Interview: Various Artists of HARRISBURG FRINGE FESTIVAL

The 2023 Harrisburg Fringe Festival, running July 6-9, is filled to the brim with performance and visual art. There is something for everyone at this inaugural Fringe Festival! If you missed the last two articles on what exactly Fringe is, check them out here! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring the huge variety of experiences available at this year’s Fringe Festival with some artist profiles and interviews. Check out some of our artist profiles below:

Regina Gail Malloy (She/Her) presents The Gospel According To…(original one-woman gospel play). Check this one-woman show at Open Stage Saturday, July 8th at 7:45pm & Sunday, July 9th at 3:40pm

This semi-autobiographical story of the missionary Lenora Hammond shares her testimony of how she went from being abandoned and abused to being healed and restored.

Malloy explains that “Being a part of the Fringe Festival as an artist means everything to me. This is my first time as an artist participating in something bigger than myself that provides an opportunity for me to inspire and uplift people from different backgrounds that I might not normally have interaction with.

Paul Hood (He/Him) brings “All the Things” to Harrisburg Thursday, July 6th at 6:20pm, Saturday, July 8th at 8pm, and Sunday, July 9th at 4:15pm at Narçisse Theatre.

In this one-act play, Keith, awakened from sleep, grapples with insecurities, fears, and absurd anecdotes involving a goose named Melvin and things he wants to say to his girlfriend, Jenny.

Paul looks forward to diving “back into the challenge of creating a one-act play. One-acts are where I learned the craft of playwriting when I was a member of the Playwrights Alliance of Pennsylvania. I’m lucky to have had several of my full-length plays produced over the years, but I look forward to returning to the examination of the human experience in a limited space and time.” Audiences will have the opportunity to “attend an artistic performance that may shift their perspective and open their mind and heart to new and exciting possibilities.”

Vanessa Gonzalez Codorniu presents Cosmic Trash: Advice for your Garbage Problems with a Semblance of Spirituality. Gamut Theatre’s Select Medical Mainstage Saturday July 8th at 9:30pm & Sunday, July 9th at 4pm.

This comedic, long-form improv performance features Cosmic Trash, a diverse and all-female ensemble of comedic improvisers. With each show being completely unique, you'll never know what to expect as you join them on their journey of self-discovery and satirical tarot card readings. Join us for a night of laughter and enlightenment as Cosmic Trash takes you on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience filled with mystical twists and turns.

Come and be a part of the Cosmic Trash community and let us help you solve your garbage problems!

When asked why folks should attend Fringe, Vanessa replied, “We can all fall into a routine, and art, in all its forms, is here to shake us up, question our reality and even inspire us to expand our view of ourselves and the world. People should attend to open their minds and hearts to new perspectives and experiences!”

Megan Rivkin (She/Her, Playwright) and Catalina Beltrán (She/Her, Director) of Wednesday Nights Theatre Company present “We’re Here” on Thursday, July 6th at 9:40pm, Friday, July 7th at 7pm, and Saturday, July 8th at 11:45am.

The Island - a lovable jerk - wants to prove that we all still talk. They hold a shady ticket salesman and an extravagant theatre-going woman hostage to demonstrate. Written by Megan Rivkin and directed by Catalina Beltrán, “We’re Here” is a fifty-minute surreal play set in scenic Midtown, Manhattan. “We’re Here” includes sex, love, allergies, sadness, wealth, family, (big) apples, acting, and maybe even sex. This is where you are right now.

Megan and Catalina are excited to have the “chance to create something fun, special, and personal and experience a sense of community.”

Frederick D. Miller (He/Him) brings Headspace to Harrisburg! Saturday, July 8th at 4:35pm & Sunday July 9th at 7pm at Open Stage

Headspace is a memory play about a college student and a really crappy semester he had. It is most definitely NOT a play about a breakup. Not even in the slightest. Maybe a plant. But that's like all it is. There's also a lot of Tennessee Williams, beer, and sticky notes. Lots of sticky notes. Headspace received its world premiere at Penn State University in 2021 and was the recipient of the 2022 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Award for Outstanding Playwriting.

Frederick shares that he is excited for this experience as it “is really validating to me as an artist to be sharing my work in a festival alongside so many people that I grew up admiring. I was born and raised in the area, and I owe much of my artistic upbringing to the fantastic artists that live and work here. It is such an honor to be a part of the inaugural Harrisburg Fringe Festival!

Tomato Jake (He/Them) performs Tomato Jake’s Super Karaoke Hour 64 Thursday, July 6th, Saturday July 8th at 4:40pm, and Sunday, July 9th at 12:55pm at Narçisse Theatre.

Tomato Jake will be performing a live karaoke set of original pieces. The audience is encouraged to come on stage and sing along. You can see Tomato Jake’s work at Spotify, tomatojake.bandcamp.com, Instagram @tomatojake, and youtube.com/@tomatojake.

Tomato Jake is “looking forward to performing in Harrisburg for the first time post-pandemic” and “to represent a performance not regularly seen in a theatre environment.”

swamprat (show producer, beatmaker, drummer; he/him), Thelonius (MC; he/him), Sir Dominique Jordan (MC; he/him) take the stage with Rhythm and Rhymes Saturday, July 9th at 9:05pm and Sunday, July 9th at 7pm at Narçisse Theatre.

Rhythm and Rhymes is an improvisation-focused, fully live hip hop performance presented by swamprat, a local beatmaker/drummer. The performance will consist of freestyle rapping from featured collaborators Thelonius (of Harrisburg) and Sir Dominique Jordan (of Lancaster) with additional surprise guests, accompanied by live beatmaking by swamprat on the MPC (sampler/drum machine) and on the drums.

When asked what he is most looking forward to at Fringe, he stated, “just getting to see weird stuff made by weird folks, and to be surprised by what people come up with when given freedom to create without restrictions.” Audiences will have the chance to “see a lot of incredible art, see artists taking risks and pushing the boundaries outside of what is ‘marketable’ to general audiences, and see art that artists want to make without their usual constraints.”

Mark Vigeant (He/Him) performs “Mark Pleases You” Thursday, July 6th at 6pm, Friday, July 7th at 8:20pm, and Saturday, July 8th at 10:50pm at Gamut Theatre.

“Mark Pleases You” is a comedic solo show. It is a high-energy, deeply personal, extremely silly exploration of people-pleasing. In order to reckon with his past, Mark goes face-to-face with his 12-year-old self in a breakneck-paced time-traveling comedy show that is tightly choreographed and joyfully vulnerable. “Mark Pleases You” has taken the stage at various Fringe Festivals, notably winning Best of Fringe and the Cultural Exchange New Zealand Scholarship at the 11th Annual San Diego International Fringe Festival. It is currently playing the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

As a previous Fringe performer, Mark looks forward to the “opportunity to meet all kinds of different artists and see what they're up to. I get inspired, I get excited, I love meeting them. Second, my parents live outside of town and I've been touring my show around the country and this is the first time they'll see it. I couldn't be more excited to share it with them!” He encourages folks to come to Harrisburg’s Fringe Festival “to feel. Fringe is wild: you'll see shows that blow you away, shows that make you laugh till you cry, shows that make you feel uncomfortable. It's a glorious, inexpensive way to go back out into the world and remember what it's like to be alive. We stayed inside during quarantine for too long. Movies aren't the same. Netflix isn't the same. A live human being pouring their heart out onstage is a powerful thing to behold. It will make you a more full human.”

Stay tuned for more Artist Profiles as we look forward to the Harrisburg Fringe Festival! For a full schedule, visit www.hbgfringe.com.

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