Five performances to catch at the Hollywood Fringe Festival

While theater productions such as “Mean Girls” and “Book of Mormon” have had their share of the limelight on the big stage, other niche and experimental productions have found a home in the fringes.

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is back for its 14th year in Los Angeles and will showcase nearly 400 live theater shows from local/regional writers, directors and producers through June 30 at 29 different Los Angeles venues. Programming at the event ranges from comedies, dramas, musicals, clowning, and other shows that focus on gender and sex positivity.

The event is one of many worldwide Fringe Festivals inspired by eight performance groups that appeared uninvited at the Edinburgh International Festival in 1947 and performed on the “fringes” of the event. Their defiant acts grew to inspire other festivals, including the Hollywood Fringe Festival, which was first held in 2014.

“The spirit of the Fringe Festival is that community is key, and I think sometimes in traditional theater, we can forget that,” said Ellen Den Herder, executive director of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

“We’re an inclusive community in general, and the Fringe Festival represents Los Angeles as the fabric of inclusivity that it is. We have a huge queer population, and it is not a majority White city. It is a shame that a lot of theater doesn’t reflect that, and so we’re excited that we do have theater that [the queer and diverse] community is seeking and an audience that gets to come out and see themselves represented on stage.”

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Most festivals have a vetting process in order for acts to be invited to perform, but this event is considered open access, meaning it is completely open to any performer to showcase their talents and is also completely uncensored. Although it is open access, the festival does have a strict code of conduct and does not allow any performance that is racist, xenophobic, homophobic, transphobic, sexist, ageist, antisemitic, Islamophobic, fatphobic, or ableist.

Den Herder said that in addition to attracting diverse and underrepresented performers, it also allows them to be as creative as possible, test out a production they’ve never had a chance to, or perform something unorthodox. Last year, one of the performances was entirely nude. Audience members were asked to participate, strip down and join them in their birthday suits.

“I hope that people come out and have a fun time and that they find that unique and interesting show,” she said. “I also hope that they get to see that there is this rich storytelling tradition in Los Angeles and that the community here has this beautiful talent that is waiting to be seen.”

With nearly 400 shows to choose from, Den Herder understands that it may be overwhelming for audiences to navigate all the different programming. She recommends that people call the Fringe box office at 323-455-4585 or email questions to support@hollywoodfringe.org to get a better idea of shows that may be more curated to their individual tastes.

Here are five theater productions that showcase the spirit of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. For more information visit hollywoodfringe.org.

Bigfoot! The Musical: Created by The New York Times bestselling author, writer and comedian Amber Ruffin, the story takes audiences into Mud Dirt, USA, for a funny twist on the legend of one of the most notorious cryptids. When the secret of Bigfoot comes to light, a corrupt mayor uses the opportunity to avoid responsibility for the town’s gradual fiscal demise and places the blame for the problems on the creature. The scapegoating riles up an angry mob, leaving the gentle giant’s fate in the hands of the townspeople and answering an age-old question: Is compassion stronger than hate? 3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15, 7 p.m. Friday, June 21, 10:30 p.m. Thursday, June 27 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 29. Broadwater Second Stage, 6320 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles. $15. hollywoodfringe.org.

Final Girl: The Musical: This dark comedy solo show inspired by true events follows Callie, who finds herself in an abusive relationship with a killer she must defeat. In her corner, she’s got the help of a 911 operator and her deep-rooted knowledge of horror films. Does Callie have what it takes to break the cycle of abuse and be the last girl standing? 8 p.m. Sunday, June 16, 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, 6:30 p.m. June 25 and 11 p.m. Sunday, June 30. The Broadwater (Studio), 1078 Lillian Way, Los Angeles. $15. hollywoodfringe.org.

A Third Space: The Trans Conversation Project: Based on intergenerational interviews conducted in the Spring of 2024, this event highlights the commonalities of trans and nonbinary folks across generations, genders and cultures. The show, performed by a diverse all-trans/nonbinary ensemble cast of performers, focuses on commonalities like being a “super ally,” finding inspiration from a trans figure in the public eye, having the first meaningful conversation with another nonbinary person or navigating changing relationships as they grow closer or fall away with transitioning. 11:30 a.m. Sunday, June 16, 5:15 p.m. Friday, June 21, 7 p.m. Sunday, June 23 and 9:45 p.m. Friday, June 28. Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles. $15. hollywoodfringe.org.

Woody Wu: One-man John Wick: Los Angeles-based actor and writer Woody Wu puts on an Amazon wig and a suit to embody Canadian action star Keanu Reeves in this comedic take on the “John Wick” franchise. The show includes elaborate fight choreography, a vaguely Eastern European villain, and a plot device called “undeveloped dead wife character.” 9:30 a.m., Friday, June 14, 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, 2 p.m. Saturday, June 22 and 8 p.m. Saturday, June 29. Asylum at Thymele Arts (Kansas Room), 5481 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles. $15. hollywoodfringe.org.

Handala: Myriam Ali-Ahmad invites audiences to celebrate Palestinian life and culture in her solo show. The performance features drama, poetry and storytelling to take audiences on a journey into Palestine through stories of love, life and resistance. 8:30 p.m., Friday, June 21, Saturday, June 22, Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29. Art of Acting Studio (Blackbox),1017 North Orange Drive, Los Angeles. Suggested ticket scale $10-35 All proceeds go to direct humanitarian aid in Gaza. hollywoodfringe.org.