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I've wanted to visit Scandinavia for so long! I applied to the Baltic-Nordic fringe circuit a few years back, and was thrilled when I got into several of them (they're curated), but didn’t have time or funds to make it work in time. As an American and a struggling artist at that, it's a really long way to go and quite an expense just for one weekend-long festival, but the Oslo Fringe kindly gave me a deferral so that I could return a year later.

Most of us in this space are theatre kids. We were bitten by the theatre bug in our early years, and I would bet that many of you could still name the theatre teachers who got you into this whole mess. There is something special about a theatre teacher. Not only are they meeting you during the developmental years of life, but they are also intricately involved in cultivating your artistic notions and helping you learn to express yourself.

Q&A with Philadelphia Fringe Artist Donna Oblongata. Donna, you do more than perform; you direct and teach many clowns in Philadelphia. How does this impact your work? I love teaching and teach a really specific pedagogy, called Pochinko Clown, or Clown Through Mask, that comes from Canada. It's different from all the LeCoq and Gaulier stuff most people are familiar with. Teaching clowns is great because every time I'm giving them a lesson, I'm also giving myself one.

Melancholics Anonymous has become an established theater company that is fiscally sponsored, produces full seasons of theater, which include an annual new play workshop series, and has gotten some serious buzz. And yet all of our growth and incredible experience trace back to that first Minnesota Fringe opportunity, which started as a simple dream.

NESTING is the newst play from Peter McCormick playing at Summerhall this August during the Edinburgh Fringe. Peter is the playwright and will be featured in the cast. Full of heart, laughs, and, I am sure, a few tears, NESTING is sure to stir up a reminder of the people who have raised you and the love you have for them.

We are thrilled to introduce a new series to the blog, Artists Q&A. It is another avenue to provide platforms for artists and celebrate all that is fringe. This week, we are featuring Canadian artist Holly Brinkman, whose newest show is A Woman's Guide to Romance Novels.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has long been known as a launching pad for bold and boundary-pushing theater. For Xhloe Rice and Natasha Rowland, a New York–based duo creating absurdist clown physical theater, the journey to Fringe began with little more than a duffel bag of props and a desire to share their work with a wider audience. What they discovered in Edinburgh not only transformed their careers but also reshaped their understanding of what success at Fringe really mean

From comedy to matchmaking to fringe, Olivia Raine Atwood has learned that each unexpected turn in life and work has been pointing her in the same direction. Olivia is a comedian, writer, matchmaker, fitness instructor, and award-winning fringe performer whose career path could best be described as “a series of accidental perfect fits.”

Penny Peyser’s journey in entertainment is a lesson in adaptability, resilience, and creative reinvention. From off-Broadway to Hollywood to Edinburgh Fringe, her career reflects a simple truth: sustaining a life in entertainment requires both flexibility and the courage to create your own opportunities.

Shelley Cooper has earned recognition in the Fringe theater world for her ability to bring historical figures to life through compelling solo performances. Her works, La Divina: The Last Interview of Maria Callas and Jenny Lind Presents P.T. Barnum, merge storytelling, music, and careful research to offer audiences a deeper, more nuanced understanding of iconic women whose legacies have often been shaped by myth rather than fact.

Fringe festivals have long been a home for the unexpected. They thrive on bold ideas, unconventional storytelling, and artists who do not fit neatly into a single category. For performers with seemingly mismatched skills, fringe offers something rare: permission to combine them all and see what happens.

The arts have the power to transform not just individuals, but entire communities. This belief is at the heart of PUSH Physical Theatre’s work, as co-founder Darren Stevenson has experienced over decades of creating and performing. Darren's story illustrates how the arts can bridge divides, spark empathy, and foster collective well-being.

Fringe theatre has always been built on movement. Artists travel from city to city, crossing borders with stories shaped by where they come from and where they are going next. International touring fringe artists are not an added bonus to the ecosystem. They are fundamental to it.

Children’s theater is often treated as a stepping stone to “real” theater, but Marilyn Greer of Meg in the Magic Toy Shop sees it as a vibrant art form in its own right. Her award-winning Fringe show blends vintage charm, interactive storytelling, and a deep understanding of child development to create something that is both delightful and purposeful.

For fringe artists, producing a solo show Off-Broadway can feel like a big leap, even though much of the work looks familiar. What changes is the context: New York City and the expectations that come with an Off-Broadway venue.

Accessibility in fringe theatre is not just a matter of compliance—it is a commitment to inclusion. New tools like SlideTeller help ensure that the full experience of a performance is available to all, regardless of how someone receives it.

For many Fringe artists, the focus is on script, staging, and performance. But there is another tool that can elevate your show and surprise your audience: sound. Foley artistry, the live creation of sound effects using everyday objects, can transform a performance, adding dimension and energy in ways that lighting or props alone cannot achieve.

“The best work is being done on Fringe stages. You can’t get more inventive, you can’t get more raw, and it’s everything that pushes my theatrical buttons,” Britt Lafied, SoHo Playhouse Managing Director.

Bringing a show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is not just about showcasing creativity; it also involves detailed planning and teamwork. For independent artists used to managing everything themselves, Edinburgh can feel quite challenging.

Fringe performer Steve Budd has become known for his multi-character solo shows. His process enables him to create stories with strong narratives and grounded characters.