Site-Specific Shows Set For This Year's Rochester Fringe Festival

The 2023 Rochester Fringe Festival today announces its site-specific shows, theatrical productions with a specially adapted location other than a standard theatre. Phone booths, parked cars, buses, and elevators have all hosted site-specific work. The Fringe embraces this sort of unorthodox theatre and its ability to engage audiences in unexpected and often far-reaching ways.  

This year’s site specific shows take place around a campfire, in a yurt, in a circus training center, in parked cars, in a university courtyard, along the Genesee Riverway and Erie Canalway trails, on a downtown lawn adjacent to an art gallery, at Parcel 5, in a park next to the city’s oldest Catholic church, and in a fragrant garden.  

Tickets to all shows are available online: rochesterfringe.com; phone: (585) 957-9837 (additional fees apply). In person during the festival: at the entrance to the venue or at the One Fringe Place Box Office, corner of Main and Gibbs Streets.

Bushwhacked Backyard Bonfire

Spiegelgarden

Tues., Sept. 12, 8 p.m. • Thur., Sept. 14, 8 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. • Mon., Sept. 18, 8 p.m. • Wed., Sept. 20, 8:30 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 8 p.m.

60 minutes •  13+ • $26

Back by popular demand, those madcap ladies of Bushwhacked have brushed off their hats, aired out the tent, and gotten back to their roots. Join them to give summer the send-off it deserves with a night of campfire revelry under the moonlit sky. With your sassy input, this show will surely be filled with laughter, ridiculous bonding activities, and "s'more." (Nothing says Fringe like open flames and two irresponsible improvisers.) Only 4 tickets are available per performance.

Camp Bushwhacked

Spiegelgarden

Tues., Sept. 12, 6:30 p.m. • Wed., Sept. 13, 6 p.m. • Thur., Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 15, 6:30 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 16, 2 p.m. • Sun., Sept. 17, 2 p.m. • Mon., Sept. 18, 6:30 p.m. • Tues., Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m. • Wed., Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. • Thur., Sept. 21, 6:30 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 22, 8 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 3 p.m.

60 minutes • 13+ • $28

Welcome to Camp Bushwhacked! Your camp counselors, Shanda and Ronda, are ready to take you on the hilarious journey of a highly interactive summer camp experience. You'll be guided through an entire summer of fun in a mere 60 minutes. Just back from their first international performances on the Emerald Isle, the ladies of Bushwhacked are more than ready to crack on! Bushwhacked shows are an annual Fringe sell-out! Only 12 tickets per performance.

Camp Bushwhacked: Boozy Edition

Spiegelgarden

Fri., Sept. 15, 9 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 16, 4 p.m. • Sun., Sept. 17, 4 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 5 p.m.

60 minutes • 21+ • $45

Welcome to Camp Bushwhacked, the Boozy Version! Enjoy two adult beverages as your camp counselors, Shawnda and Ronda, take you on the hilarious journey of a highly interactive summer camp experience. You'll be guided through an entire summer of fun in a mere 60 minutes. Just back from their first international performances on the Emerald Isle, the ladies of Bushwhacked are more than ready to crack on and get fluthered! Bushwhacked shows are an annual Fringe sell-out—only 12 tickets per performance.

Circus of Play 

Roc City Circus, 1344 University Ave., Suite 6200 

Sun., Sept. 17, 3 p.m. • Mon., Sept. 18, 6:30 p.m. • Thur., Sept. 21, 7 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 22,

7 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 2 p.m.

75 minutes • All ages • $18

Imagine, if you will, a circus through a child's perspective. A vibrant circus world springs to life when a young child is inspired by a display at a toy museum. Roc City Circus presents a classic circus show featuring the flying trapeze, daring aerial acts, acrobats and more! Come one, come all to this spectacle of wonder and awe. Suitable for all ages.

Dashboard Dramas IX

Parked cars adjacent to the Spiegelgarden

Tues., Sept. 12, 5:30 p.m. • Tues., Sept. 12, 6:30 p.m. • Thur., Sept. 14, 5:30 p.m. • Thur., Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 15, 5:30 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 15, 6:30 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 16, 1 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 16, 2 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 16, 4 p.m. • Sun., Sept. 17, 12 p.m. • Sun., Sept. 17, 1 p.m. • Sun., Sept. 17, 3 p.m. • Mon., Sept. 18, 5:30 p.m. • Mon., Sept. 18, 6:30 p.m. • Thur., Sept. 21, 5:30 p.m. • Thur., Sept. 21, 6:30 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 22, 5:30 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 22, 6:30 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 12:30 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 1:30 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 3 p.m.

45 minutes • 18+ • $31

A total sell-out eight years running, this intimate theatre experience is unlike any other. You'll find yourself immersed in four all-new ten-minute plays as you rotate from one car to the next. Don't miss this hilarious, heartwarming, weird, and most of all, one-of-a-kind show. Only 8 tickets per performance!

Dashboard Dramas After Dark

Parked cars adjacent to the Spiegelgarden

Wed., Sept. 13, 8 p.m. • Wed., Sept. 13, 9 p.m. • Thur., Sept. 14, 8 p.m. • Thur., Sept. 14, 9 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 15, 8 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 15, 9 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 16, 9 p.m. • Thur., Sept. 21, 8 p.m. • Thur., Sept. 21, 9 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 22, 8 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 22, 9 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 9 p.m.

45 minutes • 18+ • $31

New this year! From the same team that gives you the total sell-out Dashboard Dramas experience comes a slightly racier version with the same weird and wild ride you've come to expect. You'll find yourself immersed in four all-new ten-minute plays as you rotate from one car to the next. Only 8 tickets per performance.

Photonic Brass 

Eastman School of Music Courtyard at Miller Center, 26 Gibbs St.

Tues., Sept. 12, 6 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 15, 6 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 3:30 p.m.

45 minutes • All ages • FREE

Music of the Baroque Era was written to be performed on archaic instruments, such as harpsichords and lutes. This group aims to bring the music of the 17th and 18th centuries into the 21st century. With modern instruments, Photonic Brass breathes new life into music specially chosen to be played outdoors, and connects with a modern audience through unique staging, storytelling, and stylistic interpretation.

ROC River Ride 

Genesee Valley Park Sports Complex, 131 Elmwood Ave. 

Sat., Sept. 16, every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 12 noon

120 minutes, All ages, $10

Join a rolling audience on bicycles along the Genesee Riverway and Erie Canalway Trails to explore local history and culture through a series of brief stationary performances as well as visual art displayed along three- or ten-mile routes. Participants ages 8 and older will depart in groups of up to 20 riders, each led by two experienced and trained riders. There will be a bicycle rodeo in the parking lot for kids under age 8. Register by August 31 to receive a complimentary t-shirt.

stARTment 

Rochester Contemporary Art Center Side Lawn, 137 East Ave. 

Fri., Sept. 15, 6 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 16, 6 p.m. • Fri., Sept. 22, 6 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 6 p.m.

50 minutes • All ages • FREE

ART freedom. ART responsibility. ART voices. ART loud. Through movement, voices, and mask, this interactive production entices audiences at the outside space at Rochester Contemporary Art Center on historic East Avenue. Come explore what artists consider to be their responsibilities as artists, and what art means to them. stARTment is a collaboration with Rochester Contemporary Art Center and Monroe Community College’s On the Edge Theatre Troupe.

The Unluckiest Corner 

Parcel 5, 285 East Ave. 

Sat., Sept. 16, 5:30 p.m. • Sat., Sept. 23, 5:30 p.m.

30 minutes, ages 13+, $18

Experience the most 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, with a story so unbelievable, how is it true? Using wireless headphones available on-site, audience members will hear story and sound from early civilization to present day, with tales of spirits, murder, success, failure, and a pile of rocks. Bring a chair/blanket, as this episode is best experienced seated.

Together Alone 

St. Joseph’s Park, 108 Franklin St. 

Sun., Sept. 17, 12 noon • Sun., Sept. 17, 2 p.m.

40 minutes • All ages • $16

Together Alone reflects feelings of isolation in the connections we build. Working in the secluded yet open, natural yet urban environment of St. Joseph's Park, the work builds an aesthetic of translucent intimacy that questions the interdependence of private and public/societal space. This interdisciplinary performance features solo and duet choreography, interaction with audience and architecture, and live music improvisation. Join us as we investigate the phrase, "You are not alone."

Wander and Wonder

RMSC Garden of Fragrance, 657 East Ave.

Sat., Sept. 23, 1 p.m.

75 minutes • All ages • FREE

Missy Pfohl Smith/BIODANCE and Ethan Beckwith-Cohen present the third annual Wander & Wonder for the first time in Rochester Fringe. This site-specific performance on the outdoor grounds of the Rochester Museum & Science Center features local dance artists, companies and choreographers in a walking tour of dance. Wander with us and wonder at the surprising and delightful dances in the nooks and crannies of RMSC.

To post a comment, you must register and login.