THE VILLAGE CIDIOT Comes To The 2024 Rochester Fringe Festival

The Village Cidiot, written and performed by Lauren Letellier, will debut at the 2024 Rochester Fringe Festival in three performances at Roc Cinema Theater Sept.10 at 6:45pm, Sept. 12 at 7:30pm, and Sept. 14 at 2:30pm. Roc Cinema Theater is located at 957 S Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY. Tickets are $15 and on sale now at rochesterfringe.com, via phone, in person at the venue, and in person at Fringe Central

Summary: A dyed-in-the-wool Manhattanite loses her big corporate job and moves, reluctantly, to a tiny Hudson Valley town where her city skills are no match for rural reality. As tensions rise between long-time residents and the “Cidiots” (an insult coined by locals to describe NYC-ers flocking to rural communities, especially after COVID), Letellier takes us on a hilarious and moving journey about navigating life's disruptions with humor, compassion, and tick repellant. The show premiered to critical and audience acclaim at the 2023 Bridge St. Theater's SoloFest (Catskill) following a developmental reading at NYC's Emerging Artists Theater. It has been produced at Ancram Center for the Arts, Spencertown Academy Arts Center, and The Stissing Center for Arts & Culture, and received critical raves: “Uproarious & poignant!” “An entrancing piece of theater!” “Five Stars!” 

“In one fell swoop, I lost my job, my urban identity, and my youngest brother to cancer,” says Letellier, a Hudson Valley-based playwright, performer, and town historian. “The question then became, how do I prepare for a life I never asked for? Anyone who's ever been beaned by one of life's curveballs can relate to this story about reinvention and renewal.” 

Letellier's earlier solo show, The Fiery Sword of Justice, chronicled the similarities between dysfunctional families and dysfunction in corporate America. It was a hit at the 2014 New York International Fringe Festival, where critics called it “bold, funny, wise and brave” and “not to be missed!” When it debuted at the 2015 First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival, Democrat & Chronicle arts critic Ralph Meranto called it “an intimate rant on workplace dysfunction that is universal” and named it one of his “Fringe Festival Favorites.”

Director Martha Wollner has shepherded both shows to critical acclaim. Wollner is a multi-discipline artist – teacher and member of NYC LAByrinth Theatre Company, AEA, SAG/AFTRA, Dramatist Guild and New York Women in Film. Wollner holds a BFA in Theatre and has studied with iconic teachers Uta Hagen, Sanford Meisner, Stella Adler, Howard Guskin and Alan Arkin.  She has taught Acting Technique and Scene study for both stage and camera, Entrepreneurial /Business Skills for the Performer, Auditioning and Devised Theatre in University and studio classrooms. She has cast for the stage, film, and all forms of broadcast media. Projects featuring her work as a Story Producer and Casting Director have earned Academy Award nominations, Emmy/ DuPont / GLADD / Cleo Awards, and national/international 'Best of Festival' awards. Her acting and direction have won four star reviews in Edinburgh Fringe Festival, NY Solo and Fringe Festivals and have been featured in national tours of Ireland and the UK. Wollner has developed a proprietary technique, “Writing On Your Feet,” for actors who desire to create original content using core acting skills to bring story to the page. www.veryrealcasting.com.

MORE ABOUT ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL:

The 12-day Rochester Fringe Festival is the largest multidisciplinary performing arts event in New York State. Since the festival's inception in 2012, nearly 670,000 people have attended more than 4,500 performances by regional, national, and International Artists, from emerging to superstar. From drama to dance, comedy to children's entertainment, music to magic, and so much more, this internationally-known powerhouse encourages creative expression while nurturing the artistic process, all while supplying new audiences to established and emerging arts venues. The Rochester Fringe Festival strives to be diverse and inclusive, and to stimulate downtown Rochester both culturally and economically. 

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