The Tampa International Fringe Festival knows talent. It’s helped artists from around the world cultivate their craft in Tampa Bay for seven years.
This year the region’s only open-access, uncensored arts celebration returns May 10-14 with 32 companies, five venues and the launch of The Fringe Theatre, its year-round incubation space. The 40-seat black box theatre is located in Ybor’s Historic Kress Building and will hold its grand opening May 10, coinciding with 2023’s preview night.
After last year’s successful festival, which featured significant growth after the height of the pandemic, a permanent venue made sense. Following Tampa Fringe 2023, the space will be utilized for recurring and one-off events.
Tampa Fringe Producer Trish Parry says the idea came from World Fringe Congress 2022, held in Orlando last May. The bi-annual meeting welcomes Fringe organizers from around the globe to collaborate and strengthen their festivals.
“Folks from other festivals kept saying things about their communities and that made me ask myself — in terms of theatre, the performing arts — what does Tampa need?” Parry recalls. “We have lots of professional and community theatres. We’ve got the Straz. And I realized, ‘an incubation space.’ A safe space for artists to mingle, explore, experiment, affordably.
“That is what we are missing,” she continues. “Fringe wants to take more of a hand in making space for people, creating a community, providing continuing education in areas less traditional for actors.”
It’s what the organization was already doing each Tampa Fringe, she adds, “so why not do it year-round?”
The grand opening celebration is scheduled for 6 p.m. and includes a ribbon cutting at 6:55 p.m. with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. At 7 p.m., previews featuring two minutes of this year’s 30+ shows will begin to help guests plan their weekend.
Additional performance spaces in the Kress include Screen Door Cinema and The Cage. Rehearsal Hall and The Coop, each located at HCC Ybor’s Performing Arts Building, round out this year’s venues.
This year’s theme “Gotta Watch ‘Em All” will encourage audiences to visit each of them. Organizers drew inspiration from “Pokémon,” the popular franchise where trainers try and catch the coveted creatures.
“We are always excited about cramming in as much as possible,” Parry muses. “This year it’s physically impossible to see everything. There will be a bingo sheet and there will be a prize for whomever ‘catches the most of ‘em!’”
As in prior festivals, LGBTQ+ creators and content are heavily featured this year. “Diversity is always important to Fringe,” Parry says. “We are very pleased that this year within our LGBTQ+ shows we have quite a range of perspectives within it!”
View details about some of those shows here, in order of first presentation.
“Beige Glitter: gay but not good at it”
60 Mins. | The Cage, Kress
May 10, 9 p.m.; May 14, 6:45 p.m.
Comedian Jeff Klein brings his humor and wit to Tampa Fringe with the premiere of his one-man show. He details how he sees the LGBTQ+ community and how he feels they, and the rest of the world, see him. “This is a culmination of my stand-up comedy and life experiences, trying to find where I fit into the community and creating a lane for other beige gays like myself to feel seen,” Klein explains.
“I Love Liz”
60 Mins. | Rehearsal Hall, HCC
May 10, 9:15 p.m.; May 13, 7:15 p.m.; May 14, 8 p.m.
It’s the 1950s and time for women to take a stand against the patriarchy. Get ready to divide the City Gate Apartment Complex when Liz rallies up the women and children to teach men a lesson in taking your spouse for granted. With the fellas out of the picture, Liz, her gang of housewives and the building’s co-owner Tina learn about all the things that come with their newfound freedom: both the sweets and the sours.
“RAT MAN HAPPY PLACE”
60 Mins. | The Fringe Theatre, Kress
May 11, 7:15 p.m.; May 13, 8:30 p.m.; May 14, 1:45 p.m.
The world ended but the Happy Place’s memory lives on. Come learn about the magic that once was from former caretaker Rat Man. “I am much more interested in queering the aggro nature of the post-apocalyptic narrative and focusing on the importance of community for survival,” writer Bruce Costella says. He calls the show “a fantastical combo of storytelling and interactive elements that invites the audience to tell the story with me.”
“The War”
60 Mins. | HCC Outside
May 11, 8 p.m.; May 14, 8 p.m.
Pop on a pair of headphones and join time-traveling research company SCROLL as they attempt to discover what truly happened during The War of 2098. Located outside, silent disco technology creates a rich 360 soundscape while physical actors and interactive historians welcome you to a sci-fi world. “This is our company’s first time at Tampa Fringe and we are excited to be bringing a piece of immersive, experimental theater to a new audience,” co-writer, artistic director and actor Megan Markham says.
“The Velocity of Gary
(Not His Real Name)”
60 Mins. | The Coop, HCC
May 11, 8:45 p.m.; May 13, 2:45 p.m.; May 14, 8:15 p.m.
A story, a confession, a revelation — this play takes place in the past, present and infinity of Gary’s mind. Armed with his theme “anything can happen” and a pair of leopard print underwear, Gary dreams about kissing somebody but finds himself in New York City addicted to phone sex, attending memorial services for strangers and more. Through surprising friendships Gary discovers his greatest poetry, humor, pain and hope.
“Like An Animal”
40 Mins. | The Cage, Kress
May 11, 8:45 p.m.; May 13, 8:15 p.m.; May 14, 8:30 p.m.
Come laugh at the kinkiest freaks in the animal kingdom in this examination of animal intimacy with comedian Amica Hunter. “I am a queer, trans nonbinary artist with a love for animals, death, comedy and the bizarre,” they say. “My show at this festival is all about animal mating habits — and let me tell ya! These wild earthly beasties are queer as heck. Kinky, too.” This show will make you completely rethink the birds and the bees.
“TransMasculine Cabaret, Starring Vulva Va-Voom”
45 Mins. | The Coop, HCC
May 12, 7:15 p.m.; May 13, 1:15 p.m.; May 14, 3:15 p.m.
Local cabaret artist Vulva Va-Voom premieres their new show! This tragicomedy interprets the performer’s real-life experiences of queerness and gender identity through the lens of their recurring onstage character. Billed as fairly sincere and emotionally intimate, this scripted piece with improvisational moments features music and more. Va-Voom is also serving as head writer for sister company Boiled Horse’s show “Stroke of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation Throughout Performing Arts History.”
“The Barn Identity”
60 Mins. | The Fringe Theatre, Kress
May 12, 10:30 p.m.; May 13, 6:45 p.m.; May 14, 3:30 p.m.
This piece centers on the performer’s unexpected fascination with old barns, exploring the usefulness of beauty as she looks back at her own mental illness. “As an out, bi solo performer, making shows is a big part of how I make sense of the world and myself in it,” Erika MacDonald explains. She says the show “is an ode to friendship, bi resilience and to all the unexpected ways we hold ourselves and each other up.”
The seventh annual Tampa Fringe will be held May 10-14 in Ybor. Individual shows range from $5-15 +$3 in fees or -$1 with cash at each venue. Passes and discounts are also available. For more information about each venue and show, visit TampaFringe.org.
