Tickets and Shows

DANDELION

September 16th at 6:00pm

Created and performed by Cat D. Olson / CAT + THE COYOTE, "DANDELION" is an evolving contemporary performance memoir built from collections of personal histories and imagined futures. Begun in 2022, the work explores nostalgia, survivorship, aging, self-perception, family, loss, and the shifting meanings of memories over time. Blending movement and theatrical performance, "DANDELION" invites audiences into an intimate meditation on how we carry, revise, and relive our personal histories.

Hephaestus

September 16th at 6:00pm

"Hephaestus," by composer Glenn McClure and librettist Wes Kennison is a jazz-infused, high-energy folk opera romp that follows the Greek god Hephaestus: from his mother tossing him out of Olympus to his redemption into becoming a master artist. Performed by School of the Arts students who participated in the New York State BOOST Grant Summer Program.

Cloudy with a Chance of Science: A Night of Science, Weather, and Humor

September 16th at 7:00pm

A meteorologist, three comedians, and the RMSC walk into a Fringe Festival show for an interrogation of atmospheric proportions. Find out what happens when you let three comics interview and learn from a mystery guest meteorologist. Emceed by the Rochester Museum & Science Center. Join us for some laughs while learning about something that makes all Rochesterians run hot and storm off.

Baby Jane, Baby Jane

September 16th at 8:00pm

Whatever REALLY happened to Baby Jane and Blanche Hudson? Find out in this original comic thriller by playwright Brad Craddock, author of the sold out Fringe shows "Learning Targets," "The Elites," "Something Wicked," "An Afternoon Seance," "The Fighting Girls Guide to Politics," and "A Middle Earth Press Conference." Fast, witty, and unexpected, "Baby Jane, Baby Jane" is a glitter-dusted battle royale with a bloody heart beating beneath the sequins.

BIODANCE's 20th Anniversary

September 16th at 8:00pm

Celebrate our 20th Anniversary with repertory favorites, current and returning performers and collaborators, with a mix of new work and a hint of nostalgia! Choreography by artistic director Missy Pfohl Smith and special guests, with media by W. Michelle Harris, will highlight this incredible group of collaborative dancers and multidisciplinary artists!

Tales From The Bush

September 17th at 6:00pm

Community. Perseverance. Humanity. Womanhood. These are a few of the themes you can find in "Tales From The Bush," an evening of dance, song, and spoken word created by mother-daughter duo Roseanne DiMaria and Neyda Colón-DiMaria. Drawing from numerous vernacular and concert dance traditions to tell women's stories, the multigenerational artists of this show span Rochester's performance scene with connections to SOTA, Sankofa, Bush Mango, Borinquen Dance, BIODANCE, and more!

Tarot Cabaret

September 17th at 6:00pm

Come spend an evening at the Tarot Cabaret! Returning for their second Fringe, Tarot Cabaret is an award-winning interactive group Tarot reading where every card of the Major Arcana is associated with a unique performance piece. Each evening at the Tarot Cabaret, 11 audience members pull cards to create a one-of-a-kind set list! Through theatrical songs and classic hits, you'll gain personal insights and community connection. Presented by Sunday Stages Theatre Company, a queer-led organization.

David Kilimnick: Thoughts From A Waiting Room

September 17th at 7:00pm

Comedy in Crisis…Yes! A stand-up show about sickness! Three years in the waiting room and now David shares the reality of love, hardship and joy with you in laughs. Ever spent time in the ICU, nursing home, or living room with a cousin complaining about a toothache? From crushed ice to controlling your couch in the waiting room. From cancer to aneurysm. From tearful joy of being with Mom and Dad to missing them daily. Life’s a hoot with David Kilimnick. "Father of Anglo Comedy"—Jerusalem Post.

DIY Oracle Card: Design Your Future

September 17th at 7:00pm

Oracle Hour: come in and create your own mystical oracle cards. Drop by to design one or more personalized affirmation cards with your own divinely-channeled artwork to guide your spiritual journey. Pop in and we'll supply all the materials and prompts needed to inspire. Simply bring an openness to explore and interpret. Step out of the past and into your future. With artistic guidance from Sha-Mom Jan.

And Now ... with Extra Bits

September 17th at 8:00pm

Paradigm Shift Dance Company presents a spectacle of theatrical sophistication, technical excellence, and absolutely avoidable mishaps! Audience favorites shine alongside equally disastrous premieres in a production full of costume snafus, molting ballerinas, mechanical mishaps, and emotional meltdowns. Think "Swan Lake" meets "The Play That Goes Wrong," or "Singin' in the Rain" meets "Monty Python"—each piece performed with complete commitment and varying degrees of success.

Charming Disaster's Musical Oracle

September 17th at 8:00pm

NYC goth-folk duo Charming Disaster returns to Rochester with an interactive cabaret-concert where audience members determine the set list by drawing cards from the Charming Disaster Oracle Deck—a Tarot-style divination that makes each performance unique. Featuring the duo’s playfully dark original songs inspired by myth, magic, monsters, and mortality (including brand new, unreleased material). What mysterious destiny awaits? Find out before it’s too late…

On Birds and Caves

September 18th at 6:00pm

Featuring choreography by Marisa Guzmán Colegrove, Ellie Pedone, Jillian VanLare, and Elton “Vil” Ward, this show is a reverence to those we've lost, a deep breath, and a step forward. It creates sweeping natural landscapes contrasted with moments of cavernous isolation. A world premier, "On Birds and Caves" invites its audience to contemplate loss and life, and if we can have one without the other.

Photo by Adam Farid, Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Tarot Cabaret

September 18th at 6:00pm

Come spend an evening at the Tarot Cabaret! Returning for their second Fringe, Tarot Cabaret is an award-winning interactive group Tarot reading where every card of the Major Arcana is associated with a unique performance piece. Each evening at the Tarot Cabaret, 11 audience members pull cards to create a one-of-a-kind set list! Through theatrical songs and classic hits, you'll gain personal insights and community connection. Presented by Sunday Stages Theatre Company, a queer-led organization.

Another Middle Earth Press Conference

September 18th at 6:30pm

The mouth of Sauron is back to give an update to the people of Middle Earth. In the wake of the War of the Ring, Sauron's press secretary returns to give answers to your burning questions about the All Seeing Eye and the current state of Middle Earth. Another interactive comedy from writer and director Brad Craddock, author of the sellout Fringe shows "A Middle Earth Press Conference," "An Afternoon Seance," "The Elites," "Something Wicked," and "Learning Targets."

Across the Sea: Finding My Voice

September 18th at 7:00pm

Across the Sea: Finding My Voice is an intimate concert blending jazz, opera, pop, and original music, tracing vocalist Sandra Keerthi’s journey through identity, artistry, and belonging. Through reimagined covers, original songs, and personal storytelling, she shares her evolution from performing jazz in India to operatic repertoire and discovering her path as a singer-songwriter. A reflective and heartfelt musical experience.

DIY Oracle Card: Design Your Future

September 18th at 7:00pm

Oracle Hour: come in and create your own mystical oracle cards. Drop by to design one or more personalized affirmation cards with your own divinely-channeled artwork to guide your spiritual journey. Pop in and we'll supply all the materials and prompts needed to inspire. Simply bring an openness to explore and interpret. Step out of the past and into your future. With artistic guidance from Sha-Mom Jan.

Charming Disaster's Musical Oracle

September 18th at 8:00pm

NYC goth-folk duo Charming Disaster returns to Rochester with an interactive cabaret-concert where audience members determine the set list by drawing cards from the Charming Disaster Oracle Deck—a Tarot-style divination that makes each performance unique. Featuring the duo’s playfully dark original songs inspired by myth, magic, monsters, and mortality (including brand new, unreleased material). What mysterious destiny awaits? Find out before it’s too late…

Stand-Up Through the Ages

September 18th at 8:00pm

2026 marks 10 years in the Rochester Fringe Festival, and this show gets better every year! Seven comedians, ages from early thirties to late eighties, share their unique and hilarious observations, proving that whatever your age, life is definitely a laughing matter. The popular performers from previous sold-out shows return, bringing original jokes galore. Enjoy the wit of Kelsey Claire Hagen, Tori Hosier, Charlie Frusci, Miriam Zinter, Bob Holzwarth, Dan Mulcahy, and host Phyllis Reed.

Threads of Motion

September 18th at 8:00pm

Celebrate artistry, movement, and joy as Rochester dancers take the stage. Emilee Pratt presents new works exploring connection, community, and the fleeting beauty of live performance. Witness the magic of collaboration as these artists come together for a special night of entertainment, sharing their collective passion for movement, dance, and play.

the estate sale

September 19th at 2:00pm

Kelly Dee, who has blended the community-building buzz of a rummage sale with a bounty of big laughs in this hilarious hybrid of one-woman comedy and shopping opportunity, returns to Rochester with a second act of her play, "the estate sale: more stories to tell and sh!t to sell." Be warned: This "estate sale" will inspire you to clear out your literal and metaphorical attic, if only to make room for more must-have finds.