Fringe Preview 3: West Philly Fringe

2013 Fringe Festival PhiladelphiaWith ten venues hosting fifteen shows in seven different categories (Comedy+Improv, Dance, Music, Happenings, Film, Visual Art, and Theater), West Philadelphia really does have a mini Fringe Festival. Phindie’s third Fringe preview looks at what’s on offer on Philly’s left bank.

West Philly Fringe (includes University City and Powelton Village)

If dance and movement art is your thing, this neighborhood is a good place to be. International House is aptly home to Anita Ranjani’s performance of entrancing Indian classical dance form Bharathanaatyam: Shringara Rasa, The Emotion of Love. Elsewhere, New York–based companies are putting on short run performances of Philadelphia premieres in Bricolage and Celebrating Dance.

Unsurprisingly, student productions make up a number of the theater offerings in University City, with Penn students collaborating on an Alternative Theater Festival and the Drexel Players chronicling college Hell Week in Parts: A Speed Through. Iconic neighborhood venue World Cafe Live sees musical performances by Xtreme Folk Scene and a one-woman musical by Jonatha Brooke, presented by WXPN. Idiosyncratic poet/performer Lila Bita confronts audiences with a personal epic, The Storm Rider: A Woman’s Journey.

Nighthawks Poor PoeEdgar Allan Poe makes his obligatory Fringe appearance with the intriguing POOR POE by three-time PA Arts Council recipient William Burrison of NIGHTHAWKS, perhaps the pick of the West Philly offerings. The 45-minute recounting of Poe’s real-life brush with hit-men, paranoia, and poverty shares a bill with a short piece by local scribe Colin Wolfe. Yeah Poe.

The 2013 Fringe Festival runs September 5-22. See fringearts.ticketleap.com for tickets and info. Check out Phindie previews of other Fringe neighborhoods and more great festival coverage on our 2013 Fringe Festival page.

 

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