Theater on the Fringe

Queer-themed ‘Moments That Made Me…Question Everything’ and ‘Save the Cow’ are two entries in SLC’s independent theater festival, in its 10th year.

BY BLAIR HOWELL

The Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival began at the former Deseret Industries on 1100 East. Ten years later, Fringe has grown to theater spaces at the Gateway Mall, the Alliance Theatre, and the Trolley Square Ballroom.

“How time flies,” says Jay Perry, Fringe co-director. “Ten years have gone by in a flash, and as the Fringe has grown, we’ve been incredibly fortunate to find a mix of wonderful spaces to work in.

“Fringe plays a vital role in providing a space and opportunity for local theater artists to produce their work, and it serves as a launching pad for the next generation of original theater to come out of Utah,” he added.

In the 2024 edition of Fringe there are 20 productions written by independent playwrights, from the burgeoning to the well-established.

The lineup includes several stagings creating theater viewed through a queer lens.

Moments That Made Me…Question Everything by Laura Chapman showcases a new group of “drag performers and clowns spreading their deep buttery love with the sweet folks of SL,UT.” The show features characters from film, books, and TV that the actors experienced growing up that “made us queer,” Chapman said. “We’re best buds havin’ a ball makin’ queer magic.” The playwright encourages theatergoers to “come on down for a heapin’ ladleful of these sweet spuds; you’ll love ’em to death!”

There’s also Save the Cow by Merry Magee, described as a drag burlesque musical about finding yourself and starting new chapters.

“Fringe is an unadjudicated, unrestricted, and accessible way for artists to share their work while supporting each other and making new connections,” says Perry. The objective is to “foster opportunities for independent artists to engage with local audiences without the same barriers they normally face when trying to get their work out there.”

With one exception, each of the productions is written by playwrights along the Wasatch Front.

To celebrate Fringe’s anniversary, organizers are partnering with Trolley Square to hold an opening night party on the Trolley Square West Plaza on July 25 beginning at 6 p.m. The festivities include a beer garden, live music, and performances from the artists who will be participating in the festival.

“With 20 companies participating, the party is a great opportunity to check out the shows and plan your Fringe,” enthuses Perry.

According to artist coordinator David Knoell: “Fringe is the best way to celebrate our passion for theater as a community. We all get to produce, perform, and bring our passion to the stage.”

One theater fan is so enamored of the productions that she has called Fringe “a Disneyland for theater lovers.”

 July 26 to Aug. 4, tickets. greatsaltlakefringe.org

Films:

CHIASM CABARET

Science meets seduction in a titillating fusion of burlesque, comedy, and unabashed nerdiness. Local burlesque, drag, pole, and aerialists create 3-5 minute science-themed routines to entertain you while secretly teaching you something about science, technology, engineering, the arts, or math. Get ready for a STEAM-y hour that will leave you yearnin’ for some learnin’.

D’ARCY

D’ARCY is a longform improvisational theatre trio. Improv veterans David Knoell, Chris Last, and Ryan Quenneville join forces to bring their unique, high-energy, free-form improvisational style to the Festival. Inspired by audience suggestions, D’Arcy weaves characters, scenes, themes, and styles into an organic and sublime comedic style. Plus, bonus sketch material!

HARK!

In this absurdist play, a 17th-century pirate and a 1980s businesswoman are stranded on a mystererious island after death, a purgatory-like realm guarded by a giant Kraken. Despite the vastly different backgrounds and their joint inability to find peace, they must confront their pasts, regrets, and desires in an endless cycle of death and awakening as they navigate the absurdity of their situation. As they interact and clash, they begin to question the nature of reality, time, and the meaning of their existence. Through their experiences on the island, they ultimately grapple with themes of redemption, identity, and the search for meaning in a world devoid of logic.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

“How Did We Get Here?” features Spencer Riley, Nami Eskandarian, Nicholas Don Smith, and Sam D’Antuono. These local comedians are coming to the Fringe this year to tell true stories about thier experiences surrounding their life in comedy.

I’VE DECIDED TO BECOME A DIGITAL PET

A 15-minute comedy about a young man reflecting on the lonely childhood that has led him to an unconventional desire: to become a Tamagotchi.

LADY M

Lady M is a new adaptation of the classic Shakepeare play Macbeth, shifting the titular character to his doomed wife, Lady M. The production aims to explore the untold story of Lady M and examine the Macbeth’s descent into darkness from her perspective.

MÉXICO MÁGICO

Three entertaining monologues that satirically portray the pillars of Mexican society: family, politics, and religion. Come laugh and cry alongside the protagonists, and discover why Mexico is so magical, comical and musical. Performed in Spanish with English subtitles. Written by: Pam GallegOz, Petter Zhan and Héctor Soto.

NON

In this absurdist comedy about the pain of being non-partisan, a “non” is called to break a tie for the Purple and Yellow candidates, Puchis and Lémeau.

PUPPET KARAOKE

Puppet Karaoke is a fun, crazy, audience participation show. No human singing is required, the puppets do all the work. All you have to do is pick a song you like and a puppet to sing it. Stage shy? No worries. You’ll be tucked safely behind a curtain during the song. Puppets in the City provide puppets to choose from plus the stage and sound. Join Puppets in the City for the fun and highly addictive Fringe show. Puppet up!

SAM D’ANTUONO: SPACE CADET

Sam is a comedian. These shows are going to be all jokes. If you wanna see standup with jokes in it, this is a show where that is happening. The show has a title. It’s “Space Cadet”.

SAVE THE COW

A drag burlesque musical about finding yourself and starting new chapters.

SEIZE THE INITIATIVE!

A romantic comedy about democracy, climate action, and sandwiches, directed by Fringe audience-choice-award winner Josh Patterson and written by Yoram Bauman, the world’s first and only stand-up economist. Saul puts the action into climate action, flirting with young women and roping them into volunteering for a carbon tax campaign. But then he falls for Grace. Is there hope for them, or for the planet? Seize the Initiative! A romantic comedy about falling in love… with democracy.

SPIRAL BOUND

When Martha gets fired and learns her sister, Vivian, is moving out of their apartment, she has to consider: What’s next? Call her mom back, grow shockingly enormous boobs, and marry rich – all before her phone kills her. In the debut work of Fickle Mistress Theatre Co., SPIRAL BOUND asks us to face the seemingly impossible task of building a life in contemporary America. Exploring gender in the workplace and family in the weird late-night diner, this funny, comtemplative play raises the question: “What do we do with so much life left to live?”

THE FUNERAL POTATEHOES!!!

The Funeral Potatehoes are a new group of drag performers and clowns in town spreading their deep buttery love with the sweet folks of SL,UT! Come on down for a heaping ladleful of these sweet spuds, you’ll love ’em to death!

THE KITCHEN SINK

A kitchen. In a house. Over the course of 50 years. If the walls could talk, what would they say? What stories would they tell? The Kitchen Sink, a new play by Cordelia Brand.

THE LAWN

Dale is a standard suburbanite, complete with a soul-crushing job, a son who hates him, and a serially unfaithful wife. The only thing he has left going right in his life is his lawn. He would do anything for his lawn. When his wife keeps hiring external lawn care services against his wishes, Dale has a revenge affair with his client, and his lawn (and marriage) are put to the ultimate test.

THE OPEN SYRUP: OOPS, WE DID IT AGAIN!

In the infamous hotel The Open Syrup, shenanigans and chicanery are an everyday occurrence (much to the chagrin of the beleaguered manager Rhonda). This time her superintendent Bradley may have gone too far: he’s conjured up some echoes of the past. Will Rhonda keep it together despite the circumstances? Decidedly not. Will Bradley commit all manner of tomfooleries? Decidedly so. Will a zany cast of characters including an aspiring femme fatale, a superhero sidekick in training, and a hardboiled gumshoe show up to complicate Rhonda’s already irksome day? Oh, it’s a guarantee. After all, this is The Open Syrup.

THE POST OFFICE BY RABINDRANATH TAGORE

A young boy named Amal falls ill from an unknown sickness. His father enlists the help of a local physician who instructs Amal to stay indoors at all times. Longing to be a part of the outside world, he sits by his window and makes friends with various townsfolk passing by. Despite his predicament, his boundless enthusiasm and joy touches those around him. When he learns that the new building across the road is a royal post office, he beigns to dream of one day getting a letter from the king. The Post Office is a story of a boy caught in between his imaginary world and the hard facts of the reality of life. The play begs the question of the value of innocence and whether a lie is kinder than the truth. While this story is a celebration of Bengali culture, its values, truths, and thoughts have nothing with race. The Post Office is about hope, joy, deliverance, acceptance, and community in the midst of hardship.

TO BE FRANK…

20 plays in 40 minutes or we’ll pass out trying! Join us for a whirlwind of original audience interactive theatre.

WESTERN MINERALS AND THEIR ORIGINS

Three amateur rock hunters venture into the deserts of Southern Utah in search of a legendary deposit of Leopard Beryl, the rarest gem in the West. However, deep in the canyons of the Colorado Plateau, the trio encounter something they never bargained for. A play about our relationship to geology and the geology of our relationships, Western Minerals and their Origins excavates why the West calls to us.

WONDERLAND AWAITS

Wonderland Awaits invites audiences young and young at heart to embark on an enchanting journey alongside Alice as she ventures down the rabbit hole. Through interactive storytelling, children become active participants in the adventure, encountering colorful characters and magical moments at every turn. From tea parties with the Mad Hatter to croquet games with the Queen of Hearts, the play immerses children in the fantastical world of Wonderland, encouraging their creativity and imagination.

 July 26 to Aug. 4, tickets. greatsaltlakefringe.org