Presenting the 2022 Fringe Festival Primary Lineup
Know Theatre proudly presents The 19th Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival – the region’s largest and longest-running annual performing arts festival – June 3–18, 2022! A 14-day celebration featuring hundreds of live performances from independent local, national, and international artists, the Cincy Fringe is Cincinnati’s Summer Theatre Party. This year, our Primary Lineup Productions return indoors and in-person, and are, as always, Kinda Weird. Like You!
The best part of Cincy Fringe has always been the connection between artists and audiences.
We’ve listened to both and this year’s Cincy Fringe returns with all the best elements:
- 33 Primary Lineup Productions (30 in-person, 3 streaming online)
- 40+ Productions (including 2 FringeDevelopment projects and several Special Events) to entertain at 8 venues across in Over-the-Rhine: Know Theatre, Art Academy of Cincinnati, and Gabriel’s Corner
- Outdoor Stage and Beer Garden with free programming, (All Ages friendly on the Weekends)
- Free After Hours Events every night Outside and in the Know Theatre Underground Bar
- Pay-What-You-Wish “No Experience Necessary” Workshops
- And we’re closing down Jackson Street for art-making and Block Party Vibes!
COME CELEBRATE WITH US!
On Monday, April 25, 2022, from 6-11pm, we’re throwing a “Cincy Fringe Fauxpening Day Kickoff Tailgate Party!” Join us in the ArtsWave Parking Lot for BBQ, local brews, and the unveiling of the official Cincinnati Fringe Festival 2022 Schedule! Halftime performances and a Tailgate Decorating Contest! At Cincy Fringe, we root for the Home Teams and the Away Teams! Go! Fringe! Win!
TICKETING INFORMATION
- 50% of all Box Office revenue is given to the Performance Fringe artists.
- Single tickets to the 2022 Cincy Fringe are on a sliding scale of $16-$20.
- The All-Access Pass ($275) is good for one entry into as many productions as one person can see.
- Our 6-ticket Voyeur Pass ($80) can be used in any combination of shows or individuals.
- All passes are currently on sale at www.cincyfringe.com
Primary Lineup Details
This year’s Primary Lineup totals 33 productions (30 in-person and 3 online) and features new work from 12 local creators, 20 productions from across the country, and 1 international participant from Adelaide, Australia.
With 12 world premieres, 16 regional premieres and 18 producing companies that have never-been-seen-before in Cincinnati, audiences are guaranteed to experience something brand new!
The Primary Lineup
Sadec 1965: A Love Story, from Flora Le out of Washington, D.C. “Motorcycle Diaries” meets “Eat, Pray, Love” set in Vietnam.
The Real Black Swann, Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen, from Les Kurkendaal-Barrett out of Los Angeles, CA. A true story: former slave becomes the Queen of Drag.
Out of Character, from Honour Hook out of Cincinnati, OH. One-woman sketch comedy monologues and pre-recorded shorts.
Laertes Word, from James Word and Prison Performing Arts out of St Louis, MO. Crime is easy. Hamlet is hard. My reformation through Shakespeare.
Changing My Major to Joan, from Boris Dansberry out of Philadelphia, PA. A queer musical powerpoint presentation exploring Joan of Arc’s legacy.
meSSeS, from Janoah Bailin out of Peaks Island, ME. Precarious unicycling, shimmering puppetry, jaw-dropping juggling, learning and labor.
Wuthering: a musical on the moors, from Hannah Gregory out of Cincinnati, OH. Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff romp through moors in this moody musical.
Junkmail Oracle, from Fallen Players out of Cincinnati, OH. A 1960’s Cleveland poet’s obscenity trial ends in tragedy.
Charlotte Van Helsing Befriends a Vampire, a Crow, and (Possibly) Her Father, from Emily Borst out of Cincinnati, OH. Growing up bites.
Keeping My Torch, from Pones out of Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky. What is love? Who knows… we might.
Sexy Sexy Mattress Time, from Kelly Morton out of Cincinnati, OH. Disillusioned artist Annie falls in lust with a mattress store.
A Morgue of the Forgotten, from Performance Gallery and Solasta Theatre Lab of Cincinnati, OH. Just forget it. Shall we? Should we? Can we?
Jinkies! from Queen City Flash out of Cincinnati, OH. If the Hardy Boys felt like burning this shit down.
Banned from Heaven, Barred from Hell, from Autumn Kaleidoscope out of Cincinnati, OH. Four immortals are presented with a bargain from Death.
Sally Salem and the Spooktacular Birthday Extravaganza, from Zoë Peterson out of Cincinnati, OH. It’s Pee Wee’s Playhouse – but with demons!
The Barn Identity, from Erika Kate MacDonald out of Covington, KY. A lush dark comedy about falling-down barns. Yep. Enjoy!
Texas Annie: The Legend of the Moan Ranger, from Jennifer Howd and Maggie Perrino out of Cincinnati, OH. The campy musical adventures of a renegade dildo runner in Texas.
UPLINE: It’s Not a Show, It’s an Opportunity, from Megan Stern out of New York, NY. Satirical solo show of an MLM makeup party gone insane.
Rosegold, from Donna Kay Yarborough out of Portland, OR. A woman reveals the literal dark specter behind her addiction.
Father, Daughter and Holy Toast, from Barbara Brady of San Francisco, CA. Dad brought you into this world and now you’re seeing him out.
The Sex Lives of Butterflies, from Martin Dockery of Brooklyn, NY. A comedic, ridiculous, and deeply personal story about love, death, and butterflies.
Bent Compass, from Neil Brookshire out of Egg Harbor, WI. The journey of an Iraq War Army Medic combat veteran.
Make A F*ckin’ Show, You P.O.S., from Bradley Kristian Wrenn and Sarah Knittel out of Philadelphia, PA. Unhinged clown is live directed and creates a masterpiece from nothing.
Destiny, USA, from Laura Anne Harris out of Vancouver, WA. Can Laura discover the hidden humanity of the American people?
BE MY THIEF, from Gideon Productions out of Astoria, NY. A man believes his wife was replaced by a duplicate.
Jon Bennett: Fire in the Meth Lab, from Jon Bennett out of Adelaide, Australia. Dear Brother, How’s jail? I’ve written a show about you.
HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, from Heather Massie out of New York, NY. Celebrating actress/inventor Hedy Lamarr as a woman of science!
Soft, from Paper Soul out of Minneapolis, MN. A “nice guy” endures bloody experiments from a dating app.
Help Me Help You Help Yourself, from Daniel Wightkin out of Chicago, IL. A silent clown show that everyone gets to participate in.
ExperiMENTAL – An Evening of Mind Reading with Steven Nicholas, from Steven Nicholas out of Los Angeles, CA. Your reality will be twisted in the most delightful way.
The Definition Association, from Maatology Productions out of Los Angeles, CA. Two neighboring couples’ secrets are revealed from a random meeting. ONLINE
Take A Chance with Toybox, from Toybox Theatre out of Asheville, NC. Absurd online interactive game show hosted by America’s Favorite Cartoon Witch. ONLINE
The Gorgeousity, by The Gorgeousity, Limited, out of Philadelphia, PA. An irreverent, audience-activated, art-making party and collaborative adventure. ONLINE
Know Theatre is Cincinnati’s Theatrical Playground. The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience. Know Theatre seeks to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible.
The 19th Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival is made possible by a generous partnership with our neighbor, the Art Academy of Cincinnati.
Know Theatre’s work is made possible, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.
The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Know Theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
Know Theatre is also supported by the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.
Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate Member of the National New Play Network.
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The Nineteenth Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival will run Friday, June 3 through Saturday, June 18, 2022.
The Cincinnati Fringe Festival is thrilled to announce the Pick of the Fringe winners for 2021:
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 