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Rochester Fringe Festival returns for its 14th year, with plans for the future

Avatar photo by Patrick Hosken

Every circus needs a tent. The centerpiece of the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival is the Spiegeltent, a type of gorgeously mirrored entertainment venue handmade by only a handful of families in Belgium. Set up at East Main and Gibbs streets (aka One Fringe Place), it houses some of the fest’s most popular events, including the […]

Posted inRochester Fringe Festival

“50 Shades of Gay” brings a decade of sold-out spectacle to Fringe

by Jordyn Britton

In an unironically rainbow-sequined shirt, Ike Avelli beams on a Zoom call while discussing his upcoming ESL Rochester Fringe Festival performance, “50 Shades of Gay.” For the past decade, Avelli has spearheaded the sketch-comedy variety show that blends stand-up, drag, music and spectacle into a dazzling celebration of LGBTQ+ talent.  “Here, you get the best […]

Posted inRochester Fringe Festival

Interactive Fringe show “The Estate Sale” melds thrifting and theater

by Cristina Reid

Part comedy show, part thrifting adventure, interactive play “The Estate Sale” will be performed twice as part of the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival on Sunday, Sept. 14 at School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre. Performed and co-written by comedian Kelly Dee, the one-woman show encourages audience participation, allowing crowd members to name their price […]

Posted inRochester Fringe Festival

Comedian Chelsea Handler makes her Fringe debut on September 13

by Cypris Wilkinson

Armed with sharp wit, unapologetic humor and new Netflix special, stand-up comedian Chelsea Handler will land in Rochester this month to headline Rochester Fringe Festival’s opening weekend with a one-night-only performance on Saturday, September 13. “I think my new hour is perfectly suited for a festival like this,” Handler said in a recent phone interview. […]

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