the Edge

School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre

Wed., Sep. 17 7pm • Fri., Sep. 19 8pm À60mins 16+ $15

Thu., Sep. 11 6pm À60mins All Ages $15

Do you love belly dance plus a little something extra? Like a belly dance buffet? We take traditional belly dance then smoke it up with sultry tribal fusion, jazz it up with cabaret, spice it up with props from around the world and even goof it up with a little comedy. Sample the variety in one sensory feast! Belly Dance : On the Edge, by Rochester Raqs and friends!

Austen Kelly's Paradigm Shift Dance Company is back, showcasing technical excellence, stylistic variety, and diverse bodies, brains & backgrounds in an all new show! But this year, despite the dancers' best efforts, everything seems to be going wrong. The chickens are fainting, the stagehands can't get their act together, and the ballerina is a little... different? This lively show celebrates each performer's uniqueness and laughs at the things that don't go as planned. Serious fun for all ages! www.facebook.com/paradigmshiftdancecompany Paradigm Shift Dance Company (Austen Kelly)

The Beginning After An End: The Rebirth Photo City Music Hall Sat., Sep. 13 4:15pm À60mins 18+ $10 Come experience a story told through dance about unbecoming to become.

A story about finding oneself. Alondra Green is a movement artist from Syracuse, New York, who is dedicated to exploring how dance can heal the physical, mental and emotional body. The Beginning After An End: The Rebirth is how she used dance to heal herself. The show highlights contemporary, modern, hiphop and krump dance.

In collaboration with TruKrump Collective dancers and music Freelancer producer BravoDom, her story is told.

Belly Dance Kaleidoscope: Tradition and Fusion Dance Showcase!

Sat., Sep. 13 1pm • Sun., Sep. 14 2pm À60mins All Ages $20 Belly Dance has a long and colorful cultural history. Through a variety of beautiful styles and forms, the talented dancers of Dylaina's Darlings Belly Dance Troupe and friends will take you on a journey from traditional through fusion belly dance.

With stunning props and beautiful costumes, they will flutter, pop, twist, and shimmy into your hearts! Don't miss this popular Fringe show produced by Dylaina Alexandria Belly Dance!

Brick City Boppers Showcase The Rose Room Sat., Sep. 13 5pm À60mins All Ages FREE Experience the infectious energy of Lindy Hop with the Brick City Boppers! Their performance blends lively social dancing, choreographies created by members of the group and Lindy Hoppers of the past, and popular line dances from the community. This showcase celebrates swing's timeless spirit with precision and flair, and it is a perfect invitation to come and see what swing dancing is all about!

Catch & Collide School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre Sun., Sep. 14 11:30am • Sat., Sep. 20 1:30pm À90mins All Ages $15 Catch & Collide brings together some of the region's most inventive choreographers, sharing new dances

by Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp, Elliot Reza Emadian, Ripp Greatbatch, Natalia Lisina, Missy Pfohl Smith, Mariah Steele, and Anne Wilcox.

Join us as we catch, collide, topple, and turn in this extraordinary and thought-provoking contemporary dance collection featuring choreographic premieres and new music! www.biodance.org/ BIODANCE

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Memorial Art Gallery: M&T Bank Ballroom

The Spirit Room: Conjure Box

DANCE

And Now For Something Completely Different

69

DANCE

Contra Dancing The Rose Room Thu., Sep. 11 7pm • Thu., Sep. 18 7pm À180mins All Ages FREE Are you interested in trying a new social, community-oriented dance here in Rochester? Contra dancing is great for mind and body fitness, joyful connections, and a chance to laugh and have fun! Come solo or come with a friend! New dancers are welcome and everyone belongs at contra dance. This is a substance and fragrance free environment. Dance to fun, live music during Fringe and meet new friends! cdrochester.org

Eden The Rose Room Sun., Sep. 14 12pm • Sat., Sep. 20 12pm À50mins 13+ $15 In this first-ever staging of Edvard Munch’s illustrated poem Alpha and Omega, a man and woman live on the island of Eden. However, when the woman falls in love with the serpent instead of the man, a tale of control, jealousy, and violence unfolds.

In line with our company’s mission to share the stage with our guests, the performance is preceded by a Community Dance Workshop at 10am that will enable interested ticket holders to join in for Eden’s finale.

www.juhartanc.com Juhartánc

Desert Rhythms Belly Dance The Little: Theatre 1 Sat., Sep. 13 12:10pm À50mins All Ages FREE Desert Rhythms has cultivated a unique style throughout its rich 40-year history by fusing Turkish and American belly dance to create truly memorable performances.

This show is no exception with its captivating choreography, engaging music and stunning array of veils, swords, canes and fans. This belly dance show will delight audiences of all ages. www.desert-rhythms.com

DUSK/NIGHT/DAWN

Flight Salena's Thu., Sep. 11 7:30pm • Wed., Sep. 17 7:30pm À60mins MA $15 Feeling Flighty? Spread your wings with a "spirited" dance and drink sampler. Back after sold out shows in 2024! A flight of three cocktails (including non-alcoholic options) accompany a flight of three improvised dances inspired by the beverage descriptions - for example, earthy and round with unexpected high notes. Live musical accompaniment by Greg Woodsbie. Dance improvisation by Sarah Jacobs, Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp, and Ripp Greatbatch. Mixology by Aaron Metras. sarahhopejacobs.com

Aerial Arts of Rochester: Aerial Arena

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Fri., Sep. 19 8pm • Sat., Sep. 20 6pm • Sat., Sep. 20 10pm À60mins 18+ $30

70

DUSK/NIGHT/DAWN is an experimental aerial pole dance explosion created and performed by the NYC collective Vertical Dreamscape featuring high-octane pole artists Donna Carnow and Gina Alm. Their hour-long montage of dream worlds is a sensual and cinematic, dark yet dazzling vision of a journey when the sun goes down—from the luminous tones of Dusk, the darkest underbelly of Night, into the messy brilliance of Dawn. www.verticaldreamscape.com VERTICAL DREAMSCAPE

Four Echoes School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre Thu., Sep. 18 6pm • Sat., Sep. 20 12pm À60mins 13+$10 Four Echoes is a bold evening of dance, art, and storytelling that explores the evolving experiences of womanhood. Featuring choreography

by Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp, Kelly Johnson, Caitlin E. Mahon, and Michelle Pritchard, and sharing space with visual artist Kirin Makker, the work dives into identity, body, and the tensions between self-expression and expectation. Raw, reflective, and resonant—don’t miss this powerful performance.

www.electricgrit.dance electricGrit dance

KIDS FRINGE

DANCE DANCE

Fringe Street Beat Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park: The Bowl

Homecoming: School of the Arts Alumni Dance Concert

Sat., Sep. 20 12:30pm À270mins All Ages FREE

School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre

The excitement, the energy, the adrenaline-pumping action that is Fringe Street Beat returns to downtown Rochester for the final night of Fringe 2025. Fresh talents from Rochester and beyond participate in 3-on-3 team battles, facing off for a chance at winning the title of Fringe Street Beat Champions and a cash prize of $1,200. From breaking to popping and locking, teams bring their A-game to the floor and DJ ha-MEEN brings the beats!

Fri., Sep. 19 8pm À60mins All Ages $20

Garth Fagan Dance Garth Fagan Dance: Studio Theater Thu., Sep. 11 7:30pm • Fri., Sep. 12 7:30pm • Sat., Sep. 13 3pm • Thu., Sep. 18 7:30pm • Fri., Sep. 19 7:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 3pm À60mins All Ages $20 Garth Fagan Dance is thrilled to return to the Fringe with a 1-hour narrated performance featuring excerpts of new works and beloved revivals. Founded in 1970, GFD is western NY’s premier artist-led, predominantly Black cultural institution. Rooted in the Fagan Technique™, this unique movement vocabulary laid the foundation for The Lion King on Broadway. Now led by Bessie Award winners Norwood “PJ” Pennewell and Natalie Rogers-Cropper, the company remains a trailblazer in contemporary dance. www.garthfagan-dance.org

/

Garth Fagan Dance

Join us for another trip down memory lane together! The alumni dance concert will be a nostalgic occasion for all who attend! Come to watch your favorite former School of the Arts dancers from all graduating classes. Various styles will be showcased with dynamic movement and eclectic music. You might recognize some from local festivals, events and more!

Merged: An Evening of Contemporary Dance

School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre Fri., Sep. 12 8pm • Sun., Sep. 14 6pm À60mins All Ages $12 A curated showcase of contemporary choreography will take audiences through a journey of sound, light and exquisite movement, celebrating the capacity of the human body to communicate. This performance, with work by four acclaimed choreographers from the Rochester and Buffalo regions, blends physically exciting dance with multimedia elements, and is simultaneously thoughtprovoking to seasoned dance viewers and accessible to first-time audiences. tinyurl.com/y2n97hr6 HR Dance

The Goodness of Stepping Outside Petals in the Concrete The Rose Room

Dancer Joanna Rodriguez and cellist Esther Baker explore where the lines are(n't) between dancer & musician through humorous, thought-provoking and interdisciplinary works which spring from community and audience members’ answers to the question “What is goodness to you?” The result is a joyful, inspiring and truly collaborative performance between two people from different backgrounds & disciplines showing that it is possible to be different and together. www.erogerscello.com

Fri., Sep. 19 4pm • Fri., Sep. 19 6pm À45mins All Ages FREE We are single beings composed of two selves—the light and the dark, the free and the trapped, a petal and the concrete. The RABC presents a modern ballet telling the story of how these contrasting feelings cannot exist alone. Just as one must know pain to understand love, we must collapse like Concrete in order to feel the lightness of Petal. When Concrete fractures under the weight of the world, Petal's brightness is there to light the way back to balance. rochesteradultballetcompany.com / Rochester Adult Ballet Company

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Sat., Sep. 13 3:30pm • Sun., Sep. 14 4:30pm À45mins 5+ $12

Strangebird Brewery: Parking lot

71

DANCE

ROCeltic: The Next Generation School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre

“Table For Two”& Friends The Rose Room

Sat., Sep. 13 2pm À60mins All Ages $10

Sun., Sep. 14 6pm • Sat., Sep. 20 7:30pm À60mins 5+ $20

Under the artistic direction of Briana Blair Kelly, ROCeltic: The Next Generation shines a spotlight on second-generation ROCeltic choreographers. ROCeltic is progressive, with a traditional foundation, and offers a unique perspective on Irish dance that continues to transform through the company's ongoing collaborations. ROCeltic celebrates Irish heritage and continually strives to unearth the choreographic potential of Irish dance by bridging www.roceltic.com cultural divides.

"Table for Two" & Friends is a compilation of fresh, experimental work by new professional dancers.

Choreographers and dancers weave dance theater, contemporary dance and comedy together seamlessly... unless, of course, they want you to see the seams. Brought to you by the Grachel Behalkee Company, where the splote, feverable minds of Rachel Bast and George Mechalke combine.

Silent Disco Spiegeltent Fri., Sep. 12 11pm • Sat., Sep. 13 11pm • Fri., Sep. 19 11pm • Sat., Sep. 20 11pm À180mins 18+ $20 Students (w/ ID): $16 The glamorous Spiegeltent will be filled once again with a giant dance party. But with a twist: you don’t hear a sound until you slip on a set of headphones. Wait! Is that YMCA on one channel, Calvin Harris on the second, and David Guetta on the third? A three-channel system and live DJs let you switch up your music (and mood) at the touch of a button. Hugely popular at Coachella and Burning Man, it’s an unforgettable experience you have to see —and not hear—to believe!

Gurachel Bechalast

Tales from Dapple Creek Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor Sat., Sep. 13 1pm • Sun., Sep. 14 1pm À60mins All Ages $20 Winner of 43 film festival awards— including seven top honors in its experimental short category—Tales from Dapple Creek arrives in Rochester, NY. This globally inclusive film challenges norms and expands the language of artistic expression across time and space. Join producer, director, and performer Kista Tucker for a dynamic discussion on storytelling, movement, dexterity, relationship, effort, and more. www.kistatuckerinsights.org/tales-from-dapple-creek Kista Tucker Insights

Traits/Actions/Motions Geneseo Dance Ensemble ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater

72

Sat., Sep. 20 12pm À60mins All Ages $5 SUNY Geneseo Dance Ensemble celebrates 57 years of campus performances. Guest artists provide students modes of learning from diverse experiences that broaden their viewpoints. Professor Jonette Lancos, artistic director, coordinates 20 student dance artists with faculty dance makers showing how movement improvisations are structured into designed dances. Their performance, Traits/ Actions/Motions, displays creative ideas which formulate dance actions into motion. www.geneseo.edu/academic-program-finder/dance Jonette Lancos, Artistic Director

Wander & Wonder V

CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater

RMSC: Garden of Fragrance

Sat., Sep. 20 3pm À60mins All Ages $20 Kids 1 And Under: FREE; Kids 12 And Under: $10; Students (w/ ID): $10

Sun., Sep. 14 4pm À90mins All Ages FREE

Kalyna Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Rochester brings the rich cultural heritage of Ukraine to the stage with vibrant, spirited, and captivating Ukrainian folk dance. Dancers perform in colorful traditional costumes with intricate embroidery and symbolic motifs. The music is lively, fast and energetic. Ukrainian folk dancing is a celebration of life, tradition, and resilience. Witness the strength, pride, and spirit of the Ukrainian people through the art of Ukrainian dance! www.uafgr.org Kalyna Ukranian Dance

Wander & Wonder is a site-specific performance that takes place outdoors on the beautiful grounds of the Rochester Museum & Science Center, curated by Ethan BeckwithCohen and Missy Pfohl Smith/ BIODANCE. Audiences delight in the work of local dance and music artists, companies, and choreographers, which interacts with nature and the environment in a walking tour of dances.

Free and open to all! www.biodance.org BIODANCE

Wanna Be Starting Something

Velocity: RIT’s Urban Dance Crew

School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre

The Little: Theatre 1

Sat., Sep. 13 12pm À60mins All Ages $10

Sat., Sep. 20 11am À15mins All Ages FREE Velocity: RIT's Urban Dance Crew aims to foster a positive and supportive environment. The team's goal has always been to leave everything on the dance floor and nothing less, whether it be in practice, on stage, or during bi-weekly dance workshops that are open to the public. Every spring, Velocity invites dance teams from colleges across upstate New York to compete in the multi-genre dance competition, RIT's Best Dance Crew (RBDC).

DANCE

Ukrainian Dance Traditions

A Touch of Dance Performing Arts Studio Inc. is thrilled to be back at Fringe for another amazing year filled with high energy and joy. Join our dancers as they take you through the many genres of dance. Immerse yourself into music by some of the greatest artists of our time. Allow us to take you on a journey through dance with Wanna Be Starting Something! atouchofdance.com ATOD Company

campusgroups.rit.edu/velo/home/

GO BIG!

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

JAW-DROPPING TWISTS. RIGHT THIS WAY.

73

KIDS FRINGE

Cirque 101 Workshop

Jam Side Up!

Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance: Lincoln Library

Dawn's Spiegelgarden & Parcel 5

Sat., Sep. 13 1pm • Sat., Sep. 20 1pm À60mins All Ages FREE

Thu., Sep. 18 5:45pm (Spiegelgarden) • Fri., Sep. 19 5:45pm (Parcel 5) • Sat., Sep. 20 1:15pm (Spiegelgarden) • Sat., Sep. 20 5:45pm (Parcel 5) À40mins All Ages FREE

Have you always wanted to run away and join the circus? Or maybe just learn some of those great circus skills? Here’s your chance! You get to learn the skills but skip the hardships of living on the road. Who knows, maybe this will launch your “cirque” career? Ted Baumhauer of Red Tie Variety will host this fun session on the basics of balancing and juggling. From beginners to intermediates, Ted can get you started or guide you to the next level. redtievariety.com Red Tie Variety

Disco Kids

Meet Quebec's Favorite Twins! F lying bunnies, speeding French fries!

This duo fights giant pink monsters, practices the art of snacking and ensures the triumph of the umbilical cord. The Kif-Kif Sisters mix surprising comedy and audience interaction with enough happiness to make vegetables explode!

Inseparable since the womb, these twin sisters have been doing street performances all over the world for over a decade. This show will seduce your heart and eyes with its humor and interactivity.

Dawn's Spiegelgarden Sat., Sep. 20 12pm À80mins All Ages FREE Back by popular demand. Big party for pint-size dance machines takes over the Spiegelgarden at One Fringe Place. The next generation of club kids is here, popping and pouting up a storm. Disco Kids is a nonstop, fun-filled, dance extravaganza that is the talk of kid town. Lights, music, and glow sticks. Welcome to the Fringe's not-so-silent disco.

Freeze Frame: A Juggling Experience Parcel 5

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Fri., Sep. 19 6pm • Sat., Sep. 20 6pm À30mins All Ages FREE

74

Freeze Frame with John and Ted is a high energy, family friendly show where you are the star! With wild juggling, hilarious magic, and nonstop laughs, these two comedic pros put volunteers right into the heart of the action. It’s all about creating unforgettable picture perfect moments—live on stage! Forget selfies —Freeze Frame is your time to shine!

Kids Chalk Art Dawn's Spiegelgarden Sat., Sep. 20 12pm À180mins All Ages FREE The kiddie fun continues with Street Chalk Art, one of the most popular, FREE, family-friendly events at Fringe. Kids transform the Spiegelgarden into one giant, colorful tapestry of color. We bring the chalk, you bring the creativity! All ages, including parents, of course.

Port-a-Globe Punch and Judy School of the Arts: Commons Sat., Sep. 13 3:30pm • Sun., Sep. 14 1pm • Sat., Sep. 20 3pm À30mins All Ages FREE It’s the story of a very silly man named Punch, his clever wife Judy, and the Baby. Add to the mix the Crocodile, the Policeman, the Queen Bee who wants her honey back, the Doctor, a string of sausages, and a few other surprises, and you have what has become the most famous puppet show in the western world. Come see why it was described last year as "one of the best options for kids at the 2024 Fringe Festival”

by City Magazine! No matter your age, this show is guaranteed to make you laugh. portaglobepuppets.com Port-A-Globe

Spiegelgarden

Rich The Magic Man Total Pandemonium Magic Show

Sat., Sep. 20 12pm À120mins All Ages $7

JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage

Celebrate the beginning of fall by painting your own Fringe-tastic pumpkin. From faces to crazy designs, from spooky to silly, we want to see what your creativity brings to these pumpkin pallets.

Fun and kid-friendly, this is an activity for the whole family to join in on. Paint your pumpkin and then bring it home to show off your skills!

Sun., Sep. 14 12pm • Sat., Sep. 20 2pm À60mins All Ages $10 Kids 1 And Under: FREE

The Returns Department Spiegeltent Sat., Sep. 13 12:30pm • Sun., Sep. 14 3:30pm À60mins All Ages $24 Kids 12 And Under: $19; VIP Booths (Seat 6): $139 With Chaplinesque humor and inspired by comic books, Quebec's Kif-Kif Sisters take a playful look at the world of work, transforming it into a circus of trinkets and acrobatics via conveyer belt. A hilarious dance evolves as the twins eat, juggle and cook. The sisters discover a space of freedom, a means of expressing their creativity as they invent, explore and evolve. Combining physical theatre, magic and robotics, The Returns Department makes you want to whistle while you work!

The Rich, the Magic Man Total Pandemonium Magic Show! will be the best day ever! Rich has been entertaining families for 40 years.

His interaction and engagement with the audience is unmatched.. You will leave the theater very excited because you have witnessed a one-of-a-kind magic show and learned some magic and receive cool magic that you take home with you. Kids and adults of all ages will enjoy themselves. This Fringe experience will be remembered for a lifetime. www.RichTheMagicMan.Fun Rich The Magic Man

KIDS FRINGE

Pumpkin Painting

Sub-Zero Science Memorial Art Gallery: M&T Bank Ballroom Sat., Sep. 13 11am À60mins 5+ $20 Join presenters from the RMSC for an explosive dive into the extreme science of liquid nitrogen! At -320.5°F, this show reveals the mind-blowing effects of temperature on matter through dramatic phase-change demonstrations.

Watch solids shrink, hot dogs shatter, levitating fog, and a gas-powered ping-pong ball take flight—culminating in a volatile liquid nitrogen explosion that’s as educational as it is unforgettable.

Admission to the Memorial Art Gallery included! rmsc.org/

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

75

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

A Body in Places – Eiko Otake

AYUK by CAT + THE COYOTE

University of Rochester: Spurrier Dance Theater

School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre

All Ages $15 Kids 1 And Fri., Sep. 19 6pm À75mins Under: FREE; Students (w/ ID): FREE

Sat., Sep. 13 6pm • Sat., Sep. 20 4pm À60mins 16+ $15

Movement-based interdisciplinary artist Eiko Otake responds to ecological crises in films such as “A Body in Tokyo.” Born and raised in Japan and a resident of New York since 1976, Eiko’s work in Eiko & Koma helped earn the duo a MacArthur Fellowship, a Guggenheim, the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival and the Dance Magazine Awards. Eiko now performs as a soloist, directs her own projects, and creates films. This screening will share some of her recent, visually striking works.​​ www.sas.rochester.edu/PerformingArts/events/index.html UR Institute for the Performing Arts

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

www.catandthecoyote.com CAT + THE COYOTE

Black Deaf Male: Who Am I? The Little: Theatre 1

A Rockin’ City Circus Roc City Circus Fri., Sep. 12 8pm • Sat., Sep. 13 2pm • Sat., Sep. 13 7pm • Sun., Sep. 14 4pm À75mins All Ages $25 A Rockin’ City Circus will feature a variety of acts in a traditional circus setting. Showcasing Rochester’s own aerialists, acrobats, clowns and flying trapeze, our family friendly circus is amped up to take on all things rock!

From '80s rock to rock ballads, live music and groupies, leather jackets and metal studs, these performers will absolutely rock the stage. roccitycircus.com

76

What lies beyond the second world we’ve created to disappear? Is this giant leap merely the next step, or have we flung ourselves over the edge?

How many cups of sugar does it take to get to the moon? Join CAT + THE COYOTE as we navigate Space Race escapism and social media to an eclectic musical score. A City Magazine Best of Rochester 2024 finalist (dance company, theater company), known for "one-of-a-kind theatrical experiences” (Sydney Burrows).

Roc City Circus

Aquí Estamos: Stories of Presence and Power!

The International Plaza Sat., Sep. 20 1pm À240mins All Ages FREE Aquí Estamos is a live, multidisciplinary performance that uplifts and celebrates the diverse voices of the Latinx community through theater, spoken word, music, and storytelling. Rooted in real experiences and cultural memory, this communitycentered piece explores identity, migration, resilience, joy, and the power of presence in the face of invisibility. www.cityofrochester.gov/internationalplaza/

Sat., Sep. 20 11:45am À60mins

All Ages FREE

Black Deaf Male: Who am I? is written and performed in sign language by Fred Michael Beam. It is a thought-provoking performance of human experience that addresses issues of being black and deaf, as well as love, trust, and community values that have long been left out of discussions in today's world. It is crafted to deliver tears, laughter, excitement, and joy. The subject matter deals with issues from Black Deaf Male's point of view. Voice interpreter will be provided for this show.

www.roccitynews.com/special-sections/adam-reviews-mo-tothe-oncle-and-black-deaf-male-who-am-i-8012456

Bloom – A Multisensory Percussion Experience The Hochstein School: Hochstein Performance Hall Thu., Sep. 11 7:35pm • Sat., Sep. 13 7:35pm À70mins All Ages $15 pax duo blends percussion, live electronics, and immersive light projection to create an original 50-minute multimedia concert experience. Featuring all original works, custom commissions, and arrangements, the show highlights the duo’s collaborative approach. Based in Goshen, IN and Madison, WI, the duo merges elements of contemporary classical music with indie, hip-hop, and funk—exploring new ways sound, technology, and visuals can come together in performance. https://www.paxduo.com/ pax duo

DIY Oracle Card: Design Your Future

The Spirit Room: Conjure Box

The Spirit Room: Bar Room

Fri., Sep. 19 10:15pm • Sat., Sep. 20 10:15pm À60mins 18+ $22

Tue., Sep. 9 7pm • Wed., Sep. 10 7pm • Thu., Sep. 11 7pm À60mins All Ages FREE

Moxy Cabaret returns to Rochester Fringe with Choise of Valentines!

The show brings to life Thomas Nashe's 1592 erotic poem by combining music, storytelling, burlesque and cirque. Young Thomalin is on a quest to lose his virginity to the love of his life, narrated by storytellers Nashe, loud mime Ziggy, and the punk rock pinup Moxy. Join a vibrant mix of performers for an unforgettable, hilarious, naughty night!

Oracle Hour: create your own mystical oracle cards. Drop by to design one or more personalized affirmation cards with your own divinely-channeled artwork to guide your spiritual journey. We’ll supply materials and prompts to inspire.

Simply bring an openness to explore and interpret. Step out of the past, and into your future. With artistic guidance from Sha-Mom Jan. Accompanied by celestial sound stylings of divine diva and miracle comedy pop star ORiMOH, AKA Abby Feldman. www.instagram.janfeldmanartist (Plus 2nd

Facebook.com/MoxyCabaret Moxy Cabaret

Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent Throughout the Festival. À 90 mins 13+ Matinee is 5+ Tickets from $23 more info page 20 Join us on a mystical midsummer night as the air crackles with energy and even the trees seem to tingle with anticipation for the most galvanic gathering of the year. The coolest of the cool cats come out and are dressed to impress. Beloved socialite and renowned opera singer, Kitty Ross, cordially invites you to be her guests for this unforgettable evening with glamorous aerialists, mind-blowing acrobats, a swashbuckling swordsman, and festival favorites, Matt and Heidi Morgan.

Commotion Dance Theater MuCCC Tue., Sep. 9 7pm • Sun., Sep. 14 3:30pm À50mins 13+ $15

www.facebook.com/commotiondancetheater Commotion Dance Theater

DRAM-O-CRACY Spiegeltent Fri., Sept. 19 at 5:00pm À60mins 21+ Single Ticket $25 (includes 4 premium tastings) Sample four premium, unreleased single malts from the award-winning Finger Lakes Distilling in this exclusive, insider, tasting experience led by president Brian McKenzie. Set in the Spiegeltent at happy hour, guests will sip, savor, and learn about the whiskey-making process—then cast their vote. The winning whiskey will be laid down and bottled as the official 2026 Fringe Whiskey. Bold spirits, expert guidance, and a Fringe twist: at Dram-o-cracy, every sip—and every vote—counts.

Draupadi and the Endless Fabric The Spirit Room: Conjure Box Mon., Sep. 15 9:30pm • Tue., Sep. 16 9pm • Wed., Sep. 17 9pm • Thu., Sep. 18 9pm À60mins 16+ $18 The miraculous tale of fire-born Queen Draupadi and her five husbands, the legendary Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata.

Juggling relationships with the five, she navigates between love and duty, between revenge and compassion.

Can the ever-flowing fabric of her extraordinary sari save the day? Through captivating dance, song and live looping, Feliza Bascara-Zohar brings these ancient archetypes to life.

Join her in evoking Draupadi’s timeless spirit in a drama that resonates profoundly today. www.felizabascara-zohar.com

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Commotion Dance Theater strikes again with entertaining and evocative dances that include music, theater, and poetry. Ruben T. Ornelas will offer solos and duets to music by Canadian composer-musician François Houle. Laurie MacFarlane will present Like White Hair, a solo set to a poem by Bob Hart, and Lost and Found, a quartet that brings together movement, song, and text in a piece filled with laughter, surprise, and shadow.

URL) www.instagram.or.i.moh jan feldman

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Choise of Valentines

77

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

EcoVibes–Unfolding Our Future

The Hundred Windows

Washington Square Park

CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater

Sat., Sep. 13 2pm • Sat., Sep. 13 4pm À60mins All Ages FREE Join as we co-create the possibilities of community response to the climate crisis. We’ll lead you through interdisciplinary artistic creations exploring the changing climate in our region through dance, music, visual art, and participatory creativity.

Artists reflect on love for what may be lost and reimagine new ways forward through radical joy. Come away from the festivities refreshed with possibilities.

Game Show! Game Show!

Game Show!: A Games Show The Focus Theater Sat., Sep. 13 3pm • Sun., Sep. 14 5pm À60mins All Ages $15 Students (w/ ID): $10 WINNER of the 2024 Hollywood Fringe Award for Immersive and Games. In Game Show! Game Show! Game Show! a mischievous host pits one side of the audience against the other in a riveting showdown! Be ready to leave your seat and compete in over 40 games, from trivia and physical challenges to a custom built video game made just for this show.

Charge your cell phones! Hailed by one audience member as "One of the best shows I've ever seen!" New games for 2025! www.gameshowgameshow.com

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Here’s To Life: Pictures, Stories, Songs, Dances - Thomas Warfield

78

Mon., Sep. 15 6pm À60mins All Ages $15 Kids 12 And Under: FREE; Seniors: $10; Students (w/ ID): $5; Veterans: $10 Mount Hope World Singers, visual artist Christine Banna, and composer Logan Barrett present an immersive, multidisciplinary exploration of the senses featuring 12 choral works from around the globe, a quadraphonic electronic soundscape, and projected animations.

The soundscape and projections will be live-mixed. The show is inspired by the umwelt, the specific way in which organisms perceive and experience the world, shaped by the capabilities of their sensory organs and perceptual systems. mounthopeworldsingers.org Mount Hope World Singers

Le Cirque des Sensation Aerial Arts of Rochester: Aerial Arena Fri., Sep. 12 8pm • Sat., Sep. 13 4pm • Sat., Sep. 13 8pm À60mins All Ages $18 Kids 1 And Under: FREE; Through the red-and-white striped tents lies a distinctively unique experience. A feast for the senses, a thrill for the mind, and a journey for the heart, Le Cirque des Sensation is an immersive theatrical production, featuring dramatic drops, spectacular spins and daring physical theatre. Following the story of someone brave enough to run away and join the circus. Arrive 45 minutes in advance to enjoy games and festivities! Directed by Natalie Marino and produced by Aerial Arts of Rochester. www.aerialartsrochester.com/lescirque Aerial Arts of Rochester

The Little: Theatre 1 Sat., Sep. 13 3:30pm À75mins

All Ages FREE

How do we become who we are? The wonder, challenges, despairs, triumphs, people, places. The moments and memories define our experience, and experience gives us meaning and purpose to become what we're capable of being. My journey has taken me to live in different cities around the world, work in diverse cultural environments and navigate between the realities and my dreaming. Through spoken word, music, dance and pictures—this is my story.

RIT

Singing and dancing and magic

OH MY!

Noise in Neon— The Mandela Effect

CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater

Sat., Sep. 13 3:30pm À45mins 18+ FREE

Thu., Sep. 18 6:30pm À60mins 13+ $15 Seniors: $10; Students (w/ ID): $10; Veterans: $10

Black lights, music, and a story? Noise In Neon—The Mandela Effect is a one-person music and storytelling show of the tale of Janus, a woman who wakes up to find her world completely changed following a solar eclipse. Can she return to the timeline she’s meant to be in? Featuring music ranging from rock to electronic dance, Rochester DJ and musician Rachel “Raye Black” Ratcliff narrates and performs a one-of-a-kind show that blurs the lines between concert, theatre, and reality itself. noiseinneon.blog The Raye Black

The Healing is an immersive, multimedia musical experience by Sarah De Vallière and her band, the Rhythmwell. Based on her acclaimed concept album, this show vulnerably explores universal themes of trauma, grief, and the path to healing. Weaving powerful songs with storytelling and evocative projected visuals, it offers a unique, sensitive space to explore challenging subjects with an ever-present clarity that hope is around the corner, aiming to leave audiences feeling resilient and hopeful.

Photo City Music Hall: Front Stage

sarahdevalliere.com/the-healing-fringe-fest/

The Painter

The Lost World Bemshi!

School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre

MuCCC Sat., Sep. 13 3:30pm À60mins 13+ $8 Step into the shadows of a prehistoric jungle where science and myth collide! The Lost World Bemshi! reimagines the groundbreaking 1925 silent film as a bold new spectacle— an electrifying fusion of cinema, live performance, and music. An event that unites the past and present, the silent and the spoken, the real and the impossible. Come see the jungle come alive. Dinosaurs roar, ghosts flicker, and the past awakens... feel the wonder, face the unknown!

Fri., Sep. 12 6pm • Sun., Sep. 14 2pm • Fri., Sep. 19 6pm À60mins All Ages $24 The Painter is an energetic performance of dance, art and raw emotion. Artist Corinne Yancone paints live as talented local dancers unite to interpret her story through contemporary and jazz movement. This performance highlights Corinne's painting journey as it aligns with important milestones in her life including marriage, grief and raising her children.

The Painter dances through her world with her heart on her sleeve, paint brush in hand, and portrays life's most fragile moments. www.cafcreations.com CAF Creations

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Live & Illuminated: Sarah De Vallière & the Rhythmwell Present “The Healing”

Word Consortium

The Man and His Dog Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent

Descriptive vs. prescriptive. Real vs. fantastic. Silly vs. somber. The divisions between what we call something and what that something is. Come and see The Man and His Dog in a show that is all about contrast. Juggling and poetry, music and danger, jokes and heartbreak. This side show-styled circus act promises a unique mixture of storytelling, stunts, and surprises that is fun for all ages. Volunteers, interaction, and improvisation all play a part Festival Entertainment in this once-in-a-festival show.

MuCCC Sun., Sep. 14 8pm À60mins MA $15 A one man show that follows a young, Black man living amidst major political shifts, first as a grad student then as a college professor. Through music, monologue & spoken word, this autoethnography reflects upon systemic racism, mental health, criminal "justice", as well as personal & social reform, using original records like “Do A Lot”, “CAPITAL” & “Disparity” to remind us that art is a social movement as well as a public service. Directed by Reuben J. Tapp. Starring Lamar the Therapist. instagram.com/brainiactivity Mental Wealth Records

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Sat., Sep. 13 12:45pm • Sun., Sep. 14 12:45pm À60mins All Ages $15

Public Service Announcement

79

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Red Apple Peeling Parcel 5 Fri., Sep. 19 6pm • Sat., Sep. 20 6pm À15mins All Ages FREE Enjoy a healthy complimentary snack and some food for thought.

Red. Round. Crisp. Delicious. Peeled.

Sliced. Put on a platter for you. An offering by the artist. Red Apple Peeling is a pop-up performance piece. An Ode to a Red Apple. Is it a metaphor, a cultural symbol, or simply what it is?

You decide. Will you take a bite? Performer and creator: Feliza Bascara-Zohar. www.felizabascara-zohar.com

Roc River Ride Genesee Valley Park: Genesee Waterways Center Sat., Sep. 13 10am • Sat., Sep. 13 10:15am • Sat., Sep. 13 10:30am • Sat., Sep. 13 10:45am • Sat., Sep. 13 11am • Sat., Sep. 13 11:15am • Sat., Sep. 13 11:30am À120mins 13+ $15 Celebrate the bicentennial of the Erie Canalway and explore Rochester’s history and natural beauty on a bicycle ride along the scenic Canalway and Genesee Riverway Trails. Roc River Ride will showcase local artists and storytellers. 10:00-10:45 start times will offer a route up to 10 miles; 11:00-11:30 start will be shorter route only. Riders 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Ride will begin and end at the Genesee Waterways Center at 149 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester. Rain date: Sep 20. www.facebook.com/events/950018616821252/ Rotary Club of Rochester-Southwest

Shootin’ Starz Fashion Showcase ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage

80

Sun., Sep. 14 5pm À120mins All Ages $20 Kids 1 And Under: FREE; Kids 12 And Under: $10; Seniors: $15 This fashion show serves as an end of year showcase for the 2025 Shootin' Starzz Model and Acting Program.

The theme this year is "4 Seasons 7 Days," showcasing how Upstate New York sometimes experiences all four seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter) in one week while highlighting the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual effects that these seasonal changes have on humanity. Come experience fashion that shifts your mood! We'll see you soon!

Shootin Starz Fashion Showcase

SPHERE by eVenti Verticali Parcel 5 Fri., Sep. 19 7pm • Fri., Sep. 19 9pm • Sat., Sep. 20 7pm • Sat., Sep. 20 9pm À30mins All Ages FREE SPHERE, a spectacle of and about our miraculous planet, will stun downtown Rochester! Italy’s eVenti Verticali has been mesmerizing audiences worldwide, from St. Petersburg to Ottawa, in more than 500 performances of mind-bending acrobatics choreographed in and around massive, luminous shapes and structures. In vertical, non-traditional arenas, eVenti Verticali has created its own visual language that unites elements from theatre, circus, acrobatics, dance, music and new technologies.

Spicy Tarot Salena's Wed., Sep. 10 7pm • Wed., Sep. 17 7pm À60mins MA FREE Spice up your night with an erotic tarot reading! Tarot readers Mace and Gene will provide erotic and romantic readings for singles, couples, throuples, foursomes, and moresomes. Bring your pals and polycules over to their table for sexy foresights, insights, and good views. Be nice and maybe they’ll be naughty. Readings are first come, first served.

Submergence Dawn's Spiegelgarden Throughout the Festival.À30mins All Ages Tickets $4 more info page 36 Submergence is a large, immersive walk-through experience of light by the UK's Squidsoup, artistic pioneer in the use of light, sound, and technology. Dynamic, three-dimensional movements create a swirling, sensory experience. The visions are ephemeral, liminal, akin to lucid dreams. The work presents itself as a cube of virtual presence and energy placed in our physical world; something other and beguiling, there but not. Please note: includes flash lighting.

Aerial Arts of Rochester: Aerial Arena

Trivia CITY: An Arts & Culture Quiz

Sun., Sep. 14 12pm • Thu., Sep. 18 8pm À90mins 5+ $20

Spiegelgarden

Immerse yourself in the ultimate fusion of the senses! This refreshing twist on traditional yoga provides an inviting atmosphere for relaxation and mindfulness at all levels. Participants are treated to gentle yoga flows

by Ambar, synthesizer soundscapes

by Ghost Pepper, and interactive visual projections by Noirflux. Please bring your own yoga mat.

Wed., Sep. 17 7:30pm À90mins 13+ FREE

www.instagram.com/synthflowyoga/

TRACES Spiegelgarden Sat., Sep. 13 4:00pm À30mins All Ages FREE The acclaimed Théâtre de L’Entrouvert will take Fringe spectators and a diverse cross section of the Rochester community on an unforgettable journey in this U.S. premiere tour. Ice puppeteer Elise Vigneron leads a spellbinding public conversation of sculpture, sound, and movement to tell a unique story of humanity in each location. Vigneron’s work has been featured in shows from the Seoul Performing Art Festival to the World Festival of Puppet Theatres in Charleville-Mézières, France.

{

Join journalists from CITY Magazine as they host an arts, culture, and all-things-Rochester trivia night!

Test your knowledge on topics ranging from the Midtown Monorail to the Burnt Over District to Cab Calloway and beyond! Score fun prizes, tickets, and maybe something from the lost-and-found, courtesy of the Fringe! Gather your team (up to a maximum of 6 players) in Dawn's Spiegelgarden for a quiz night under the sky. Not to be missed!

9/11 Memorial Concert Eastman School of Music: Kilbourn Hall Thu., Sep. 11 11am À75mins All Ages FREE The prestigious Eastman Horn Choir was founded in 1968 by Verne Reynolds, professor emeritus of horn at the Eastman School of Music, who served as its director until his retirement in 1995. From its inception, the choir's mission has been to provide an expanded ensemble experience for the horn students; to acquaint them with the breadth of quality repertoire within our musical culture; and to encourage contemporary composers to create original works for multiple horns. Directed by Peter Kurau.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Synthflow Yoga

}

You said you wanted to try new things.

Here’s your chance. Over 600 of them.

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

81

MUSIC

A Biscuit Brothers Slightly Crooked, Big-Hearted Salute to the Erie Canal Sat., Sep. 13 6pm • Sat., Sep. 20 2pm À60mins All Ages $15 The Erie Canal was all the new rage, way before California’s New Age! To celebrate its 200th anniversary, The Biscuit Brothers—Rochester’s time-travelin’ buskers—bring you a side-splitting, foot-stomping, hand-clapping original take on the Erie Canal! Prophets and phantoms.

Charlatans and scallywags. Sixty cents a day. Love songs with canal themes. A national landmark. All done with only one reference to Sal. All made possible with clawhammer banjo that doubles as time machine.

A Cappella Time: Eight Beat Measure & Surround Sound The Little: Theatre 1 Sat., Sep. 20 8:05pm À30mins All Ages FREE Join us for a memorable evening of music featuring two of RIT’s standout a cappella groups! Eight Beat Measure, RIT’s original a cappella ensemble with over 30 years of history, will showcase a wide-ranging repertoire spanning multiple genres.

Then, enjoy the rich harmonies of Surround Sound, RIT’s premier barbershop group, as they perform everything from barbershop classics to pop hits— and maybe even a Disney tune or two! rit.edu/cityartspace None

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

www.rit.edu/diversity/diversity-theater

School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre

www.facebook.com/groups/8289635607730641 The Biscuit Brothers

82

group known for its bold blend of rock, soul, and modern pop. Closing out the evening is Kaminari, RIT’s only Japanese a cappella group, performing a unique and exciting mix of songs from across Japanese music genres.

A Cappella Time: Encore, Vocal Accent & Kaminari

A Cappella Time: The Brick City Singers, Grace Note & Proof of Purchase The Little: Theatre 1 Sat., Sep. 13 2:35pm À30mins All Ages FREE Join us for a lively hour of a cappella music featuring three of RIT’s standout vocal groups! The always entertaining Brick City Singers, known for their signature Hawaiian shirts, will kick things off with a mix of classic pop hits. Then, enjoy smooth jazz selections from Grace Note, RIT’s newest a cappella ensemble. The show wraps up with Proof of Purchase, RIT’s original co-ed group, delivering high-energy, feel-good tunes that are sure to leave you smiling.

Allison’s Angry Girl Era and All the Stories Behind the Songs ROC Cinema Thu., Sep. 11 8pm À60mins MA $10 Teenage Allison had a lot of feelings.

And to no musician's surprise, the combined forces of stupid boys and untreated depression resulted in an entire album's worth of angry and sad songs, all targeted at the offender. Now in her thirties, Allison takes a musical walk down memory lane and shares the back story of the songs that have followed her for over half of her life. Is it a concert, a stand-up routine, a therapy session? Yes. www.facebook.com/AllisonEberhardtMusic

The Little: Theatre 1 Fri., Sep. 19 8:15pm À30mins All Ages FREE Experience the vibrant sounds of RIT’s a cappella scene as three dynamic groups take the stage!

First is Encore, RIT’s first soprano/ alto group, delivering everything from early 2000s hits to today’s pop favorites. Next up is Vocal Accent, another powerhouse soprano/alto

Your next obsession starts here.

GO BIG.

Calon Arang

The Little: Theatre 1

Sun., Sep. 14 11am • Sun., Sep. 14 2:30pm À60mins All Ages $20

Fri., Sep. 19 6:50pm À60mins All Ages FREE

Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent

Join Brian Tomaszewski for a highenergy show of acoustic music, global rhythms, and juggling—from Appalachian banjo and East African drums to Irish whistles and spinning clubs. Tomaszewki takes performance to new levels with his original, creative combinations of sounds, ideas, and technology. Drawing on 15+ years of world travels and storytelling, this one-of-a-kind Vaudeville experience blends culture, movement, and music into an unforgettable journey.

The story of Calon Arang is an ancient Balinese legend centered on the struggle of a community to overcome the dark magic of the powerful and fearsome Calon Arang.

It is a tale of the balance of cosmic powers that underpins the philosophy of Balinese society featuring vibrant music, dancing and an enigmatic cast of characters. Nusantara Arts perform electrifying highlights from their one-of-a-kind show with new music composed by master Balinese musician and guest Nusantara Arts performer Gusti Komin.

Bashiri Asad & Band

Charming Disaster’s Musical Oracle

briantomaszewskimusic.com/ff/

The Spirit Room: Conjure Box Mon., Sep. 15 5:15pm • Mon., Sep. 15 7pm • Tue., Sep. 16 5:15pm • Tue., Sep. 16 7pm À60mins MA $25 Acknowledging that each of us has a priceless gift that we must harness and share with the world, Bashiri Asad has come to define his sound as "IndySoul." He laughs. He cries.

He loves. He dreams. Just like you, everyday. He feels deeply, and turns his feelings into music.

Soul music. Music that says exactly how you feel, everyday.

Bashiri Asad is the “everyday soul singer, ” and he will remind you that feeling what you feel, in your soul, is just fine. www.bashiriasad.com Soul is his passion!

The Cabinet of Musical Curiosities

MUSIC

Banjos & Juggling: A World Vaudeville Adventure

School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre Fri., Sep. 19 8:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 7pm • Sat., Sep. 20 9pm À60mins 13+ $18 NYC goth-folk duo Charming Disaster return to the Rochester Fringe with an interactive concert where original songs inspired by myth, magic, monsters, and mortality are selected by chance by audience members who draw cards from the Charming Disaster Oracle Deck. This Tarot-style divination not only determines the set list, but also provides insight into the mysterious workings of destiny (and makes each performance unique). What does the future hold? Find out before it’s too late... charmingdisaster.com/rocfringe

Charming Disaster

The Spirit Room: Conjure Box

The Cabinet of Musical Curiosities is a unique experience featuring original and contemporary music performed using a variety of common, rare and down right odd instruments. Traditional Drums and Guitars are joined by Melodica, Banjo, Theremin and other instruments (just to name a few). Join the Cabinet Orchestra as they perform meditative, moving and irreverent pieces in unique arrangements using whatever they have found in the cabinet. Come and see what mysteries the cabinet holds...

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Mon., Sep. 15 8:15pm • Wed., Sep. 17 8pm À60mins All Ages $15

83

MUSIC

Cheesecake and Hot Chocolate: Coldwater Blues Songs Set to Poems by Martha Kelch CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater The Spirit Room: Conjure Box Tue., Sep. 9 5:30pm • Sat., Sep. 13 5:30pm À60mins 13+ FREE Bennie J sings original songs set to poems written by her late partner, Martha Kelch, who passed away in 2020 leaving behind a stack of poems a foot tall and very few other material things. The poems explore lost love, sex, religion and death—with a distinct voice and humor. Most of the songs will be about sex: “Cheesecake and hot chocolate that lull me to the bed; sweet visions of us naked are dancing in her head.” Come to the show to hear the rest of the story!

Fri., Sep. 19 8:30pm À90mins All Ages $15 Kids 12 and Under: FREE Coldwater Blues was brought together by a shared passion for blues and an eclectic collection of musical influences. The band, lead by Myriah Marsh Hall, pays homage to blues and blues rock legends - Aretha Franklin, Koko Tylor, Bonnie Raitt, Susan Tedeschi and the Allman Brothers to name just a few.

James Rappleye (guitar) Steve Walters (bass) Joe Mulrooney (keys) Pete Steltmann (drums) join Myriah with an energetic show that celebrates the blues. coldwaterblues.com Coldwater Blues

marthakelchpoetry.com

Classical Guitar and Renaissance Lute The Rose Room Fri., Sep. 19 7pm À60mins All Ages $15 This program is a culmination of guitarist and lutenist Kenneth Kam’s love for plucked string instruments music, in which he dives into music on the lute and the classical guitar and takes the listener back in time to the Renaissance (1400-1600) and Baroque period (1600-1750).

Kenneth will also feature Brazilian samba and bossa nova music that capture the essential passion of guitar.

Culture Crescendo The Little: Theatre 1 Sat., Sep. 20 1:20pm À45mins All Ages FREE Pianist Angela Nkugwa and violinist Christopher Holmes have joined their extensive musical backgrounds to showcase the unique sounds created when cultures blend! An inspirational show of artistry and musicianship, Angela and Chris have curated a performance that encompasses a range of genres that all music lovers can enjoy. These talented musicians demonstrate the power of appreciating the beauty of our differences, and manifest the elegance of refined talent and creative thought.

kennethkam.wordpress.com/

Cobbs Hill Consort ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

The Spirit Room: Conjure Box

84

Wed., Sep. 10 5:30pm À60mins All Ages FREE The Cobbs Hill Consort is a unique Rochester acoustic ensemble featuring Native American flute, supported by the living sounds of harp, guitar, drums and percussion, returning to the Fringe for an 11th year. The music is soothing, emotive, and transporting. Dr. Jefferson Svengsouk (Native American flute, Instagram: @sonolucent) and Sandy Gianniny (harp) are both team members of UR Medicine Palliative Care. Phillip Marshall (guitar), Rochester Regional Hospice. Steve Imburgia (percussion). cobbshillconsort.com

Cupid’s Boomerang The Spirit Room: Bar Room Sat., Sep. 20 9pm À60mins 16+ $15 Cupids Boomerang was born in the spring of 2023, a combination of two of Rochester's best original music bands, Anonymous Willpower and Centenary Road. The result is a driving Alternative Rock band with soulful, sonic vocal melodies, guitars, and keyboards that take you from hypnotic breakdowns to all out overdrive, with a rhythm section that will make your heart skip a beat.

Bop Shop Records

Eastman Percussion Ensemble Eastman School of Music: Sproull Atrium at Miller Center

Sun., Sep. 14 8pm À60mins All Ages $20

Fri., Sep. 12 6:30pm À75mins All Ages FREE

What happens when the 13-member Dave Rivello Ensemble plugs in?

DRE I RED! Sharp angles contrasted with smooth textures and combined with dynamic solos make for an evening of continuous color. This is an extension of the Dave Rivello Ensemble, and continues to be Dave Rivello's vehicle for his original work, and his main orchestral voice. From the beginning, this ensemble has blurred lines, and crossed genres—come get lost in DRE|RED!

The Eastman Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Michael Burritt, is a two-time winner of the Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competition, performing internationally in 2013 and 2017. The ensemble has commissioned and premiered works by Alejandro Vinao and John Psathas, and this year will be giving the world premiere of works by Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and composer Billy Childs as well as the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Joseph Schwantner.

www.daverivello.com

MUSIC

DRE | RED

Dresnack and Friends, Greatest Eastman Wind Ensemble Hits from the First and Last Decade Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre The Little: Theatre 1 Sat., Sep. 13 5:30pm À75mins 18+ FREE Original roots-and rootlessAmericana songs (and perhaps some covers) from one of the greatest guitarist/singer/songwriters in the history of his own mind. Inspired by life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and other ideals and ideas, influenced by Neil, Bob, TP, British Invasion, '50s-'70s, pop, rock, blues, reds, whites, and greens.

Guests on violin, bass, and vocals may join as well. Songs about love, hate, anger, fate, frustration, elation, and hope, to make you appreciate your own life. www.facebook.com/BillDresnackmusic Three Sisters Bakery

Dust Bowl Faeries Photo City Music Hall

Dust Bowl Faeries, accordion-driven dark carnival music: a carnival of beguiling delights, ready to whirl you around the dance floor of your mind. Dust Bowl Faeries perform a dark faerie-tale of freak folk music infused with spellbinding projections and a dose of woodland magic. The band draws inspiration from circus songs, murder ballads and Eastern European folk music. Singing saw, accordion, percussion and guitars combine to create the Dust Bowl Faeries otherworldly sound. Dancing! Costumes! www.dustbowlfaeries.com/ Dust Bowl Faeries

The Eastman Wind Ensemble (EWE) is America’s first and leading wind ensemble. Its core of about 50 performers includes undergraduate and graduate students from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. Since its founding, the EWE has been at the forefront of promoting and expanding the wind repertory and elevating performance standards through commissioning, professional recordings, and touring.

Eastman Wind Orchestra Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre Wed., Sep. 17 7:30pm À75mins All Ages FREE The Eastman Wind Orchestra (EWO) includes first- and secondyear woodwind, brass, and percussion students at the Eastman School of Music and is the first component of the large ensemble rotation system. The EWO actively participates in commissioning new works and world premieres, regularly performs with community and public school ensembles throughout the Rochester region, and has been a feature ensemble at the New York State Band Directors Association Conference in Syracuse.

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Sat., Sep. 13 8:30pm À90mins 18+ $15

Mon., Sep. 15 7:30pm À75mins All Ages FREE

85

MUSIC

The Emmett Hughes Band Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent

Sat., Sep. 13 4:30pm À60mins All Ages FREE

The Emmett Hughes Band is an original indie rock group from Long Island. We incorporate indie rock, reggae, ska, funk, and blues. The grooves are inspiring, the lyrics are deeply personal and accessible, and the melodies are catchy. We are multi-dimensional, switching styles and rhythms with ease. Our band mates are a tight knit group with many years of experience performing mostly in the northeastern United States as well as the UK.

Experience the magic of live music in Rochester’s only old-growth forest. Forest Music features a series of instrumental performances along the trails of Washington Grove, creating an immersive soundscape that encourages exploration and reflection. This free event supports Friends of Washington Grove through optional donations and community engagement. friendsofwashingtongrove.org

The Emmett Hughes Band

Faculty Artist Series: Justin Benavidez - Tuba Eastman School of Music: Kilbourn Hall Sun., Sep. 14 6:30pm À75mins All Ages FREE Hailed as "a true virtuoso of his instrument" by Fanfare magazine, Justin Benavidez joined the faculty of the Eastman School of Music as associate professor of tuba and euphonium in 2023. He is principal tuba of the Syracuse Orchestra and spends his summers on faculty at the Round Top Music Festival in Round Top, Texas, and as principal tuba of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, Calif.

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Washington Grove

Sat., Sep. 13 4pm À60mins All Ages $25

ehughesmusic.com

86

Forest Music

Funkyard Brass Band Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent Wed., Sep. 10 4pm • Thu., Sep. 11 5:15pm À60mins All Ages $20 Whether rocking out to familiar tunes at your favorite bar or bringing the fire to a New Orleans-style second line, the Funkyard Brass Band is looking to bring the fun .. and the funk! Blending traditional sounds with new pop hits, all in pursuit of a good time. Their energetic and family-friendly Mardi Gras flair can make everyone smile. Grab a seat, or better yet, your dancing shoes, and let the good times roll! funkyardbrassband.wixsite.com/funkyardbrassband

The GateSwingers Big Band

The Fiddle Witch

CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater

The Spirit Room: Conjure Box

Tue., Sep. 16 6:30pm À60mins 21+ $15

Tue., Sep. 16 8pm • Thu., Sep. 18 8pm À60mins 13+ $20 The Fiddle Witch enchants audiences with music from the Nordic forests on the nyckelharpa, the Scandinavian keyed fiddle. She weaves instrumental folk music from Sweden, Norway, and Finland in a performance that is sure to transport you to a mystical forest. This year, Luminous Shade will be joining the Fiddle Witch in a spellbinding performance with traditional Nordic instruments and magical ambient soundscapes. alyssafiddle.com

The GateSwingers Big Band plays the classics and fresh arrangements that engage audiences and keep them energized! From Sinatra to Bublé and from bar rooms to ballrooms, the band connects with audiences of all ages to keep them singing and swinging. Look for great jazz standards like Almost Like Being in Love, Ain't That a Kick in the Head and Mambo theGateSwingers.com Italiano!

Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor

The Heroic Enthusiasts A Synthonic Illumination

Sat., Sep. 13 7pm À60mins All Ages $20

Memorial Art Gallery: M&T Bank Ballroom

Welcome to Glitch Video Game Band! Glitch is a high-energy band with members from Rochester and Buffalo that brings video game soundtracks to life with rocking, nostalgia-packed covers. From Nintendo to PlayStation classics, their performances hit every level.

With two albums, including their latest Bug Bytes on Spotify, Glitch blends retro vibes with modern edge.

Fri., Sep. 12 7pm À60mins 13+ $20 Get ready for a sonic journey that will leave you buzzing! International recording artists The Heroic Enthusiasts are set to electrify Fringe with their dynamic, genre-bending sound.

These captivating musicians masterfully blend cinematic synth-pop and electronica-infused anthems, all powered by soaring vocals, driving rhythms, and guitars that glisten with crystalline elegance.

The Heroic Enthusiasts promise an enthusiastic, inspiring, and unforgettable performance to get you moving.

Glitch

Gospel Sunday Spiegeltent Sun., Sep. 14 1pm À90mins All Ages FREE The most soulful, spiritual, uplifting experience at Fringe returns. Sing, Sunday, SING. Reverend Rickey Harvey of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church leads an afternoon of sacred song by some of Rochester's best gospel artists. A Fringe favorite for the whole family! No tickets required.

Seating is general admission and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Lawn chairs allowed. Arrive early; this event has reached standing room only capacity every year!

Hank Roberts Trio Bop Shop Records Tue., Sep. 16 8pm À60mins All Ages $20

The Bop Shop

linktr.ee/TheHeroicEnthusiasts

Ian Campbell ROC Cinema Fri., Sep. 12 7:30pm À60mins All Ages $15 Singer-songwriter Ian Campbell hits the stage solo—but this isn’t your typical unplugged set. With his voice, guitar, and a loop pedal, Ian builds his songs live, layering gritty rhythms and raw emotion into a fullband sound that’s as compelling as it is unpredictable. Drawing from his new album, My Own Way, this set moves from high energy loops to moments that will pull you into a show that’s raw, real, and impossible to ignore. This is roots rock, built from the ground up. officialiancampbell.com

Infrared Radiation Orchestra JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage Wed., Sep. 10 7pm À120mins All Ages $10 Kids 1 And Under: FREE The Infrared Radiation Orchestra is a psychedelic four-piece band based in New York. This rock band tests the psychedelic limits of their instruments at every show, taking you back in time to the late '60s and early '70s, when rock 'n' roll was raw and feral.

This group is high energy, fast paced and never takes breaks!

You won't want to miss this psychedelic theater! www.instagram.com/infraredradiationorchestra/ Self

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Born in Terre Haute, Ind., Roberts first made his name in the 1980s legendary New York downtown scene alongside such frequent collaborators as Bill Frisell, Tim Berne, Marc Ribot and John Zorn, and found a second home at the famed Knitting Factory. Currently a member of Bill Frisell’s group, Harmony, Roberts has been a regular touring partner and recording artist on many of the celebrated guitarist’s projects since 1985, and was featured on Frisell's Grammy award winning recording, Unspeakable.

MUSIC

Glitch Video Game Band

87

MUSIC

Jim Rezac/Singer-Songwriter Rochester Music Hall of Fame Fri., Sep. 12 7:30pm À60mins All Ages $15 Delaware's Indy-garage singer songwriter Jim Rezac returns to the Fringe after a year full of recordings and events including performing at Rochester's Music Hall of Fame. His style is compared to a range from Isbell to Orbison. Rezac says his songs leave enough holes for the listener to make a story their own while relating to what unfolds in the singer's world. Then.... there's the Dog Song.

A must see, live! Jim enjoys playing this very type of show and hopes to see you! www.jimrezac.com

Johnny Dowd The Spirit Room: Conjure Box Thu., Sep. 11 5:30pm • Fri., Sep. 12 5:30pm • Wed., Sep. 17 5:30pm • Thu., Sep. 18 5:15pm À60mins 21+ $15

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Bop Shop Records Mon., Sep. 15 8pm À60mins All Ages $20 Cornetist Kirk Knuffke blends emotional depth with avant-garde flair, leading 20+ albums and collaborating with top artists like Cécile McLorin Salvant and Mary Halvorson. Pianist Harold Danko, a jazz veteran of 50+ years, has performed with legends, from Chet Baker to Gerry Mulligan. Trombonist Ray Anderson brings vibrant creativity to jazz, fusing swing, funk, and free jazz while honoring the instrument’s soulful tradition. Three masters, one unforgettable experience.

L’homme Désarmé (The Disarmed Man) The Spirit Room: Conjure Box Tue., Sep. 9 7pm • Tue., Sep. 9 8pm À60mins 16+ $14

“Check this guy out if you dare.” So ran the last line of a profile titled “Johnny Dowd Slithers Onto Music Scene” back in 1999. That gives you a pretty decent idea of how Johnny Dowd’s music works—“slither” and “dare” being the key words. Johnny does both. In the traditions of Waits or Bukowski, he slithers into places most of us don’t imagine or see. They might be back alleys, back porches, or just a bar down the street, but wherever he goes he dares to sing out what he sees.

SYNAMBIENT, the duo of composers James Tabbi and Gerry Szymanski, interprets the medieval song L'homme armé through ambient soundscapes that blend electronics and prepared acoustic instruments to create L'homme Désarmé (the Disarmed Man). This sonic meditation confronts the enduring specter of armed conflict, from historical echoes to contemporary crises. A poignant reflection on resistance and the urgent need for peace in a world still shadowed by the linktr.ee/Synambient armed man.

Katie Haverly Live

LadySpectra

www.johnnydowd.com

88

Kirk Knuffke, Ray Anderson, Harold Danko

Memorial Art Gallery: M&T Bank Ballroom

Photo City Music Hall: Front Stage

Sat., Sep. 13 3pm À60mins 13+ $20

Sat., Sep. 13 5:15pm À45mins 18+ FREE

Katie Haverly is a singer-songwriter “alt-rock polymath” who creates a joyous mesh of soulful pop, jazz, folk, and rock in her intimate performances.

Her music pierces the veil between 1960s-70s Laurel Canyon ingenuity and modern-day indie magic with a “spectacularly effortless-sounding voice that reaches all over the scale & explores all manner of sound.” —Metroland. Haverly has opened for Macy Gray, Loudon Wainwright III and Chris Isaak, and is working on her www.katiehaverly.com 10th album here in Rochester.

Lady Spectra is an enigmatic independent musician known for her retro-futuristic style. She creates music that blends '80s synthpop and synthwave with elements of disco. Her goal is to produce music that resonates with people's souls, combining influences from the past with a vision for the future. Lady Spectra is familiar yet new and fresh with her image and sounds. Glamour, bold style and glitter! open.spotify.com/artist/6aRGI6nYwOAz1trjbiWnqe

The Rose Room Fri., Sep. 12 5:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 4:30pm À60mins 13+ $16 Join soprano Sophia Mostafa in Le Chat Noir, a cabaret nightclub popup (on a budget-- we've seen the arts funding this year). Experience the lush voice that serenades and entertains with Puccini, Satie, Bolcom, and more. Art songs and arias from the Americas, Spain, Italy, and France in a fun and dynamic program as she shares songs and life with the audience. www.youtube.com/@vvarholhbbty

Mark Watters: A Life in Music

Millo Photo City Music Hall Sat., Sep. 13 2:30pm À60mins 18+ $10 Rochester's own Millo (MY-low) explores spaces other bands avoid.

Originally JD Laird’s bedroom project, it now includes Dan Booth, Nicholas Cerbone, and Lee Sortore, blending shoegaze with synthetic textures. Their music is the soundtrack to liminal moments: latenight drives, deserted malls, the hum between FM stations.

Built on reverb-soaked guitars and ethereal synths, and currently recording their debut studio album set to release later this year—see them now, before the world catches on. milloband.com Indipendent

Eastman School of Music: Kilbourn Hall

MUSICAL MYSTERIES

Tue., Sep. 9 7:30pm À75mins All Ages FREE

The Little: Theatre 1

Mark Watters is a six-time Emmy Award-winning composer and conductor whose diverse career spans 400 television episodes, feature films, DVDs and video games. Mark holds the distinction of serving as music director for two Olympics ('96 & '02) and in 2002, Mark was asked by John Williams to co-conduct the Academy Awards. Mark is the director of the Beal Institute for Film Music and Contemporary Media, named after Eastman alum and Emmy-winning composer Jeff Beal.

Mid-Century Modern Jazz Quartet The Little: Theatre 1 Fri., Sep. 12 5pm À60mins All Ages FREE

mcmjq.com

Fri., Sep. 19 5pm À60mins All Ages FREE With fiddle, sarangi, and a mechanical violin invented in the Middle Ages, Howie Lester, three time winner at the International Folk Music Film Festival, explores the mystery of music. Song and story from around the world!

Does music soothe the savage beast?

Cure spider bites? Music of trees? Of the stars? If the key of "G" is the people's key, what is the key of the bourgeoisie? Who broke the lock on the hen house door?

Find the answers! Transcend the mundane! Be refreshed and enlightened!

HOWARD LESTER

Mystic Circus Photo City Music Hall Sat., Sep. 13 1pm À60mins 18+ $10 Mystic Circus delivers an electrifying blend of modern country and classic rock with powerhouse vocals, tight harmonies, and driving grooves.

Comprising experienced musicians with decades of performance experience, the band brings high energy, heart, and authenticity to every show. Their crowd-pleasing set keeps audiences moving and singing all night. www.mystic-circus.com Mystic Circus

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

The Mid-Century Modern Jazz Quartet plays straight-ahead jazz from the period known in design circles as mid-century modern, roughly the 1940s through '60s. The MCMJQ features Al Biles on trumpet and flugel, Chuck Dye on 7-string guitar, Bruce Goldman on upright bass, and Steve Gates on drums. Their repertoire includes Miles, Monk, Gershwin, Golson, Porter, Shorter, Silver, Rollins, Jobim, and Ellington. They’ve played together in various groups for years, but this quartet is special!

MUSIC

Le Chat Noir

89

MUSIC

New Horizons Jazz Ensemble

Really Rosie

CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater

JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage

Sat., Sep. 13 4:30pm À60mins 13+ $20

Fri., Sep. 19 5:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 12pm À60mins All Ages $10

The New Horizons Jazz Ensemble, founded and directed by music teacher, bandleader, and percussionist, Don Sherman, is a dynamic and energetic group of 17 musicians.

The Ensemble plays a variety of jazz styles including Dixieland, Blues, Swing, Latin, Rock, Funk, AfroCuban, Pop and Contemporary big band arrangements. Also featured are novelty numbers that encourage audience participation. No doubt, you’ll enjoy the energy and entertaining variety of Don Sherman's New Horizons Jazz Ensemble.

Papa Muse Photo City Music Hall: Front Stage Sat., Sep. 13 7:45pm • Sat., Sep. 13 10pm À30mins 18+ FREE Papa Muse delivers clever and catchy original songs with uplifting messages as well as deep covers. The Ithaca-based artist blends danceable world rhythms with funk, blues, and progressive rock, creating a unique and dynamic sound. A Papa Muse performance is an uplifting experience that will earn your respect and fandom. "A fun upbeat vibe."—Flour City Station, Rochester. "Sounded fantastic and made an impact!"

—Abilene, Rochester.

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

PapaMuse.com

90

Carole King’s beloved Really Rosie is 50 this year! The 1975 collaboration between Carole King and Maurice Sendak is brought to life here in Rochester by local musicians and children of the Submarine School of Music. Starring local legend Cammy Enaharo as Rosie and directed by Katie Morey, both members of the the Rochester music scene and lifelong fans of this classic made for TV cartoon musical. Join Enaharo and the Nutshell Kids in this musical tribute for all ages! thesubmarineschoolofmusic.com

Ricky Ford Quartet Bop Shop Records Fri., Sep. 19 8pm À60mins All Ages $30 Tenor saxophonist Ricky Ford studied at the New England Conservatory with Gunther Schuller and Ran Blake. While still in his early 20s, he toured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (under Mercer Ellington's leadership) and Charles Mingus. By the 1980s, he was considered one of the leading tenor saxophonists of his generation. He worked with Dannie Richmond's Quintet, Lionel Hampton, Mal Waldron, Beaver Harris and Abdullah Ibrahim’s Ekaya, and also on more than a dozen albums as a leader.

Philadelphia Freedom: A Tribute to Elton John

RITPO - Chamber Music Showcase

The Hochstein School: Hochstein Performance Hall

The Little: Theatre 1

Fri., Sep. 19 8:05pm • Sat., Sep. 20 8:05pm À145mins All Ages $25

Sat., Sep. 20 5:30pm À45mins All Ages FREE

Experience the magic of Elton John like never before with Philadelphia Freedom: A Tribute to Elton John—a youthful, high-energy tribute that’s as fun as it is unforgettable! Led by a dynamic band of next-generation performers, PF delivers a show bursting with vibrant style and soaring harmonies. Whether you're a lifelong fan, or discovering Elton's magic for the first time, this show invites everyone to sing, dance, and celebrate all night long with the music that unites generations. www.philadelphiafreedomtribute.com

The young talents at the RIT Philharmonic Orchestra will showcase chamber music works of various instrumentation, including string quartet, woodwind quintet, and brass trios. They will highlight works from both standard repertoire and contemporary arrangements, including folk music, movie tunes, video games and other contemporary compositions. Come enjoy a unique musical experience. www.rit.edu/performingarts/rit-philharmonic-orchestra Rochester Institute of Technology

Scoulive

CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater

Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent

Sat., Sep. 13 6:30pm À60mins All Ages $12 Kids 1 And Under: FREE

Thu., Sep. 11 7pm • Fri., Sep. 12 7pm À60mins 18+ $20

Celebrating their 25th year, the young musicians of East Rochester’s Róisín Dubh continue to bring their unique style of high-energy Irish music to the Rochester Fringe Festival and to audiences in western New York and beyond. Heard on NPR’s famous Thistle & Shamrock, Róisín Dubh has performed nearly 500 times, released five albums and shared the stage with some of the top Irish musicians from our region and the world. www.blackrosetrad.org Róisín Dubh

RPO Performs “HQ” Eastman School of Music Hatch Recital Hall Fri., Sep. 12 7:30pm À60mins All Ages FREE Experience an unforgettable evening as actors and your Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra present an intimate reading of HQ, a powerful new symphonic monodrama by awardwinning composer David Hertzberg.

HQ explores the life and death of America’s premiere picture-man, George Eastman, blending music and drama in a hauntingly vivid and utterly unique performance.

RPO Pop-Up Performances Parcel 5

Experience the unexpected as your favorite Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra musicians pop up near Parcel 5 to deliver spontaneous, impromptu performances that transform the everyday into something magical. Keep your ears open—at any moment, the city's familiar rhythm could shift as live music fills the air, turning ordinary moments into unforgettable ones.

linktr.ee/scoulive

Sex, Violence, and Death: A Short History of Early Race Recordings The Spirit Room: Conjure Box Fri., Sep. 19 5:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 8:15pm À60mins 18+ $15 In 1920, Perry Bradford persuaded Okeh Records to record Mamie Smith singing his composition Crazy Blues, spawning the era of race records. Reverend Kingfish dives into the raw underbelly of early 20th-century music made by Black artists for black audiences. From bawdy blues and murder ballads to double-entendre-laced hokum, you will be guided through the voices that captured the pain, pleasure, and peril of life in a segregated America. This is history with grit, groove, The Spirit Room and guts.

Silver Rein: A Goth-Folk Music Experience The Spirit Room: Conjure Box Thu., Sep. 11 8:15pm • Fri., Sep. 12 7pm À60mins 16+ $15 The siren song is calling you overboard.

Feel yourself being swept away by the story of your heart in the sea of your imagination. Ithaca-based songwriter and composer Silver Rein explores sounds of isolation, belonging, and life and death against landscapes of an old yet familiar world. Electric cello meets soft-to-soaring operatic vocals in this powerful goth folk music experience. Described as “other-worldly,” “Celtic-Viking epic,” and “transcendent,” Silver Rein casts spells of the ages.

silverreinmusic.com Silver Rein Music

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Fri., Sep. 19 5:45pm • Fri., Sep. 19 6pm • Fri., Sep. 19 6:15pm • Sat., Sep. 20 5:45pm • Sat., Sep. 20 6pm • Sat., Sep. 20 6:15pm À15mins All Ages FREE

Whether you're a long-time fan of John Scofield and Soulive or new to the scene, this tribute offers an experience that resonates with the soulful energy of jazz and the infectious rhythms of funk. Prepare to be enthralled by Scoulive, where homage meets innovation in a thrilling fusion of jazz and funk!

MUSIC

Róisín Dubh

91

MUSIC

Sinatra—All the WayJava's Cafe

Songs for Every Age, All at the Same Time

Are you ready to go “All the Way” with Frank Sinatra. Come and hear timeless classics that were sung by the ultimate timeless crooner. Daniel Henry gives tribute to the man and his music. This is guaranteed to be a memorable evening with the best music ever written, songs from the great American songbook, where you just might be compelled to sing along or dhlentertainment1@gmail.com even get up and dance.

The Hochstein School: Hilda D Taylor Recital Hall

Wed., Sep. 10 7pm • Fri., Sep. 12 7pm • Fri., Sep. 19 7pm À60mins All Ages FREE

Somnia in Musica

Wed., Sep. 10 7:35pm À60mins 21+ $5 Join award-winning songwriter Paul Vincent Nunes—aka Vincent Nunes, P.V. Nunes, and The Occasional Saints—for an intimate and interactive show blending wit, warmth, and unforgettable original songs. From playful, award-winning children’s tunes to soulful, grown-up reflections on love, aging, and hope, Paul takes you behind the scenes of his diverse songwriting life. It’s part concert, part confessional, all true and all at the same time.

Lighthouse Records

The Spirit Room: Bar Room Mon., Sep. 15 5:30pm • Tue., Sep. 16 5:30pm À60mins All Ages $15 Somnia, or “dream shapes” in Roman mythology, were thought to be the thousand sons of Somnus, the god of sleep. Where do we go when we dream? What happens when the light inside our mind clicks off until our next daily cycle? Questions like these ignite the imaginations of artists, and this program of solo guitar will give form to some of these dream-shapes from the minds of Britten, Dowland, Tedesco, and include the world premier of a new suite by guitarist Tom Torrisi.

Songs by David Temperley

SOTA Cabaret School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre Sat., Sep. 13 4pm À60mins All Ages $10 Come enjoy an afternoon of song, performed by students from School of the Arts of the Rochester City School District. High school students selected for their talent and skill will be performing a vocal cabaret as part of the Rochester Fringe Festival. Pop, rock, musical theatre, and everything in between. These naturally gifted students will blow your socks off! sotarochester.org School of the Arts - Vocal Dept.

Eastman School of Music: Sproull Atrium at Miller Center

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Thu., Sep. 11 6:30pm À75mins All Ages $10 Temperley is a professor of music theory at Eastman School of Music, but in his spare time he has written over 100 songs. The style is a unique blend of rock, classical, and cabaret, with engaging melodies, witty and touching lyrics, and intricate piano accompaniments. The songs will be sung by three talented local singers—Lauren Gibson, Konstantina Gotouhidis, and Erin Teasdale—with Temperley at the piano. davidtemperley.com

Swing Era Live CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater Wed., Sep. 10 6:30pm À60mins All Ages $20 Kids 1 And Under: FREE; Kids 12 And Under: $10; Seniors: $10; Students (w/ ID): $15; Veterans: $10 The Fabulous Music Makers Band, western New York's premier classic swing orchestra, will be bringing wonderful music and the elegant atmosphere of a bygone era to the Rochester Fringe Festival. The Music Makers band will feature Angie Bemus and George Conte on vocals along with some of western New York's finest musicians. Come jump into the time capsule and enjoy Swing Era Live. www.themusicmakersband.com Music Makers Band

92

School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre Sat., Sep. 13 8pm À60mins All Ages $10 Main Street Players, founded by Terry Fyke, is a Rochester-based premier show choir featuring exceptional talent from high school through adults.

Known for dazzling vocals, vibrant energy, and dynamic choreography, this high-powered showcase features unforgettable numbers from Broadway favorites like Anastasia, Shrek, Alice in Wonderland, and more.

A Rochester Fringe Festival favorite since 2019, this showcase is a must-see celebration of Broadway’s best. www.tfsdartsmsp.com Terry Fyke's Main Street Players

Tiger Steel Steelband Ensemble The Little: Theatre 1 Sat., Sep. 20 2:45pm À60mins All Ages FREE Discover the vibrant energy of Tiger Steel playing on authentic steel drums. As students at RIT pursue their advanced studies, many continue to be performing artists, dancers, actors, and musicians, celebrating the full community of arts and sciences. From pulsating calypsos to American pop music, you’ll enjoy a musical journey as Tiger Steel shares their passion for this unique musical tradition.

Tiger Steel

We are WADAIKO, 和大虎, Rochester's one and only taiko group from Rochester Institute of Technology.

We are a performing arts group that specializes in the art of Japanese drumming. Our mission is to share the art of taiko and raise interest in both Japanese culture and music through traditional drumming shows. Most songs performed are passed on through oral tradition, while some are more modern or contemporary pieces, taught to WADAIKO by professionals or other groups.

MUSIC

Terry Fyke’s Main Street Players WADAIKO Performance Five Point Performance Company The Little: Theatre 1 Showcase Sat., Sep. 20 7pm À45mins All Ages FREE

campusgroups.rit.edu/wdk/home/

Wasted Girl The Spirit Room: Conjure Box Fri., Sep. 12 9:15pm • Sat., Sep. 13 8:15pm • Sat., Sep. 13 9:15pm • Sun., Sep. 14 10:15pm À60mins 13+ $15 Singer, songwriter, poetess, and cabaret resurrectioness Artemisia LeFay is BACK at the Spirit Room (and back to her spectral shenanigans) with a widely acclaimed dark kabarett show of all original works, Wasted Girl. Named after her in-the-works debut album (and the song that started it all). Pianist Renee Guerrero and Fraulein LeFay will lead the audience through a meandering melange of melodies borne of her twisted imagination and strange and true stories of inspiration. http://artemisialefay.com Artemisia LeFay

Vocal Point with the YellowJackets CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater

Come join the University of Rochester’s Vocal Point and the YellowJackets for a night of fun a cappella music. Vocal Point is the University of Rochester’s historically female, gender inclusive, a cappella group est. in 1969, and the YellowJackets are the UofR’s all male a cappella group est. in 1956. They perform a range of music including pop, rock, and classic favorites! They are so excited to be performing again at Fringe this year, join them at CenterStage Theatre at the JCC. www.urvocalpoint.com

Unforgettable nights.

OFF WE GO.

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Fri., Sep. 19 6:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 7pm À60mins All Ages $15

93

MUSIC SPOKEN WORD ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

94

The World is Waiting for the Sunrise: A Sing-along with Maggie Paxson George Eastman Museum: Dryden Theatre Thu., Sep. 11 6pm À60mins All Ages $15 Kids 12 And Under: FREE; Students (w/ ID): $5; Join us for a singalong concert with Maggie Paxson. She will transport us back in time, to George Eastman’s era, singing popular songs like Over the Rainbow and Let’s Fall in Love. Attendees are encouraged to bring their singing voices! Maggie is the creator of Bomb Shelter Cafes—sing-along events inspired by the collective music of embattled communities. Bomb Shelter Cafes provide opportunities for people to raise their voices in troubled times and make a moment of unity in a divided world.

Hillbilly

The Sights and Sounds District Austin Steward Plaza Fri., Sep. 12 5pm • Sat., Sep. 13 5pm • Fri., Sep. 19 5pm • Sat., Sep. 20 5pm À30mins 13+ $20 Experience a uniquely historical area in Rochester, from the spot where it happened. Join Matt Rogers of the Lost Borough for a special encounter of hidden history. Using wireless headphones available on site, audience members will experience Olde Rochesterville to present day—with stories of vice, curiosities, justice, success, failure, and a river flowing north. It is recommended to bring a chair or blanket as this episode is best witnessed seated. www.thelostborough.com The Lost Borough

Signatures Art & Literary Magazine The Little: Theatre 1

The Spirit Room: Conjure Box

Sat., Sep. 13 1:20pm À60mins All Ages FREE

Wed., Sep. 10 7pm • Sat., Sep. 20 5:30pm À60mins 18+ $15

Signatures Art & Literary Magazine authors will be reading excerpts from the 40th issue. These creative writing pieces cover a range of topics, including but not limited to powerful poetry and fantastical short stories. Signatures is an awardwinning, student-run publication featuring writers and artists from the collective student body of the Rochester Institute of Technology. We'll also host an open mic event for aspiring poets to share their work!

Appalachian stories, poems and songs of survival from National Endowment for the Arts-award winning poet Jacob Rakovan. As a survivor of Appalachia's OxyContin and heroin epidemics, Rakovan will talk about survivor's guilt, poverty, elegy and the reality of the Appalachian diaspora. He may mention a deep and abiding loathing for J. D. Vance. He will definitely play some banjo.

Poetry of Tarot: A Reading Inspired by Tarot Images The Little: Theatre 1 Fri., Sep. 12 6:30pm À60mins All Ages FREE Tarot cards have long been used for fortune-telling and self-reflection, both of which converge in the art of storytelling. This show explores the rich and meaningful symbolism of tarot as a spark for poetry, collaborative storytelling, and fostering human connection, inviting audiences to reflect and create more magic in their own lives. What do the cards have for you?

www.rit.edu/liberalarts/signatures

Spooky Stories in the Stacks Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall Thu., Sep. 18 7:30pm À90mins 13+ FREE Join the staff of the Central Library for an after-hours tour of the Rundel Memorial Building. For 90 minutes, you'll explore the maze of closed basement stacks and see the beautiful main floor from a staff perspective.

Along the way, we hope you get to meet some of the building's more secretive residents—who make themselves known after dark only. Spooky Stories in the Stacks is free and open to the public. The event is limited to 80 people, first come-first served. calendar.libraryweb.org/calendar/Central/SpookyStories2025

CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater Thu., Sep. 11 8pm • Fri., Sep. 12 8pm • Sat., Sep. 13 8pm • Sun., Sep. 14 4:30pm À60mins 13+ $20 Kids 1 And Under: FREE

Aggy Dune: unplugged, uncensored and unhinged JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage Fri., Sep. 12 8:30pm • Wed., Sep. 17 7:30pm À60mins 16+ $25

Humor, horror, & suspense! A family man robs a thief of a ton of money in this dazzling story set to a propulsive soundtrack. Like the love child of Breaking Bad and Fargo, this is an edge-of-your-seat thriller! Recent work: The Stakeout, Long Night of the American Dream, and Delirium. “A tour de force…Essential fringe viewing.”— Orlando Weekly. “Will keep you hanging on every word!”— Orlando Sentinel. “Storytelling at its finest. Dockery’s a master of the trade.”—City Magazine, Rochester.

One queen. No filter. Total chaos.

Step into the wild world of Aggy Dune—unleashed, unfiltered, and absolutely unhinged. This Fringe Festival exclusive peels back the lashes to reveal a sharp-tongued, side-splitting night of stories, shade, and sheer audacity. Expect bold opinions, big laughs, and the kind of outrageous honesty only a true queen can deliver. No rules. No limits. Just Aggy—raw, real, and ready to slay.

A Middle Earth Press Conference

AI Theatre Experiment

School of the Arts: Club SOTA

School of the Arts: Club SOTA

Fri., Sep. 12 7:30pm • Sun., Sep. 14 3:30pm • Fri., Sep. 19 7pm À45mins 13+ $16

Fri., Sep. 12 6pm • Sat., Sep. 13 3:30pm À50mins 13+ FREE

Make Mordor Great Again! In the wake of the War of the Ring, Sauron’s newly-appointed press secretary is here to answer your burning questions about The All Seeing Eye’s fresh vision for Middle Earth. (What, did you think some jewelry could keep a Dark Lord down?) A new, interactive comedy from writer and director Brad Craddock, author of the sellout Fringe shows An Afternoon Seance, The Elites, Something Wicked, The Fighting Girls’ Guide to Politics, and Learning Targets.

Can you tell the difference between human writing and AI? Join a theatre experiment that puts you to the test!

The audience will be presented with three short staged readings, based on the same prompt. The twist? Two of the plays are written by humans and one by ChatGPT. Will you be able to tell which playwright was merely a machine? The audience will vote on which scene they think was written by AI. The AI play will be revealed and one person who correctly guessed it wins a prize!

www.MartinDockery.com Martin Dockery

sites.google.com/rcsd121.org/mr-craddock/home Tyger Underground

THEATRE

1 Small Lie: Martin Dockery

Divas of Drag Entertainment

Le Moyne College Theatre

All About the Abittz School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre

GO BIG. s

Fans of musical theater and family dramas will love All About the Abittz, an original musical written by and starring Rochester college students.

Join Piper Abittz, a famous pop star looking through family records as she tries to write a memoir on her old family band. Discover odd characters and fraught connections through a fun musical journey that'll take you everywhere from A to Z! www.instagram.com/abittzmusical Alphatibeticalize Productions

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

More drama than your group chat.

Thu., Sep. 11 8pm • Sat., Sep. 20 8pm À90mins 13+ $13

95

THEATRE

All the Boys I Blocked

The BFF Notebook

The Spirit Room: Conjure Box

The Harley School Centrum

Thu., Sep. 11 10:30pm • Fri., Sep. 12 10:15pm • Sat., Sep. 13 10:15pm • Sun., Sep. 14 8pm À60mins 16+ $12

Sat., Sep. 20 4pm • Sat., Sep. 20 7pm À60mins All Ages $12

Have you been gaslit? Do you want a song written about your ex? Are you clown-curious? Then this is the show for you! Chanel & the Circus presents their solo clown musical, All the Boys I Blocked, an accordion-driven roller coaster of blocked exes, train-wreck relationships, and ultimately self acceptance. Highly interactive, audience members get to share their “blocked” stories and role play with Chanel. Join in the group catharsis!

A look back at a childhood filled with creativity and warm moments, The BFF Notebook unpacks lifelong friendship and growing up—together. Bridget and Amy journaled their thoughts, plans, and dreams to each other in their "BFF Notebook."

Words from their most formative years, and a friendship built on a lifetime of context; life shared and spoken and life never discussed, only written and read. Girls destined to "make something" together, unaware that they were "making" just that all along.

Appropriate Audience Behavior

Bipolarcoaster

linktr.ee/chanelandthecircus Chanel & the Circus

The Little: Theatre 1

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Sat., Sep. 20 4:15pm À30mins

96

The Rose Room 18+ FREE

Sat., Sep. 20 3pm À60mins 13+ $16

Appropriate Audience Behavior by Ian McWethy: Carol and Ashley are expecting a tale of woe as they take their seats to watch Hamlet, but the real tragedy is that they’re sitting next to the world’s noisiest weirdos.

The audience takes the spotlight as everyone from a cough-drop obsessive to a guy watching the play like a football game steals the show from the unseen Shakespearean masterpiece. An outrageously meta comedy that reminds us where the drama RIT Players belongs—onstage.

Are people born on the mental health spectrum, or is the mental health spectrum thrust upon them?

A sobering (yet highly comedic!) journey of reckoning with the responsibilities of living with bipolar disorder, this personal narrative by Amanda Andrews comes to life with original music by Kyle Lacy. Both Amanda and Kyle are New York City based artists.

Between the Lines

Churchbells

CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater

The Spirit Room: Conjure Box

Tue., Sep. 9 7pm • Sun., Sep. 14 6:30pm À140mins All Ages $14 Kids 1 And Under: FREE; Kids 12 And Under: $12; Seniors: $12; Students (w/ ID): $12; Veterans: $12

Thu., Sep. 11 7pm • Sun., Sep. 14 5:30pm • Sun., Sep. 14 7pm • Fri., Sep. 19 6:45pm À60mins 13+ $15

Between the Lines is an empowering and enchanting story for anyone who has struggled to find their place in the world. An outsider in a new town and a new school, Delilah seeks comfort in the pages of her favorite book, where she feels heard and understood by the handsome Prince Oliver. But as the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur in extraordinary ways, Delilah realizes her dreams in the real world are worth fighting for www.musicaltheatreeducation.com MT Ed

www.amandaandrews.net/originalwork KyleLacyMusic.com

Brothers Jimmy and Barrett, once high school bandmates, have grown estranged through the years. Now their parents have passed, and the brothers meet to dispose of the home they grew up in. As memories are shared, secrets revealed, and relationships threatened, "Churchbells" explores the elusive quality that makes the difference between separate people and family. Featuring three original songs played onstage by the cast. Directed by Judy Molner. Written and composed by Doug Waterman.

Words, Words, Words

School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre

Drag + Clown MuCCC

Sat., Sep. 13 7:30pm À60mins 13+ $15

Fri., Sep. 12 7pm • Fri., Sep. 19 7pm À60mins All Ages $22

Terror mounts as vulnerable hospital patients seemingly on the mend, suddenly meet their end. One of the Victorian era's most disturbing real-life nightmares occurred when one of America's prolific but least known serial killers ran amok on the wards in Massachusetts. This character study takes an unflinching look at why horror visited this place meant for healing.

Six fierce drag performers collide with the world of clown in this outrageous, high-energy fringe spectacle! Expect big wigs, bigger noses, slapstick glamour, chaotic beauty, and emotional depth as these queens, kings, and inbetweens push the limits of drag and clowning. Hilarious, unpredictable, and heartbreakingly human — this is drag like you’ve never seen it before! Starring Carmen Adore, Morticia Monroe, Yuka Liptis, Valentino Rose, Marzipan & Breakfast.

Under Words Theatre

The Dice Is Right!

JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage Tue., Sep. 9 6:30pm • Sun., Sep. 14 7pm À60mins 13+ $15 Kids 12 And Under: $10; Seniors: $10; Students (w/ ID): $10 A wizard-turned-game-show-host has gathered a group of adventurers for glory, fame, and loot. With blade and spell at the ready, they're off to face dragons, maleficent sorcerers, or tyrannical lords. The only thing missing is you! Join this party-within-a-party as they create epic tales of adventure based on the whim of the wizard, a few games reminiscent of television of old, and the roll of the dice. Audience participation is encouraged.

Icosahedron Collective

Dinner Where Everything Goes Wrong Salena's Wed., Sep. 10 7:05pm À60mins All Ages $5

www.breadcrumbsproductions.org/drag-clown Breadcrumbs Productions, Inc.

Echoes Through the Times The Little: Theatre 1 Sat., Sep. 20 8:50pm À45mins

All Ages FREE

Travel through time with Echoes Through the Times, a dynamic American Sign Language performance by Echoes In Motion. From the funky beats of the 1970s to the chart-toppers of 2025, we bring iconic music to life through expressive sign language, movement, and storytelling. Join us for a powerful celebration of music, culture, and Deaf artistry across the decades.

www.facebook.com/echoesinmotion25

Echoes In Motion

Eleanor’s Story: An American Girl in Hitler’s Germany CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater Thu., Sep. 11 6:30pm • Sat., Sep. 13 1pm • Sun., Sep. 14 1:30pm À60mins 13+ $22 Students (w/ ID): $10; Veterans: $18 Based on Eleanor Ramrath Garner’s acclaimed memoir, the award-winning adaptation—performed by her granddaughter, Ingrid Garner— details Eleanor’s youth as an American caught in WWII Berlin. In this coming-of-age odyssey, accompanied by cinematic sound and video and punctuated with humor, Garner embodies her ancestors to offer a timely account of war. #1 Theatre Pick, Edinburgh Fringe 2017—Telegraph. “A must-see for history buffs and theatre-aficionados."—Fringe Review UK. www.eleanorsstory.com Ingrid Garner

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

During a run of the mill evening at at a local a restaurant, things take an unexpected turn. From the moment you sit down, you will sense that something is not quite right. As dinner continues you realize that not only are things not quite right but everything is flat out wrong. Join us for a unique evening where the audience is a part of the performance and enjoy an unforgettable night of unexpected twists and turns as dinner just goes wrong! (Dinner not included in ticket price)

THEATRE

Demon on the Ward

97

THEATRE

Eleanor’s Story: Life After War CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater Fri., Sep. 12 6:30pm • Sat., Sep. 13 2:30pm • Sun., Sep. 14 3pm À60mins 13+ $22 Students (w/ ID): $10; Veterans: $18 Ingrid Garner, the 16-time awardwinning creator of Eleanor's Story: An American Girl in Hitler's Germany, returns with a timely sequel to her grandmother’s acclaimed memoir. In 1946, teenage Eleanor has survived WWII as an enemy alien caught in Berlin.

But upon her long-awaited return home, she struggles to navigate U.S. high school while haunted by war memories.

“A captivated full-house audience went from tears to breath held in suspense to roaring laughter.” —Edmonton Journal www.eleanorsstory.com Ingrid Garner

The Event Spiegeltent Sat., Sep. 13 2:30pm À60mins 13+ Tickets from $24 more info page 25 Get ready for an unforgettable afternoon at the theatre with The Event, a one-man tour de force starring award-winning actor David Calvitto.

With sharp wit and deep insight, this play breaks down the art of performance while exploring the absurdities of life itself. Hailed as both a comic deconstruction of theatre and a profound look at human connection, The Event goes beyond the stage, inviting you to think, laugh, and reconnect with what matters most.

Fires The Rose Room Fri., Sep. 12 4pm • Sat., Sep. 13 12:30pm • Sun., Sep. 14 3pm À60mins 16+ $12 Fires is an original solo performance exploring identity, belonging, and reckoning of living between worlds.

Humor, heart, and poetic imagery blend rich storytelling and movement to bring vivid characters to life, inviting audiences to reflect on what we inherit, leave behind, and choose to become. Written and performed by Binaifer Dabu, storyteller and lifelong performer, whose journey spans India, Boston, and Upstate N.Y., Fires celebrates stories rooted in personal experience.

Genesis School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre Thu., Sep. 11 6pm • Fri., Sep. 19 6pm À35mins 18+ $10 Everyone knows the story of Adam and Eve—from their time in the Garden of Eden to their banishment from there. Or do they? Eve is now telling her side of the story, from meeting Adam to facing the serpent, from tasting the forbidden fruit to life after Eden. Aspie Works returns to the Fringe with this solo play written by Don Nigro, directed by Aspie Works founder Justin Rielly. facebook.com/aspieworks Aspie Works

The Geriactors Present: Live From Rochester

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

MuCCC

98

GO LAUGH. GO CHEER. GO BIG.

Sun., Sep. 14 6:30pm • Wed., Sep. 17 7pm À55mins 13+ $15 The Geriactors return with more plays by local playwrights. We've been around since the first Fringe, and our playwrights keep giving us more new wonderful material. We even have some new actors this year. Our plays are short, succinct, some may be a little edgy, and we'll provide some laughs as well. Come on down and check out what we have in store for you this year! sites.google.com/view/geriactors/home Geriactors

MuCCC

I Am Going To Die (And All They Gave Me Were These Lousy Cupcakes)

Sun., Sep. 14 2pm À60mins 13+ $15

Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor

On a beautiful Fall day, Joe, a sixty year old successful theatrical producer, and Tony, a twenty four year old jewelry designer, are reunited in a New York City hospital room. With the help of a most fabulous nurse, their remembrances bring back to life joy and sadness. Memories brought on stage by the mother, the Llorona, and the Dama del Alba add love and passion to the conflict between Eros and Thanatos seen onstage.

Fri., Sep. 12 5:30pm • Sat., Sep. 13 5:30pm À45mins 13+ $20

Find Candide Carrasco on face bookfacebook CANDIDE CARRASCO PRODUCTIONS

Welcome to the Deathday Party!

We’ve all gathered here to honor the death (and life) of... someone who REALLY likes cupcakes. This highly interactive and improvisational experience encourages you to assist The Figure in uncovering exactly who they are and what their life was all about. Watch as they unpack the many mysteries and traumas of life, identity, and what it means to die, all while enjoying the subpar delights of some less-than-ideal cupcakes.

THEATRE

GOD’S EMBRACE

www.liblabproductions.com/ Lib Lab Productions

Good Girl ROC Cinema

In His Own Words: An Evening With Robert Frost

Fri., Sep. 12 6pm • Fri., Sep. 12 9pm • Sat., Sep. 13 6pm • Sat., Sep. 13 9pm À60mins 18+ $17

JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage

Good Girl is a sexy, surreal clown cabaret that dares you to laugh at obedience, shame, and desire. Rhiannon Jenkins blends drag, physical comedy, and lip-sync in a whipsmart takedown of what it means to behave. A breakout hit at the Edinburgh Fringe—“hilarious, hot, and unmissable” (The List)—this is for anyone who’s ever wanted to be good, been told they’re bad, or enjoyed being both.

Thu., Sep. 11 6:30pm • Sat., Sep. 13 2pm À60mins All Ages $15 Kids 12 And Under: FREE; Seniors: $10; Students (w/ ID): $10; Veterans: $10

www.rhiannonjenkins.net/good-girl/ Thunderbolt Comedy

Ground Zero

Who was Robert Frost? Why did he write poetry? What were his poems about? Two years in the making, including visits to Frost family homes in Franconia and Derry, New Hampshire, and South Shaftsbury, Vermont, this performance will bring the four-time Pulitzer Prize winning poet to life by offering audiences an intimate look into the man—his poetry, relationships and inner life. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLyPKETwcN4 Myself

School of the Arts: Movement Center

Live pro wrestling comes to Rochester's Fringe Festival! Ground Zero and Wild Zero present the first Dunn & Marcos Cup. Rochester has been known for being a tag team town so we're bringing you 10 of the best teams in the area for a tag-team tournament. There will also be other exciting matches on this electric card. WWE superstar and Rochester native Colin Delaney, GZ champion CJ Settles, King of Zero champion Anthony Greene (WWE), plus more in action! www.groundzerowrestling.com

We don’t have kiss cams in the Spiegeltent.

GO BIG.

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Sat., Sep. 13 6pm • Sun., Sep. 14 3pm À120mins 16+ $20

99

THEATRE

It Will Be Okay CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: Hart Theater

Fri., Sep. 19 5:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 1:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 6pm À60mins All Ages $12

Who are we? How do our actions impact others? A group of deaf college students begin their first year, and on their own, they struggle to figure out where they fit in. When tragedy strikes, they are faced with difficult realities. To be human isn’t to be perfect; to be human is to be messy and complicated.

These strangers learn, grieve, grow, and unite in the face of change, but it will be okay for them and for us. We just need to choose to do something about it.

The Navel Gazers is a modern farce set in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Over the course of their lease, Anna and Olivia are forced to confront their expectations of one another, their hopes for themselves, and the unstable futures ahead of them. Exploring themes of identity, selfishness, and the ever-changing visage of "adulthood,” this project sheds an empathetic light on the turbulent— and endearingly familiar— relationships of our youth.

sites.google.com/view/itwillbeokay/home

www.instagram.com/starr.street.productions Starr Street Productions

Letters I Wear for My Father

Playing Siege

Mon., Sep. 15 7pm À60mins 13+ $15 Letters I Wear for My Father is an autobiographical solo performance written and performed by Sharon Rula Backos, presented through the eyes of a daughter struggling to embrace abandoned love. Stemming from a father’s World War II letters hidden in the basement for 68 years, and resurrecting blood memory and the truth of one’s life, Rula Backos comes face to face with the lives of her parents before she was born.

Ministry; Or, The Surgical Revelation The Spirit Room: Conjure Box

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

The Rose Room

Wed., Sep. 17 6:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 8:30pm À90mins 16+ $5 Students (w/ ID): $2

MuCCC

100

The Navel Gazers

JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage Mon., Sep. 15 7pm • Tue., Sep. 16 7pm À45mins 16+ $15 Seniors: $10; Students (w/ ID): $10; Veterans: $10 From the team of Cell Outs and Triple Jeopardy comes another one-act play set in a medieval universe. Three soldiers are manning a catapult besieging a city. When the order comes to fire, they must make a choice. It's hard to know what's right. It's even harder to do what's right. And all too often, it doesn't make a difference when the dust settles. Should we even bother? Do our grand moral efforts carry any weight, or are we just toy soldiers in Tattered Hat Productions someone else's game?

Plays in a Day Writers & Books: Performance Space

Fri., Sep. 12 11:30pm • Sat., Sep. 13 11:30pm • Thu., Sep. 18 11pm • Fri., Sep. 19 11:30pm À60mins 18+ $10

Sat., Sep. 20 7pm • Sat., Sep. 20 9pm À60mins $20

For the first time made open to the public, witness the renowned surgeon and lecturer Dr. Erasmus Darwin perform a feat of surgical cunning never before attempted!

Mystical enigmas such as have baffled the senses from mankind’s cradle shall at last be made plain by the light of scientific ingenuity. Students of lofty vigor may be called upon to aid in demonstration. Not commended on those of frail constitution. An immersive horror experience! holybone.zone Holy Bone! Productions

Join us for the unexpected: five, 10-minute plays written, directed, rehearsed, and performed at the end of a day! Five writers, five directors, and fifteen actors gather at Writers & Books at 7pm Fri., Sept. 19, with the actors presenting themselves in costume, contributing random props, and exhibiting their special talents. Writers pick their actors and compose into the night. Directors arrive the next morning and rehearsals go until showtime on Saturday night! www.wab.org

18+

MuCCC Wed., Sep. 10 7pm • Tue., Sep. 16 7pm À60mins 16+ $15 Protest is a political drama by playwright and former Czech Republic President Václav Havel which explores courage, complicity, and the price of dissent under authoritarian rule. Two old friends, Stanek, a successful writer, and Vanek, a dissident recently released from prison, reunite after many years. As they discuss a petition protesting government oppression, personal fears and moral compromises surface. Directed by Jeremy Sarachan and starring Richard Kendrick and Turk Thomas. bit.ly/Protest2025 Theater Apparatus

ROCitecture Rochester Contemporary Art Center: Side Lawn Fri., Sep. 12 6pm • Sat., Sep. 13 6pm • Fri., Sep. 19 6pm • Sat., Sep. 20 6pm À45mins All Ages FREE Through engaging storytelling and interactive elements, this theatrical experience highlights the interplay between architecture and capitalism, encouraging a deeper understanding of how our built environment shapes societal values and is influenced by economic forces.

In this collaboration between RoCo and MCC, game theory dynamics will immerse audiences into collaborative decision making and strategy as they move about an interactive game board that is influenced by Rochester’s architecture.

MCC's On The Edge Theatre Troupe

Something Familiar, Something Peculiar!

MuCCC Sun., Sep. 14 5pm • Sat., Sep. 20 6pm À60mins 13+ $8 Have you ever felt like whatever can go wrong will go wrong? You're always putting your foot in your mouth or finding yourself in crazy situations?

We'll explore all of that and more in three one-acts by comedy masters David Lindsay-Abaire, Christopher Durang, and David Ives. We'd love to see you in our audience this Fringe! Starring Larry Ploscowe, Brittany Gagen, Andrea Daszkiewicz, Jon Lewit and Gretchen Woodworth. Directed by David C. Woodworth.

THEATRE

Protest

andgwood.wixsite.com/limelightproductions Limelight Productions

Tarot Cabaret School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre Thu., Sep. 11 8:30pm • Fri., Sep. 12 8:30pm • Thu., Sep. 18 8:30pm • Fri., Sep. 19 7pm À60mins 13+ $15 Come spend an evening at the Tarot Cabaret! Find yourself in an interactive performance where each card of the tarot deck is associated with a unique performance piece. No two nights of Tarot Cabaret are the same as the cards pulled by the audience create the evening's set list and the performance is our interpretation of your cards!

Through theatrical songs and classic hits, a shared emotional journey through music begins. Presented by Sunday Stages Theatre Company, a queer-led organization. instagram.com/sunday_stages Sunday Stages Theatre Company

Script-in-Hand Players Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall

Thicker Than Blood Sat., Sep. 13 12:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 5pm À60mins 16+ $6

Script-in-Hand Players: Live, local, and lightly rehearsed! An hour of original short plays, essays, and monologues—comic, touching, and satirical—performed by Rochester writers and artists in the style of Readers’ Theater. No sets or costumes—just strong voices, rich language, and stories that stir the imagination. Experience live literature spoken with humor, heart, and a local spark.

Sure, given family ties can be significant, but chosen family allows bonds to be forged based on shared values, experiences, and mutual respect.

Thicker Than Blood will explore how chosen family exemplifies the idea that love and connection are not always defined by blood or obligation, but by the relationships we ourselves cultivate and cherish through choice.

Script-in-Hand (Readers'Theatre)

Punk Muse Performance Company

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre

Sat., Sep. 13 12pm • Sat., Sep. 20 12pm À60mins 21+ FREE

101

THEATRE

Thirteen Ways MuCCC Thu., Sep. 11 7pm • Sat., Sep. 20 2pm À35mins 16+ $15 In Rochester playwright Maria Brandt’s new play Thirteen Ways, Jo and Tony repeat and repeat again the same comically absurd argument about the ethics of kidnapping. The danger is that as long as their goal remains to win, neither one of them ever feels heard. This showcase of local talent provides a fun, provocative look into the dynamics of disagreeing with someone you love. onemoreact.com/thirteen-ways

Warhol: Bullet Karma ROC Cinema Wed., Sep. 10 7pm • Sat., Sep. 13 4:30pm • Sun., Sep. 14 1:30pm À60mins 13+ $15 Warhol: Bullet Karma is a solo play.

A darkly witty take on the American pop art icon Andy Warhol and the woman who shot him, Valerie Solanas. Set in the factory on the astral plain. Where iconic figures of the day such as Lou Reed, Truman Capote, Edie Sedgwick, and the visiting artist Francis Bacon drop in. See what they all have to say about Drella and what he says about them! www.garryroost.co.uk Garry Roost

The Velvet Noose MuCCC Sat., Sep. 13 8pm • Sat., Sep. 20 8pm À60mins 16+ $18

Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor

The Velvet Noose is highly stylized, avant-garde physical poetry. A multidisciplinary troupe, well-regarded in its unique approach to storytelling.

For each Fringe Fest, themes rooted in Ancient Greek literature are explored to therapeutic tenacity, resulting in story that is felt viscerally, as their display spans the entire range of the human experience. The Velvet Noose’s professionally produced, sold-out performances continue to leave Fringe audience members in awe. Theatre you can feel!

Fri., Sep. 12 4pm • Sat., Sep. 13 4pm À45mins 16+ $20

www.instagram.com/thevelvetnoose/ The Velvet Noose

Voices from Ellis Island JCC CenterStage Theatre: Ballroom Stage

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

Sat., Sep. 13 6pm • Sun., Sep. 14 1:45pm À70mins 13+ $15 Seniors: $10; Students (w/ ID): $8; Veterans: $10

102

Widow

It was called "the front door to freedom." From 1892 to 1930, Ellis Island was the first experience of life in America for millions of immigrants.

Voices from Ellis Island follows seven immigrants from different parts of Europe as they cross the Atlantic Ocean and confront unexpected challenges in their new country at Ellis Island. Their stories are amusing, frightening, inspiring and true. www,pippawhiteonecompany.com One's Company with Pippa White

How do you mourn the love of a lifetime lost? And is it possible to share the experience while caught in grief 's riptide? Cup-A-Jo Productions founder and artistic director Joanna Lowe stands on the epicenter of heartbreak in this deeply personal, autobiographical one-woman show. Through an absorbing and thoughtful mix of theatre, storytelling, and poetry, she reflects on love, loss…and what comes after. www.facebook.com/cupajoprod/ Cup-A-Jo Productions

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre Thu., Sep. 18 6:30pm • Sat., Sep. 20 3:30pm À60mins All Ages $10 Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum and written by School of the Arts Creative Writing faculty member Brad Craddock, this plays takes young Dorothy on a journey through a strange land where she meets some new friends (and foes) along the way.

Featuring a cast of School of the Arts 9th through 10th graders, this play is sure to delight audiences of all ages! fringe.sotarochester.org School of the Arts Drama

]

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

[

Bigger isn’t always better... unless you’re the largest multidisciplinary performing arts festival in New York State.

103

VISUAL ART & FILM

A Selection of Films by Vashti Anderson and Christine Banna

Best Films! RIT School of Film and Animation

The Little: Theatre 1

The Little: Theatre 1

Fri., Sep. 12 7:45pm À60mins All Ages FREE

Thu., Sep. 18 6pm À180mins All Ages FREE

Filmmakers Vashti Anderson and Christine Banna present films that explore concepts of time, distance and humanity's relationship to the natural and constructed world.

Banna utilizes experimental processes: direct-on-film, 3D scans, 2D and analog animation. Anderson tells magic realist stories in narrative fiction, using a range of imaging: iPhone to Arri Alexa 35. La Struttura/Flusso-Flux, a collaboration based on their shared experiences in Venice, premieres at the program's end. Q&A to follow.

Enjoy the very best animation, fiction, documentary, and experimental films made by students during the 2024-2025 academic year and selected by the faculty of Rochester Institute of Technology’s famed School of Film and Animation. Witness the future of media in one evening of delightful and diverse entertainment from a new generation, born in this century.

Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit

Death of Film in the House of Silent Shadows

Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall Tue., Sep. 9 9am • Wed., Sep.10 9am • Thu., Sep. 11 9am • Fri., Sep. 12 9am • Sat., Sep. 13 10am • Mon., Sep. 15 9am • Tue., Sep. 16 9am • Wed., Sep. 17 9am • Thu., Sep. 18 12pm • Fri., Sep. 19 9am • Sat., Sep. 20 10amÀ570mins All Ages FREE Explore over 100 artist books, altered books, and paper sculptures that spark curiosity and creativity at our self-guided international Art of the Book Exhibit. A great in-between-shows activity open for the duration of the Rochester Fringe Festival.

Featuring pieces from five countries, as well as local artists.

Wed., Sept. 17, 5:30pm-7 pm will be our featured artist reception, when you can explore the exhibit and meet some of the artists.

www.rit.edu/artdesign/school-film-and-animation RIT School of Film and Animation

The Spirit Room: Bar Room Tue., Sep. 9 5:30pm • Wed., Sep. 10 5:30pm • Thu., Sep. 11 5:30pm À60mins 18+ $3 Death of Film in the House of Silent Shadows renders the birth and death of 35mm motion picture stock. Its story is told in part by a projectionist of a small, older, independent movie theater. Two currents—cessation of use of film stock, and the self inflicted death of George Eastman—combine. Subjective notes of threat, morbidity, and maladaptive influence inform the story. Film is loved for what it has done. It is sad that film is dying. filmfreeway.com/DeathofFilmintheHouseofSilentShadows

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

roccitylibrary.org/artofthebook/ Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County

104

From cult faves to cinema gold—

GO BIG.

open heartsong surgery

RIT City Art Space

ROC Cinema

Fri., Sep. 12 1pm • Sat., Sep. 13 1pm • Fri., Sep. 19 1pm • Sat., Sep. 20 1pm À420mins All Ages FREE

Tue., Sep. 16 6:30pm À60mins MA $10

Inspired by the historic vision of influential designers Lella and Massimo Vignelli, this exhibition highlights individual projects by contemporary designers from all disciplines in collaboration with master glass blowers at the Corning Museum of Glass. The show is a cohesive look at the past three years of an ongoing partnership between the Corning Museum of Glass and RIT design faculty, staff and students, and is the debut exhibition at RIT City Art Space’s new gallery location in the Neighborhood of Play. www.rit.edu/cityartspace/

Documentary Short Films: RIT Photojournalism The Little: Theatre 1 Fri., Sep. 19 9pm À60mins All Ages FREE Visual storytelling is about empathy, depth and substance. This facultyselected program presents cinematic, documentary short films created by photojournalism students from RIT’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. Each film brings humancentered awareness to the stories of people, social issues, and events from Rochester and beyond.

These are the capstone projects for students completing their BFA degrees in photography.

Robert Campbell's "open heartsong surgery" explores love as a multifaceted, expansive, abundant, sensual, cerebral, and ever-evolving concept through poetry (visible text and spoken word voiceover) and film. "Love is limitless. / Love is liminal. / Love is languid. / Love is lustful. / Love is fickle. / Love is fragile. / Love is fleeting. / Love is forever."

717 Arts, Inc.

Out of Sync The Little: Theatre 1 Sat., Sep. 13 11am À50mins All Ages FREE Out of Sync is an immersive tapestry of psychedelic ambient sound woven through with a continuously evolving array of experimental visuals. At its core, the project thrives on the interplay between sound and image, structured not with rigid precision but guided by the spontaneous, intuitive rhythms of improvisation. Out of Sync is a natural evolution of RIT alumnus and instructor Chuck Miller’s MFA work in computer graphics and design, expanding his visual research into live performance.

VISUAL ART & FILM

Design X Glass

grebben.bandcamp.com/

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

105

DAY-BY-DAY SCHEDULE ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

106

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

9:00am-6:30pm • Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 5:30pm-6:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Cheesecake and Hot Chocolate: Songs Set to Poems

by Martha Kelch The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • FREE • Music (pg. 84) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Death of Film in the House of Silent Shadows The Spirit Room: Bar Room (Elephant) • $3 • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 6:30pm-7:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 6:30pm-7:30pm • The Dice Is Right!

CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $10, Students (w/ ID): $10, Kids 12 And Under: $10 • Theatre (pg. 1) 7:00pm-10:00pm • Submergence Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 7:00pm-7:50pm • Commotion Dance Theater MuCCC • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 77) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 7:00pm-8:00pm • DIY Oracle Card: Design Your Future The Spirit Room: Bar Room (Elephant) • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 77) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Eno and Dan French The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 63) 7:00pm-9:20pm • Between the Lines CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $14, Seniors: $12, Veterans: $12, Students (w/ ID): $12, Kids 12 And Under: $12, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Theatre (pg. 96) 7:00pm-8:00pm • L'homme Désarmé (The Disarmed Man) The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $14 • Music (pg. 88) 7:30pm-8:45pm • Mark Watters: A Life in Music Eastman School of Music: Kilbourn Hall • FREE • Music (pg. 89) 7:30pm-9:00pm • Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent • Standard: $34, Front Row: $44, Second Row: $38, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $179 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 21) 8:00pm-9:00pm • L'homme Désarmé (The Disarmed Man) The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $14 • Music (pg. 88) 8:00pm-9:28pm • A Mighty Wind Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 40) 8:30pm-9:00pm • Bushwhacked: Hot and Sweaty Spiegelgarden • FREE • Comedy (pg. 43) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Jackboxing The Focus Theater • FREE • Comedy (pg. 64) WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

9:00am-6:30pm • Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 4:00pm-5:00pm • Funkyard Brass Band Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent • $20 • Music (pg. 86) 5:30pm-6:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43)

5:30pm-6:30pm • Cobbs Hill Consort The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • FREE • Music (pg. 84) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Death of Film in the House of Silent Shadows The Spirit Room: Bar Room (Elephant) • $3 • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 6:30pm-7:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 6:30pm-7:30pm • Swing Era Live CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $20, Seniors: $10, Veterans: $10, Students (w/ ID): $15, Kids 12 And Under: $10, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Music (pg. 92) 7:00pm-10:00pm • Submergence Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 7:00pm-8:00pm • DIY Oracle Card: Design Your Future The Spirit Room: Bar Room (Elephant) • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 77) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Guilt & Mirrors Improv Troupe The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 64) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Hillbilly The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Spoken Word (pg. 94) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Protest MuCCC • $15 • Theatre (pg. 101) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Sinatra—All the Way Java's Cafe • FREE • Music (pg. 92) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Spicy Tarot Salena's • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 80) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Warhol: Bullet Karma ROC Cinema • $15 • Theatre (pg. 102) 7:00pm-9:00pm • Infrared Radiation Orchestra CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $10, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Music (pg. 87) 7:05pm-8:05pm • Dinner Where Everything Goes Wrong Salena's • $5 • Theatre (pg. 97) 7:30pm-9:00pm • Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent • Standard: $34, Front Row: $44, Second Row: $38, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $179 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 21) 7:35pm-8:35pm • Songs for Every Age, All at the Same Time The Hochstein School: Hilda D Taylor Recital Hall • $5 • Music (pg. 97) 7:45pm-9:45pm • Conclave Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 40) 8:30pm-9:30pm • Bushwhacked Bonfire Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Mouth Harpo's Final First Fringe Tour: An Improvised Music Concert The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 66) 9:15pm-10:00pm • Goes Without Saying The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Comedy (pg. 64) THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

9:00am-6:30pm • Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 11:00am-12:15pm • 9/11 Memorial Concert Eastman School of Music: Kilbourn Hall • FREE • Music (pg. 81) 5:15pm-6:15pm • Funkyard Brass Band Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent • $20 • Music (pg. 86)

5:30pm-6:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Death of Film in the House of Silent Shadows The Spirit Room: Bar Room (Elephant) • $3 • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Johnny Dowd The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 88) 6:00pm-6:35pm • Genesis School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $10 • Theatre (pg. 98) 6:00pm-7:00pm • And Now For Something Completely Different School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $15 • Dance (pg. 69) 6:00pm-7:00pm • The World is Waiting for the Sunrise: A Sing-along with Maggie Paxson George Eastman Museum: Dryden Theatre • Standard: $15, Students (w/ ID): $5, Kids 12 And Under: $0 • Music (pg. 94) 6:30pm-7:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 6:30pm-7:30pm • Eleanor's Story: An American Girl in Hitler's Germany CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $22, Veterans: $18, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Theatre (pg. 97) 6:30pm-7:30pm • In His Own Words: An Evening With Robert Frost CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $10, Veterans: $10, Students (w/ ID): $10, Kids 12 And Under: $0, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Theatre (pg. 99) 6:30pm-7:45pm • Songs by David Temperley Eastman School of Music: Sproull Atrium at Miller Center • $10 • Music (pg. 92) 7:00pm-10:00pm • Submergence Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 7:00pm-7:35pm • Thirteen Ways MuCCC • $15 • Theatre (pg. 102) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bingo Night: Five in a Row on Memory Lane Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor • $20 • Comedy (pg. 59) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Churchbells The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Theatre (pg. 96) 7:00pm-8:00pm • DIY Oracle Card: Design Your Future The Spirit Room: Bar Room (Elephant) • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 77) 7:00pm-8:00pm • THE FAMILY CROW: A Murder Mystery School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $16 • Theatre (pg. 98) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Nerds in a Basement The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 66) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Scoulive Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent • $20 • Music (pg. 91) 7:00pm-10:00pm • Contra Dancing The Rose Room • FREE • Dance (pg. 70) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Flight Salena's • $15 • Dance (pg. 70) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Garth Fagan Dance Garth Fagan Dance Studio • $20 • Dance (pg. 71) 7:30pm-9:00pm • Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent • Standard: $38, Front Row: $48, Second Row: $42, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $190 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 21)

7:35pm-8:45pm • Bloom – A Multisensory Percussion Experience The Hochstein School: Hochstein Performance Hall • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 76) 7:45pm-9:49pm • Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 40) 8:00pm-9:00pm • 1 Small Lie: Martin Dockery CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $20, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Theatre (pg. 95) 8:00pm-9:00pm • Allison's Angry Girl Era and All the Stories Behind the Songs ROC Cinema • $10 • Music (pg. 0) 8:00pm-9:00pm • Stand Up for Drag MuCCC • $15 • Comedy (pg. 67) 8:00pm-9:30pm • All About the Abittz School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $13 • Theatre (pg. 95) 8:15pm-9:15pm • Silver Rein: A Goth-Folk Music Experience The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 91) 8:30pm-9:30pm • Bushwhacked Bonfire Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 8:30pm-9:30pm • Tarot Cabaret School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $15 • Theatre (pg. 101) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Battle Royale Improv Tournament The Focus Theater • $10 • Comedy (pg. 58) 9:15pm-10:00pm • Goes Without Saying The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Comedy (pg. 64) 10:30pm-11:30pm • All the Boys I Blocked The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $12 • Theatre (pg. 96) FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

9:00am-4:30pm • Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 1:00pm-8:00pm • Design X Glass RIT City Art Space • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 105) 4:00pm-4:45pm • Widow Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor • $20 • Theatre (pg. 102) 4:00pm-5:00pm • Fires The Rose Room • $12 • Theatre (pg. 98) 5:00pm-5:30pm • The Sights and Sounds District Austin Steward Plaza • $20 • Spoken Word (pg. 94) 5:00pm-6:00pm • Mid-Century Modern Jazz Quartet The Little Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 89) 5:30pm-6:15pm • I Am Going To Die (And All They Gave Me Were These Lousy Cupcakes) Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor • $20 • Theatre (pg. 99) 5:30pm-6:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 5:30pm-6:20pm • Misery Loves Company School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $25 • Comedy (pg. 65) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Johnny Dowd The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 88) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Le Chat Noir The Rose Room • $16 • Music (pg. 89) 6:00pm-6:45pm • ROCitecture Rochester Contemporary Art Center • FREE • Theatre (pg. 101) 6:00pm-6:50pm • AI Theatre Experiment School of the Arts: Club SOTA • FREE • Theatre (pg. 95)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

10:00am-12:00pm • Roc River Ride Genesee Valley Park • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 80) 10:00am-4:30pm • Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 10:15am-12:15pm • Roc River Ride Genesee Valley Park • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 80)

10:30am-12:30pm • Roc River Ride Genesee Valley Park • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 80) 10:45am-12:45pm • Roc River Ride Genesee Valley Park • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 80) 11:00am-11:50am • Out of Sync The Little Theatre • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 105) 11:00am-12:00pm • Sub-Zero Science Memorial Art Gallery: M&T Bank Ballroom • $20 • Kids Fringe (pg. 75) 11:00am-12:30pm • Roc River Ride Genesee Valley Park • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 80) 11:15am-12:45pm • Roc River Ride Genesee Valley Park • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 80) 11:30am-12:30pm • Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $20, Seniors: $15, Kids 12 And Under: $15 • Comedy (pg. 58) 11:30am-12:30pm • Roc River Ride Genesee Valley Park • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 80) 12:00pm-1:00pm • Script-in-Hand Players Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Theatre (pg. 101) 12:00pm-1:00pm • Wanna Be Starting Something School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $10 • Dance (pg. 73) 12:10pm-1:00pm • Desert Rhythms Belly Dance The Little Theatre • FREE • Dance (pg. 70) 12:30pm-1:00pm • Obsessive Comedy Disorder Photo City Music Hall: Photo City Music Hall - Front Stage • FREE • Comedy (pg. 66) 12:30pm-1:25pm • The Returns Department Spiegeltent • Standard: $24, Kids 12 And Under: $19, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $139 • Kids Fringe (pg. 23) 12:30pm-1:30pm • Fires The Rose Room • $12 • Theatre (pg. 98) 12:30pm-1:30pm • Thicker Than Blood School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $6 • Theatre (pg. 101) 12:45pm-1:45pm • The Man and His Dog Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 79) 1:00pm-1:50pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 1:00pm-2:00pm • Belly Dance Kaleidoscope: Tradition and Fusion Dance Showcase! Memorial Art Gallery: M&T Bank Ballroom • $20 • Dance (pg. 69) 1:00pm-2:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 1:00pm-2:00pm • Cirque 101 Workshop Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance @ Lincoln Library • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 74) 1:00pm-2:00pm • Eleanor's Story: An American Girl in Hitler's Germany CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $22, Veterans: $18, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Theatre (pg. 97) 1:00pm-2:00pm • Mystic Circus Photo City Music Hall: Photo City Music Hall • $10 • Music (pg. 89) 1:00pm-2:00pm • Tales from Dapple Creek Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor • $20 • Dance (pg. 72) 1:00pm-8:00pm • Design X Glass RIT City Art Space • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 105)

1:20pm-2:20pm • Signatures Art & Literary Magazine The Little Theatre • FREE • Spoken Word (pg. 94) 2:00pm-2:30pm • Obsessive Comedy Disorder Photo City Music Hall: Photo City Music Hall - Front Stage • FREE • Comedy (pg. 66) 2:00pm-2:50pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg.

43) 2:00pm-3:00pm • EcoVibes–Unfolding Our Future Washington Square Park • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 78) 2:00pm-3:00pm • In His Own Words: An Evening With Robert Frost CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $10, Veterans: $10, Students (w/ ID): $10, Kids 12 And Under: $0, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Theatre (pg. 99) 2:00pm-3:00pm • ROCeltic: The Next Generation School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $10 • Dance (pg. 72) 2:00pm-3:00pm • Stages of the Game Teen Improv Troupe MuCCC • $15 • Comedy (pg. 67) 2:00pm-3:15pm • A Rockin' City Circus Roc City Circus • $25 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 76) 2:30pm-3:30pm • Eleanor's Story: Life After War CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $22, Veterans: $18, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Theatre (pg. 98) 2:30pm-3:30pm • Millo Photo City Music Hall: Photo City Music Hall • $10 • Music (pg. 89) 2:30pm-3:35pm • The Event Spiegeltent • Standard: $24, Front Row: $29, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $149 • Theatre (pg. 25) 2:35pm-3:05pm • A Cappella Time: The Brick City Singers, Grace Note & Proof of Purchase The Little Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 82) 3:00pm-3:50pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg.

43) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Game Show!

Game Show! Game Show!: A Games Show The Focus Theater • Standard: $15, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 78) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Garth Fagan Dance Garth Fagan Dance Studio • $20 • Dance (pg. 71) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Katie Haverly Live Memorial Art Gallery: M&T Bank Ballroom • $20 • Music (pg. 88) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Lunchador Podcast-a-Rama Central Library: Kate Gleason Auditorium • FREE • Comedy (pg. 65) 3:30pm-4:00pm • Port-a-Globe Punch and Judy School of the Arts: Commons • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 74) 3:30pm-4:15pm • The Goodness of Stepping Outside The Rose Room • $12 • Dance (pg. 71) 3:30pm-4:15pm • Noise in Neon— The Mandela Effect Photo City Music Hall: Photo City Music Hall - Front Stage • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 79) 3:30pm-4:20pm • AI Theatre Experiment School of the Arts: Club SOTA • FREE • Theatre (pg. 95)

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

7:45pm-8:45pm • A Selection of Films by Vashti Anderson and Christine Banna The Little Theatre • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 8:00pm-9:00pm • 1 Small Lie: Martin Dockery CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • $20 • Theatre (pg. 95) 8:00pm-8:45pm • Goes Without Saying The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Comedy (pg. 64) 8:00pm-9:00pm • Le Cirque des Sensation Aerial Arts of Rochester • Standard: $18, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 78) 8:00pm-9:00pm • Merged: An Evening of Contemporary Dance School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $12 • Dance (pg. 71) 8:00pm-9:15pm • A Rockin' City Circus Roc City Circus • $25 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 76) 8:00pm-10:40pm • Wicked Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 40) 8:30pm-9:30pm • Aggy Dune: unplugged, uncensored and unhinged CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • $25 • Theatre (pg. 95) 8:30pm-9:30pm • Tarot Cabaret School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $15 • Theatre (pg. 101) 9:00pm-9:30pm • Bushwhacked: Hot and Sweaty Spiegelgarden • FREE • Comedy (pg. 43) 9:00pm-9:30pm • Flying The Coop The Little Theatre • FREE • Comedy (pg. 63) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Ants to Gods presents 2 Strange 2 Be True – An Improvised Docuseries The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 58) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Comedy On Deck: Well Seasoned School of the Arts: Club SOTA • $15 • Comedy (pg. 62) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Good Girl ROC Cinema • $17 • Theatre (pg. 99) 9:00pm-10:30pm • Shotspeare Spiegeltent • Standard: $44, Front Row: $54, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $219, Second Row: $48 • Comedy (pg. 24) 9:15pm-10:15pm • Wasted Girl The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 93) 9:30pm-10:30pm • 50 Shades of Gay Takes On the '80s School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre • $10 • Comedy (pg. 57) 10:15pm-11:15pm • All the Boys I Blocked The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $12 • Theatre (pg. 96) 11:00pm-2:00am • Submergence w/ Silent Disco Tickets Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 11:00pm-2:00am • Silent Disco Spiegeltent • Standard: $20, Students (w/ ID): $16 • Dance (pg. 31) 11:30pm-12:30am • Ministry; Or, The Surgical Revelation The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $10 • Theatre (pg. 100)

DAY-BY-DAY SCHEDULE

6:00pm-7:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 6:00pm-7:00pm • Good Girl ROC Cinema • $17 • Theatre (pg. 99) 6:00pm-7:00pm • The Painter School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $24 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 79) 6:30pm-7:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 6:30pm-7:30pm • Eleanor's Story: Life After War CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $22, Veterans: $18, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Theatre (pg. 98) 6:30pm-7:30pm • Poetry of Tarot: A Reading Inspired by Tarot Images The Little Theatre • FREE • Spoken Word (pg. 94) 6:30pm-7:45pm • Eastman Percussion Ensemble Eastman School of Music: Sproull Atrium at Miller Center • FREE • Music (pg. 85) 7:00pm-11:00pm • Submergence Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bingo Night: Five in a Row on Memory Lane Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor • $20 • Comedy (pg. 59) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Comedy Runway The Rose Room • $12 • Comedy (pg. 62) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Drag Clown MuCCC • $22 • Theatre (pg. 97) 7:00pm-8:00pm • The Heroic Enthusiasts - A Synthonic Illumination Memorial Art Gallery: M&T Bank Ballroom • $20 • Music (pg. 87) 7:00pm-8:00pm • An Immigrant's Guide to America CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • $20 • Comedy (pg. 57) 7:00pm-8:00pm • JFT and Friends The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 65) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Scoulive Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent • $20 • Music (pg. 91) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Silver Rein: A Goth-Folk Music Experience The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 91) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Sinatra—All the Way Java's Cafe • FREE • Music (pg. 92) 7:00pm-8:30pm • Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent • Standard: $44, Front Row: $54, Second Row: $48, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $219 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 21) 7:30pm-8:15pm • A Middle Earth Press Conference School of the Arts: Club SOTA • $16 • Theatre (pg. 95) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Bushwhacked Bonfire Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Garth Fagan Dance Garth Fagan Dance Studio • $20 • Dance (pg. 71) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Ian Campbell ROC Cinema • $15 • Music (pg. 87) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Jim Rezac/SingerSongwriter Rochester Music Hall of Fame • $15 • Music (pg. 88) 7:30pm-8:30pm • RPO Performs "HQ" Eastman School of Music: Hatch Recital Hall • FREE • Music (pg. 91)

107

DAY-BY-DAY SCHEDULE ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

108

3:30pm-4:30pm • An Immigrant's Guide to America CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • $20 • Comedy (pg. 57) 3:30pm-4:30pm • The Lost World Bemshi! MuCCC • $8 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 79) 3:30pm-4:45pm • Here's To Life: Pictures, Stories, Songs, Dances Thomas Warfield The Little Theatre • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 78) 4:00pm-4:30pm • TRACES Spiegelgarden • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 39) 4:00pm-4:45pm • Widow Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor • $20 • Theatre (pg. 102) 4:00pm-5:00pm • Oz School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • Standard: $20, Students (w/ ID): $10, Kids 12 And Under: $10 • Comedy (pg. 66) 4:00pm-5:00pm • EcoVibes–Unfolding Our Future Washington Square Park • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 78) 4:00pm-5:00pm • The Emmett Hughes Band Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent • $25 • Music (pg. 86) 4:00pm-5:00pm • Le Cirque des Sensation Aerial Arts of Rochester • Standard: $18, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 78) 4:00pm-5:00pm • SOTA Cabaret School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre • $10 • Music (pg. 92) 4:15pm-5:15pm • The Beginning After An End: The Rebirth Photo City Music Hall: Photo City Music Hall • $10 • Dance (pg. 69) 4:30pm-5:30pm • Forest Music Washington Grove • FREE • Music (pg. 86) 4:30pm-5:30pm • New Horizons Jazz Ensemble CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • $20 • Music (pg. 90) 4:30pm-5:30pm • Warhol: Bullet Karma ROC Cinema • $15 • Theatre (pg. 102) 5:00pm-5:30pm • The Sights and Sounds District Austin Steward Plaza • $20 • Spoken Word (pg. 94) 5:00pm-5:50pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 5:00pm-5:50pm • A Magic Problem!

MuCCC • $12 • Comedy (pg. 57) 5:00pm-6:00pm • Brick City Boppers Showcase The Rose Room • FREE • Dance (pg. 69) 5:00pm-6:00pm • ComedySportz Buffalo The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 62) 5:15pm-6:00pm • LadySpectra Photo City Music Hall: Photo City Music Hall - Front Stage • FREE • Music (pg. 88) 5:30pm-6:15pm • I Am Going To Die (And All They Gave Me Were These Lousy Cupcakes) Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor • $20 • Theatre (pg. 99) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Cheesecake and Hot Chocolate: Songs Set to Poems

by Martha Kelch The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • FREE • Music (pg. 84) 5:30pm-6:45pm • Dresnack and Friends, Greatest Hits from the First and Last Decade The Little Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 85) 6:00pm-6:45pm • ROCitecture Rochester Contemporary Art Center • FREE • Theatre (pg. 101)

6:00pm-7:00pm • AYUK by CAT THE COYOTE School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 76) 6:00pm-7:00pm • A Biscuit Brothers Slightly Crooked, Big-Hearted Salute to the Erie Canal School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre • $15 • Music (pg. 82) 6:00pm-7:00pm • Good Girl ROC Cinema • $17 • Theatre (pg. 99) 6:00pm-7:00pm • Lateral Move Photo City Music Hall: Photo City Music Hall • $10 • Comedy (pg. 65) 6:00pm-7:15pm • Voices from Ellis Island CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $10, Veterans: $10, Students (w/ ID): $8 • Theatre (pg. 102) 6:00pm-8:00pm • Ground Zero School of the Arts: Movement Center • $20 • Theatre (pg. 99) 6:30pm-7:30pm • Róisín Dubh CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $12, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Music (pg. 91) 6:30pm-7:30pm • Stand Up for Drag MuCCC • $15 • Comedy (pg. 67) 6:30pm-7:30pm • Stand-Up Through the Ages School of the Arts: Club SOTA • $12 • Comedy (pg. 68) 7:00pm-11:00pm • Submergence Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bushwhacked Bonfire Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Comedy Runway The Rose Room • $12 • Comedy (pg. 62) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Glitch Video Game Band Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor • $20 • Music (pg. 87) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Guilt & Mirrors Improv Troupe The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 64) 7:00pm-8:15pm • A Rockin' City Circus Roc City Circus • $25 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 76) 7:00pm-8:30pm • Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent • Standard: $44, Front Row: $54, Second Row: $48, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $219 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 21) 7:15pm-7:45pm • RIT Improv The Little Theatre • FREE • Comedy (pg. 66) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Demon on the Ward School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $15 • Theatre (pg. 97) 7:35pm-8:45pm • Bloom – A Multisensory Percussion Experience The Hochstein School: Hochstein Performance Hall • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 76) 7:45pm-8:15pm • Papa Muse Photo City Music Hall: Photo City Music Hall - Front Stage • FREE • Music (pg. 90) 8:00pm-8:50pm • Catharsis Time!

School of the Arts: Club SOTA • $12 • Comedy (pg. 59) 8:00pm-9:00pm • 1 Small Lie: Martin Dockery CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • $20 • Theatre (pg. 95) 8:00pm-9:00pm • Anthony Prezutti Comedy Mentalist CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $10, Veterans: $10, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Comedy (pg. 57) 8:00pm-9:00pm • Le Cirque des Sensation Aerial Arts of Rochester • Standard: $18, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 78)

8:00pm-9:00pm • Terry Fyke's Main Street Players Five Point Performance Company Showcase School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $10 • Music (pg. 93) 8:00pm-9:00pm • The Velvet Noose MuCCC • $18 • Theatre (pg. 102) 8:00pm-9:30pm • Chelsea Handler Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre • $132 • Comedy (pg. 33) 8:00pm-10:30pm • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Spiegelgarden Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 40) 8:15pm-9:15pm • Wasted Girl The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 93) 8:30pm-9:00pm • Bushwhacked: Hot and Sweaty Spiegelgarden • FREE • Comedy (pg. 43) 8:30pm-10:00pm • Dust Bowl Faeries Photo City Music Hall: Photo City Music Hall • $15 • Music (pg. 85) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Battle Royale Improv Tournament The Focus Theater • $10 • Comedy (pg. 58) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Good Girl ROC Cinema • $17 • Theatre (pg. 99) 9:00pm-10:30pm • Shotspeare Spiegeltent • Standard: $44, Front Row: $54, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $219, Seniors: $48 • Comedy (pg. 24) 9:15pm-10:15pm • Wasted Girl The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 93) 10:00pm-10:30pm • Papa Muse Photo City Music Hall: Photo City Music Hall Front Stage • FREE • Music (pg. 90) 10:15pm-11:15pm • All the Boys I Blocked The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $12 • Theatre (pg. 96) 11:00pm-2:00am • Submergence w/ Silent Disco Tickets Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 11:00pm-2:00am • Silent Disco Spiegeltent • Standard: $20, Students (w/ ID): $16 • Dance (pg. 31) 11:30pm-12:30am • Ministry; Or, The Surgical Revelation The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $10 • Theatre (pg. 100) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

11:00am-12:00pm • Calon Arang Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent • $20 • Music (pg. 83) 11:30am-1:00pm • Catch & Collide School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $15 • Dance (pg. 69) 12:00pm-12:50pm • Eden The Rose Room • $15 • Dance (pg. 70) 12:00pm-1:00pm • Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $20, Seniors: $15, Kids 12 And Under: $15 • Comedy (pg. 58) 12:00pm-1:00pm • the estate sale School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $15 • Comedy (pg. 63) 12:00pm-1:00pm • Rich The Magic Man Total Pandemonium Magic Show CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $10, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Kids Fringe (pg. 75) 12:00pm-1:30pm • Synthflow Yoga Aerial Arts of Rochester • $20 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 81) 12:45pm-1:45pm • The Man and His Dog Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 79)

1:00pm-1:30pm • Port-a-Globe Punch and Judy School of the Arts: Commons • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 74) 1:00pm-1:50pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 1:00pm-2:00pm • Tales from Dapple Creek Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor • $20 • Dance (pg. 72) 1:00pm-2:30pm • Gospel Sunday Spiegeltent • FREE • Music (pg. 29) 1:30pm-2:30pm • Eleanor's Story: An American Girl in Hitler's Germany CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $22, Veterans: $18, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Theatre (pg. 97) 1:30pm-2:30pm • Warhol: Bullet Karma ROC Cinema • $15 • Theatre (pg. 102) 1:30pm-2:40pm • The Aquatic Enigma School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $12 • Comedy (pg. 58) 1:45pm-3:00pm • Voices from Ellis Island CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $10, Veterans: $10, Students (w/ ID): $8 • Theatre (pg. 102) 2:00pm-2:50pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 2:00pm-3:00pm • Belly Dance Kaleidoscope: Tradition and Fusion Dance Showcase! Memorial Art Gallery: M&T Bank Ballroom • $20 • Dance (pg. 69) 2:00pm-3:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 2:00pm-3:00pm • GOD'S EMBRACE MuCCC • $15 • Theatre (pg. 99) 2:00pm-3:00pm • The Painter School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $24 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 79) 2:30pm-3:30pm • Calon Arang Memorial Art Gallery: Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent • $20 • Music (pg. 83) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Banter-Up Improv Troupe—Extra innings The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 58) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Bingo Night: Five in a Row on Memory Lane Memorial Art Gallery: Bausch & Lomb Parlor • $20 • Comedy (pg. 59) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Eleanor's Story: Life After War CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $22, Veterans: $18, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Theatre (pg. 98) 3:00pm-4:00pm • the estate sale School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $15 • Comedy (pg. 63) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Fires The Rose Room • $12 • Theatre (pg. 98) 3:00pm-5:00pm • Ground Zero School of the Arts: Movement Center • $20 • Theatre (pg. 99) 3:30pm-4:15pm • A Middle Earth Press Conference School of the Arts: Club SOTA • $16 • Theatre (pg. 95) 3:30pm-4:20pm • Commotion Dance Theater MuCCC • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 77) 3:30pm-4:25pm • The Returns Department Spiegeltent • Standard: $24, Kids 12 And Under: $19, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $139 • Kids Fringe (pg. 23) 3:30pm-4:45pm • Songs of Love and Peace: David Kilimnick's Solo Reunion Tour CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • $18 • Comedy (pg. 67)

7:00pm-8:00pm • The Wedding of Kai Von Doom (A Comedy Show) The Focus Theater • $20 • Comedy (pg. 68) 7:30pm-9:00pm • Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent • Standard: $38, Front Row: $48, Second Row: $42, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $190 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 21) 7:45pm-9:47pm • Portrait of a Lady on Fire Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 40) 8:00pm-9:00pm • All the Boys I Blocked The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $12 • Theatre (pg. 96) 8:00pm-9:00pm • DRE RED Bop Shop Records • $20 • Music (pg. 85) 8:00pm-9:00pm • Public Service Announcement MuCCC • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 79) 9:00pm-9:45pm • Goes Without Saying The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Comedy (pg. 64) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Late Night With Dan The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 65) 10:15pm-11:15pm • Wasted Girl The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 93) MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

9:00am-6:30pm • Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 5:15pm-6:15pm • Bashiri Asad & Band The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $25 • Music (pg. 83) 5:30pm-6:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Somnia in Musica The Spirit Room: Bar Room (Elephant) • $15 • Music (pg. 92) 6:30pm-7:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 6:30pm-7:30pm • The GateSwingers Big Band CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • $15 • Music (pg. 86) 6:30pm-7:30pm • open heartsong surgery ROC Cinema • $10 • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 105) 7:00pm-10:00pm • Submergence Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 7:00pm-7:45pm • Playing Siege CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $10, Veterans: $10, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Theatre (pg. 100) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bar Joke Tales: The Frog-On-Your-Head Trilogy Salena's • $10 • Comedy (pg. 58) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bashiri Asad & Band The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $25 • Music (pg. 83) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Mouth Harpo's Final First Fringe Tour: An Improvised Music Concert The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 66) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Protest MuCCC • $15 • Theatre (pg. 101) 7:30pm-9:00pm • Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent • Standard: $34, Front Row: $44, Second Row: $38, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $179 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 21) 7:45pm-9:43pm • Lion Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 41) 8:00pm-9:00pm • 2 Magic Rubies, 1 Private Eye: A Dirk Darrow Investigation CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $20, Seniors: $15, Students (w/ ID): $15 • Comedy (pg. 57) 8:00pm-9:00pm • The Fiddle Witch The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $20 • Music (pg. 86) 8:00pm-9:00pm • Hank Roberts Trio Bop Shop Records • $20 • Music (pg. 87) 8:30pm-9:30pm • Bushwhacked Bonfire Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43)

9:00pm-10:00pm • Draupadi and the Endless Fabric The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $18 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 77) 9:00pm-10:00pm • The Roustabouts The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 66) WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

9:00am-7:00pm • Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 5:30pm-6:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Johnny Dowd The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 88) 6:30pm-7:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 6:30pm-8:00pm • It Will Be Okay CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $5, Students (w/ ID): $2 • Theatre (pg. 100) 7:00pm-10:00pm • Submergence Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 7:00pm-7:55pm • The Geriactors Present: Live From Rochester MuCCC • $15 • Theatre (pg. 98) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Belly Dance: On the Edge The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Dance (pg. 69) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Lunatics Lounge, Live ROC Cinema • $10 • Comedy (pg. 65) 7:00pm-8:00pm • The Roustabouts The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 66) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Spicy Tarot Salena's • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 80) 7:00pm-8:30pm • Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent • Standard: $34, Front Row: $44, Second Row: $38, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $179 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 21) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Aggy Dune: unplugged, uncensored and unhinged CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • $25 • Theatre (pg. 95) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Flight Salena's • $15 • Dance (pg. 70) 7:30pm-8:45pm • Eastman Wind Orchestra Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 85) 7:30pm-9:00pm • Trivia CITY: An Arts & Culture Quiz Spiegelgarden • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 81) 8:00pm-9:00pm • The Cabinet of Musical Curiosities The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 83) 8:30pm-9:00pm • Bushwhacked: Hot and Sweaty Spiegelgarden • FREE • Comedy (pg. 43) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Draupadi and the Endless Fabric The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $18 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 77) 9:00pm-10:00pm • The Wedding of Kai Von Doom (A Comedy Show) The Focus Theater • $20 • Comedy (pg. 68) 9:00pm-10:30pm • Shotspeare Spiegeltent • Standard: $29, Front Row: $39, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $165, Second Row: $33 • Comedy (pg. 24)

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

9:00am-6:30pm • Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 5:15pm-6:15pm • Bashiri Asad & Band The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $25 • Music (pg. 83) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Somnia in Musica The Spirit Room: Bar Room (Elephant) • $15 • Music (pg. 92) 6:00pm-7:00pm • The Hundred Windows CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $15, Seniors: $10, Veterans: $10, Students (w/ ID): $5, Kids 12 And Under: $0, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 78) 7:00pm-10:00pm • Submergence Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 7:00pm-7:45pm • Playing Siege CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $10, Veterans: $10, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Theatre (pg. 100) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bashiri Asad & Band The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $25 • Music (pg. 83) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Eno and Dan French The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 63) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Letters I Wear for My Father MuCCC • $15 • Theatre (pg. 100) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $20, Seniors: $15, Kids 12 And Under: $15 • Comedy (pg. 58) 7:30pm-8:45pm • Eastman Wind Ensemble Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 85) 7:30pm-9:00pm • Drag Me Home Spiegeltent • Standard: $47, Front Row: $59, Second Row: $53, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $279 • Comedy (pg. 27) 7:45pm-9:23pm • GBF Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 41)

8:00pm-9:00pm • Kirk Knuffke, Ray Anderson, Harold Danko Bop Shop Records • $20 • Music (pg. 88) 8:15pm-9:15pm • The Cabinet of Musical Curiosities The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 83) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Jackboxing The Focus Theater • FREE • Comedy (pg. 64) 9:30pm-10:30pm • Draupadi and the Endless Fabric The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $18 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 77)

DAY-BY-DAY

4:00pm-4:50pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 4:00pm-5:00pm • Oz School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • Standard: $20, Students (w/ ID): $10, Kids 12 And Under: $10 • Comedy (pg. 66) 4:00pm-5:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 4:00pm-5:15pm • A Rockin' City Circus Roc City Circus • $25 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 76) 4:00pm-5:30pm • Wander & Wonder V Rochester Museum and Science Center • FREE • Dance (pg. 73) 4:30pm-5:15pm • The Goodness of Stepping Outside The Rose Room • $12 • Dance (pg. 71) 4:30pm-5:30pm • 1 Small Lie: Martin Dockery CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • $20 • Theatre (pg. 95) 4:30pm-5:30pm • 50 Shades of Gay Takes On the '80s School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre • $10 • Comedy (pg. 57) 5:00pm-5:50pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 5:00pm-6:00pm • Game Show!

Game Show! Game Show!: A Games Show The Focus Theater • Standard: $15, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 78) 5:00pm-6:00pm • Something Familiar, Something Peculiar! MuCCC • $8 • Theatre (pg. 101) 5:00pm-7:00pm • Shootin' Starz Fashion Showcase CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $20, Seniors: $15, Kids 12 And Under: $10, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 80) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Churchbells The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Theatre (pg. 96) 6:00pm-6:50pm • Misery Loves Company School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $25 • Comedy (pg. 65) 6:00pm-7:00pm • Merged: An Evening of Contemporary Dance School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $12 • Dance (pg. 71) 6:00pm-7:00pm • "Table For Two" & Friends The Rose Room • $20 • Dance (pg. 72) 6:30pm-7:25pm • The Geriactors Present: Live From Rochester MuCCC • $15 • Theatre (pg. 98) 6:30pm-7:45pm • Faculty Artist Series: Justin Benavidez - Tuba Eastman School of Music: Kilbourn Hall • FREE • Music (pg. 86) 6:30pm-8:50pm • Between the Lines CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $14, Seniors: $12, Veterans: $12, Students (w/ ID): $12, Kids 12 And Under: $12, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Theatre (pg. 96) 7:00pm-10:00pm • Submergence Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bar Joke Tales: The Frog-On-Your-Head Trilogy Salena's • $10 • Comedy (pg. 58) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Churchbells The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Theatre (pg. 96) 7:00pm-8:00pm • The Dice Is Right!

CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $10, Students (w/ ID): $10, Kids 12 And Under: $10 • Theatre (pg. 1)

109

DAY-BY-DAY SCHEDULE ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

110

10:00pm-11:00pm • SomethingWilder Variety Show & Secret Time Travel Meeting The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $17 • Comedy (pg. 67) THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

12:00pm-9:30pm • Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 5:15pm-6:15pm • Johnny Dowd The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 88) 5:30pm-6:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 5:45pm-6:25pm • Jam Side Up! Spiegelgarden • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 49) 6:00pm-7:00pm • Four Echoes School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $10 • Dance (pg. 70) 6:00pm-9:00pm • Best Films! RIT School of Film and Animation The Little Theatre • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 6:30pm-7:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 6:30pm-7:30pm • Live & Illuminated: Sarah De Vallière & the Rhythmwell Present "The Healing" CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $15, Seniors: $10, Veterans: $10, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 79) 6:30pm-7:30pm • Too Fat for China CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • $20 • Comedy (pg. 68) 6:30pm-7:30pm • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $10 • Theatre (pg. 102) 7:00pm-10:00pm • Submergence Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Dads For Democracy The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 62) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Time Schmime: History Unhinged MuCCC • $10 • Comedy (pg. 68) 7:00pm-8:30pm • Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent • Standard: $38, Front Row: $48, Second Row: $42, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $190 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 21) 7:00pm-10:00pm • Contra Dancing The Rose Room • FREE • Dance (pg. 70) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Garth Fagan Dance Garth Fagan Dance Studio • $20 • Dance (pg. 71) 7:30pm-9:00pm • Spooky Stories in the Stacks Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Spoken Word (pg. 94) 7:30pm-9:45pm • RENT Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 41) 8:00pm-9:00pm • Oz School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • Standard: $20, Students (w/ ID): $10, Kids 12 And Under: $10 • Comedy (pg. 66) 8:00pm-9:00pm • 2 Magic Rubies, 1 Private Eye: A Dirk Darrow Investigation CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $20, Seniors: $15, Students (w/ ID): $15 • Comedy (pg. 57) 8:00pm-9:00pm • The Fiddle Witch The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $20 • Music (pg. 86)

8:00pm-9:00pm • Glen Tickle Tries to Be a Person CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $13, Veterans: $13, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Comedy (pg. 64) 8:00pm-9:30pm • Synthflow Yoga Aerial Arts of Rochester • $20 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 81) 8:30pm-9:30pm • Bushwhacked Bonfire Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 8:30pm-9:30pm • Tarot Cabaret School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $15 • Theatre (pg. 101) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Battle Royale Improv Tournament The Focus Theater • $10 • Comedy (pg. 58) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Draupadi and the Endless Fabric The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $18 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 77) 9:00pm-10:30pm • Shotspeare Spiegeltent • Standard: $29, Front Row: $39, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $165, Second Row: $33 • Comedy (pg. 24) 10:00pm-11:00pm • SomethingWilder Variety Show & Secret Time Travel Meeting The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $17 • Comedy (pg. 67) 11:00pm-12:05am • Ministry; Or, The Surgical Revelation The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $10 • Theatre (pg. 100) FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

9:00am-4:30pm • Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104) 1:00pm-8:00pm • Design X Glass RIT City Art Space • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 105) 4:00pm-4:45pm • Petals in the Concrete Strangebird Brewery • FREE • Dance (pg. 71) 5:00pm-5:30pm • The Sights and Sounds District Austin Steward Plaza • $20 • Spoken Word (pg. 94) 5:00pm-6:00pm • Dram-o-cracy Spiegeltent • $25 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 26) 5:00pm-6:00pm • MUSICAL MYSTERIES The Little Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 89) 5:30pm-6:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 5:30pm-6:30pm • The Navel Gazers The Rose Room • $12 • Theatre (pg. 100) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Really Rosie CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • $10 • Music (pg. 90) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Sex, Violence, and Death: A Short History of Early Race Recordings The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 91) 5:45pm-6:00pm • RPO Pop-Up Performances Parcel 5 • FREE • Music (pg. 91) 5:45pm-6:25pm • Jam Side Up! Parcel 5 • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 49) 6:00pm-6:15pm • Red Apple Peeling Parcel 5 • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 80) 6:00pm-6:15pm • RPO Pop-Up Performances Parcel 5 • FREE • Music (pg. 91) 6:00pm-6:30pm • Freeze Frame: A Juggling Experience Parcel 5 • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 74)

6:00pm-6:35pm • Genesis School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $10 • Theatre (pg. 98) 6:00pm-6:45pm • Petals in the Concrete Strangebird Brewery • FREE • Dance (pg. 71) 6:00pm-6:45pm • ROCitecture Rochester Contemporary Art Center • FREE • Theatre (pg. 101) 6:00pm-7:00pm • The Painter School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $24 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 79) 6:00pm-7:15pm • A Body in Places – Eiko Otake University of Rochester: Spurrier Dance Theater • Standard: $15, Students (w/ ID): $0 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 76) 6:15pm-6:30pm • RPO Pop-Up Performances Parcel 5 • FREE • Music (pg. 91) 6:30pm-7:20pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 6:30pm-7:30pm • Vocal Point with the YellowJackets CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • $15 • Music (pg. 93) 6:45pm-7:45pm • Churchbells The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Theatre (pg. 96) 6:50pm-7:50pm • Banjos & Juggling: A World Vaudeville Adventure The Little Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 83) 7:00pm-7:30pm • SPHERE by eVenti Verticali Parcel 5 • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 45) 7:00pm-11:00pm • Submergence Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 7:00pm-7:45pm • A Middle Earth Press Conference School of the Arts: Club SOTA • $16 • Theatre (pg. 95) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Ants to Gods presents 2 Strange 2 Be True – An Improvised Docuseries The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 58) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bushwhacked Boozy: The Roadie Experience LIVE! Spiegelgarden • $48 • Comedy (pg. 43) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Classical Guitar and Renaissance Lute The Rose Room • $15 • Music (pg. 84) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Drag Clown MuCCC • $22 • Theatre (pg. 97) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Innerloop Podcast LIVE ROC Cinema • $15 • Comedy (pg. 64) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Sinatra—All the Way Java's Cafe • FREE • Music (pg. 92) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Tarot Cabaret School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $15 • Theatre (pg. 101) 7:00pm-8:30pm • Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent • Standard: $44, Front Row: $54, Second Row: $48, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $219 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 21) 7:15pm-9:21pm • Star Trek Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 41) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Garth Fagan Dance Garth Fagan Dance Studio • $20 • Dance (pg. 71) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Too Fat for China CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • $20 • Comedy (pg. 68) 8:00pm-9:00pm • Belly Dance: On the Edge The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Dance (pg. 69)

8:00pm-9:00pm • DUSK/NIGHT/DAWN Aerial Arts of Rochester • $30 • Dance (pg. 70) 8:00pm-9:00pm • Homecoming: School of the Arts Alumni Dance Concert School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $20 • Dance (pg. 71) 8:00pm-9:00pm • Ricky Ford Quartet Bop Shop Records • $30 • Music (pg. 90) 8:05pm-10:30pm • Philadelphia Freedom: A Tribute to Elton John The Hochstein School: Hochstein Performance Hall • $25 • Music (pg. 90) 8:15pm-8:45pm • A Cappella Time: Encore, Vocal Accent & Kaminari The Little Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 82) 8:30pm-9:30pm • Bushwhacked Bonfire Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 8:30pm-9:30pm • Charming Disaster's Musical Oracle School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $18 • Music (pg. 83) 8:30pm-9:30pm • Circumscribed: A True Tall Tale of One Father, Two Sons, and Thousands of Foreskins ROC Cinema • $15 • Comedy (pg. 62) 8:30pm-9:30pm • Stand-Up Through the Ages School of the Arts: Club SOTA • $12 • Comedy (pg. 68) 8:30pm-10:00pm • Coldwater Blues CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $15, Kids 12 And Under: $0, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Music (pg. 84) 9:00pm-9:30pm • SPHERE by eVenti Verticali Parcel 5 • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 45) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Documentary Short Films: RIT Photojournalism The Little Theatre • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 105) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Glen Tickle Tries to Be a Person CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $13, Veterans: $13, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Comedy (pg. 64) 9:00pm-10:00pm • JFT and Friends The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 65) 9:00pm-10:00pm • SomethingWilder Variety Show & Secret Time Travel Meeting The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $17 • Comedy (pg. 67) 9:00pm-10:30pm • Shotspeare Spiegeltent • Standard: $44, Front Row: $54, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $219, Second Row: $48, Kids 1 And Under: $33 • Comedy (pg. 24) 9:30pm-10:54pm • Black Dynamite Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 41) 10:15pm-11:15pm • Choise of Valentines The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $22 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 77) 11:00pm-2:00am • Submergence w/ Silent Disco Tickets Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 11:00pm-2:00am • Silent Disco Spiegeltent • Standard: $20, Students (w/ ID): $16 • Dance (pg. 31) 11:30pm-12:30am • Ministry; Or, The Surgical Revelation The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $10 • Theatre (pg. 100) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

10:00am-4:30pm • Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 104)

6:00pm-6:15pm • RPO Pop-Up Performances Parcel 5 • FREE • Music (pg. 91) 6:00pm-6:30pm • Freeze Frame: A Juggling Experience Parcel 5 • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 74) 6:00pm-6:45pm • ROCitecture Rochester Contemporary Art Center • FREE • Theatre (pg. 101) 6:00pm-7:00pm • Oz School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • Standard: $20, Students (w/ ID): $10, Kids 12 And Under: $10 • Comedy (pg. 66) 6:00pm-7:00pm • DUSK/NIGHT/DAWN Aerial Arts of Rochester • $30 • Dance (pg. 70) 6:00pm-7:00pm • Glen Tickle Tries to Be a Person CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $13, Veterans: $13, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Comedy (pg. 64) 6:00pm-7:00pm • Lunatics Lounge, Live ROC Cinema • $10 • Comedy (pg. 65) 6:00pm-7:00pm • The Navel Gazers The Rose Room • $12 • Theatre (pg. 100) 6:00pm-7:00pm • Something Familiar, Something Peculiar! MuCCC • $8 • Theatre (pg. 101) 6:00pm-7:00pm • Stand-Up Through the Ages School of the Arts: Club SOTA • $12 • Comedy (pg. 68) 6:15pm-6:30pm • RPO Pop-Up Performances Parcel 5 • FREE • Music (pg. 91) 7:00pm-7:30pm • SPHERE by eVenti Verticali Parcel 5 • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 45) 7:00pm-11pm • Submergence Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 7:00pm-7:45pm • WADAIKO Performance The Little Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 93) 7:00pm-8:00pm • The BFF Notebook The Harley School: Centrum • $12 • Theatre (pg. 96) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Bushwhacked Boozy: The Roadie Experience LIVE! Spiegelgarden • $48 • Comedy (pg. 43) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Charming Disaster's Musical Oracle School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $18 • Music (pg. 83) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Nerds in a Basement The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 66) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Plays in a Day Writers & Books • $20 • Theatre (pg. 100) 7:00pm-8:00pm • Vocal Point with the YellowJackets CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • $15 • Music (pg. 93) 7:00pm-8:30pm • Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent • Standard: $44, Front Row: $54, Second Row: $48, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $219 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 21) 7:30pm-8:20pm • Catharsis Time!

School of the Arts: Club SOTA • $12 • Comedy (pg. 59) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Circumscribed: A True Tall Tale of One Father, Two Sons, and Thousands of Foreskins ROC Cinema • $15 • Comedy (pg. 62) 7:30pm-8:30pm • "Table For Two" & Friends The Rose Room • $20 • Dance (pg. 72) 7:30pm-8:30pm • Too Fat for China CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • $20 • Comedy (pg. 68)

7:30pm-9:25pm • Raiders of the Lost Ark Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 41) 8:00pm-9:00pm • The Velvet Noose MuCCC • $18 • Theatre (pg. 102) 8:00pm-9:45pm • All About the Abittz School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $13 • Theatre (pg. 95) 8:05pm-8:35pm • A Cappella Time: Eight Beat Measure & Surround Sound The Little Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 82) 8:05pm-10:30pm • Philadelphia Freedom: A Tribute to Elton John The Hochstein School: Hochstein Performance Hall • $25 • Music (pg. 90) 8:15pm-9:15pm • Sex, Violence, and Death: A Short History of Early Race Recordings The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Music (pg. 91) 8:30pm-10:00pm • It Will Be Okay CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $5, Students (w/ ID): $2 • Theatre (pg. 100) 8:50pm-9:35pm • Echoes Through the Times The Little Theatre • FREE • Theatre (pg. 97) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Battle Royale Improv Tournament The Focus Theater • $10 • Comedy (pg. 58) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Bushwhacked Bonfire Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Charming Disaster's Musical Oracle School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $18 • Music (pg. 83) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Comedy On Deck: Well Seasoned School of the Arts: Club SOTA • $15 • Comedy (pg. 62) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Cupid's Boomerang The Spirit Room: Bar Room (Elephant) • $15 • Music (pg. 84) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Glen Tickle Tries to Be a Person CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $15, Seniors: $13, Veterans: $13, Students (w/ ID): $10 • Comedy (pg. 64) 9:00pm-10:00pm • Plays in a Day Writers & Books • $20 • Theatre (pg. 100) 9:00pm-10:30pm • Shotspeare Spiegeltent • Standard: $44, Front Row: $54, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $219, Second Row: $48 • Comedy (pg. 24) 9pm-9:30 • SPHERE by eVenti Verticali Parcel 5 • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 45) 9:30pm-11:00pm • Sleepwalk With Me Spiegelgarden • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 41) 10:00pm-11:00pm • DUSK/NIGHT/ DAWN Aerial Arts of Rochester • $30 • Dance (pg. 70) 10:15pm-11:15pm • Choise of Valentines The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $22 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 77) 11:00pm-2:00am • Submergence w/ Silent Disco Tickets Spiegelgarden • $4 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 37) 11:00pm-2:00am • Silent Disco Spiegeltent • Standard: $20, Students (w/ ID): $16 • Dance (pg. 31)

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

2:45pm-3:45pm • Tiger Steel Steelband Ensemble The Little Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 93) 3:00pm-3:30pm • Port-a-Globe Punch and Judy School of the Arts: Commons • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 74) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Bipolarcoaster The Rose Room • $16 • Theatre (pg. 96) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Garth Fagan Dance Garth Fagan Dance Studio • $20 • Dance (pg. 71) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Stages of the Game Teen Improv Troupe MuCCC • $15 • Comedy (pg. 67) 3:00pm-4:00pm • Ukrainian Dance Traditions CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $20, Students (w/ ID): $10, Kids 12 And Under: $10, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Dance (pg. 73) 3:30pm-4:30pm • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $10 • Theatre (pg. 102) 4:00pm-4:30pm • Bushwhacked: Hot and Sweaty Spiegelgarden • FREE • Comedy (pg. 43) 4:00pm-4:50pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 4:00pm-5:00pm • AYUK by CAT THE COYOTE School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $15 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 76) 4:00pm-5:00pm • The BFF Notebook The Harley School: Centrum • $12 • Theatre (pg. 96) 4:15pm-4:45pm • Appropriate Audience Behavior The Little Theatre • FREE • Theatre (pg. 96) 4:30pm-5:20pm • A Magic Problem!

MuCCC • $12 • Comedy (pg. 57) 4:30pm-5:30pm • 2 Magic Rubies, 1 Private Eye: A Dirk Darrow Investigation CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $20, Seniors: $15, Students (w/ ID): $15 • Comedy (pg. 57) 4:30pm-5:30pm • From Flab to Fabish School of the Arts: Club SOTA • $15 • Comedy (pg. 64) 4:30pm-5:30pm • Le Chat Noir The Rose Room • $16 • Music (pg. 89) 4:30pm-5:30pm • Too Fat for China CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • $20 • Comedy (pg. 68) 5:00pm-5:30pm • The Sights and Sounds District Austin Steward Plaza • $20 • Spoken Word (pg. 94) 5:00pm-5:50pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 5:00pm-6:00pm • Banter-Up Improv Troupe—Extra innings The Focus Theater • $15 • Comedy (pg. 58) 5:00pm-6:00pm • Thicker Than Blood School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre • $6 • Theatre (pg. 101) 5:30pm-6:15pm • RITPO - Chamber Music Showcase The Little Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 90) 5:30pm-6:30pm • Hillbilly The Spirit Room: The Spirit Room's Conjure Box • $15 • Spoken Word (pg. 94) 5:45pm-6:00pm • RPO Pop-Up Performances Parcel 5 • FREE • Music (pg. 91) 5:45pm-6:25pm • Jam Side Up! Parcel 5 • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 49) 6:00pm-6:15pm • Red Apple Peeling Parcel 5 • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 80)

DAY-BY-DAY

11:00am-11:15am • Velocity: RIT's Urban Dance Crew The Little Theatre • FREE • Dance (pg. 73) 11:45am-12:45pm • Black Deaf Male: Who Am I? The Little Theatre • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 76) 12:00pm-12:50pm • Eden The Rose Room • $15 • Dance (pg. 70) 12:00pm-1:00pm • Four Echoes School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $10 • Dance (pg. 70) 12:00pm-1:00pm • Really Rosie CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • $10 • Music (pg. 90) 12:00pm-1:00pm • Script-in-Hand Players Central Library: Kate Gleason Auditorium • FREE • Theatre (pg. 101) 12:00pm-1:00pm • Traits/Actions/ Motions Geneseo Dance Ensemble CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • $5 • Dance (pg. 72) 12:00pm-1:20pm • Disco Kids Spiegelgarden • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 57) 12:00pm-2:00pm • Pumpkin Painting Spiegelgarden • $7 • Kids Fringe (pg. 75) 12:00pm-3:00pm • Kids Chalk Art Spiegelgarden • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 74) 12:30pm-5:00pm • Fringe Street Beat Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park • FREE • Dance (pg. 53) 1:00pm-1:50pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 1:00pm-2:00pm • Cirque 101 Workshop Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance @ Lincoln Library • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 74) 1:00pm-5:00pm • Aquí Estamos: Stories of Presence and Power! The International Plaza • FREE • Multidisciplinary (pg. 76) 1:00pm-8:00pm • Design X Glass RIT City Art Space • FREE • Visual Arts & Film (pg. 105) 1:15pm-1:55pm • Jam Side Up! Spiegelgarden • FREE • Kids Fringe (pg. 49) 1:20pm-2:05pm • Culture Crescendo The Little Theatre • FREE • Music (pg. 84) 1:30pm-2:30pm • Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Hart Theater • Standard: $20, Seniors: $15, Kids 12 And Under: $15 • Comedy (pg. 58) 1:30pm-2:30pm • The Navel Gazers The Rose Room • $12 • Theatre (pg. 100) 1:30pm-3:00pm • Catch & Collide School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre • $15 • Dance (pg. 69) 2:00pm-2:35pm • Thirteen Ways MuCCC • $15 • Theatre (pg. 102) 2:00pm-2:50pm • Dashboard Dramas XI Spiegelgarden • $33 • Comedy (pg. 43) 2:00pm-3:00pm • A Biscuit Brothers Slightly Crooked, Big-Hearted Salute to the Erie Canal School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre • $15 • Music (pg. 82) 2:00pm-3:00pm • Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies Spiegelgarden • $29 • Comedy (pg. 43) 2:00pm-3:00pm • Rich The Magic Man Total Pandemonium Magic Show CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage • Standard: $10, Kids 1 And Under: $0 • Kids Fringe (pg. 75) 2:30pm-4:00pm • Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out Spiegeltent • Standard: $34, Kids 12 And Under: $23, VIP Booths (Seat 6): $147 • Multidisciplinary (pg. 21)

111

VENUES

FRINGE VENUES Throughout downtown Rochester

Fringe venues are located in our main East End footprint, with satellite locations in the Neighborhood of the Arts, in the University of Rochester area, in the historic Joseph Avenue and Upper Falls Neighborhoods, and in the Brighton/Henrietta area.

ONE FRINGE PLACE

32

33

Corner of Main & Gibbs Streets, Rochester, NY 14604 GPS Address: 71 Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY 14604 Located across from the Eastman Theatre, our Fringe central includes the fabulous Spiegeltent, Dawn's Spiegelgarden, The Justin L. Vigdor Box Office & Info Booth, food trucks, the Fringe Store, free entertainment, and some site-specific shows.

SPIEGELTENT

This year’s Spiegeltent is the historic Palais im Park from Beligum; a larger tent with stained glass windows, a velvet draped ceiling and VIP booths fit for royalty. See page 18 for more details and a list of shows.

6

OUTDOOR VENUES

DAWN’S SPIEGELGARDEN

Host location for Pedestrian Drive-In, Submergence, Dashboard Dramas, Bushwhacked, and more. Plus, the Theatre Bar: A festive lounge with a magical vibe.

See page 34 for details and a list of shows.

21

Near East Avenue and Main Street, Rochester

The orange dots indicate a venue’s number(s) on the map on page 119.

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

(More than one dot means that a venue has multiple spaces, with different addresses.) addresses .)

SITE-SPECIFIC SHOWS/VENUES

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING PARCEL 5 (site of SPHERE by eVenti Verticali) JR. MEMORIAL PARK: 285 East Ave., THE BOWL next to One East Ave., (site of Fringe Street Beat)

353 Court Street Rochester, NY 14607

Saturday, Sept. 20, 12:30-5pm See page 47 for more details.

2

Austin Steward Plaza Austin Steward Plaza, Rochester, NY 14614

Throughout downtown Rochester

A variety of entertainment with a specially adapted location other than a standard venue.

Genesee Valley Park:

10 Waterways Center

131 Elmwood Ave. Rochester, NY 14611

Rochester Contemporary

26 Art Center: Side Lawn 137 East Ave. Rochester, NY 14604

Rochester, NY 14604

Friday, Sept. 19, 5-10pm Saturday, Sept. 20, 5-10pm See page 44 for more details.

Rochester Museum and

27 Science Center:

Garden of Fragrance 657 East Ave. Rochester, NY 14607

Brewery 35 Strangebird 62 Marshall Street Rochester, NY 14607

Washington Grove

37 80 Culver Road

Rochester, NY 14620

Washington Square Park

38 181 South Clinton Ave. Rochester, NY 14607

112

1046 University Ave. Suite C Rochester, NY 14607 www.aerialartsrochester.com

Aerial Arts of Rochester is a circus arts training school offering a variety of alternative fitness and dance classes using apparatuses such as the trapeze and silk fabrics. The venue also hosts many showcases and themed productions throughout the year. @AerialArtsRochester

@aerialartsrochester

3 Bop Shop Records 3.

Bop Shop Records is an independently owned record store that specializes in fine-condition vinyl records and CDs. @bopshoprecords

4.

4 CenterStage Theatre at the JCC 1200 Edgewood Ave, Rochester, NY 14618 www.jccCenterStage Theatre.org

CenterStage is a professional theatre company at the Jewish Community Center in Brighton; offering a 300-seat indoor Hart Theater and a more intimate and flexible indoor Ballroom Stage for performances. There is plenty of free parking and both venues are fully accessible.

Concession snacks are available. @jccCenterStage Theatre

@jccCenterStage

5.

5 Central Library of Rochester 115 South Ave, Rochester, NY 14604 www.roccitylibrary.org/location/central/

The Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County consists of two buildings, the Rundel Memorial Library building, opened in 1936, and the Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building, opened in 1997. Located in the heart of downtown Rochester, at 115 South Avenue, the library offers the residents of the city and county a large collection of print and electronic books and magazines, music, movies, and more. @RocCentralLibrary

@roccity_library

The Focus Theater is a performance venue and training center for Rochester’s best artistic minds. The Focus is excited to showcase its unique space in the historic Sibley Building on Main Street. We provide a welcoming and accessible environment where individuals of diverse backgrounds can come together to learn new skills, grow as performers, and create world-class entertainment.

26 Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY 14604 www.esm.rochester.edu

Long regarded as one of the world’s premier schools of music, the Eastman School of Music offers a uniquely inspiring array of artistic, scholarly, and creative opportunities. Situated in the heart of downtown Rochester, the home of the world-renowned Rochester Philharmonic, Eastman’s stellar faculty, enduring legacy and entrepreneurial edge place our students at the spark point where great music is made to matter. @eastman.school

@thefocustheater

9.

9 Garth Fagan Dance

52 Chestnut Street, Rochester, NY 14604 www.garthfagandance.org

Garth Fagan Dance is the region’s leading artistled, predominately Black cultural institution that develops young dancers, especially those of color. The company has recently been welcomed into the library of Congress archives and designated a 20th century dance treasure, with Garth acclaimed as the longest-running Black choreographer on Broadway for his work on Disney’s The Lion King. GFD is headquartered in a 10,008-square-foot space of a 100+-year-old building downtown. @Garth Fagan Dance Company

@garthfagandancecompany

11 George Eastman Museum: Dryden Theatre 11 900 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607 www.eastman.org/about-dryden-theatre

The George Eastman Museum is the world’s leading museum of photography and motion pictures and the National Historic Landmark home and gardens of the father of popular photography. Located in Rochester’s cultural district, the museum offers a variety of exhibitions of historic and contemporary photographs, as well as displays that chronicle the personal and professional lives of George Eastman. @GeorgeEastmanMuseum

@EastmanMuseum

12 The Harley School 12

1981 Clover Street, Rochester, NY 14618 www.harleyschool.org

The Harley School is a caring, close-knit independent community where students discover their passions, find joy in learning, and prepare for an ever-evolving world. We nurture confident explorers who value imagination, tackle challenges, and embrace mistakes as fuel for growth. Our academic program fosters critical thinking, genuine understanding, and multiple perspectives through hands-on, project-based learning. Founded in 1917, our college preparatory program serves students in Nursery-Grade 12. @harleyschool

@harley1917

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

7.

7 Eastman School of Music

@EastmanSchool

250 East Main St. Suite 3100, Sibley Square, Rochester, NY 14604 • www.focustheater.us

@thefocustheater

1460 Monroe Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618 www.bopshop.com

@BopShopRecords

8 The Focus Theater 8.

VENUES

1 Aerial Arts of Rochester 1.

113

VENUES

13 The Hochstein School 13

50 N. Plymouth Ave., Rochester, NY 14614 www.hochstein.org

Dedicated to providing access to opportunity, The Hochstein School is a vibrant community of musicians, dancers, and supporters who choose to come together in this historic and inspiring place to develop the ability to speak and communicate through the making of music and dance. We do this with the conviction that music nurtures, enriches, and energizes every human life. @HochsteinSchool

@hochsteinschool

18 18 The Little: Theatre 1

240 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14604 www.www.thelittle.org

The Little Theatre in Rochester, commonly known as “The Little,” is a movie theatre on historic East Avenue in downtown Rochester and a modest non-profit multiplex specializing in art film, including independent and foreign productions outside the United States. @TheLittleTheatreROC

19 Memorial Art Gallery 19

500 University Ave, Rochester, NY 14607

A visit to the Memorial Art Gallery is a journey through more than 5,000 years of art history.

From the relics of antiquity to works in the vanguard of contemporary practice, MAG’s museum offers a panorama of the world’s art.

Our 14-acre campus is a spectacular public art space that is a popular destination for Rochesterians and out-of-town visitors alike.

14 La Marketa at the International Plaza 14 828 North Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14604 www.cityofrochester.gov/internationalplaza

The International Plaza is an exciting, new, Latin-themed event space and marketplace.

It features a variety of vendors and vending options, providing a community gathering space to celebrate and build on the tremendous arts and cultural assets of the surrounding neighborhood. @TheInternationalPlazaROC

@MAGRochester

142 Atlantic Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607 • www.muccc.org

The MuCCC Theater is an all-volunteer, 80 seat black box theater that presents theater and performance which reflects the diversity of the Rochester community. MuCCC is housed in a repurposed 19th century Baptist Mission.

15 Java’s Café 15

16 Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY 14604 www.javascafe.com

@javascafegibbs

@magrochester/

20 20 MuCCC

theinternationalplazaroc

Located on Gibbs Street in downtown Rochester, Java’s Cafe has a unique atmosphere— riddled with artwork and innate personality. Java’s is a great place to relax, converse, and find inspiration. You can also enjoy some of the best locally roasted coffee and organic teas Rochester has to offer.

@thelittletheatre

@theMuCCC

22 22 Photo City Music Hall

543 Atlantic Ave Rochester, NY 14609

Since 2016, PCMH has produced an impressive blend of local, regional, national & international music & art that represents many scenes, cultures and subcultures.

@javascafe

@@PhotoCityMusicHall

@@PhotoCityMusicHall

16 Joseph Avenue Arts & Culture Alliance 16

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

851 Joseph Avenue, Rochester, NY 14621 www.josephavearts.org

114

Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance presents its Rochester Fringe Festival in the Lincoln Branch Library. Housing a bright and spacious Children’s Room, a dedicated Community Room for events, a comfortably furnished “Teen Spot” for youth aged 13 -17, private study areas, and the Toy Library. @josephavearts

@jaacaroc

117 Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre 26 Gibbs St., Rochester, NY 14604 www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts/halls/kodak/

Rochester’s preeminent performance space— part of Eastman School of Music—is the prestigious venue for Chelsea Handler. @EastmanSchool

@eastman.school

23 23

RIT City Art Space

30 Adventure Pl, Rochester, NY 14607 www.rit.edu/cityartspace

City Art Space is RIT’s only off-campus art venue in downtown Rochester, free and open to the public, where community engagement flows through art and design exhibitions, events and educational programming. @RITTigers

@RITTigers

24 24 ROC Cinema

957 S. Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14620 www.roccinema.com

Rochester’s premier dine-in movie theater and event space. Rochester’s oldest movie theater built in 1914 and recently renovated in 2021. Specializing in movies, live events/ performances, and private events. Full kitchen and bar on the premises. Hearing Loop available. @theroccinema

@roccinema

31 School of the Arts 31

1344 University Ave., Suite 6200, Rochester, NY 14607 www.roccitycircus.com

45 Prince Street, Rochester, NY 14607 www.sotarochester.org

Ladies & Gentleman! Boys, Girls, and NonBinary Pals! It’s time to join the circus! Inside the Big Top you’ll find Western New York’s only Flying Trapeze. You can also try out other Circus Aerial classes as well as the viral sensation, Bungee Fitness. Everyone is welcome and no prior experience is necessary. The venue offer monthly circus shows and birthday parties. @ROCCityCircus

26 26

@roccitycircus

Rochester Contemporary Art Center: Side Lawn

Nestled in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts, School of the Arts serves Rochester City students and offers traditional academics complemented by an arts-based curriculum.

SOTA’s mission is “student academic, artistic and humanistic success!” @rcsdsota

34 The Spirit Room 34

139 State Street, Rochester, NY 14614

The Spirit Room is a meeting place, created by artists for artists. We are working-class misfits who seek to disrupt and subvert the inherent class and gender biases that dominate the craft cocktail culture through community engagement, live performances and radical dialogue.

137 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14604

Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo) is a venue for the exchange of ideas and a non-profit that was founded in 1977. As a center for thoughtful contemporary art RoCo provides unique encounters for audiences and extraordinary opportunities for artists. @Rochester.Contemporary.Art.Center

28 28

RoCo137

Rochester Music Hall of Fame

25 Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY 14604 www.rochestermusichof.org

@the_spirit_roomcle

36 36 University of Rochester Spurrier Dance Theater Located on the first floor of Spurrier Hall, Spurrier Dance Theater is a 170-seat sprung floor dance studio/theater. Parking will be challenging due to Meliora weekend so please allow ample time to find a spot. Parking is free in the evening. If parked in or near the Library lot, walk towards the Susan B. Anthony dorm and follow the sidewalk on the left to the entrance of Spurrier Hall. Enter on the second floor and go downstairs to the first floor to the theater, or walk down the hill and enter at the brown metal door facing the theater entrance.

Home location of the Rochester Music Hall of Fame and right across Gibbs Street from the Eastman School of Music. @RMHF2012

@rochalloffame

29 The Rose Room 29

295 Gregory St, Rochester, NY 14620

The Rose Room is a historic dance hall and events space in Rochester’s South Wedge Neighborhood. @TheRoseRoomRochester

@RoseRoomRoc

@RCSDSOTA

VENUES

25 25 Roc City Circus

39 Writers & Books

740 University Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607 www.wab.org

30 30 Salena’s

302 N. Goodman Street At the Village Gate, Rochester, NY 14607 • www.salenas.com

@salenasmexican

@salenasmexican

@WritersandBooks

Go together. Go wow.

GO BIG.

@writersandbooks

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

A full service, 120-seat Mexican Restaurant.

Several areas where performances take place including: a small party room that holds 20; A heated outdoor patio which holds 50; a bar area and the main dining room. Come see up-close and personal interactive performances!

Writers & Books promotes reading and writing as lifelong activities for people of all ages and backgrounds to enrich their lives and the intellectual, social, and cultural vibrancy of their communities. The organization engages youths and adults through workshops, readings, writing residencies, and intersectional activities. Writers & Books owns and operates Ampersand Books, an in-house independent bookstore, and Gell: A Finger Lakes Creative Retreat, sited on 24 acres in Naples, New York.

115

SHOW INDEX Rochester ESL Rochester Fringe Fringe Festival Festival

116

1 Small Lie: Martin Dockery........................................................................................

Dockery........................................................................................95 95 2 Magic Rubies, 1 Private Eye: A Dirk Darrow Investigation.

Investigation.......................................57 .....................................57 50 Shades of Gay Takes On the '80s..........................................................................

'80s..........................................................................57 57 9/11 Memorial Concert...............................................................................................

Concert...............................................................................................81 81 A Biscuit Brothers Slightly Crooked, Big-Hearted Salute to the Erie Canal.

Canal................82 ..............82 A Body in Places – Eiko Otake....................................................................................

Otake....................................................................................76 76 A Cappella Time: Eight Beat Measure & Surround Sound..........................................

Sound..........................................82 82 A Cappella Time: Encore, Vocal Accent & Kaminari.

Kaminari....................................................82 ..................................................82 A Cappella Time: The Brick City Singers, Grace Note & Proof of Purchase.

Purchase.................82 ...............82 A Magic Problem!.......................................................................................................

Problem!.......................................................................................................57 57 A Middle Earth Press Conference.

Conference................................................................................95 ..............................................................................95 A Mighty Wind.

Wind.............................................................................................................40 ...........................................................................................................40 A Rockin' City Circus..................................................................................................

Circus..................................................................................................76 76 A Selection of Films by Vashti Anderson and Christine Banna.

Banna.................................104 ...............................104 Aggy Dune: unplugged, uncensored and unhinged. unhinged....................................................95 ..................................................95 AI Theatre Experiment.

Experiment.................................................................................................95 ...............................................................................................95 All About the Abittz.....................................................................................................

Abittz.....................................................................................................95 95 All the Boys I Blocked.................................................................................................

Blocked.................................................................................................96 96 Allison's Angry Girl Era and All the Stories Behind the Songs.

Songs....................................82 ..................................82 An Immigrant's Guide to America..............................................................................

America..............................................................................57 57 And Now For Something Completely Different............................................................

Different............................................................69 69 Anthony Prezutti - Comedy Mentalist.........................................................................

Mentalist.........................................................................57 57 Ants to Gods presents 2 Strange 2 Be True – An Improvised Docuseries.

Docuseries...................58 .................58 Appropriate Audience Behavior..................................................................................

Behavior..................................................................................96 96 The Aquatic Enigma...................................................................................................

Enigma...................................................................................................58 58 Aquí Estamos: Stories of Presence and Power!..........................................................

Power!..........................................................76 76 Art of the Book & Paper Exhibit................................................................................

Exhibit................................................................................104 104 AYUK by CAT + THE COYOTE.......................................................................................

COYOTE.......................................................................................76 76 Banjos & Juggling: A World Vaudeville Adventure......................................................

Adventure......................................................83 83 Banter-Up Improv Troupe—Extra innings. innings..................................................................58 ................................................................58 Bar Joke Tales: The Frog-On-Your-Head Trilogy.

Trilogy...........................................................58 .........................................................58 Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry......................................................................

Wizardry......................................................................58 58 Bashiri Asad & Band..................................................................................................

Band..................................................................................................83 83 Battle Royale Improv Tournament..............................................................................

Tournament..............................................................................58 58 The Beginning After An End: The Rebirth...................................................................

Rebirth...................................................................69 69 Belly Dance Kaleidoscope: Tradition and Fusion Dance Showcase!...........................

Showcase!...........................69 69 Belly Dance: On the Edge.

Edge............................................................................................69 ..........................................................................................69 Best Films! RIT School of Film and Animation.........................................................

Animation.........................................................104 104 Between the Lines......................................................................................................

Lines......................................................................................................96 96 The BFF Notebook.......................................................................................................

Notebook.......................................................................................................96 96 Bingo Night: Five in a Row on Memory Lane.

Lane...............................................................59 .............................................................59 Bipolarcoaster............................................................................................................

Bipolarcoaster ............................................................................................................96 96 Black Deaf Male: Who Am I?.

I?.......................................................................................76 .....................................................................................76 Black Dynamite..........................................................................................................

Dynamite..........................................................................................................41 41 Bloom – A Multisensory Percussion Experience.

Experience..........................................................76 ........................................................76 Brick City Boppers Showcase.....................................................................................

Showcase.....................................................................................69 69 Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy..............................................................................

Boy..............................................................................40 40 Bushwhacked Bonfire.................................................................................................

Bonfire.................................................................................................43 43 Bushwhacked Boozy: The Roadie Experience LIVE!....................................................

LIVE!....................................................43 43 Bushwhacked: Hot and Sweaty..................................................................................

Sweaty..................................................................................43 43 Bushwhacked: Rise of the Roadies............................................................................

Roadies............................................................................43 43 The Cabinet of Musical Curiosities.

Curiosities.............................................................................83 ...........................................................................83 Calon Arang.

Arang................................................................................................................83 ..............................................................................................................83 Catch & Collide.

Collide...........................................................................................................69 .........................................................................................................69 Catharsis Time!..........................................................................................................

Time!..........................................................................................................59 59 Charming Disaster's Musical Oracle.

Oracle..........................................................................83 ........................................................................83 Cheesecake and Hot Chocolate: Songs Set to Poems by Martha Kelch......................

Kelch......................84 84 Chelsea Handler.........................................................................................................

Handler.........................................................................................................33 33 Choise of Valentines...................................................................................................

Valentines...................................................................................................77 77 Churchbells................................................................................................................

Churchbells ................................................................................................................96 96 Circumscribed: A True Tall Tale of One Father, Two Sons, and Thousands of Foreskins.

Foreskins..... 62 Cirque 101 Workshop.

Workshop..................................................................................................74 ................................................................................................74 Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out. Out...............................................................................20 ............................................................................. 20 - 21 Classical Guitar and Renaissance Lute.....................................................................

Lute.....................................................................84 84 Cobbs Hill Consort.

Consort......................................................................................................84 ....................................................................................................84 Coldwater Blues.........................................................................................................

Blues.........................................................................................................84 84 Comedy On Deck: Well Seasoned................................................................................

Seasoned................................................................................62 62

Comedy Runway.........................................................................................................

Runway.........................................................................................................62 62 ComedySportz Buffalo................................................................................................

Buffalo................................................................................................62 62 Commotion Dance Theater.........................................................................................

Theater.........................................................................................77 77 Conclave......................................................................................................................40 Conclave ...................................................................................................................40 Contra Dancing..........................................................................................................

Dancing..........................................................................................................70 70 Culture Crescendo......................................................................................................

Crescendo......................................................................................................84 84 Cupid's Boomerang....................................................................................................

Boomerang....................................................................................................84 84 Dads For Democracy...................................................................................................

Democracy...................................................................................................62 62 Dashboard Dramas XI. XI.................................................................................................43 ...............................................................................................43 Death of Film in the House of Silent Shadows.

Shadows..........................................................104 ........................................................104 Demon on the Ward....................................................................................................

Ward....................................................................................................97 97 Desert Rhythms Belly Dance.

Dance.......................................................................................70 .....................................................................................70 Design X Glass.

Glass..........................................................................................................105 ........................................................................................................105 The Dice Is Right!.......................................................................................................

Right!.......................................................................................................97 97 Dinner Where Everything Goes Wrong.

Wrong.........................................................................97 .......................................................................97 Disco Kids.

Kids...................................................................................................................51 .................................................................................................................51 DIY Oracle Card: Design Your Future..........................................................................

Future..........................................................................77 77 Documentary Short Films: RIT Photojournalism.......................................................

Photojournalism.......................................................105 105 Drag + Clown.............................................................................................................

Clown.............................................................................................................97 97 Drag Me Home............................................................................................................

Home............................................................................................................27 27 Dram-o-cracy...............................................................................................................26 Dram-o-cracy ............................................................................................................26 Draupadi and the Endless Fabric...............................................................................

Fabric...............................................................................77 77 DRE | RED...................................................................................................................

RED...................................................................................................................85 85 Dresnack and Friends, Greatest Hits from the First and Last Decade.

Decade........................85 ......................85 DUSK/NIGHT/DAWN.....................................................................................................

DUSK/NIGHT/DAWN .....................................................................................................70 70 Dust Bowl Faeries.

Faeries.......................................................................................................85 .....................................................................................................85 Eastman Percussion Ensemble..................................................................................

Ensemble..................................................................................85 85 Eastman Wind Ensemble.

Ensemble............................................................................................85 ..........................................................................................85 Eastman Wind Orchestra.

Orchestra............................................................................................85 ..........................................................................................85 Echoes Through the Times.

Times..........................................................................................97 ........................................................................................97 EcoVibes–Unfolding Our Future.

Future..................................................................................78 ................................................................................78 Eden.............................................................................................................................70 Eden ..........................................................................................................................70 Eleanor's Story: An American Girl in Hitler's Germany.

Germany................................................97 ..............................................97 Eleanor's Story: Life After War....................................................................................

War....................................................................................98 98 The Emmett Hughes Band.

Band..........................................................................................86 ........................................................................................86 Eno and Dan French...................................................................................................

French...................................................................................................63 63 the estate sale. sale............................................................................................................63 ..........................................................................................................63 The Event.

Event....................................................................................................................25 ..................................................................................................................25 eVenti Verticali: SPHERE. SPHERE.....................................................................................44 ................................................................................... 44 - 46 Faculty Artist Series: Justin Benavidez - Tuba.

Tuba............................................................86 ..........................................................86 The Fiddle Witch.........................................................................................................

Witch.........................................................................................................86 86 Fires.............................................................................................................................98 Fires ..........................................................................................................................98 Flight..........................................................................................................................

Flight ..........................................................................................................................70 70 Flying The Coop.

Coop...........................................................................................................63 .........................................................................................................63 Forest Music...............................................................................................................

Music...............................................................................................................86 86 Four Echoes................................................................................................................

Echoes................................................................................................................70 70 Freeze Frame: A Juggling Experience.

Experience..........................................................................74 ........................................................................74 Fringe Street Beat.

Beat.......................................................................................................53 .....................................................................................................53 From Flab to Fab-ish..................................................................................................

Fab-ish..................................................................................................64 64 Funkyard Brass Band.................................................................................................

Band.................................................................................................86 86 Game Show! Game Show! Game Show!: A Games Show...........................................

Show...........................................78 78 Garth Fagan Dance.

Dance.....................................................................................................71 ...................................................................................................71 The GateSwingers Big Band.......................................................................................

Band.......................................................................................86 86 GBF.............................................................................................................................

GBF .............................................................................................................................41 41 Genesis.......................................................................................................................

Genesis .......................................................................................................................98 98 The Geriactors Present: Live From Rochester.............................................................

Rochester.............................................................98 98 Glen Tickle Tries to Be a Person..................................................................................

Person..................................................................................64 64 Glitch Video Game Band.

Band.............................................................................................87 ...........................................................................................87 GOD'S EMBRACE. EMBRACE.........................................................................................................99 .......................................................................................................99 Goes Without Saying.

Saying...................................................................................................64 .................................................................................................64 Good Girl.....................................................................................................................

Girl.....................................................................................................................99 99 The Goodness of Stepping Outside.

Outside.............................................................................71 ...........................................................................71 Gospel Sunday............................................................................................................

Sunday............................................................................................................29 29 Ground Zero................................................................................................................

Zero................................................................................................................99 99 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3..

3....................................................................................40 .................................................................................40 Guilt & Mirrors Improv Troupe.

Troupe.....................................................................................64 ...................................................................................64 Hank Roberts Trio.......................................................................................................

Trio.......................................................................................................87 87

Rich The Magic Man Total Pandemonium Magic Show..............................................

Show..............................................75 75 Ricky Ford Quartet......................................................................................................

Quartet......................................................................................................90 90 RIT Improv..................................................................................................................

Improv..................................................................................................................66 66 RITPO - Chamber Music Showcase.

Showcase.............................................................................90 ...........................................................................90 Roc River Ride............................................................................................................

Ride............................................................................................................80 80 ROCeltic: The Next Generation.

Generation....................................................................................72 ..................................................................................72 ROCitecture..............................................................................................................

ROCitecture ..............................................................................................................101 101 The Roustabouts.

Roustabouts.........................................................................................................66 .......................................................................................................66 RPO Performs "HQ".

"HQ".....................................................................................................91 ...................................................................................................91 RPO Pop-Up Performances.........................................................................................

Performances.........................................................................................91 91 Róisín Dubh................................................................................................................

Dubh................................................................................................................91 91 Scoulive......................................................................................................................

Scoulive ......................................................................................................................91 91 Script-in-Hand Players.............................................................................................

Players.............................................................................................101 101 Sex, Violence, and Death: A Short History of Early Race Recordings..........................

Recordings..........................91 91 Shootin' Starz Fashion Showcase...............................................................................

Showcase...............................................................................80 80 Shotspeare...................................................................................................................24 Shotspeare ................................................................................................................24 The Sights and Sounds District..................................................................................

District..................................................................................94 94 Signatures Art & Literary Magazine.

Magazine............................................................................94 ..........................................................................94 Silent Disco.

Disco.................................................................................................................31 ...............................................................................................................31 Silver Rein: A Goth-Folk Music Experience.

Experience..................................................................91 ................................................................91 Sinatra—All the Way. Way..................................................................................................92 ................................................................................................92 Sleepwalk with Me. Me......................................................................................................41 ....................................................................................................41 Something Familiar, Something Peculiar!.

Peculiar!................................................................101 ..............................................................101 SomethingWilder Variety Show & Secret Time Travel Meeting....................................

Meeting....................................67 67 Somnia in Musica.

Musica.......................................................................................................92 .....................................................................................................92 Songs by David Temperley..........................................................................................

Temperley..........................................................................................92 92 Songs for Every Age, All at the Same Time.................................................................

Time.................................................................92 92 Songs of Love and Peace: David Kilimnick's Solo Reunion Tour.

Tour.................................67 ...............................67 SOTA Cabaret.

Cabaret..............................................................................................................92 ............................................................................................................92 SPHERE by eVenti Verticali.................................................................................

Verticali.................................................................................44 44 - 46 Spicy Tarot..................................................................................................................

Tarot..................................................................................................................80 80 Spooky Stories in the Stacks.

Stacks.......................................................................................94 .....................................................................................94 Stages of the Game Teen Improv Troupe.

Troupe.....................................................................67 ...................................................................67 Stand Up for Drag.

Drag.......................................................................................................67 .....................................................................................................67 Stand-Up Through the Ages.......................................................................................

Ages.......................................................................................68 68 Star Trek.

Trek......................................................................................................................41 ....................................................................................................................41 Sub-Zero Science.

Science........................................................................................................75 ......................................................................................................75 Submergence.......................................................................................................36 Submergence .................................................................................................... 36 - 37 Swing Era Live............................................................................................................

Live............................................................................................................92 92 Synthflow Yoga...........................................................................................................

Yoga...........................................................................................................81 81 "Table For Two" & Friends...........................................................................................

Friends...........................................................................................72 72 Tales from Dapple Creek.

Creek.............................................................................................72 ...........................................................................................72 Tarot Cabaret.

Cabaret............................................................................................................101 ..........................................................................................................101 Terry Fyke's Main Street Players Five Point Performance Company Showcase...........

Showcase...........93 93 Thicker Than Blood...................................................................................................

Blood...................................................................................................101 101 Thirteen Ways...........................................................................................................

Ways...........................................................................................................102 102 Tiger Steel Steelband Ensemble.................................................................................

Ensemble.................................................................................93 93 Time Schmime: History Unhinged.

Unhinged...............................................................................68 .............................................................................68 Too Fat for China.

China.........................................................................................................68 .......................................................................................................68 TRACES........................................................................................................................39 TRACES .....................................................................................................................39 Traits/Actions/Motions Geneseo Dance Ensemble.

Ensemble......................................................72 ....................................................72 Trivia CITY: An Arts & Culture Quiz.............................................................................

Quiz.............................................................................81 81 Ukrainian Dance Traditions........................................................................................

Traditions........................................................................................73 73 Velocity: RIT's Urban Dance Crew.

Crew...............................................................................73 .............................................................................73 The Velvet Noose.

Noose.......................................................................................................102 .....................................................................................................102 Vocal Point with the YellowJackets.............................................................................

YellowJackets.............................................................................93 93 Voices from Ellis Island............................................................................................

Island............................................................................................102 102 WADAIKO Performance.

Performance................................................................................................93 ..............................................................................................93 Wander & Wonder V....................................................................................................

V....................................................................................................73 73 Wanna Be Starting Something...................................................................................

Something...................................................................................73 73 Warhol: Bullet Karma.

Karma................................................................................................102 ..............................................................................................102 Wasted Girl.................................................................................................................

Girl.................................................................................................................93 93 The Wedding of Kai Von Doom (A Comedy Show).

Show)........................................................68 ......................................................68 Wicked........................................................................................................................

Wicked ........................................................................................................................40 40 Widow.......................................................................................................................

Widow .......................................................................................................................102 102 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz......................................................................................

Oz......................................................................................102 102 The World is Waiting for the Sunrise: A Sing-along with Maggie Paxson...................

Paxson...................94 94

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

Here's To Life: Pictures, Stories, Songs, Dances - Thomas Warfield.

Warfield...........................78 .........................78 The Heroic Enthusiasts - A Synthonic Illumination....................................................

Illumination....................................................87 87 Hillbilly.........................................................................................................................94 Hillbilly ......................................................................................................................94 Homecoming: School of the Arts Alumni Dance Concert............................................

Concert............................................71 71 The Hundred Windows................................................................................................

Windows................................................................................................78 78 I Am Going To Die (And All They Gave Me Were These Lousy Cupcakes).....................

Cupcakes).....................99 99 Ian Campbell..............................................................................................................

Campbell..............................................................................................................87 87 In His Own Words: An Evening With Robert Frost.......................................................

Frost.......................................................99 99 Infrared Radiation Orchestra.

Orchestra......................................................................................87 ....................................................................................87 Innerloop Podcast LIVE...............................................................................................

LIVE...............................................................................................64 64 It Will Be Okay.

Okay...........................................................................................................100 .........................................................................................................100 Jackboxing..................................................................................................................

Jackboxing ..................................................................................................................64 64 Jam Side Up!..............................................................................................................

Up!..............................................................................................................49 49 JFT and Friends.

Friends...........................................................................................................65 .........................................................................................................65 Jim Rezac/Singer-Songwriter.

Rezac/Singer-Songwriter......................................................................................88 ....................................................................................88 Johnny Dowd...............................................................................................................

Dowd...............................................................................................................88 88 Katie Haverly Live.......................................................................................................

Live.......................................................................................................88 88 Kids Chalk Art. Art.............................................................................................................74 ...........................................................................................................74 Kirk Knuffke, Ray Anderson, Harold Danko.................................................................

Danko.................................................................88 88 L'homme Désarmé (The Disarmed Man)....................................................................

Man)....................................................................88 88 LadySpectra.................................................................................................................88 LadySpectra ..............................................................................................................88 Late Night With Dan...................................................................................................

Dan...................................................................................................65 65 Lateral Move...............................................................................................................

Move...............................................................................................................65 65 Le Chat Noir.

Noir................................................................................................................89 ..............................................................................................................89 Le Cirque des Sensation.............................................................................................

Sensation.............................................................................................78 78 Letters I Wear for My Father.

Father......................................................................................100 ....................................................................................100 Lion..............................................................................................................................41 Lion ...........................................................................................................................41 Live & Illuminated: Sarah De Vallière & the Rhythmwell Present "The Healing".

Healing"........79 ......79 The Lost World Bemshi!.

Bemshi!..............................................................................................79 ............................................................................................79 Lunatics Lounge, Live.

Live.................................................................................................65 ...............................................................................................65 Lunchador Podcast-a-Rama......................................................................................

Podcast-a-Rama......................................................................................65 65 The Man and His Dog. Dog..................................................................................................79 ................................................................................................79 Mark Watters: A Life in Music.....................................................................................

Music.....................................................................................89 89 Merged: An Evening of Contemporary Dance.

Dance..............................................................71 ............................................................71 Mid-Century Modern Jazz Quartet.

Quartet...............................................................................89 .............................................................................89 Millo.............................................................................................................................89 Millo ..........................................................................................................................89 Ministry; Or, The Surgical Revelation.

Revelation........................................................................100 ......................................................................100 Misery Loves Company...............................................................................................

Company...............................................................................................65 65 Mouth Harpo's Final First Fringe Tour: An Improvised Music Concert........................

Concert........................66 66 MUSICAL MYSTERIES..................................................................................................

MYSTERIES..................................................................................................89 89 Mystic Circus..............................................................................................................

Circus..............................................................................................................89 89 The Navel Gazers......................................................................................................

Gazers......................................................................................................100 100 Nerds in a Basement..................................................................................................

Basement..................................................................................................66 66 New Horizons Jazz Ensemble......................................................................................

Ensemble......................................................................................90 90 Noise in Neon—The Mandela Effect..........................................................................

Effect..........................................................................79 79 Obsessive Comedy Disorder.

Disorder........................................................................................66 ......................................................................................66 open heartsong surgery............................................................................................ surgery............................................................................................105 105 Out of Sync...............................................................................................................

Sync...............................................................................................................105 105 Oz.................................................................................................................................66 Oz ..............................................................................................................................66 The Painter.................................................................................................................

Painter.................................................................................................................79 79 Papa Muse.

Muse..................................................................................................................90 ................................................................................................................90 Pedestrian Drive-In. Drive-In...............................................................................................40-41 ............................................................................................. 40-41 Petals in the Concrete................................................................................................

Concrete................................................................................................71 71 Philadelphia Freedom: A Tribute to Elton John...........................................................

John...........................................................90 90 Playing Siege............................................................................................................

Siege............................................................................................................100 100 Plays in a Day...........................................................................................................

Day...........................................................................................................100 100 Poetry of Tarot: A Reading Inspired by Tarot Images..................................................

Images..................................................94 94 Port-a-Globe Punch and Judy.....................................................................................

Judy.....................................................................................74 74 Portrait of a Lady on Fire............................................................................................

Fire............................................................................................40 40 Protest......................................................................................................................

Protest ......................................................................................................................101 101 Public Service Announcement....................................................................................

Announcement....................................................................................79 79 Pumpkin Painting.

Painting.......................................................................................................75 .....................................................................................................75 Raiders of the Lost Art. Art................................................................................................41 ..............................................................................................41 Really Rosie................................................................................................................

Rosie................................................................................................................90 90 Red Apple Peeling.

Peeling.......................................................................................................80 .....................................................................................................80 RENT...........................................................................................................................

RENT ...........................................................................................................................41 41 The Returns Department............................................................................................

Department............................................................................................23 23

117

MAP & VENUES

VENUES 1. Aerial Arts of Rochester 1046 University Avenue Rochester, NY 14607

16.Joseph Avenue Arts & Culture Alliance 13 Vienna Street Rochester, NY 14621

2. Austin Steward Plaza Genesee Riverway Trail Rochester, NY 14614

17.Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre 26 Gibbs Street Rochester, NY 14604

3. Bop Shop Records 1460 Monroe Avenue Rochester, NY 14618 4. CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: • Hart Theater • Ballroom Stage 1200 Edgewood Ave Rochester, NY 14618 5. Central Library of Rochester 115 South Ave Rochester, NY 14604 6. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park: The Bowl 353 Court St. Rochester, 14607

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

7. Eastman School of Music • Hatch Recital Hall • Kilbourn Hall • Sproull Atrium at Miller Center 26 Gibbs Street Rochester, NY 14604

118

18.The Little: Theatre 1 240 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14604 19.Memorial Art Gallery 500 University Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 • M&T Bank Ballroom • Bausch & Lomb Parlor • Sculpture Park Outdoor Tent 20.MuCCC 142 Atlantic Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 21. Parcel 5 285 East Ave., next to One East Ave. Rochester, NY 14604.

22.Photo City Music Hall 543 Atlantic Ave #2, Rochester, NY 14609 • Photo City Music Hall • Front Stage

8. The Focus Theater 260 E Main Street Rochester, NY 14604

23.RIT City Art Space 30 Adventure Place Rochester, NY 14607

9. Garth Fagan Dance 52 Chestnut Street Rochester, NY 14604

24. ROC Cinema 957 S Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14620

10.Genesee Valley Park: Waterways Center 131 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, 14611

25.Roc City Circus 1344 University Ave Suite 6200 Rochester, NY 14607

11.George Eastman Museum: Dryden Theatre 900 East Ave Rochester, NY 14607

26.Rochester Contemporary Art Center: Side Lawn 137 East Ave Rochester, NY 14604

12.The Harley School 1981 Clover Street Rochester, NY 14618

27.Rochester Museum and Science Center: Garden of Fragrance 657 East Ave. Rochester, 14607

13.The Hochstein School 50 N. Plymouth Ave. Rochester, NY, 14614 • Hochstein Performance Hall • Hilda D Taylor Recital Hall 14.La Marketa at the International Plaza 828 N Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14605 15. Java’s Café 16 Gibbs Street Rochester, NY 14604

28.Rochester Music Hall of Fame 25 Gibbs St Rochester, NY 14604 29.The Rose Room 295 Gregory St Rochester, NY 14620 30. Salena’s 302 N Goodman St Rochester, NY 14607

31. School of the Arts • Allen Main Stage Theatre • Black Box Theatre • Club SOTA • Commons • Ensemble Theatre • Movement Center 45 Prince Street Rochester, NY 14607

34. The Spirit Room • Bar Room • Conjure Box 139 State St Rochester, NY 14614

32.Spiegeltent One Fringe Place Corner of Main St. and Gibbs St. (GPS Address: 71 Gibbs St.) Rochester, NY 14604

36. University of Rochester • The Spurrier Dance Theater 500 Joseph C Wilson Blvd.

Rochester, NY 14627

33.Dawn’s Spiegelgarden One Fringe Place Corner of Main St. and Gibbs St. (GPS Address: 71 Gibbs St.) Rochester, NY 14604

35.Strangebird Brewery 62 Marshall St. Rochester, NY 14607

37.Washington Grove 80 Culver Road Rochester, NY 14620 38.Washington Square Park 181 South Clinton Ave Rochester, NY 14607 39.Writers & Books 740 University Ave, Rochester, NY 14607

650 shows. 39 Venues.

Unlimited Fun.

GO BIG.

PARKING GARAGES P1 • Court St. Parking Garage 194 Court St. (near Dinosaur BBQ) P2 • Mortimer St. Parking Garage 83 Mortimer St. P3 • Washington Sq. Parking 111 Woodbury Blvd.

HOTEL PARTNERS

P4 • Midtown Garage E. Broad St. and S. Clinton Ave. P5 • Five Star Bank Plaza 100 Chestnut St. (near Dr. MLK Park)

The Inn on Broadway 26 Broadway Rochester, NY 14607 Hyatt Regency Rochester 125 E Main St, Rochester, NY 14604

P6 • East End Garage at East Ave. & Scio St. (near One Fringe Place) P7 • South Ave. Garage 39 Stone St.

@Rochester Fringe Festival @RochesterFringe @RochesterFringe @RochesterFringeFestival @RochesterFringe

#rocfringe25

Search our hashtag to find info from shows, venues, and fans! Tag your own posts to join the conversation!

16 VIENNA STREET

JOSEPH AVE.

E.

AV ON LINT TH C NOR

MAP & VENUES

34

VD. S BL

LL R FA

E UPP

2

Rochester’s Historic Joseph Avenue Neighborhood

5

8

38

21

9

35

28 17

6 26 PERFORMANCE SPACE

15 7

32 33

23 18

OUTSIDE OF MAP AREA

1

3

4

10

12

14

13

22

24

25

29

36

37

31

19

ONE FRINGE PLACE 27

30

ICON KEY

39

ROCHESTERFRINGE.COM

ALL 12 DAYS! SEPT. 9-20

20 11

49 119