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Find comedy, storytelling, theater, ballet, and music in South Philly this September
The 2024 Philly Fringe is heading to South Philly
Alaina Johns
I have to admit, the Fringe Festival is starting to feel like a young person’s game. I remember years of racing across town all day and crowding into venues that could not have been legal (on one memorable outing, a building under construction). I’ve attended shows in living rooms, a basement, a skate park, in an alley, and in an elevator. I would head to 11pm showtimes without batting an eye.
Alas, no more. That’s why I was thrilled to see that the Fringe has really expanded into my own neighborhood this year. I was practically cackling as I compiled a list of shows within walking distance of my South Philly house. Here are my picks.
Nosejob, running September 7-21 at Theatre Exile
Lightning Rod Special is one of my favorite local companies. I reviewed an audio version of this show in 2021 and have had my ear on it ever since; now Cameron Kelsall is reviewing and he’s bringing me with him. This Curated Fringe production by Lee Minora and Scott R. Sheppard, directed and developed by Nell Bang-Jensen and Matteo Scammell, is set about a decade ago at a Catholic university where a sexually harassing prank is running wild among the boys. A few sorority girls plot revenge with unexpected results.
Iris’ “I’M OK” Tea Party, running September 14 and 15 at Sawubona Creativity Project
Grayce Carson’s “absurdist tragicomedy” promises to tackle life with chronic illness and asks folks to mask at the door. Honestly, I wish we were all masking at the door, because disabled people who are at high risk from Covid deserve to live and also to attend theater if they want to. I’m always drawn to Fringe shows that explore illness and disability.
Here are my picks.
The 40-year-old Ballerino, running September 7-29 at Amy Novinksi Ballet Studio in BOK Building
Creator Chris Davis has already made his One-Man Nutcracker into a Philly holiday tradition, and I’m eager to see the next steps in his ballet story. His determination to pick up ballet as an adult man is funny, touchingly vulnerable, and an inspiring tribute to what’s possible when we try. The show promises to prove that “change is always possible, no matter what your age.”
Walk Me Through Your Resume, running September 18-20 with shows at Newbold Exchange, Sawubona Creativity Project, and SideQuest Theater (in Rittenhouse)
Martha Cooney is a South Philly neighbor and friend of the BSR team, and her essay collection, Walk Me Through Your Resume, had me laughing out loud when I read it last year. Now she’s adapted her experiences (and fantasies) into a solo comedy show “about weird jobs, class status, and the ultimate battle with a nanny cam.” Martha is a master storyteller. Don’t miss this one.
Dark & Sweet, happening September 19 at Sawubona Creativity Project
Support Black women in comedy, right in my own neighborhood? Yes, please. This showcase is hosted by Zoe Dixon, who’s performed at venues including Helium Philly, City Winery, Punch Line Philly, and the Brooklyn Comedy Collective.
Holland Andrews, September 19-20 at Solar Myth
Since Boot and Saddle at Broad and Ellsworth closed down and a new coffeehouse, bar, and venue dubbed Solar Myth opened up in its place, I’ve taken my laptop during the day, but I still need to catch a show there. This Curated Fringe offering from vocalist, composer, producer, and performer Holland Andrews promises “charged, haunting, genre-defying music exploring themes of vulnerability and healing.”
Okay, bye!: a show about rejection, September 21-22 at Painted Mug Café
I made my first visit to this little venue west of Broad during last year’s Fringe. This year, I’m heading to Kaila Galinat’s “dramedic” one-person show exploring the universal human experience of rejection, including “romantic heartbreak, bad friends, therapists who’ve ghosted, and exploration of gender identity and sexuality, and one irritated cat.”
Make a night of it in South Philly!
Many of these shows are right around the corner from great South Philly restaurants (Le Virtù, River Twice, Perla, Gabriella’s Vietnam, Stina, Sky Café, and many more). And these shows are just a taste of the performances happening in South Philly this year. If you’re in the neighborhood, or if it’s time for a visit, search the full Fringe lineup and make a night of it.
We are one of the only publications left in town covering Philly’s theater scene! You can support our hardworking Fringe reviewers with a donation today.
Featured image: 'Nosejob' performers, from left: Alice Yorke, Lee Minora, and Ciera Gardner. (Photo by Emilie Krause.)
Image description: Three performers in orange, red, and white gowns/dresses respectively pose for the camera in a portrait style shot
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