Fringe Wilmington returns September 29-October 3. If you missed its inaugural event last year, you missed a lot, but this year’s fest should be even better. Essentially, Fringe takes over downtown Wilmington—in a good way—by scoring every available space to showcase unconventional and experimental art.
As cliché as it may sound, the five-day fest truly offers something for everyone, since artists of all creative disciplines (visual, performing, film) showcase their work the way they believe it should be showcased—not the way they are told to showcase it. This year’s gig, called “The Deliciously Different Arts Festival,” is aptly named. “Different” is what you get at a fringe fest. And when you buy a ticket to a Fringe Wilmington performance, 100 percent of the proceeds go directly to the artists.
The best deal is the all-access pass, which can be purchased for $25 online through September 29, or at Festival Headquarters (605 N. Market St.) starting September 29. An all-access pass entitles you to one admission per performance based on available seating, but it doesn’t guarantee admission to all performances. Be aware that all seats for everything are first-come first-served. If you don’t want to go all out, you can do individual performances for $5.
A sure bet is “2 Short Plays by George Tietze” September 30, October 1-2. Tietze, a City Theater veteran, offers an exploration of the process of playwriting and how a writer attempts to incorporate the people and events in his own life into a coherent narrative. “A Lonely Heart in Marltontownsvilleing…ton” is another comedy that explores the exploitation of women in show biz.
This year’s visual fringe artists include Stephanie Bell, Kevin Bowling, Rudelle Fay Hall, Peter B. Kaplan, Rick Nardo, Kevin Niemi, Kirstin J. Sareyka, Heather Siple and Melinda Steffy.
For a complete schedule, as well as performer bios and photos, visit www.fringewilmingtonde.com.