SoHo Playhouse Creates Space for Fringe to Thrive

S2 E14 of What the Fringe?!

When people think about theater, they often imagine Broadway stages, polished productions, and stories that have stood the test of time. But every celebrated play, every actor who becomes a household name, and every groundbreaking piece of theater started somewhere small. That “somewhere” is often a venue or festival that deliberately creates space for new work.

Shaping Innovative Theater

SoHo Playhouse has long been a home for new and innovative theatrical work, with a history of nurturing voices that would go on to shape American theatre. In the 1960s, Edward Albee and his collaborators transformed the space at 15 Vandam Street into the Playwrights Unit Workshop, a bold incubator where untested plays by writers such as Terrence McNally and Sam Shepard received full public productions, and where significant works like The Boys in the Band premiered, helping redefine the landscape of contemporary drama. After a period hosting film and other uses, the venue re-emerged as the SoHo Playhouse under Artistic Director Darren Lee Cole in 2004, with a clarified mission to support emerging artists and groundbreaking theatre.

In 2007 the International Fringe Encore Series began, selecting standout shows from international fringe festivals and giving them extended Off-Broadway runs, further cementing the Playhouse’s role as a launchpad for adventurous new work by diverse voices from around the world. Fringe is so important in developing new work, partly because of the constraints. Fringe inspires creativity because time, budget, and resources are limited. These boundaries spark greater creativity and bolder ideas that audiences will not find in mainstream productions, but do find at SoHo.

“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 Lafield, SoHo Managing Director

Life After Fringe

A show that gains buzz at a Fringe festival may only have five performances before disappearing. But a successful Fringe run doesn’t have to end when the festival closes. For many shows, Fringe is a proving ground for testing ideas. Shows that thrive after Fringe tend to know exactly what they are and why they work. The same constraints that shaped them- tight runtimes, minimal tech, and bold ideas—become strengths as they move forward.

Programs like The International Fringe Encore Series extend the runs of standout fringe shows. Artists then have additional opportunities to connect with industry professionals and gain momentum to grow. For many performers and playwrights, this step is what transforms a small hit into a lasting career. With the right champions and opportunities, Fringe productions don’t disappear; they evolve, reaching new audiences while staying rooted in the inventive spirit that made them stand out in the first place.

In an age where film and television often repeat old formulas and rely on big names, new theatrical work offers originality. Supporting new work is about ensuring the future of theatre and supporting the artists who make it. By creating space for experimentation and new voices, venues like SoHo Playhouse remind us that today’s small stage may produce tomorrow’s classic.

The International Fringe Encore Series typically takes place from January to March.

This blog post was inspired by S2 E14 of the What the Fringe?! podcast, and was written utilizing AI technology, in conjunction with human oversight and editing. 

Watch the full interview with Britt Lafield: