Posted by AugustIsWriting on Sep 28, 2026
And with that, the 2026 Fringe season is over! Congrats to all the great teams and shows and experiences that went up over the last month, you should be very proud of yourselves. I've found myself saying, when asked for my favorites, that this year I've actually had a hard time picking out the clear "best" or "favorite" from the bunch, because for the most part, everything I saw was good! Even if something wasn't for me, there was something about it that worked, and clearly passionate teams behind it.
What I Saw
BoyGirl Gymnastics - Some great work from mimebaby theater, I have found a new clowning troup to keep an eye out for. Two 13-year-olds who live for gymnastics and play out their gender(s) through dolls and animals and tumbling. Performers MK Korbisch and Heather Hosford really nailed the weird intensity of being a girl at that age; it reminded me of one of my favorite fringe shows from last year, Pinky Promise, another great piece about young people figuring things out through their passions. Catch them next time for: seamless riffing, playful physicality, and Mr. and Mrs. Bieber.
Trauma Queen - Liv Shoup returns to the Lemonade Stand! A staged reading of Liv's latest full-length play about a young woman who turns to standup comedy after experiencing sexual assault, being banned from joking about her own trauma so joking about other's, and going viral to potentially dangerous consequences. This isn't the first Play About Standup Comedy that I've seen, but it's the one that has handled it the best. This kind of play has to be funny, and in different ways as we see the comic move from onstage to off. Liv balances the premise capably, successfully warming up the audience to jokes about sexual assault and suicide, and still finding one that goes a little too far. I'm excited to see where it's at in the next stage of development, and to see who puts up the world premiere!
I knew this might happen, but at the end of the month, I had to slow down. My body was picking me up by the collar and shaking me, saying, "hey, you're gonna crash hard if you don't knock this off!" As a result, I missed a few shows this week, and there were of course a few shows I simply couldn't get to due to scheduling, holidays, work, and life (because as much as theater is my passion, I refuse to make it my whole life). Here are a few shows I was excited about but ultimately missed; let me know if you saw them and know that I am very jealous!
The Black Pearl & The Frivolous Prince
The Groundhog
Don't Kill Daisy
Gilgamesh
Americana Cosplay
Dickie Dickie Dicky Donnie
The Call Is Coming From Inside The Home Where the Heart Is