Stage is set: Scranton Fringe celebrates culture, creativity and community

Sep. 27—Let your fringe flag fly. Now in its ninth year, the Scranton Fringe Festival returns to venues throughout the city's downtown from Thursday, Sept. 28, through Saturday, Oct. 7, with a full schedule of artistic performances.

"We're extremely excited. It's a really dynamic and creative lineup," said Scranton Fringe Executive Director and co-founder Conor Kelly O'Brien. "We're extremely grateful to our artists, volunteers and supporters who are making it possible and we just can't wait to get the festival off the ground."

Tickets can be purchased in advance at scrantonfringe.org or on the day of the show at the venue, if it's not sold out. Admission to individual shows costs $15, or audiences can purchase a VIP pass for $99 that grants access to all productions and special events at the festival.

Scranton Fringe opens Thursday, Sept. 28, with a free kick-off party at Groove Brewing, 1401 Sanderson Ave., from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., which serves as a preview night for audiences to learn about the artists and their shows. Conor McGuigan will D.J. and emcee the event.

Students from the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County designed posters for the 2023 festival to be unveiled at the kick-off party. Scranton Fringe will select a winner and have that student's design reproduced and sold at the Lackawanna Winter Market as a fundraiser.

Similarly, students at Marywood University recently redesigned Scranton Fringe's website for a service-learning project.

O'Brien urges audiences to check out the shows that speak to their interests, but also take a chance on at least one they wouldn't normally see.

"There's truly something for everyone, and whether or not you are familiar with an artist or their genre of performing arts, I encourage you to go give it a try," he said. "If you're still unsure or you're having trouble deciding between all the great shows, come to the kick-off party, meet the artists, see a small preview or hear them talk about their show."

Audiences can expect shows like the world premiere of "Madam and Eve" presented by the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Wilkes University starting Thursday, Oct. 5. Written by Nicole Duncan and directed by Simone Daniel, the one-act play follows Amy, a young woman and daughter of a pastor who comes to terms with the fact that she's a lesbian.

Daniel, a Scranton native and award-winning director, writer, costume designer and actor now based in Brooklyn, New York, looks forward to participating in Scranton Fringe every year.

She's been involved with the festival since its inception and called it an ideal platform for trying out new and experimental work. Daniel also finds it meaningful to bring work like "Madam and Eve" back to her roots.

"We have the best audiences in Scranton. I firmly believe this. I tell anybody who will listen that we have the best audiences," Daniel said, noting that people in her hometown get so invested in shows and aren't withholding about how they feel, whether it's positive or not. "It's just great to always get to work there and have that experience because that's pretty rare."

There's also free programs in this year's lineup, including Scranton Fringe's "Becoming a Bee: An Immersive Audio Experience" in partnership with the Greenhouse Project at Nay Aug Park on Sunday, Oct. 1, for Honeybee & Harvest Day. O'Brien said it's one of many shows utilizing innovative technology.

For the second year, audiences can catch short films by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) creators during the Taking Up Space Film Festival on Friday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 7. Admission is free, and O'Brien said they look forward to bringing the film festival back after a successful run last year.

He encouraged supporters of Scranton Fringe to choose their must-see shows, make plans with friends, book restaurant reservations and really embrace the festival atmosphere.

"We really just want to present a joyous event that celebrates culture, creativity and community," he said. "We are extremely grateful to the community and region at large for their support."

For more information and a full lineup, visit scranton fringe.org or Scranton Fringe Festival on Facebook.

Contact the writer:

bwilliams@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5107;

@BWilliamsTT on X.