It's Time to Feel the Fringe, Washington
Thursday, July 20, 2006; Page C09
The beauty of a fringe festival -- started in Edinburgh, Scotland, nearly 60 years ago and held in more than 70 cities around the world -- is that it can go wrong, but not for long; performances generally don't last more than 70 minutes. The idea is to nurture the experimental.
Beginning today and continuing daily through July 30, Washington will be home to the first Capital Fringe Festival . Hopefully, it will be vastly weird. The fest features 100 groups and solo artists giving 400 performances in 30 venues. You could take in "One-Man Star Wars Trilogy" or "Jay Allen Zimmerman's Incredibly Deaf Musical." You could also pick from "Naked Cabaret (Emotionally, That Is)," "Confessions of an Invisible Woman," "Like You're My Friend and All" or "Bushwa: A Modern Ubu" (don't think you'll bump into George and Laura at that one).
  Ed Spitzberg, aka Eddie Lounge, will do his "Eddie and the Cosmos Lounge Act" July 21-29 as part of the Capital Fringe Festival. (By Mark Finkenstaedt For The Washington Post) |
The festivities kick off with a free Hotspot , the opening party hosted by Capital Fringe. Artists from the festival and local performers will present cabaret-style performances. The first Hotspot is tonight (a later one will mark the closing), 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Avenue nightclub, 649 New York Ave. NW.
There are also several Pop Up Dances , complete with sets that "pop up" in the streets for short hip-hop, salsa, modern and jazz dances, and then are just as quickly taken down. These are daily throughout the festival. Tonight's are: 7:30 p.m. at Eighth and H streets NW; 8:30 p.m. at 11th and I streets NW; and 10:30 p.m. on Seventh Street between New York Avenue and K Street NW. http:/
Tickets ($20 or less) are available by phone (866-811-4111), online ( http:/
-- Catherine Handren
