Pittsburgh Fringe Festival returns starting Thursday
Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival
An accordion-driven musical about train-wreck relationships. A late-night stand-up show about kidney disease. A mind-bending apocalyptic play about the future of art.
Those are just some of the shows being presented in the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival, which starts Thursday and continues through Saturday, March 29.
The festival is returning for its 12th year with a lineup of boundary-pushing productions, spanning multiple venues across Pittsburgh. It will feature everything from cutting-edge solo shows to interactive theater, musical cabarets, and surreal comedies.
This year, Pittsburgh Fringe is hosting a special one-night-only fundraiser event featuring “Josephine,” a one-woman biographical musical, at the New Hazlett Theater on Saturday, March 29, at 8:30 PM. The production brings to life the extraordinary journey of Josephine Baker – cabaret sensation, World War II spy, and civil rights icon – through a blend of theater, dance, and music.
During the festival, area residents can showcase their talents at the “Yinzer Variety Show,” a celebration of quirky and entertaining acts. For those who love storytelling, “StorySlam” offers a chance to share compelling, hilarious, or heartfelt tales in a live, unscripted setting.
Additional information is available at pittsburghfringe.org or email info@pittsburghfringe.org with any questions.
This year’s lineup includes:
“3 Kidneys No Colon”
Mr. Roboto Project
Saturday, 9 p.m.
Dave infuses humor into the highs and lows of his health journey battling chronic kidney disease and ulcerative colitis, while discovering the resilience of the human spirit in this stand up comedy show.
“A Boy Called Time”
Boulevard Studio 100 – Point Park University Fringe
Sunday, 1 p.m.
This event is a staged reading of Aryan Cheruvattath’s new musical, “A Boy Called Time,” an adventure exploring how Father Time met Mother Nature and their lives as godly beings.
“A Cabaret of Legends”
Mr. Roboto Project
Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Thursday March 27, 7 p.m.
Friday March 28, 7 p.m.
Legendary songs from legendary artists, and the stories behind them, starring performer Tymisha Harris.
“All the Boys I Blocked”
Mr. Roboto Project
Thursday, 7:45 p.m.
Friday, 9:15 p.m.
Chanel & the Circus presents their solo clown musical, “All the Boys I Blocked,” an accordion-driven rollercoaster of blocked exes, train-wreck relationships, and ultimate self acceptance. Highly interactive, audience members get to share their “blocked” stories, and lucky audience members may even get to date Chanel live.
“Comedy The Gathering Presents… Spring Break 2025!”
Bloomfield Garfield Activity Center
Friday, March 28, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh-based sketch comedy troupe Comedy The Gathering presents its third annual performance of its Women’s History Month/Spring Break-themed comedy show, “Spring Break!”
“Dr. Glas”
Bloomfield Garfield Activity Center
Friday, March 28, 9 p.m.
Saturday, March 29 7 p.m.
“Dr. Glas” is a modernist classic turned-stage play, often praised for its psychological depth and morally ambiguous narrative. The story is set in Stockholm and is written as the diary of Dr. Tyko Gabriel Glas, a physician who grapples with issues of love, morality, and the value of life.
“Flamencodanza”
Mettā: A Healing Arts Community
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, 9 p.m.
“Flamencodanza” is a contemporary flamenco show with dance, guitar and percussion that has toured internationally at festivals in Europe, Australasia and the U.S. since 2019. The show combines the characteristic elements of rhythm, artistry and beauty of Flamenco.
“Fly Trap”
Mr. Roboto Project
Thursday, 9 p.m.
Friday, 7 p.m.
“Fly Trap” is a comedic storytelling show by Maria Mainelli. A story of self-love and growing up, this show is full of heart and fun. From Dora the Explorer to getting a BFA, this show is a little different every night.
“Guilty Pleasure”
Mettā: A Healing Arts Community
Saturday, March 29, 7:00 pm
New York City queer comedian Amanda Melhuish tells stories of their life.
“How I Learned (Not) To Drive”
Mr. Roboto Project
Thursday, March 27, 12 p.m.
Thursday, March 27, 8:20 p.m.
Friday, March 28, 9:10 p.m.
Saturday, March 29, 3:40 p.m.
In “How I Learned (Not) To Drive,” Jesse Bradley-Amore takes on a uniquely Florida problem: surviving without a car. After childhood trauma kept him from driving for decades, his wife delivered an ultimatum – get a license or get divorced. Mixing sharp comedy with brutal honesty, Bradley-Amore proves that facing your fears is harder than parallel parking.
“Igor Paradigm: A One-Man Spiral, Live in Concert”
Sunday, 3 p.m.
Boulevard Studio 104 – Point Park University Fringe
Igor is a pop superstar catching headlines due to scrutiny over his very public mental breakdown over an ex. But here he is, live and in person, ready to set the record straight.
“Jawsica”
Mr. Roboto Project
Tuesday, 8:30 pm
“Jawsica” is a one-woman show performed in honor of the greatest summer blockbuster of all time, “Jaws.” It will incorporate blood, glitter, and puppets.
“Josephine”
New Hazlett Theater
Saturday, March 29, 8:30 pm
“Josephine” combines cabaret, theater and dance to tell the story of Josephine Baker, the first African-American international superstar and one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th century.
“KILN”
Pittsburgh Glass Center
Thursday through Wednesday, 7 p.m.
It’s the night before the funeral of esteemed sculptor, Oliver M. Verino. In the throes of an unexpected reunion, his three children finalize their procrastinated eulogies in the soulless walls of their childhood home. As each sibling competes with the other on the grounds of accuracy and allegiance to their father, a chaotic night ensues.
“Katie Shesko”
Mr. Roboto Project
Saturday, 7:45 p.m.
Katie is a video game and anime cosplaying flute player (who plays games fast). Join her as she plays some of her favorite songs from video games and anime in this exciting and unique performance.
“Medium Roast: An Hour of Coffee & Clairvoyance”
Mr. Roboto Project
Thursday, 6 p.m.
Friday, March 21, 4:00 pm
Galena is a local fortune teller who specializes in reading coffee grounds. While teaching a workshop on the art of “reading the coffee,” a rival from the old country arrives to make sure Galena doesn’t spill too many secrets.
“Nick M Daniels-The Solo Project”
Bloomfield Garfield Activity Center
Friday, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, 8:30 p.m.
“The Solo Project” is a creative exploration by multimedia/multidisciplinary artist Nick M Daniels.
“Pioneer Records Artist Showcase”
Saturday, 8 p.m.
Boulevard Studio 100 – Point Park University Fringe
The show will showcase the student artists currently signed to Pioneer Records talent agency.
“Shakespeare’s Guide to Adventure!”
Level Up Studios
Friday, 7 p.m.
Saturday, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 29, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Eva wanders aimlessly through life until a troupe of players sends her racing through lost scenes of Shakespeare’s plays, dodging celebrity-obsessed fairies and batty Danish princes, murderous witches and Bohemian bears, ultimately discovering true adventure.
“The Man Who Said Too Much”
Mr. Roboto Project
Friday, 8:05 p.m.
Saturday, 5:05 pm
Friday, March 28, 8:20 pm
Saturday, March 29, 8:20 pm
During the heyday of the film noir period, a private investigator who struggles to keep his innermost thoughts to himself finds true love with a soulmate after a few missteps.
“The Examination of Ashley Smith: A Staged Reading”
Boulevard Studio 100 – Point Park University Fringe
Friday, 9 p.m.
In this staged reading, Ashley Smith has just died and wakes up in a courtroom. She meets two afterlife lawyers who argue whether she belongs in heaven or hell to the judge as Ashley learns the true meaning of life.
“The Final Badge”
Mr. Roboto Project
Friday, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, 6:15 p.m.
Monday, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 27, 5:30 p.m.
Friday, March 28, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 29, 5:30 p.m.
What happens when a scout leader becomes possessed? Find out during “The Final Badge.” The show follows Charlie, an earnest and illustrious scout leader, as she tries to secure her final badge by taking a group of campers for a night out in the woods and returning them safely.
“To Taste”
Boulevard Studio 100 – Point Park University Fringe
Friday, 6 p.m.
Man or snail, we all leave a trail behind. A 50-minute interactive piece has a clown, characters, and puppetry.
“Two Plays for the Apocalypse”
Mr. Roboto Project
Saturday, 2 p.m.
Sunday, 2 p.m.
Saturday, March 29, 2 p.m.
“Two Plays for the Apocalypse” encompasses two short, surreal plays. “Epilogue” follows three ghosts as they contemplate their lives, tragedy, and the audience after the world has run out of dirt in which to bury the dead. In “The Cereal Bowl Trick,” a small artist struggles to make art after he announces his latest conceptual work.
“Weaving In: A Caper”
Los Sabrosos Dance Co.
Saturday, March 29, 7 p.m.
Inspired by stitching used in Kantha Embroidery, “Weaving In: A Caper” explores the plight of aging women working in garment factories in Bangladesh using a structure of a caper mystery as its vehicle.
“Wenches Sketch Comedy Club”
Boulevard Studio 100 – Point Park University Fringe
Sunday, 8 p.m.
A group of Point Park University’s BFA senior theater artists have created a show with a collection of sketches from their two years working together, from parodies to historical what-if’s, musicals to movement pieces.