What the Fringe?!

What is the best strategy to make a lasting career in fringe? Jon Bennett, a veteran fringe performer who’s been to more than 150 fringe festivals, shares all, including his most recent challenges with crossing, or not crossing, the border. And we also learn WTF Rabbit Night is all about.   Jon’s Website: www.jonbennettcomedy.com Keep up with Jon: IG: @jonbennettcomedy @pretendingthingsareac_ckFB:...

WTF is the best way to create a safe environment for audience participation? Judge Mentalist is a hypnotist who makes audience members the stars of his show, and he does it with care and intentionality. This week, Judge Mentalist shares about the art of hypnosis, and he also shares how he works with organizations to do some incredible fundraising while stilltaking home a paycheck; it’s quite brill...

Kevin Velasquez is a theatre maker and teacher from the Dallas/Fort Worth area who participates in fringe as a way to invest in his creative growth. He is a passionate teacher dedicated to championing his students, and he will undoubtedly inspire you. Hear all about his teaching and fringe journey, and WTF inspired him to take secondary students to Fringe Festivals.   View Letter of Release at: ht...

When Rheagan Wallace wanted to tell her story of growing up in Hollywood, she knew Fringe was the place. Rheagan’s debut solo fringe show is a look into a world only a few know. Hear more about her incredible journey and WTF she did to get on America’s Most Wanted.     Find Rheagan online: rheaganwallace.com Keep up with Rheagan on IG:  @rheagan_wallace and @stagemamma   Find What the Fringe?! IG:...

WTF does it take to make it as a fringe performer? Find out when we chat with Jonathan Paterson. Jonathon has been working in the fringe world for over two decades. He has done everything from performing, tech, running a venue, and heck, he even met his life partner from the fringe (be sure to listen to the end for more on this tidbit).   Learn more about Jon at RibbitRePublic.com Keep up with Jon...

The first time I saw Ira Cooper perform, I was a wee bit awe-struck by the passion and energy that he brings to the stage. This week, I get to sit down with Ira, the co-creator of Spec Theatre, and talk all things collaboration, accessible theatre, and catnip. Let’s find out WTF is Ira’s keys to success.   Spec Theatre Website: www.spectheatre.com IG: @spectheatre and @catsco420   Find What the Fr...

Josh Languedoc is a proud Anishinaabe member of Saugeen First Nation and is a master storyteller and superb theatrical artist. His newest solo show, Elon Muskrat, is a satire that is sureto spark a bit of joy to your life. Josh also shares WTF makes Edmonton Fringe so special.   Find Josh on the Web: https://www.joshlanguedoc.com/ Keep up with Josh: IG: @joshylanguedoc,  FB & LinkedIn: JoshLan...

Tymisha Harris is an internationally successful, award-winning performer, creator, and producer. She has been touring her solo show, “Josephine,” for over a decade and has just launched her newest show, “A Cabaret of Legends.” One of Tymisha’s biggest artistic goals is for her shows to become theatrical works that other women of color can perform and truly shine. Tymisha is a vibrant, kind soul, a...

Michael Rogers, one of Lauren’s besties from the fringe circuit, joins her to talk all about his newest show, “That Which is Green.” Michael has been creating solo shows that dig deep into the most painful moments of his life, in hopes of sharing that it’s OK to not be OK, and that there's hope. WhyTF are you making me get into my feels, Michael?   Keep up with Michael on IG: @mr.mikerogers an...

This week we are celebrating World Fringe Day, which is Friday,July 11, 2025! Our World Fringe Day episode features 17 shows from across the globe, WTF?! In true fringe fashion, we took the first artists who submitted. We are thrilled to feature these artists and their incredible shows.   husk/vessel IG: @kairosdances @kairosdancetheater Web: kairosdancetheater.org See the Show: Minnesota Fringe F...

Fringe is an international phenomenon, and if you do it for any amount of time, the likelihood that you will perform in a country other than your own is quite high. Cathy Lam is an internationally recognized fringe artist who has been touring shows internationally for years. This week, she shares her fringey wisdom, and WhyTF engaging with cultures other than your own is so important.   Find Cathy...

Murray Utas is the Artistic Director of the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, which is one of the top 5 fringe festivals in the world. Murray believes in leading with vulnerability, mentoring, kindness, and human connection. This week, he shares stories from his life in the theatre and discusses how the arts are making an impact in Edmonton, highlighting WhyTF the arts are a necessar...

Clevername Theatre of Minneapolis, MN, is known for its quirky mashups of classical theatre and beloved children’s stories. This year, Clevername Theatre heads to Edmonton Fringe with "The Peter Pan Cometh," a story melding Eugene O’Neill’s nihilistic "The Iceman Cometh" with the whimsy of boyhood found in "Peter Pan," and it totally works, like WTF?!   IG: @clevernam...

WTF do you have to do to become a fringe success? First, make a great show; second, set your own parameters for success; and third, market that show. Xhloe Rice & Natash Roland have been making art together since their teens, and over the past three years have earned the title of “The buzziest Fringe Theatre-Makers of the 2020’s,” by The Telegraph. This week, they share their journey from begg...

WTF do you do to take your fringe show to the next level? Youcould start by tying a run at the SoHo Playhouse in New York City. The SoHo Playhouse has been one of Off-Broadway’s primary venues for new plays for the past 80 years and has been home to countless dreams and movements. Many theatre legends received their start at SoHo Playhouse, including Sam Shepard, Edward Albee, Tracy Letts, Charles...

WTF makes a show successful at Edinburgh Fringe? Sam Gough, Chief Executive Officer of Summerhall Arts, shares with us his 30+ years of experience at the fringe. He shares everything from tips on programming yourself to the incredible innovations happening in Edinburgh. Sam also lets us in on all the amazing year-round programming happening at Summerhall Arts.   More on Summerhall Arts: www.summer...

WTF, did you “hear” that there is a Fringe Audio Festival?! On a podcast dedicated to fringe theatre, of course, we had to chat with the leaders of this festival. For the past 13 years, Atlanta Fringe has been hosting Fringe Audio, an innovative space for artists to experiment with sound and storytelling, and provide listeners a portal into the strange, the brilliant, and the beautifully bizarre....

Welcome to the newlywed show! Wait, I thought this was a podcast about fringe? Spencer Amrheim and Chanel Mise of Kid Goblin just got married, and what better way to celebrate than being on a podcast? Kid Goblin is a six-person improv troupe out of San Diego, CA. For their hometown fringe this year, Kid Goblin will be taking confessions and then playing them out for your entertainment. Not only do...

Penny Peyser has been in the entertainment industry for decades, playing opposite some of the biggest namesin Hollywood, including Dustin Hoffman (who we believe is still lamenting over a small comment he made to Penny years ago). Not only has Penny created a hilarious one-woman show called Sonnets from Suburbia, she has written and publishedmultiple humor books featuring her sonnets that deal wit...

Steve Budd (not Budde-Bode-Burg-blerrrgah- just Budd) is an actor who accidentally found his calling in solo theater and playing multiple characters. He tackled many of his fears and faced many of his personal struggles when creating his four solo shows. Steve has become an incredible character actor in the process. But (not Budd), my biggest question is WTF was he thinking when he dropped out of...

WTF do you do when you have performed in a version of off-Broadway’s longest-running show with a one-star Yelp review? Write a play about it, of course! Sarah Alida LeClair is the founder of Riot Productions, a San Diego based theatre company dedicated to giving a voice to those on the fringe. Sarah was the recipient of the Outstanding World Premiere Award at the 2024 San Diego International Fring...

From a young age Olivia Raine Atwood knew shewanted to be an actress, little did she know that would involve preparing NYCdoctors for a world-wide pandemic or becoming a sought-after match maker. Allof Olivia’s surprise career paths have had her asking WTF am I doing here? Olivia shares her journey from shy kid to becoming one of the funniest women onthe fringe circuit.   Learn more aboutOlivia on...

The creative process is different for each artist. Shane Mayforth of ‘Stroke of Genius’ and long-time collaboration partner Vulva Va-Voom (V) take the throw the spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks approach. Together, they come up with some out-of-this-world art that has audiences laughing with delight and proclaiming, “WTF did I just see!”     Find Shane on social media @BoiledHorseProductio...

For many fringe artists, their shows are an extension of themselves and the issues they care about. For LinneaBond, this couldn’t be truer. Linnea’s show, “Heart Ripped Out Twice and So Can You,” not only explores her personal journey through heart surgery and heartache but also recognizes other issues in our world that weigh heavy on her heart with lots of laughs and a few tears. In this episode,...

Community is everything when it comes to fringe. Joanna Rannelli is passionate about creating community and working with others. On this episode, Joanna shares her fringe journey with us and WTF connecting with audience members has to do with getting sold-out houses. Joanna is an award-winning theatre performer and TV/Film/Voice actress based in Vancouver, BC. In 2023, she debuted her one-woman st...