Five weeks of all new, off-the-wall fringe theater, perhaps the fringe theater event of the Southwest – count me in. You don’t necessarily have to be a theater enthusiast to enjoy the Austin gem known as FronteraFrest. For its 22nd run, Hyde Park Theater and Scriptworks join forces to present one of Austin’s premier performance events. FronteraFest welcomes actors and actresses, musicians, poets and performers of all kinds and brings in performers from as far as South Korea.
Look for experimental-style theater at its best, composed of four different performance events. The Short Fringe, made up of pieces 25 minutes or less, runs through the entirety of the festival. These performances can range from gripping monologues and plays in progress to cabaret dancers and multimedia, including Xynergistas Productions’ Connective Teaser featuring poetry and dance, Raul Garza’s MYHEB, in which a loyal HEB customer delivers a comedic monologue, The Screaming Soul, a one act of three of Mel Gibson’s infamous conversations with Oksana by Emily Villareal and plenty more. The Long Fringe, on the other hand, is made up pieces 45-90 minutes in length, showcasing dramatic works anywhere from cutting-edge choreography to new pieces from emerging playwrights. The Long Fringe will be held at the new Ground Floor Theater and features work from LGBT playwright Corey Kwoka, Two Hands Productions, Hour Glass Productions and more.
In addition to those events, the festival boasts B.Y.O.V. (Bring Your Own Venue) performances, in which participants perform their work in their own unique venues, and Mi Casa es Su Teatro, in which performances are hosted primarily at local homes and other surprising locations – this one’s a Frontera signature. Aside from the performances FronteraFest welcomes guests to the opening week after-party just across the street from the Hyde Park Theater.
Show descriptions and tickets are available here.
Burning Question
What are you expecting from the fringe theater experience?
Ingredients
plays, experiments, style, playwrights, performance, theater
Essentials
The Short Fringe, Jan. 13 – Feb. 14
Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd St.
The Long Fringe, Jan. 19 – Feb. 1
Ground Floor Theatre, 979 Springdale Rd.
Mi Casa Es Su Teatro, February 7
Various locations
Bring Your Own Venue (BYOV)
Various dates and locations
Opening week after-party
Saturday, January 17, 10:30 PM
Gallery Black Lagoon, 4301 A. Guadalupe St.
