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Why you love the Fringe.
September 19th at 1:45pm
Melissa started her journalism career asking Kim Cattrall what she scraped on her toast. These days, chatbots scrape her listicles. From swinging samurai swords and sorting diamonds to explaining cryptocurrency (an oxymoron), she shares a quarter-century of chasing stories—then turns the notebook on herself.
September 19th at 1:45pm
It was called "the front door to freedom." From 1892 to 1930, Ellis Island was the first experience of life in America for millions of immigrants. "Voices from Ellis Island" follows seven immigrants from different parts of Europe as they cross the Atlantic Ocean and confront unexpected challenges in their new country at Ellis Island. Their stories are amusing, frightening, inspiring and true. Presented by One's Company with Pippa White.
Echoes In Motion presents "Hands Tell What Voices Cannot," a visually rich ASL poetry performance exploring identity, love, struggle, resilience, humor, and community. Through movement, rhythm, and expressive storytelling, performers transform silence into a powerful artistic language. Accessible to Deaf and hearing audiences alike, this show reveals how communication transcends sound—living instead in connection, emotion, and the poetry of the hands.
September 19th at 2:00pm
"Invisible No More" is a multidisciplinary performance of dance, music, poetry, history, movement choir, and communal reflection. Under the direction of choreographer Anne Harris Wilcox, this re-dedication tribute is made in deference to the Mount Hope Cemetery site where hundreds of people from the 19th century almshouse, insane asylum, and penitentiary were reburied after they were discovered during an excavation of Highland Park in 1984.
September 19th at 2:00pm
Over the past five years, John Fava-Licata's magic career has taken him to stages across the United States, from Las Vegas to Boston. Now he's bringing his all-ages magic show to Rochester. His shows are always packed full of surprises with original acts that you won't see performed anywhere else. In John's inaugural Fringe performance there will be: sleight of hand, juggling, a tense escape act, mind reading, and maybe even a card trick.
September 19th at 2:30pm
In the DNA of every classic musical are the B-sides that were cut from the show. Join actor Connor McGuire and pianist Dane Noble-Rosema for an intimate cabaret exploring the songs that never made it to Broadway and the stories behind them. Featuring rarely heard music by Stephen Sondheim, Alan Menken, Kander and Ebb, among others, experience modern and genderbent interpretations of their most niche offerings! Additional vocals by Brittany Quinzi and vocal direction by Deborah Conquest.
September 19th at 3:30pm
Who were they? Just ordinary people: school teachers, plumbers, bus drivers, shop keepers, bakers, housewives, students, even children. But they led Jews to freedom, rescued Allied soldiers, printed newspapers, blew up bridges, and risked their lives every day to do what they could to cripple the Third Reich. Using diaries, letters, oral histories and autobiographies, Pippa White will introduce you to five World War II resistance fighters: their stories are frightening, inspiring, and true!
September 19th at 4:00pm
Step right up and be blessed by the radiant chaos of "Bushwhacked: Tim and Pammy Shea's Pamper Camper," a revival of laughter inside one joyful little trailer. Tim and Pammy invite you to testify, testify, TESTIFY as they deliver improvised miracles of comedy straight to your soul. Expect open hearts and a whole lot of playful nonsense dressed up like divine intervention. You’ll leave renewed, restored, and gloriously Bushwhacked—hallelujah and pass the shea butter! Only 4 tickets per show!
September 19th at 4:30pm
Ozma Bemshi is a dazzling fusion of silent film, vintage music, and mythic fantasy, plunging audiences through shimmering courts, haunted orchards, and jeweled underworlds in a visually astounding theatrical descent and ascent. This original production draws inspiration from Ozma of Oz and the story of the Divine Comedy. Shadow, projection, and music collide in a luminous theatre both dreamlike and dangerously alive!
September 19th at 5:00pm
Join us for our fourth year of "Catharsis Time!" Created by local author Sara Zavacki-Moore and playwright Matthew Dwight Moore, the show features a terrific cast of hand-picked creatives. This year’s theme will be “resilience,” and will feature some of Rochester’s best storytellers. As a special bonus, we will be offering a free expressive writing workshop to explore the benefits of creative writing and mental health.
September 19th at 5:00pm
Who was Robert Frost? Why did he write poetry? What were his poems about? Two years in the making, including visits to Frost family homes in Franconia and Derry, New Hampshire, and South Shaftsbury, Vermont, the author and actor brings this four-time Pulitzer Prize winning poet to life by offering audiences an intimate look into the man—his poetry, relationships, and inner life.
September 19th at 5:00pm
Experience a uniquely historical area in Rochester, from the spot where it happened. Join Matt Rogers of the Lost Borough for a special episode of Hidden History, for another unbelievably true story. Using wireless headphones available on site, audience members will experience olde Rochesterville to present day; with stories of vice, curiosities, justice, success, failure, and a river flowing north. It is recommended to bring a chair or blanket as this episode is best experienced seated.
September 19th at 5:00pm
In this one-of-a-kind comedy experience, a team of improvisers transforms audience-suggested football plays, penalties, and coaching calls into fast-paced, completely unscripted scenes. And just when things spiral out of control, a “stage coach” steps in to break it all down. Football fan? You will catch every reference. Don’t know a blitz from a biscuit? You are in the right place. Come for the comedy. Stay because you might accidentally learn what offside means.
September 19th at 6:00pm
Dance, music, and poetry in the South Wedge: Dancers Ruben T. Ornelas, Alaina Olivieri, Nanako Horikawa Mandrino and Ryley St. Rose-Finear present whimsical dances to music by Mexican composers Manuel Ponce, Felipe Villanueva, and Silvestre Revueltas, performed live by Kevin Wang on piano, and Cynthia Qiyue He on violin. The show will also include “Mostly Red,” a dance theater work by Laurie MacFarlane performed to music by Dan Farkas.
September 19th at 6:00pm
When a bounty hunter's quarry is only mortally wounded rather than outright killed, the hunter decides to talk to the dying man about the nature of life and death, asking the final question: "You only got so many thoughts left in that head of yours; I’m wantin’ to know where they're headed." The Orange Cat Company presents its debut show, "Life and Death in Cowboy Country," by Andrew Tyrell-Smith; directed by Hope Kollarik.
September 19th at 6:30pm
An interactive, high-energy comedy spectacle where salvation comes in the form of pure, unfiltered joy. Hosted by the wildly charismatic Tim and Pammy Shea Fakker, this “revival” trades fire-and-brimstone for bubble guns and questionable advice. The inspirational duo will lead audiences through absurd testimonials, musical numbers, and miraculous transformations fueled by good vibes. Come ready to clap, cheer, and possibly be “healed” from your afflictions in the most ridiculous way possible.
September 19th at 6:30pm
Returning for a fourth year, (585) magazine columnist Taylor Terrance is back with a live performance of another journey into the absurd, accompanied by all the lunatics in her life. Hear stories about white water rafting misadventures, the unconventional punishment methods she endured as a child, and how she became a grizzled manufacturing veteran before the age of 10.
September 19th at 7:00pm
All New for 2026! Is there a doctor in the house?! You may just need one to treat you for all the heart-stopping entertainment that awaits you on board the beautiful HMS Spiegeltent! Let our crew whisk you away on a cruise of a lifetime that will leave you feeling like a cheeky sunset cocktail on the open sea. Hosted by the highly strung, overly familiar, and “charming” cruise director, this night promises to be a night you won’t soon forget. High Seas. High Stakes. High-Flying Circus!
September 19th at 7:00pm
In 2012, Rochester launched its first Fringe Festival, transforming the city for a few days into a vibrant stage for bold, boundary-pushing performances. This 26-minute documentary captures the energy of that inaugural moment, featuring the gravity-defying work of Bandaloop, the inventive spirit of PUSH Physical Theatre, and a diverse lineup of local and international artists.
September 19th at 7:15pm
A new cinematic Captain America is at the heart of this film but, let’s face it, having Harrison Ford find a spot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the real treat. It only makes sense that Indy Jones/Han Solo would be at home in a superhero world. Anthony Mackie, taking up the Cap America mantle, does so with his own swagger and style.
