Fringe Fort Myers: Everything you need to know about the quirky SW FL festival

Charles Runnells, Fort Myers News-Press
·5 min read
Tampa’s Laila Lee wrote and performs in the one-woman show "The Chase: A Light Bringer Story," the sequel to last year's Fringe Fort Myers offering, "The Light Bringer."
Tampa’s Laila Lee wrote and performs in the one-woman show "The Chase: A Light Bringer Story," the sequel to last year's Fringe Fort Myers offering, "The Light Bringer."

For years, Bill Taylor dreamed about bringing a fringe festival to Fort Myers.

Then it finally happened last year ― much to Taylor's delight.

"Last year was great!" he says. "I mean, you just kind of walk around in a daze as it's happening ― with a smile on your face (laughs). Just realizing that you pulled it off. It was a great feeling."

Now Fringe Fort Myers is back for year two with nine more comedians, dancers and theatrical acts performing on three Fort Myers stages.

And some of those acts are downright amazing, says Taylor, the festival's organizer and also artistic director for Fort Myers acting troupe Theatre Conspiracy.

"The thing that people don’t realize: We've got some award-winning shows," he says. "Shows that have toured nationally or internationally that have blown people away."

Former New York City prostitute Mary Goggin tells her true, award-winning story in the one-woman show "Runaway Princess: A Hopeful Tale of Heroin, Hooking and Happiness."
Former New York City prostitute Mary Goggin tells her true, award-winning story in the one-woman show "Runaway Princess: A Hopeful Tale of Heroin, Hooking and Happiness."

They're relatively cheap, too, he says. Just $16 for each short show ― most with a run time one hour or less.

"There's something for everybody here," Taylor says. "And it's affordable."

Here’s everything you need to know about Fringe Fort Myers, from tickets to some of the acts you’ll see onstage:

What is a fringe festival?

Fringe festivals are a worldwide phenomenon inspired by the long-running Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland (also known simply as The Fringe).

That sprawling, three-week performing-arts festival draws theater troupes, comedians, dancers and other performers from all over the word for more than 59,000 performances of original work in more than 300 venues.

Naples actor Frank Blocker stars in the one-man play "Stabilized Not Controlled."
Naples actor Frank Blocker stars in the one-man play "Stabilized Not Controlled."

Fringe festivals are best-known for their experimental, underground and cutting-edge performers. But just about anything goes, Taylor says, including theater, dance, puppetry and storytelling.

Fringe festivals aren’t regulated by any one organization, according to the U.S. Association of Fringe Festivals. But they’re generally committed to open expression, original works, bare-bones production and cheap tickets.

When and where is Fringe Fort Myers?

Everything kicks off Thursday, May 30, with a reception and preview show at the Alliance for the Arts. Each act gets three minutes to “pitch” their show to the audience.

Then the nine acts perform Thursday night through Sunday, May 30-June 2, at the Alliance and the neighboring Broadway Palm dinner theater.

How much are tickets for Fringe Fort Myers?

Tickets are $13 per show, plus a $3 fee. All of that $13 goes straight to the performers, Taylor says. The fee goes to Fringe Fort Myers.

Tampa cabaret comedian Vulva Va-Voom performs in "TransMasculine Cabaret."
Tampa cabaret comedian Vulva Va-Voom performs in "TransMasculine Cabaret."

Two ticket packages are also available: Three shows for $45 or six shows for $80. All shows are included except the Carousel of Burlesque (no discounts available for that one).

How were the performers chosen?

As per fringe tradition, Fringe Fort Myers allowed anyone to apply to perform – no matter how unusual or unorthodox. Then all nine acts were randomly chosen by pulling their names out of three one-gallon paint cans (one paint can for each category of local, state and national acts).

In all, they got 32 submissions for Fringe Fort Myers, Taylor says.

Who will be performing at Fringe Fort Myers?

Many of the performers are fringe veterans. Each act will perform three times over the course of the four-day festival.

This year's shows include:

  • "Tomatoes Tried To Kill Me But Banjos Saved My Life": Detroit native Keith Alessi's quirky one-man show about how a cancer battle ― and playing the banjo ― saved his life.

  • "The Carousel of Burlesque: Behind the Curtain": A behind-the-scenes look at the Southwest Florida-based burlesque show "The Carousel of Burlesque," which premiered last year at Fringe Fort Myers.

  • "TransMasculine Cabaret": Tampa comedian Vulva Va-Voom performs this show described as a "tragiComic transgender-identifying true confessional." The show asks the question: "Who gets to define whether someone is a drag queen, king, or an in-between?"

  • "Runaway Princess: A Hopeful Tale of Heroin, Hooking and Happiness": Former New York City call girl Mary Goggin performs a true, award-winning story involving a traumatic childhood, substance abuse and prostitution ― with a happy ending.

  • "The Chase: A Light Bringer Story": Tampa’s Laila Lee wrote and performs the sequel to last year's Fringe Fort Myers offering, "The Light Bringer." It's described as a "true-life storytelling show" that weaves "a tale of mystery, intrigue and survival."

  • "Stabilized Not Controlled": Naples actor Frank Blocker returns with another one-man play. This time, it involves an evil landlord who battles the eccentric tenants of his Manhattan apartment building and their "septuagenarian sex addict" leader, Lorna Breedlove.

The nine shows will be performed on three different stages: The Off Broadway Palm and the Foulds Theatre and the Fringe Classroom Stage at the Alliance for the Arts.

For times and the full schedule, visit artinlee.org/fringe.

How can you preview the shows?

Fringe Fort Myers kicks off at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 30, with the “Flamingle with the Artists” reception in the Alliance for the Arts gallery. That's followed by the 6:30 p.m. preview show in the nearby Foulds Theatre.

Detroit native Keith Alessi stars in the quirky one-man show "Tomatoes Tried To Kill Me But Banjos Saved My Life."
Detroit native Keith Alessi stars in the quirky one-man show "Tomatoes Tried To Kill Me But Banjos Saved My Life."

Each performer gets three minutes to sell their show to the audience. How they do that is up to them.

Tickets for the preview show are $5.

What else is happening?

A deejay and other activities will take place occasionally under a large tent on the Alliance grounds.

There’s also a Kids Fringe festival on Saturday, June 1 at the Alliance for the Arts, featuring the shows "Mad Libs Live!" (performed by Sears Studio Performing Arts Academy) and "A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Abridged)" (performed by the Cypress Lake Center for the Arts High School drama department).

Tickets are $5-$10 per show.

Where can you learn more about Fringe Fort Myers?

For more information on Fringe Fort Myers, call 939-2787 or visit artinlee.org/fringe.

Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 (for tickets to shows, call the venue) or email him at crunnells@gannett.com. Follow or message him on social media: Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7), X (formerly Twitter) (@charlesrunnells), Threads (@crunnells1) and Instagram (@crunnells1).

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fringe Fort Myers returns to Alliance for the Arts, Broadway Palm