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Save the dates for April 22 through April 26, 2020
Flock yeah, we’re introducing Fringe Fort Myers – the newest Fringe performing arts festival in the United States and the first ever in southwest Florida!
With 51 performances on 4 different stages, Fringe Fort Myers has something for everyone – from one-person shows, to dance and music, magic, stand-up comedy and so much more. Most shows are 60 minutes in length, some are shorter.
This inaugural event maintains long-standing Fringe traditions of being 100% independent, 100% unique and 100% inclusive. Even better, 100% of ticket sales go directly to the artists. Which means you’re 100% guaranteed to have the single greatest experience of your life.
One show is $13, three shows is $12 a ticket, five shows is $11 a ticket and 8 or more shows $10 a ticket. No refunds, no exchanges and no exceptions.
Fringe Fort Myers is a partnership between Alliance for the Arts, the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre and Florida Repertory Theatre and is proudly sponsored by Florida Weekly and Bruce & Janet Bunch.
Fringe Fort Myers kicks off with the fun and frenetic Teaser Show, where each performance group gets 2 minutes to sell you on their show and how they do it is up to them! Over the next 4 days we will play host to 51 performances on 4 different stages at the Alliance for the Arts and Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. After the final curtain, Fringe Fort Myers will host our first Fringe awards ceremony celebrating the artists that make Fringe an incredible experience. Florida Rep Education will also offer Kids Fringe, which will operate a family-friendly performance within Fringe Fort Myers.
Fringe Fort Myers is proudly sponsored by Florida Weekly, Bruce & Janet Bunch, Jack and Anita Zwick and Karin E. Fine Donor Advised Fund.
Keep scrolling to view our amazing artist line-up or to learn more about Fringe Fort Myers.
2020 ARTIST LINE-UP
Choose Your Own Variety Show by George Gilbert (Fort Myers, Florida) playing in the Foulds Theatre at the Alliance for the Arts on April 24 at 7:30 p.m. April 25 at 3 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m. – Welcome to the world’s only variety show where the audience and fate combine to write the show on spot! Spin the wheel of destiny, and watch as magic and circus jump out of the wheel and come to life before your very eyes! Each act has a story and every show is different, but one thing is for sure: there will be danger, there will be magic, and there will be non-stop thrills and excitement!
Sketch Comedy by Comedy Asylum (Fort Myers, Florida) playing in the Royal Palm Room at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on April 23 at 8:30 p.m. April 25 at 4:30 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m. – Sketch comedy with adult themes, improvisation and naughty puppets. Their specialty is corrupting childhood icons like The Hundred Acre Hood and The Wizard of Oz. They also have topical humor like My Fair Hooker, Dope Hospice, and the Good ‘Ol Boy Scouts.
Welcome to My Soul by Derek Lively (Bonita Springs, Florida) playing in the Alliance for the Arts classroom on April 23 at 7 p.m. April 25 at 6 p.m. and April 26 at 4:30 p.m. – Set in an underground nightclub, a performance artist (who wishes he could be a stand-up comic) takes us through a series of characters who he has met through his travels as well as members of his family. The performance artist has a cathartic experience because this show is unlike any other that he has performed.
Eat The Apple by Alyce Bochette, Kelly Matharu and Diana Alvizuris (Fort Myers, Florida) playing in the Foulds Theatre at the Alliance for the Arts on April 24 at 6 p.m. April 25 at 9 p.m. and April 26 at 6 p.m. – What was your definition of a life well lived? A small company of experienced dance performers will capture the audience through thought provoking movement and sound inviting all on a journey of self discovery. When push comes to shove, for what will you be remembered?
Earthshine by Kat Epple (Fort Myers, Florida) playing in the Foulds Theatre at the Alliance for the Arts on April 23 at 7 p.m. April 25 at 9 p.m. and April 26 at 3 p.m. – Live music in collaboration with dance, projection art, lasers, and/or spoken word to explore the healing, beauty, fragility, and future of the Earth and performed by Emmy Award Winning artists, Kat Epple.
How We Show Up, Singing About the Dark Times by James Brock (Fort Myers, Florida) playing in the Alliance for the Arts classroom on April 23 at 8 p.m. April 25 at 9 p.m. and April 26 p.m. – A fragmented original play, with a mix of spoken word, music, song, and movement. The play celebrates the power and agency of being visible, with the attendant responsibilities of showing up, being present, against all of that which tries to render those on the margins silent and invisible.
It’s likely that the content may not be suitable for children–mostly because it would bore them to death. I am pretty sure, though, that moderately educated house pets will love it.
Old Fart by Tim Bourgard (Canada) playing at the Off Broadway Palm Theatre at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on April 24 at 9 p.m. April 25 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26 at 4:30 p.m. – Hilarious, touching and fun. Old Tom is the Old Fart. He takes you through the joys and challenges of living long, laughing hard and loving deeply. He’ll make you laugh, bring a tear to your eye and put a song to your heart. Bet you’ll sing along when he strums on his ukulele.
Nazis and Me by David Lawson (Astoria, New York) playing in the Alliance for the Arts classroom on April 24 at 7:30 p.m., April 25 at 4:30 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m. – Nazis and Me is a one-man show about Lawson’s run-ins with hate set in a time where hateful Americans feel a strong sense of comfort: Right now.
Deep In Bear Country by Philip Gonzales (Minneapolis, Minnesota) playing in the Royal Palm at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on April 23 at 7 p.m. April 25 at 6 p.m. and April 26 at 3 p.m. – Phil Gonzales presents his ridiculously close analysis of Stan and Jan Berenstain’s Berenstain Bears children’s books. He has investigated, picked apart, theorized and speculated about Bear Country, its denizens, its history and its meaning.
Was any of this called for? No. Is it fair to do this to a rather innocuous series of children’s books? Maybe? Has it changed Phil’s outlook on life, art, family, community and legacy? Definitely.
Sexpert: Madame K! by Krista Komondor (New York, New York) playing in the Royal Palm at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on April 24 at 7:30 p.m. April 25 at 9 p.m. and April 26 at 4:30 p.m. – A wildly interactive solo comedy show that probes everything from excessive male masturbation to enhancing women’s pleasure. Madame Komondor’s completely unscientific sex rant skewers traditional values while exposing the effects of pornography on love and the female orgasm. Madame strips away the fourth wall to teach, answer audience questions, and invite members to the stage to explore examples of consent, cat calling, and most importantly, how to properly lick and suck a mango.
Pardon My French! by Tangi Colombel (Palm Beach, Florida) at the Off Broadway Palm at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on April 23 at 8:30 p.m. April 25 at 6 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m. – Pardon My French! is an unorthodox French Cabaret Show, in English. A one-of-a-kind performance with classic Parisian songs, Gallic humor and just the right amount of jokes that will make you blush.… it’s unusual, different, exotic!
Mom In Transition by Elyssa Rosen (Delray Beach, Florida) playing in the Alliance for the Arts classroom on April 24 at 9 p.m. April 25 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26 at 3 p.m.– When a baby boomer mom finds out her millennial son is now her daughter, she tries everything short of mind control to stop this from happening to her normal life. Accepting her daughter is fraught with pronoun errors and confusion until mom sees the light in the H&M dressing room. This journey takes the audience through a mother’s neuroses filled with guilt, repentance and most of all humor and love.
The Light Bringer by Laila Lee (Tampa, Florida) playing at the Off Broadway Palm at the Broadway Palm Dinner theatre on April 24 at 7:30 p.m. April 25 at 9 p.m. and April 26 6 p.m. – Freedom, but at what cost? A Palestinian immigrant and her family find more freedom in the US than expected. A true-life one-woman show, Laila brings to light her experiences growing up Muslim in the South, and how she discovers her own place in the world and what sacrifices she must make.
Anna and the Sea by Shawnmarie Stanton (Bradenton, Florida) playing at the Off Broadway Palm at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on April 23 at 7 p.m. April 25 at 4:30 p.m. and April 26 at 3 p.m. – With Sea Turtle as her companion, actor, singer, songwriter, and solo performer Shawnmarie Stanton embodies over a dozen characters on this lighthearted journey through evolutionary biology. Musical mystery and vertebrate history – a winning combination!
Being Mark Twain by Alan Kitty (Nokomis, Florida) playing in the Foulds Theatre at the Alliance for the Arts on April 23 at 8:30 p.m. April 25 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26 at 4:30 p.m. – Being Mark Twain addresses the question “What would it be like to be Mark Twain in the 21st Century? To learn the answer, Kitty transforms himself onstage while relating his 21st century experiences in a style reminiscent of Twain’s humor, satire and irony.
Drunk Magic by Colin Smith (Orlando, Florida) playing at the Royal Palm at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on April 24 at 9 p.m. April 25 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26 at 6 p.m. – Drunk Magic is a comedy magic show where the each time an audience volunteer is brought up, everyone on stage takes a shot of tequila. From straight jackets to cutting audience volunteers in half the show is as insane as it sounds.
the Fine Print: Fringe Fort Myers is full of exciting, challenging and risk-taking storytelling and some performances may contain adult language and situations…for details contact the box office. And, as always, due to the nature of LIVE THEATRE these productions, dates, talent and titles are subject to change.That’s it. Now come see a show!
Partners
Sponsor Opportunities
Fringe-goers are a well-educated, adventurous, community-minded and culturally diverse. From the young and daring to the forever young, the Fringe audience is your audience. This is a great opportunity to support the creation of a vibrant international performing arts festival and the economic stimulus that goes with it.
Let us help you meet you brand goals with a unique experience you won’t see anywhere else in southwest Florida!
What do performing artists look like first thing in the morning? Do they leave the seat up? Whole milk or 5%? Now is your chance to find out. We need people to open their homes from April 22 – 27, 2020 to billet artists coming to Fringe Fort Myers. If you are interested in making a new friend, sign up to become a billet host!
When you sign up to be a billet host, we’ll match you with an artist or artists that are suitable to you and your living space. Have a cat? We’ll find a cat lover! Have a dog? Dog lover! Have a Boa Constrictor? That narrows the field quite a bit but hey we can try! Have a quiet house and want to keep it that way? Mimes! Whether your home has a guest room or a futon, we’ll find the artist that fits the situation! And to show our appreciation, billet hosts receive a Volunteer Rush Pass, which allows free admission into any show that isn’t sold out. Host an artist and see new works. It is a win-win!
Please contact fringe@artinlee.org to become a host.
Fringe Fort Myers is a joint effort between the Alliance for the Arts and the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, now in it’s 27th season. Fringe Fort Myers is being led by Bill Taylor, founder and Producing Artistic Director of Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance for the Arts, now in its 26th consecutive season. For additional questions, please contact fringe@artinlee.org.
Fringe Fort Myers is proudly sponsored by Florida Weekly, Bruce & Janet Bunch and Karin E. Fine Donor Advised Fund.
