Like many of Karen Sklaire’s unwilling students, I was fully prepared to dislike Ripple of Hope: One Teacher’s Journey to Make an Impact. After all, valiant teacher narratives are all too common and venture into the territory of ludicrous. After all, Sklaire is like a typical musical theatre heroine. Too earnest, too Pollyanna-ish. But also […]
About Julia Katz
Mine/Field at Capital Fringe
Talking about Big Data has become so popular as to be cliché. Going into Mine/Field from Glade Dance Collective, the worry was that this performance would be all jargon and no substance. But Glade Dance Collective exceeds expectations, delivering a performance that is surprisingly intimate and relevant while shedding new light on Internet research.
Dr. Freeman’s Motivational Inspirational Pill of a Million Secrets at Capital Fringe
In Dr. Freeman’s Motivational Inspirational Pill of a Million Secrets, performer David Klinger is hawking his wares in multiple ways. With this site-specific performance at the Logan Fringe Art Space and the Brookland Metro, Klinger seeks to persuade the audience to get a magical pill. Unfortunately, his pitch isn’t quite refined enough to make the […]
The Human Algorithm at Capital Fringe
Solo performer CJ is looking to answer some big, serious question Who are we, as humans? What drives the choices we make? What’s the fundamental equation for human behavior? If this seems grounded, weighty, and pretentious, you’ve got the high-octane The Human Algorithm wrong. Instead, CJ manages to work up the dirtiest, zaniest stories with […]
Bortle 8 at Capital Fringe
The cosmos is a pretty intimidating concept. So is creating and starring in a one-man show. Luckily, with an adroit poeticism, writer and performer Chris Davis manages to successfully explore both in his intimate Capital Fringe show Bortle 8.
Purge at Capital Fringe
Over the years, I’ve watched the Capital Fringe Festival flourish with awe. Given that the theme of this year’s festival aims at transitions – including nostalgia for #FringeStories – I’ll share that I remember dragging myself to un-airconditioned, tiny boxes with a single fan blowing in the back in order to see theatre. Then, the […]
So We Meet Again at Capital Fringe
With the shift in venues in the 10th anniversary Capital Fringe Festival, it seems that more dance is being included as a welcome mix into the festival. With So We Meet Again from ArasDance, audience members can sample a range of contemporary styles that shift in theme and tone.
SELF
New performance companies, still exploring their identities and fresh from birth, often emerge from the Capital Fringe Festival, testing the waters in the ultimate indie theatre environment. With SELF, relEASE chooses to literally explore themselves from the outside in, examining personal narratives, memory, and identity through a highly physical and wonderfully lyrical performance.
Brick Penguin Tries Its Best
Sketch comedy is surely one genre that’s meant to pack a punch…line, in a format that delivers comedy short and sweet. With Brick Penguin Tries Its Best, the noted sketch comedy group Brick Penguin takes a shot at tons of topics, ranging from the über-local to poking fun at Hollywood. Though the laughs were there, […]
Capt. Tickle Britches
There’s no laugh track in Capt. Tickle Britches. In fact, you can hear the crowd at the bar in the Fort Fringe tent buzzing in the background of the performance. But this play, a series of sketches presented by Guerilla DC, managed to deliver some solid guffaws from a late-night audience all the same.
Everybody Knows This Is Now Here
Capital Fringe is known for its no-frills, stripped down performances – turning various makeshift spaces into stages across the city. But minimal does not mean Spartan, especially in the case of Everybody Knows This Is Now Here, a contemplative multimedia dance performance that reaches across distance – and artistic mediums – to explore 21st century […]
Thomas is Titanic
The pop of a champagne bottle signifies the beginning of the voyage. Welcome aboard! It’s smooth sailing from start to finish, but the journey I’m talking about isn’t on a ship. Well, not literally.