Category: 2026
Katarina Kojic on Red Rae
Dear Red Rae, I came to Fire Portal already in an artistic state of mind. Because the performance was running late, I had time to wander through the other galleries as they were getting ready to open. I saw some work that caught my attention and even bought a canvas bag that says “Philly is for Artists” on it. I remember thinking that it was a pretty perfect prelude…
Rose Luardo on Chizobam Nwagwu
Dear Chizobam (and Eva)- Seance our life Cards don’t lie Do you have a question? I always do. Q: Is this right? A: Is it? What do Harry Potter and Pam Grier have in common? Brown leather jackets and sorcery Wig on wig on wig on third sister We are all the third sister We all want to know about tomorrow Start with a sashay to entice the low of…
Edu Díaz on Irene Foley-Chort
Dear Irene, Are you a shaman of the heart? At different moments during Who Do You Think You Are?, I wondered whether I was watching a show, attending Mass, being abducted by a cult, or experiencing an ayahuasca trip. Possibly all of the above. I was fascinated by the total commitment to your world: the church, the hearts, the glasses, the pen, the merch, the fan. It felt less like…
William Trevino on Chris Davis
Dear Chris, There is one thing above all else that I want to see when I go the theater: real work. I want to see actors who have spent significant time developing technical skills, and then through the rehearsal process have brought their unique qualities to those skills to create something new. I want to see actors burn so much energy on the stage that they leave as sweaty…
Jennifer Blaine on Denise McCormack
Hey there Denise! My dear friend Ronnie Krensel, a filmmaker who passed a year ago, once told me what distinguishes us from any other species is our ability to tell stories. So I was glad to experience your show, The Kenning Place, and get a window into age-old stories that are rooted in origin myths and wrestle with our nature in the cosmos. Your reassuring voice radiated a persistent…
Jared Athias on Todd Sullivan
Dear Todd, I was interested in seeing a clown show due to the unexpected nature of the form. A clown can present themselves in a magnitude of ways, providing an infinite possibility of personas, gags, and hooplah. But it is a fine line between high art and utter disaster. Nothing is off limits, and the audience is almost trapped by the whimsy being presented on stage. Your presentation of…
Connor Hogan on Edu Díaz
Dear Edu; Though the audience was packed into the white-washed walls of the Asian Arts Initiative Project Space, I felt transported. With a flick of her iPhone strapped wrist, suddenly, we were paddling through a dank forest. With another, the roar of a royal crowd brought me to the halls of Catherine D eMedici’s menagerie. With eyes ablaze, corset strapped and a roll of gaff tape around her waist,…
Asha Bagal Kelly on Jared Athias
Dear Jared, I requested to see a juggling show for the Fringe Postcards project because it’s one of those art forms I find completely mystifying and delightful. I wanted to be able to feel like a kid again, but with your show there was a lot more that I didn’t expect. When you opened with the ‘90s dancehall classic “Murder She Wrote,” dancing while gliding in skates in that…
Savannah Reich on Jack McManus
Dear Jack; This was my first show of the Fringe! I got excited just walking into Plays & Players, where AJ and Zoë were in the lobby making to-do lists. We chatted about all the great shows they are hosting at the Lemonade Stand Hub, and said we were going to TRY to make each other’s shows but not promises because omigod September is just so much. I appreciate…
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