GayCities New York editor JJ Keyes is a huge theatre fan. So we asked him a simple question: What’s GAY about this year’s New York International Fringe Festival? (Ongoing to the end of August.) Here’s what he had to say, along with some recommendations.
I’m always amazed at the number of plays the Fringe Festival puts up. It is the largest multi-arts festival in North America–with more than 200 companies from all over the world performing for sixteen days, featuring over 1300 performances.
Back in 1996 John Clancy wondered why there wasn’t a Fringe Festival in New York. Hoards of theater artists made the annual trek from New York to Edinburgh, Scotland for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. John took matters into his own hands and teamed up with Elena K. Holy, Joe Henry Shallenburger and Nancy Walsh to present the first FringeNYC in August of 1997. Each year the festival grows and expands; the teams of artists and shows have gone on to remarkably new heights.
The breakouts include Urinetown: The Musical, which moved to Broadway and won three Tony Awards after premiering at FringeNYC back in 1999; Confessions of a Mormon Boy; Debbie Does Dallas; Dixie’s Tupperware Party; Dog Sees God; Matt & Ben; Slut and Walmartopia are just some of the many FringeNYC shows that have gone on to play Off-Broadway venues.
It’s mathematically impossible to catch all of the performances so I’ve done a little investigating and come up with a queer short list from this year’s festival:
Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party
Honest Abe’s hometown puts a teacher on trial for asking “Was Lincoln gay?” in this comedy of political values sketched out by Aaron Loeb.
Baking with Bertha: Back to School Special
Take the homespun humor of Garrison Keillor, add the cooking skills and stature of Julia Child and toss in a little Ethel Merman and you have “Bertha Mason.”
LOGO‘s “Big Gay Sketch Show” star Jonny McGovern performs his GLAAD award nominated a one-man cartoon club crawl.
In 1979 a French-Canadian airline steward flew into San Francisco and all hell broke loose! Holly-Anne Ruggerio leads a cast that includes Marty Thomas and Kimberly Cates through this bathhouse brouhaha.
Kim Weild directs the dashing Donnie Mather in a multi-media exploration of Ginsberg’s poem Kaddish.
Notes on the Land of Earthquake & Fire
A Hollywood assistant has the worst day ever in this new play by Jason Schafer, the screenwriter of “Trick.” Disaster is prone to strike.
Wanna place to eat or drink after the fringe festival? Check out the GayCities guide to New York
