If you’re only happy when it’s Fringe, you’re in luck. Tampa’s indie performing arts festival is back for its eighth year June 5-16 with 111 shows from 28 companies, all conceptualized and performed by local, national or international acts.
Like its long-running neighbor in Orlando, the Tampa International Fringe Festival is a member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals — the coalition dedicated to fostering artistic exploration in North America. Each festival promotes inclusivity, cultivates creative freedom and returns 100% of base ticket prices to participating artists.
It’s part of what has kept the LGBTQ+-inclusive Tampa Fringe flourishing since 2016. Each year organizers hold diversity lotteries to ensure more equitable representation on the stage.
That’s important because “Fringe is uncensored and unjuried, so it is an outlet for underserved voices,” Producer Trish Parry says. “I think queer voices have something to be passionate about, that in turn makes them more passionate as people with a desire to generate work, to tell important stories.
“If a person is looking to find that catharsis, that sense of welcoming, Fringe is definitely a place for it,” Parry continues, which Dade City entertainer Alby Queer confirms. Their show will make its debut at Tampa Fringe 2024 after they worked behind the scenes in 2023.
“Last year I volunteered and I saw firsthand how incredible the support was for my fellow queer performers that I had to experience it for myself!” they explain. “I’m incredibly excited to be a part of a collection of diverse and talented artists that truly make me feel like I belong in this space.”
This year’s festival returns to June, prompting organizers to embrace “the inevitable rain with a 90s grunge theme.” Paying tribute to the band Garbage, the slogan is “I’m only happy when it’s Fringe.”
So many are, Parry says, from audiences and artists to those who have worked behind the scenes to make Tampa Fringe so successful.
“Volunteers are the heart and soul of a festival like ours,” she explains. “Theatre isn’t sustainable as an art form, especially not if you are trying to make it accessible ticket price-wise. Volunteers are critical for keeping it going.”
Parry also notes Tampa Fringe has continued to show steady growth throughout its tenure, something she hopes will continue.
“At this point, I think we must embrace that our festival is more akin to Asheville and Atlanta Fringes — small, quirky, with an extremely community driven, grassroots vibe, rather than say, Orlando Fringe,” she says. On the festival turning eight, she muses, “I feel old. I think we all do. But at the same time, it doesn’t feel long at all!”
Tampa Fringe will officially begin June 5 with the first of two free preview nights, the second of which is scheduled for June 12, and tickets are on sale now for each show. Tickets range from $5-18 with bulk discounts available, or supporters can buy the Eliminator Pass for $225 to binge as much Fringe as they’d like.
“Folks are doing a lot more self-care these days, so if more folks could give a little bit of time, then no one has to be stressed out,” Parry says. “2024 is the year of us taking care of us.”
Watermark has gathered details about Tampa Fringe’s shows by, for or about the LGBTQ+ community here for that reason, listed in in order of first presentation. For a full list of this year’s shows, to purchase tickets and learn more about the venue, visit TampaFringe.org.
“Factory Girl” (HouseOfNae, Tampa)
18+, Cabaret | 60 Mins. | $9
June 6, 8:30 p.m.; June 8, 6:45 p.m.; June 9, 1:45 p.m.; June 15, 9:45 p.m.; June 16, 5:15 p.m.
From Tomboy to Hag to Secretary to Wife to Cheerleader to Divorcee to Expatriate to DJ, it’s all just another label from this Factory Girl and the Factory Culture we live in. “Factoroy Girl” is a show that’s part comedy, part cabaret and all music. Part PeeWee, part Deee-Lite, all by this maker and creator, HouseOfNae. Premiering at Tampa Fringe … Be there. Preferably with lots of bells, whistles, positivity and ZERO labels.
“Smutty Burlesque Nerd: Vulva Va-Voom’s Ship of Theseus” (Vulva Va-Voom & Company, Tampa)
18+, Cabaret | 60 Mins. | $15
June 6, 8:30 p.m.; June 8, 9 p.m.; June 9, 6:15 p.m.; June 15, 2 p.m.; June 16, 5:30 p.m.
Winner: 2019 “Venue Choice” — or is it? This is absolutely a legitimate cabaret, definitely NOT a supernatural time-loop curse. [NOTE FROM FESTIVAL MANAGEMENT: We’re obligated to disclose the aforementioned curse.] Amidst song-and-dance, strip-tease and meta-theatrical patter, gritty vaudevillian Vulva ponders: “Why do humans repeat ineffectual behaviors?”; “Is this deja vu sinister?” and “Where’d I leave my porno?” And as “Theseus’s Riddle” asks: if every plank gets replaced, is it the same ship? What of a headliner relentlessly revising their set-list? Underground comedians change material impulsively, so maybe this otherworldly sensation is… imagined.
“A One Woman Titanic Parody In 59 Minutes Or Less” (Bikini Katie Productions, Orlando)
PG-13, Theatre | 60 Mins. | $15
June 7, 7 p.m.; June 8, 8:30 p.m.; June 9, 5 p.m.
It’s been 84 years… Or at least 26 since “Titanic” sailed into movie theaters! Now watch as actor and actual Titanic historian, Katie Thayer, perform the whole 3 hour and 14-minute blockbuster… by herself… in 59 minutes… or less! With wigs, hats, puppets and a splash zone, come see the show The Orlando Sentinel said has “the best double-sided wig work since Broadway’s ‘Jekyll & Hyde,’” and The Orlando Weekly said was “making me laugh hard enough to choke on my beer.” We’ll also settle the infamous “door” debate. You’ll never let go of the laughs!
“Alby Queer and The Gay Awakening” (Alby Queer, Dade City)
18+, Storytelling | 30 Mins. | $12
June 7, 7:45 p.m.; June 9, 2:45 p.m.; June 14, 7:50 p.m.
Alby Queer, a formerly brainwashed member of the church, has turned over a new leaf and embraced their true calling as a leader of the local queer commune and Co-Op! They now go from city to city, hosting seminars about their (definitely not-a-cult) community of fellow LGBTQ+ people in hopes of gaining the love and adoration of more followers. Join in and embrace the part of yourself that seeks community!
“Captain Havoc & the Big-Titty Bog Witches” (Hoof Arted, Tampa)
18+, Theatre | 45 Mins. | $13
June 7, 8:45 p.m.; June 8, 4:30 p.m.; June 9, 8 p.m.; June 15, 10 p.m.; June 16, 2:30 p.m.
Tampa’s favorite wacky playwright Christen Hailey births another hilariously sexy mystery, featuring characters and locales from the Perilousverse: Captain Havoc returns to Cockroach Bay after years of service flying the Jizz Jet for the Secret Queen of Tampa. But there’s no rest for the wicked when a greedy developer wants to tear down the whole town and build a super kinky swinging senior center. Will Captain Havoc and the Big-Titty Bog Witches save the day? FAFO!
“#NotOneMore” (Bostock-Kelley Productions, Tampa)
PG13, Theatre | 60 Mins. | $15
June 8, 2:30 p.m.; June 9, 7:30 p.m.; June 11, 8:30 p.m.; June 15, 1:15 p.m.; June 16, 6:30 p.m.
“#NotOneMore” is a gripping drama that explores the stories of two groups: four high school girls asked to relive a horrific school shooting on live national TV, and a support group for those who were left behind. It exposes the hidden wounds of bullying, gun violence, sexual violence, and mental health, and the lasting impact they have on the survivors. It uncovers the scars and the struggle to heal and move on. It challenges us to confront the question: how can we prevent this from happening yet again? Opening day show features talkback following the performance.
“Psychedelics for Dummies” (Ginger Nationa, Saint John, New Brunswick)
18+, Storytelling | 60 Mins. | $12
June 13, 7:15 p.m.; June 15, 6:30 p.m.; June 16, 3:15 p.m.
Psychedelics: a drug as old as time, with the potential for infinite experiences. Whether they be good or bad, we carry on in this beautiful universe. An epic tale filled with ancient medicines, political controversy and hidden truths about the universe!
“Big Top Tales” (Matthew Belopavlovich, Tampa)
Kids Show, Storytelling | 30 Mins. | $10
June 15, 11:45 p.m.; June 16, 12:15 p.m.
Run away with the circus and peel back the curtain as former Ringling Bros. clown Matthew Belopavlovich shares stories from his days with the circus and teaches audience members of all ages circus skills they can bring home. This interactive performance is perfect for the whole family!
“Prop-Up Stories” (Matthew Belopavlovich, Tampa)
Kids Show, Improv | 30 Mins. | $10
June 15, 12:45 p.m.
Let your imagination run wild as you help create the onstage action live! A unique story inspired by audience selected props and costume pieces will be presented. This family-friendly performance is perfect for budding theatre artists and families that love to tell stories. Audience members are invited to bring handheld items from home or pick from the trunk of props. Let’s tell a story together!
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