Mike Durkin’s Annual Fringetastic Fringe Picks for the Fringe!

Mike Durkin is Fringe. From Bathtub Moby-Dick to Damned Dirty Apes, as artistic director of The Renegade Company Mike’s productions seem to embody the ethos of a Fringe Festival. Mike and Renegade return to the Fringe with another buzzworthy show, the site-specific Animal Farm to Table: a new form of dinner theater that explores food culture through the lens of George Orwell’s dystopian novel. See! You don’t get much more Fringe than that! [Urban Creators’ Farm, located at 2315 N 11th Street] September 7-18, 2016; fringearts.com/animal-farm-table.

Clearly an expert on all things Fringe, Mike shares with us his annual Fringetastic Fringe picks, of shows flying under the radar or chosen based on their stellar Guidebook art.

Animal-Farm-to-Table_The-Renegade-Companycr-2-1200x1002

5 Fringetastic Offerings flying under the radar

  1. Matador by Ethos Physical Theatre Company. “A Mexican fairy tale about a fearsome Matador and his Godless bull.”…Sold! fringearts.com/event/matador-3/
  2. Story of my Eye presented by GOATPIG. Food…sex…television…goats….pigs!!! fringearts.com/event/story-of-my-eye-3/
  3. Surface Tension by Tangle Movement Arts. It’s really stellar aerial work, best in the city in my opinion. Lots of great exploration of story and aerial work. Really inspiring. fringearts.com/event/surface-tension-4/
  4. A Streetcar Named Desire by Deep Blue Theatre Collective. Admittedly, I really thought the presenting group was Deep Blue Something, you know the one-hit wonder band that sang, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. I believe it isn’t…but immersive Tennessee Williams’…I’m in! fringearts.com/event/streetcar-named-desire-9/
  5. Composing the Tinnitus Suites: 2016 by Daniel Fishkin. I’ve been interested in tinnitus music ever since I played around with it a couple of years ago with The Hunchback of Notre Dame…A Mute Play. fringearts.com/event/composing-tinnitus-suites-2016/

5 Shows based solely on the guide image

MisterJohnParty-1200x547A Party with Mister John by John Francisco/Mister John’s Music. I’ve been a huge fan of this image since I saw it. Besides the staring left look, the pink party hat and wings, and guitar, my favorite part of this image is the white fleck of paint on the wall…nice touch! fringearts.com/event/party-mister-john-2/

hot-dog1Sassy by Hot Dog. I mean it’s a hot dog priest! Let’s hope it’s kosher!! fringearts.com/event/hot-dog/

Darwin-1-1200x800The 7-Person Chair Pyramid High Wire Act by Der Vorfuhreffekt Theatre. It’s an old man looking across his large bowl of sausage!! fringearts.com/event/7-person-chair-pyramid-high-wire-act-6/

1763-1200x510razorsharpthinking.com Presents:Felicki University by Cyti Gui. This image is everything. It reminds me of watching TV show derivatives of Tim and Eric. I’m delighted and terrified all at the same time. fringearts.com/event/razorsharpthinking-com-presentsfelicki-university-16

Season-to-Taste-Copy-1Season to Taste by Co-Op Theatre East. So many bread choices!!!!!!!!!!!!!! fringearts.com/event/season-to-taste-3/

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