Pittsburgh Fringe Festival Opens (Thurs., 3/20/25)

Every city with a good theater scene should have a fringe festival. These events highlight what’s new and/or unusual in the performing arts, often providing an early look at emerging stars and hit shows. And this year, after a period of post-pandemic experimenting, the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival is back in full force. The 10-day schedule features dozens of performances at various venues in Bloomfield/Garfield, the North Side, and Downtown. The artists come from Pittsburgh and points beyond; some have performed at Scotland’s famed Edinburgh Fringe. Their shows span a range of genres from comedy to drama, dance, music, and can’t-be-pigeonholed. Comedy acts include Sara Kantner’s The Final Badge—about a scout leader taking her troop in quest of the merit badge to rule them all—and Dave Piontkowski’s 3 Kidneys No Colon, based on Dave’s actual medical misadventures. For serious drama, the new Crumb to a Bird Ensemble presents KILN, a play with “themes of sibling relationships, grief, and the numbness of nepotism.” Meanwhile actor Daniel Gerroll performs DR GLAS, a one-man piece adapted from a controversial Swedish novel.

Then we have the non-pigeonhole category. Early in the festival’s run, L.A.-based Chanel & the Circus invites romance-challenged audiences to an interactive clown musical titled All the Boys I Blocked. And closing night brings the Pittsburgh premiere of the acclaimed Josephine, a burlesque cabaret dream play. This show is drawn from the life of Josephine Baker, the path-breaking singer and actress who also worked with the French Resistance during World War II. There’s much more as well. For information on all shows, along with ticketing options, visit the Fringe Festival on the web—which lets you map out what you’d like to see from March 20 through 29. (M.V.)

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