The ten-day festival features local, national, and international performers across nine venues.
A one-person rock concert by a pop star in crisis. A supernatural mystery woven into the world of coffee fortune-telling. A flamenco dance spectacle that has traveled the world. And that’s only the beginning.
From Thursday, March 20th to Sunday, March 29th, the twelfth-annual Pittsburgh Fringe Festival is returning with an electric lineup of boundary-pushing productions, spanning multiple venues across Bloomfield, Garfield, Friendship, and Downtown Pittsburgh. This year’s Fringe is its most ambitious yet, featuring everything from cutting-edge solo shows to interactive theater, musical cabarets, and surreal apocalyptic comedies.
The Pittsburgh Fringe Festival gathers a range of performers, from international touring acts to the talent in the Steel City. “Attracting this caliber of acts speaks highly to where Pittsburgh Fringe finds itself on its twelfth anniversary,” said Xela Batchelder, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival. “And where else at Pittsburgh Fringe can you find such a diverse, provocative, funny, moving, and eclectic combination of talent?”
This year, Pittsburgh Fringe is hosting a special one-night-only fundraiser event featuring Josephine, the internationally acclaimed one-woman biographical musical, at the New Hazlett Theater on Saturday, March 29th, at 8:30 pm. This award-winning production brings to life the extraordinary journey of Josephine Baker—cabaret sensation, WWII spy, and civil rights icon—through a mesmerizing blend of theater, dance, and music. Standard tickets are $46, while an exclusive $88 package includes a post-show reception with the show’s star, Tymisha Harris, along with the rest of the festival and production crew.
As the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival continues to expand its artistic footprint, this year’s newest addition—Point Park Fringe—will shine a spotlight on the next generation of performers. Held on the Point Park University campus, Point Park Fringe will be completely free and open to the public, making it an accessible and vibrant space for creatives and audiences alike.
To learn how to get involved, view the Pittsburgh Fringe performance schedule, and purchase tickets, please visit pittsburghfringe.org or email info@pittsburghfringe.org with any questions.
With even more productions still being added, this year’s lineup includes:
3 Kidneys No Colon | Mr. Roboto Project | March 22nd, 9:00 pm | 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 Solo show.
A Boy Called Time | Boulevard Studio 100 – Point Park University Fringe | Sunday, Match 23 1:00 pm | This event is a staged reading of Aryan Cheruvattath’s new musical, A Boy Called Time. It is a thrilling adventure exploring how Father Time met Mother Nature and their lives as godly beings.
A Cabaret of Legends | Mr. Roboto Project | March 26th, 27th and 28th at 7:00 pm | Legendary songs from legendary artists, and the stories behind them, starring International award-winning performer Tymisha Harris. “As a standard bearer for almost an entire century of music, you really couldn’t do better than badass burlesque diva Tymisha Harris.” -Edmonton Journal
All the Boys I Blocked | Mr. Roboto Project | Thursday, March 20th, 7:45 pm | Friday, March 21st, 9:15 pm | Chanel & the Circus present 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 28th, 7:00 pm | Pittsburgh-based sketch comedy troupe Comedy The Gathering presents its 3rd annual performance of its Women’s History Month/Spring Break-themed comedy show, Spring Break!
Dr. Glas | Bloomfield Garfield Activity Center | Friday, March 28th, 9:00 pm & Saturday, March 29th, 7:00 pm | 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 Show | Mettā: A Healing Arts Community | Tuesday, March 25th, 7:00 pm & Wednesday, March 26th, 9:00 pm | Flamencodanza is a contemporary flamenco show with dance, guitar, and percussion that has toured internationally at festivals in Europe, Australasia, and the US since 2019. The show combines the characteristic elements of rhythm, artistry, and beauty of Flamenco.
Fly Trap | Mr. Roboto Project | Thursday, March 20th, 9:00 pm and Friday, March 21st, 7:00 pm | Fly Trap is a comedic storytelling show by Maria Mainelli. A story of self-love, growing up, and licking an armpit, 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: A Cumming Out Story | Mettā: A Healing Arts Community | Saturday, March 29th, 7:00 pm | Join NYC queer comedian Amanda Melhuish on their cumming out journey in an hour of totally TMI comedy.
How I Learned (Not) To Drive | Mr. Roboto Project | Thursday, March 27th, 12:00 pm and 8:20 pm, Friday, March 28th, 9:10 pm , Saturday, March 29th, 3:40 pm | 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 delivers 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 | Boulevard Studio 104 – Point Park University Fringe | Sunday, March 23rd, 3:00 pm | 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—to some damn good music. Do you see the light?
Jawsica | Mr. Roboto Project | Tuesday, March 25th, 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, a burlesque cabaret dream play | New Hazlett Theater | Saturday, March 29th, 8:30 pm | Josephine is an international award-winning one-woman biographical musical that combines cabaret, theatre, and dance to tell the story of the iconic Josephine Baker, the first African-American international superstar and one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th Century.
KILN | Pittsburgh Glass Center | Thursday, March 20th – Wednesday, March 26th, 7:00 pm | 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 soul-less 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, March 22nd, 7:45 pm | 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, March 20th, 6:00 pm and Friday, March 21st, 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 ensure Galena doesn’t spill too many secrets.
Nick M Daniels-The Solo Project | Bloomfield Garfield Activity Center | Friday, March 21st, 8:30 pm and Saturday, March 22nd, 8:30 pm | The Solo project is a creative exploration by Multimedia/Multidisciplinary artist Nick M Daniels.
Pioneer Records Artist Showcase | Boulevard Studio 100 – Point Park University Fringe | Saturday, March 22nd, 8:00 pm | The show will showcase the student artists currently signed to Pioneer Records talent agency! They will perform mostly originals with some covers thrown in as well!
Shakespeare’s Guide to Adventure! | Level Up Studios Friday, March 21st, 7:00 pm, Saturday, March 22nd, 7:00 pm, Saturday, March 29th, 3:00 pm & 7:00 pm | 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. Shakespeare meets Pippin – with swords!
The Man Who Said Too Much | Mr. Roboto Project | Friday, March 21st, 8:05 pm, Saturday, March 22nd, 5:05 pm, Friday, March 28th, 8:20 pm and Saturday, March 29th, 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, March 21st, 9:00 pm | 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, March 21st, 5:30 pm, Saturday, March 22nd, 6:15 pm, Monday, March 24th, 7:30 pm, Thursday, March 27th, 5:30 pm, Friday, March 28th, 5:30 pm, Saturday, March 29th, 5:30 pm | What happens when a scout leader becomes possessed? Find out during The Final Badge. The show follows Charlie, our 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, March 21st, 6:00 pm | Man or snail, we all leave a trail behind—a 50-minute interactive piece of clown, characters, and puppetry. Come be a part of this one-night-only premiere to decide the fate of one morally complicated snail.
Two Plays for the Apocalypse | Mr. Roboto Project |Saturday, March 22nd, 2:00 pm, Sunday, March 23rd, 2:00 pm, Saturday, March 29th, 2:00 pm | 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 to bury the dead. In The Cereal Bowl Trick, a small artist struggles to make art after THE ARTIST announces his latest conceptual work: the earth, its workings, and everything known and unknown therein.
Weaving In: A Caper | Los Sabrosos Dance Co. | Saturday, March 29th, 7:00 pm | Inspired by stitching used in Kantha Embroidery, Weaving In: A Caper explores the plight of aging women working in garment factories in Bangladesh using the structure of a Caper Mystery as its vehicle.
Wenches Sketch Comedy Club | Boulevard Studio 100 – Point Park University Fringe | Sunday, March 23rd, 8:00 pm | Join Wenches Improv and Sketch comedy performance! 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-ifs, musicals to movement pieces, this group is ready to share what they have been laughing about every week since Fall 2023.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Full festival passes are $150, while single-event tickets are $0-$20, depending on the production. Festival buttons are also available for $5, which grants purchasers $3 off individual show prices.
For tickets visit: https://pittsburghfringe.org or https://www.facebook.com/Pghfringe
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Show Previews
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