Fringe 2013 Preview Night / JCM

Fireworks, swamp weather, the crack of baseball bats. Summer’s in full swing, which means Capital Fringe Festival is back!

This massive theater festival celebrates its 8th year with all that you love and hate about indie work in July. Drama, comedy, romance, music, burlesque, puppetry, clowns – it’s all here, and you only have 18 days to see it all.

The Fringe Festival elicits thoughts of experimentation, a sense of summer fun at every corner, the taste of cold beer under the tent way past dark, and a lineup of eyebrow-raising shows that surprise in magical, transcendent displays.

Sure, it also brings with it muggy heat and those few shows that don’t rub you the way you’d hoped (WARNING: some may involve actual rubbing); but in our humble opinion, the good far outweighs the bad.

Capital Fringe Festival is at its best an incubator for new work and emerging artists. It presents a unique opportunity for local playwrights, performers, and companies to try out their wildest locally-grown work and see what response they get. It’s innovative, energetic, fast-paced, and totally unpredictable.

Here are a few ways to stay involved:

Go see shows!
You can buy tickets at the box office at Fort Fringe, right by Mt. Vernon Square and next door to the Baldacchino Gypsy Tent Bar. You can also skip the hassle and order everything online. Each show costs $17 plus a one-time charge of $5 ($7 after July 11) for a required festival button. If you plan to see a lot of shows, you can also get multi-show discounts ranging from $30 to the $300 all-access pass.

Follow our coverage!
We’re seeing a lot of shows this year and relaying our experiences back to you. We’d love to hear from you, too. Follow along here or keep up with Jenn, Joanna, Patrick, Kristin, & WLDC on Twitter. You can also stay involved with other Fringe coverage by following/using the hashtag #capfringe13.

Join us at the tent!
Fort Fringe is the hub of all things Fringe; and at its center, the The Baldacchino Gypsy Tent Bar offers reasonable drink prices and food specials throughout the festival. Take a break between shows and join us there. Or mingle with other DC theater folks at this 18-day cast party.

Capital Fringe Festival runs July 11-28, 2013 at various venues. Tickets available at Fort Fringe, 607 New York Ave, NW. Nearest Metro: MT Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center (Green/Yellow Lines). For more information call 202-737-7230.

Joanna Castle Miller

Joanna moved to DC in 2010 knowing she’d love it, and as usual she was right. She enjoys eating fried things, drinking scotch and smoking cigars, and makes up for the damage done by snacking on organic oats and barley and walking long distances to wherever with her dog Henry. Joanna now lives with her husband and said dog in Los Angeles, and they all miss DC terribly. Follow her on Twitter or contact her at joannacastlemiller.com.