National Women's Theatre Festival Announces Lineup For WTFringe23

 

The National Women's Theatre Festival (WTF), the nation's largest symposium on gender and theatre, has announced the full schedule of WTFringe23 which will be presented June 22-July 1 as part of their 8th annual festival. Performances will be presented in-person at the North Carolina State University's Frank Thompson Hall (2241 Dunn Ave, Raleigh, NC 27606) or online via livestreaming. Individual show tickets ($15) and multi-event passes ($25-$325) for in-person and online events are available at www.womenstheatrefestival.com. All performance times listed are EDT. Most performances will also be available to stream on demand. WTFringe23 is part of the 8th annual National Women's Theatre Festival along with WTFCon23 and WTFamily.

"Our 2023 Fringe festival received 33% more submissions than we've ever had before, and we are so excited about the dynamic range of groundbreaking performances from both local artists and artists from across the nation that we'll be sharing with our audiences this year!" said National WTF Executive Artistic Director Johannah Maynard Edwards.
The 20 productions of WTFringe 2023 will include new musicals, devised physical, commedia and clown theatre, storytelling and sketch comedy, bi-lingual English and Spanish productions, among many others. Some notable productions include Live! Nude! Complicated! Grief! a one woman show created by Stephanie Douglass, host of The Moth for Chicago Public Radio; and Reverie, a musical centering Black girls' mental health, created by Ashley Marie Cooper, a Harvard Medical School master's student and musical theatre creator who received the 2022 Musicians United for Social Equity Linda Twine Scholarship and the 2023 Mental Health Scholarship granted by Taraji P. Henson's Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation.

Edwards added, "National WTF is also pleased to continue to present our festival in a hybrid format. In addition to the many live performances at Thompson Hall, WTFringe23 will include performances developed specifically for the virtual medium, live-streamed performances and streamed recorded performances. While many in our industry may view virtual work as a feature specific to quarantine-era programming, National WTF's ongoing commitment to accessibility makes virtual theatre a must for us. Streaming virtual theatre supports caregivers, the immunocompromised, and people with a range of disabilities that keep them home, and National WTF is proud to continue to program for such patrons around the globe."

WTFringe23 Schedule

Self, No Self, and the Collective: Ritual As Healing

Written by Auds Jenkins, Eve Woldemikael & Nathalie Folkerts

How can ritual and play be technologies for liberation? How can we name and embody our dreams? Our participatory performance experiments with emergent spiritualities as practices of healing and love. We live in a ritual-deprived society, yet rituals can create collective containers to heal and build community. Many of us - especially women, trans, non-binary, and gender diverse people - have experienced harm in ritual space, especially in religious communities. Therefore, this experiment in ritual play seeks to explore the ways we can reimagine ritual in liberatory ways. Theater is a powerful space for worldbuilding, witness, and embodiment; ritual can be the same. Let's explore what possibilities emerge when we bring these two forms together. All are warmly invited to attend. We especially invite people of color and/or LGBTQ+ folks to come rest, heal, and connect.

In-Person: Thurs June 22 at 9am & Sun June 25 at 3pm 60 min

IMPACT

Written & Performed by Amy Engelhardt, Presented by Coldfoot Media

When a series of "follow-signs" lead a jaded Jersey girl to the site of an international tragedy, her trip turns into an unexpected exploration of kindness, compassion and community.

In-Person: Thurs June 22 at 7pm, Fri June 23 at 8:30pm & Sat June 24 at 7pm 60 min

Should I Swallow?

A new play by Emmalias

Darling's life sucks. Her mom's tyrannical, her best friend is a do-good normie, and high school has taught her nothing but the sensation of temporary suffering. And food? Women don't eat that anymore. Now that science has made The Discovery, everybody knows that women's digestive and reproductive systems are directly intertwined. Every woman knows that those IV Bag Powders are much safer than any snack; they're colorful, and cute, and come in fun flavors!

When mom catches Darling with chickpeas and pita bread, snuck to her by her not-boyfriend, Guy, things in the house quickly deteriorate from passive-aggressive quips, to grounding, to at home corrective surgical procedures. Nobody swallows under Mom's roof.

Virtual: Thurs June 22 & Sat June 24 at 8pm 120 min

Table For Two

Created & Produced by Flora Bare Arts

Performed & Devised by Flora Bare and Christopher Gliege

Table For Two tells the story of love and devastating loss through a lean script, carefully procured music and a dazzling range of movement that sometimes threatens to scuff the ceiling. Ecstatic, uninhibited new love is expressed in goofy clowning and cheesy jazz moves. Deepening love and trust soars above the table in breathtaking romantic partnering.

In-Person: Thurs June 22 at 8:30pm, Fri June 23 at 9:30pm & Sat July 1 at 3pm 45 min

The Pink Hulk: One Woman's Journey to Find the Superhero Within

Written & Performed by Valerie David

Now battling breast cancer after fighting off lymphoma, Valerie does something most people facing cancer in their life probably wouldn't think of doing. With a fear that she might lose "the girls," she takes them out for one last hurrah-after all, a cancer diagnosis means only one thing: Call your ex's and try to get laid. And does Valerie succeed? Is there a "happy" ending? Come see the show to find out! This award-winning, internationally acclaimed, sexy solo show follows Valerie's journey to seek her own "hulk-like" strength to find her superhero within to become a three-time cancer survivor. An empowering and true story of inspiration for anyone facing ANY adversity in their own lives-not just from cancer! With plenty of laugh out loud, heartwarming moments!

In-Person: Fri June 23 at 6:30pm, Sat June 24 at 2pm & Sun June 25 at 5:30pm 90 min

Midsummer Night's Commedia

Written by Lara Coutinho-Dean & Dina Turnello

Historically informed commedia dell' arte in sixteenth century Italian style with masks, improvisation, and classic stock characters makes Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream even more exciting and hilarious! Arlecchino replaces Puck as the servant to Capitano Oborono, and we find out who the child of the Votress of Titania's Order really is. Comic fights, off-label love potion use, and blackmail all lead to true love, but the course never did run smooth!

In-Person: Fri June 23 at 8pm & Fri June 30 at 7:30pm 60 min

Lobe Yourself

Written by Danielle Cummings

Alone with her wine as the clock ticks towards New Year's, 21-year-old Gracie navigates coming-of-age while her roommate's flawless life feels out-of-range. A story of noisy New York neighbors, getting lit, and the fortitude found in female friendships.

Virtual: Fri June 23 at 8pm & Sun June 25 at 8pm 30 min

No More Flowers

Written by By Dana Hall

What if Sigmund Freud visited the studio of Georgia O'Keeffe? In No More Flowers, O'Keeffe is completing her latest work the famed 'Black Iris' which sends Freud into deep analysis. This play is for those that have felt misunderstood, those that have felt the weight of societal judgment, those of us tired of being told who we are. O'Keeffe's art is on full display but yet her personhood is under attack, will she crack under psychoanalysis?

Virtual: Fri June 23 at 8:30pm & Sun June 25 at 8:30pm 30 min

Silent Reflections: A Clown-Noir Cabaret

Written & Performed by Women From Mars Theatre:

Francesca Chilcote, Dory Sibley and Echo Sibley

Silent Reflections is a "clown-noir cabaret" that explores women's insecurities and societal pressures through the medium of silent film. The piece attacks the portrayal of women in media and the role women play in supporting these highly sexualized, and many times, demeaning and powerless stereotypes. The show aims to funnel these dark themes through the imagination of three different female clowns, striving for a fresh, farcical, and sometimes grotesque look at what society has done to the way women view themselves, where they locate their power and, as a result, how they treat themselves and each other. The clowns employ physical theatre techniques, animation, projections, comedy, music and drama to reflect upon and expose inherent struggles in three stages of womanhood.

In-Person: Fri June 23 at 10:15pm & Sun June 25 at 7:30pm 60 min

Dinosaur on the Moon

Devised & Performed by Abi Walls, Ariel Fay Gray, Dillon Heape, Marianna Staroselsky, Natalie Kane, and Sandy Lam

Dinosaur on the Moon is a devised, multidisciplinary, transmedia theatrical experiment exploring the relationships between ourselves, our pasts, and our futures through the stories of our real and dreamt "elders" - those who came before us, those who survived, and those who did not - by inviting them into our circle. Drawing from the creators' collective identities, experiences, and backgrounds, Dinosaur on the Moon imagines mythologies of ourselves and our communities that are full of joy, healing, and belonging.

In-Person: Sat June 24 at 2:30pm & Sun June 25 at 4:30pm

Virtual: Stream On Demand from July 1-3 90 min

The Grandmothers Grimm

Written by Emily Ingram

The Grandmothers Grimm is set over the course of one night, and explores women's role in the creation of The Brothers Grimm's famous anthology. Marie Hassenpflug has crept out of her family home without a chaperone, determined to hear new stories and to tell the fairy tales from her unusual childhood to Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, who are collecting tales together for their book. As the evening progresses, Marie shares more and more and the three young people - with help from the Brother's maltreated housekeeper - begin to act out the dark, original versions of classic fairy tales. Arguments, ego and politics threaten the anthology and the Grimms' and Marie's friendship at every turn. Suitable for ages 14+

In-Person: Sat June 24 at 6:30pm & Sun June 25 at 12:30pm

Virtual: Stream On Demand from July 1-3 60 min

MAIDEN MOTHER CRONE COVEN

Created by Abigail Birkett, Bryan Hagelin, Hannah Katz, Kilby Yarbrough & Tangiene Nyereyegona

MAIDEN MOTHER CRONE COVEN presents three perspective-shifting stories of witchcraft and queerness, activated by threads of devised performance and virtual storytelling. Classical, contemporary, and devised artistic approaches join forces to fiercely challenge intersectional themes of otherness by planting the seeds of reclamation, transformation and empowerment under the blaze of our burgeoning community solidarity. Features a new short play by Claire Carson and excerpts from Witch by Jen Silverman and The Witch of Edmonton by John Ford, Thomas Dekker, and William Rawley.

In-Person: Sat June 24 at 8pm & Sun June 25 at 6:30pm

Virtual: Stream On Demand from July 1-3 90 min

Live! Nude! Complicated! Grief!

Written & Performed by Stephanie Douglass, Directed by Chantal Pavageaux

Wondering if you're a mo(u)rning person? The one sure thing in life is that anything we love, we lose. And the longer we live, the harder the losses get. Yet through it all, we breathe, we eat good meals, and we lose it at inappropriate jokes, until our bodies are done. And still, we're left with the question: why are the worst things so damn funny? This is a piece that explores the hilarious sides of dealing with the impossible, through multiple first-person stories, performance ritual, and individual investigations of loss and long-term grief. And reminds folks why it's time for the phrase, "You're just so strong," to...die.

In-Person: Sat June 24 at 8:30pm & Thurs June 29 at 8:30pm

Virtual: Thurs June 29 at 8:30pm 60 min

Adults

Written by Maizy Broderick Scarpa

Co-Directed by Giselle Durand, Natalie Payán, Paloma Sierra, Yaitza JZ Marrero

After the death of their mother, two sisters work through their grief by reconciling past experiences and reflecting on how their mother affected their lives.

Originally written in English and partially translated into Spanish, the play is given a new bilingual interpretation with this production.

In-Person: Sat June 24 at 10pm & Sun June 25 at 2pm

Virtual: Stream On Demand from July 1-3 45 min

DIGNITY

Written by Alexus Rhone

In every historical milieu, when faced with degradation, Black women have a standard response: dignity. DIGNITY is a 60 minute, 3-part historical re-imagination of the impact Black women have had on specific historical experiences.

In-Person: Sun June 25 at 1pm, Thurs June 29 at 7pm, & Sat July 1 at 2pm

Virtual: Thurs June 29 at 7pm 60 min

Moon Glo

Written by Patsy Clarke, Directed by Nancy Rich

Moon Glo is an original script-in-development by 94-year-old retired Drama professor and playwright Patsy Clarke, in collaboration with director Nancy Rich and a cast of senior performers. The main character, Barbara, struggles to navigate her new situation - in an assisted living facility. Peek into the world of women in their 90's as they share wonderful stories about love, loss, and the fundamental nature of reality.

In-Person: Sun June 25 at 2:30pm, Thu June 29 at 2pm & Fri June 30 at 2pm 60 min

Manic Pixie Nightmare

Written by Kimi Handa Brown

Meet Emmylou, the type of girl who doesn't need to try to be loved (or so she wants you to think). She might be someone you know, someone you adore, someone you despise and envy, someone who seems to appear when you need her most and disappears leaving you an important life. Audience participation is encouraged and expected.

In-Person: Thu June 29 at 8pm & Sat July 1 at 8:30pm 60 min

Californio

Written & Performed by Christa M. Forster, an Antilogical Pedagogical Production

In Californio-a transmedia, interdisciplinary performance-Christa M. Forster bends the time-space continuum to spin an epic tale that spans 200 years and culminates in the present moment of this 21st century. Through the point of view of an intergenerational persona, Forster and Ysidora Pico de Forster, her 19th century patriarchal grandmother, explore how race, identity, kinship, and annexation determine a person's, a family's, a nation's fate.

In-Person: Thu June 29 at 10pm & Sat July 1 at 7:30pm

Virtual: Thu June 29 at 10pm 45 min

We Can Do It!

Written by Kenady Sean

We Can Do It!, a hybrid 30-min musical, follows Daphna King, a Cherokee Rosie the Riveter, as she finds her grit in World War II, the short time where women ran the world. A virtual choir and stomp performance will explore the sounds of motherhood and working in steel, as a woman of 1941 wonders if she can truly have it all. Daphna did what she had to, so we could do what we want to. Join us for a short but sweet time in 1941!

In-Person: Fri June 30 at 7pm & Sat July 1 at 9:30pm

Virtual: Fri June 30 at 7pm 60 min

Reverie

Written by Ashley Cooper (Book, Music & Lyrics)

Trapped in a memory, or living in a daydream? Reverie, an original musical, follows Genevieve, a 7-year-old girl who finds herself "adultified" in the midst of her grief. To cope with her loss, Genevieve repeatedly watches live photos of herself and her father, often envisioning herself as re-entering into those former memories. While Genevieve struggles to make sense of what grief and loss mean, her mother, Rose, refuses to accept her Dad's passing, and her 17-year-old brother Gerald wants the past to stay in the past. Reverie is a musical story of loss, the ephemerality of memory, and the complexity of child grief, that strives to bring Black girls to the forefront of discussions of mental health.

In-Person: Fri June 30 at 8:30pm & Sat July 1 at 4pm

Virtual: Fri June 30 at 8:30pm 90 min

The Uproar, A Sketch Comedy Show

Written & Performed by the Triangle Sketch Comedy Group

The Uproar is a sketch comedy show all about chaos, laughter, and disrupting the status quo. This specific iteration of The Uproar features sketch comedy in the style of Saturday Night Live that celebrates the experiences of gender marginalized people. How can we support one another? What does it mean when we stand up for ourselves vs. apologize? What happens when we pick friendship over rivalry? And how does vulnerability strengthen our relationships and empower us to move forward? All these questions and more are delivered in an absurd, outrageous comedy show that lures you in, keeps you laughing, and warms your heart.

In-Person: Fri June 30 & Sat July 1 at 10pm 60 min

Accessibility: Open-captioning, sensory kits, assistive listening devices, alternative format programs provided at all performances. Select performances will also feature ASL interpretation and/or audio description. National Women's Theatre Festival welcomes all patrons to make accessibility accommodation requests to hannah@womenstheatrefestival.com. Onsite childcare is available courtesy of Seed Art Share for $15/hr.

The mission of the National Women's Theatre Festival is to create, produce, and promote extraordinary theatre by women and artists of all underrepresented genders with the ultimate goal of 100% parity in the US theatre industry. They gather artists from North Carolina and across the nation at their annual events, helping to create a pipeline of extraordinary talent that will revolutionize theatre as we know it. Since its founding in 2016, the National Women's Theatre Festival (WTF) has produced 23 mainstage theatrical productions, 64 Fringe-style shows, and over 125 staged readings, and hosted over 250 workshops and panels. Their signature event is an annual summer festival of plays, workshops, and all things theatre. In 2023-2024 National WTF will mount its first mainstage season in three years, featuring 3 fully staged plays, performed in Raleigh, NC. WTF creates opportunities for underrepresented gender theatre makers to develop and practice skills in a supportive and creative environment, and to have their talents recognized. www.womenstheatrefestival.com

 

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