Boulder Fringe Festival delivers doorstep shows, livestreams and more

Aug. 5—Even amid last year's pandemic, the Boulder Fringe Festival forged on with virtual offerings and some socially distanced shows that took place in the yards of random patrons.

The long-running celebration of off-the-beaten-path productions kicks off Aug. 11 and promises even more options to enjoy acts in-person, while still consuming intriguing virtual content.

"I had never directed a show before, but was really inspired to create 'Cirque de Menses' to celebrate Global Menstrual Hygiene Day, which is May 28th of every year," said Marisa Kellogg, a performer of The Fractal Society who is bringing her show about Aunt Flo to Boulder Fringe. "There is a lot of stigma and taboo around menstruation all over the world and even in our society it's a topic that is usually hush-hush. We tell a story that we hope will create positive social norms around menstruation, because periods are healthy and normal."

In February, Kellogg became the executive director of PridePads Africa, a Boulder-based nonprofit that produces biodegradable, earth-friendly and affordable menstrual pads for girls and women in rural Cameroon.

"Our PridePads team also provides menstrual health education in schools in Cameroon as well as sensitization and de-stigmatization campaigns surrounding menstruation," Kellogg said.

For the upcoming Fringe shows, on Aug 20 and 21 at Junkyard Social Club in Boulder, 25% of ticket sale proceeds will go to PridePads Africa — an organization that Kellogg has already raised over $7,500 dollars for through previous ticket sales.

"After the last performance, we got amazing feedback from attendees," Kellogg said. "Many guys came up to me after and said they had no idea what to expect going into the show and were a little uneasy about it. Turns out they absolutely loved it, were thoroughly entertained and even learned something new."

Kellogg is hopeful about the possibility of bringing this unique production on tour.

"There was also feedback about making this an annual event on Menstrual Hygiene Day and even taking the show to other cities," Kellogg said. "That would be a dream"

Tickets for "Cirque de Menses" Fringe shows are $25.

"When we first ran the show, I was struck by the realization that we'd done something that we'd always dreamed of doing," said Jill Katzenberger, a performer in "Cirque de Menses" and executive director at Junkyard Social Club. "We filled the space with artistry, imagination and conversations that crossed generations. It was the largest outing for many folks in over a year and the response was overwhelmingly positive."

Previously, Fractal Society created works that touched on the themes of the criminal justice system and environmental sustainability. While the group's shows always feature incredible circus arts and dazzling getups, the meaning behind productions is equally as thrilling.

"I think even those that have high expectations for Fractal Society productions were surprised by how entertained they were by 'Cirque de Menses,'" Katzenberger said. "People expect high-level talent, but they don't expect literal period pieces brought to life by musical raps and father-daughter dances that leave you smiling for days."

The newly opened Junkyard Social Club provides an out-of-the-box venue that features sculptures made from discarded machine parts and a treehouse DJ booth.

It makes sense that the adventure playground is the latest site for a number of Fringe shows.

"We are so excited to be a venue for Fringe," Katzenberger said. "The festival means a lot to us. My co-founder, Ryan Madson, directed a Fractal Society show that won Fringe back in 2015. Ryan put a ton of work into making sure that we have the stage and tech to support various production needs."

The outdoor space is also ideal for those looking to not venture indoors for entertainment.

"I'm very excited about playing in the new Junkyard Social Club," said David Ortolano, Boulder Fringe Festival's executive director. "It's an amazing venue, run by super cool and capable people. Since the Fringe is typically on the fringe, this is a great way to show off what we do in a fun and compelling way with kids, adults, games, independent art and relevant cultural dialogues."

"A Southern Fairytale" — an incredibly honest play written by gay actor Ty Autry about his experiences growing up in rural Georgia — will open at Junkyard Social Club, on Aug. 12, at 6 p.m.

"I would love for the audience to walk away from my show realizing and feeling like they are the hero to their own fairytale," Autry said. "Yes, my show is about my story as a gay man, but this narrative resonates with people of all orientations and gender identities. The audience is going to find a version of themselves through this and hopefully feel empowered."

Tickets are $10-15 and there are five other dates through Aug. 21 to catch this powerful production.

While 2020 was a year that brought many virtual performances to the surface, Autry — who postponed a 15-stop international tour — is looking forward to getting some actual facetime with theater-goers.

"The bravery of people going on Zoom to perform is astounding because you can't get feedback from the audience and that is what I'm looking forward to the most," Autry said. "'A Southern Fairytale' is full of rambunctious moments and I thrive on having an audience getting rambunctious with me. Responding, gasping, laughing."

While Autry's one-man show touches on hard topics like the conversion therapy he was subjected to as a teen and his father's accusation of a demon possessing his son's soul, there are flashes of levity and pockets of light.

"Yes, it has some dark moments, but out of those moments we can find pure joy and some really funny moments to laugh at," Autry said. "I never got that over Zoom. You primarily performed in a bubble and I'm so excited for that to be over."

From acts that encourage reflection to those who leave viewers spellbound, the range of work at the upcoming fest is not to be missed.

"ExperiMENTAL premiered at the Orlando Fringe Festival in May of this year and the feedback and word of mouth buzz were great," said creator Steven Nicholas, who will bring his show to this year's Boulder Fringe. "I had eight ticketed performances and after the opening night show, the remaining seven quickly sold-out."

Nicholas's show is one based around audience participation, and after the isolating year of 2020, his set has quickly become quite a hit.

"One audience member will be brought on stage and experience what seems to be a hallucination," Nicholas said. "They will feel completely confident about what they see in front of them, but they will leave the theater with verifiable proof that what they saw couldn't have been real."

The mysterious performer will also engage audience members in memory skill demos and various other exercises.

"The latter part of the show includes more direct mind reading and with every audience being different, this tends to vary a fair bit from show to show," Nicholas said. "Often, I have audience members think of images that they can picture in their imagination and I will try to recreate them."

As a kid, Nicholas was drawn to anything to do with psychics and was entranced by the entertainment offered by magician Lance Burton.

"I also have participants think of secrets that I couldn't possibly know about and important people from their life," Nicholas said. "When I tell someone in the audience the name of their childhood friend who they haven't thought of in years, they tend to be suitably impressed."

He will perform six shows on various days, at Wesley Chapel, starting with one at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13. Tickets are $8-$10.

"I've always been attracted to a good mystery," Nicholas said. "I think that's true of most people, but probably a little bit more so with me. While many professions, such as scientists, detectives and historians put a great deal of effort into solving mysteries, I put my effort into creating them. I think that a great, well-crafted mystery has the potential to be not just fun, but potentially captivating and inspiring."

Some pieces were born directly out of the isolation of 2020. "Home: Containment & Freedom" — by Karl Baumann & Selena Milewski — is a response to the isolation and confinement of last year.

At The Spark, the two artists will embody a range of characters and situations through everything from poetry and prose to dance, circus arts and music.

"One of the most beautiful things about art and performance is that it gives us a place where we can tell our stories, process difficult problems in our society and learn a little bit about what we can do to come together as a community," Ortolano said. "This is especially the case with the Fringe."

With dozens of reasonably priced offerings — with some available at no charge — folks can get a taste of a range of diverse and well-crafted works.

"Fringe Festivals give us a place to create raw creative material that often becomes new and very significant work in the creative world," Ortolano said.

While this year features a ton of new content, it also has brought back popular pieces from previous fests.

"'Polyamory: The Musical' was an audience favorite in 2019," Ortolano said. "Melanie Moseley is a seasoned performer with lots of song, dance, truth telling and blatant sexual content that everyone needs to hear. Her previous show 'Sexology: The Musical!' won 'Best in Show' at the 2019 Boulder Fringe Festival."

Moseley's four shows will be performed at a new doorstep throughout the festival. Ticketholders will receive details on the location prior to the performance.

While there are plenty of chances to gather with friends and take in a live show, those who wish to stream Fringe offerings can do so from wherever has strong WiFi.

"We love this new exciting frontier," Ortolano said. "We have the opportunity to keep expanding beyond our typical geographic boundaries. Last year, we had an artist comment on how exciting it was to be in her living room in London, U.K., playing her show live while audiences from Egypt, South Africa and all over the U.S. tuned in to her show through the Boulder Fringe in Colorado. This is a very cool side effect of a global pandemic."