Orlando Fringe Announces Plans For Visual Fringe, Kids Fringe, and Outdoor Stage

The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival presents Visual Fringe, Kids Fringe, and the Outdoor Stage for its 31st festival running May 17-30, 2022, in Orlando's Loch Haven Park.

Visual Fringe is the visual art portion of the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival that features drawing, painting, sculpture, design, jewelry making, and much more. This year's Visual Fringe is bigger and better than ever with the brand new Visual Fringe HQ located in the Patron's Room in Orlando Shakes, the former Purple Venue. The gallery will be open May 18-29. Everything in the gallery is for sale, and 100% of the money made in art sales is given back to the artists.

Everyone is invited to the Visual Fringe Gallery Opening on May 20 from 7pm-8pm.Walk through the gallery, see the expanded offerings, and meet the gallery artists and Visual Fringe staff. The grand toast is at 7:15pm.

Visual Fringe HQ will feature crafts, demonstrations, live events, shows, selfie backdrops, and a creative lounge. New this year from Vexed Vending is a community art based vending machine. Local art, nostalgic finds, kitschy items, and unique creations can all be bought from the vending machine. Every day, from May 18-29, an art market will be held where patrons can buy select pieces and meet artists in person. A short film screening will be shown on May 20 at 9 p.m. with the theme "film as visual art."

Visual Fringe extends beyond Visual Fringe HQ. The "Love is in the Air" Light show will be presented May 22 at 7 p.m. on the Play What You Can Stage. Also on the Play What You Can Stage, on May 29 at 7 p.m., is the ticketed Cocktail and Paint class. On the Lawn, The Stand Up Selfie Studio will offer a variety of areas, made by FunVenture, to take photos. The Selfie Studio will be available every day from May 18-30.

Visual Fringe has many more shows and events, including digital painting from your chosen songs, a dirty art history presentation, henna, pet portraits, and an art inspired improv show that will inspire art! For the full list visit: https://orlandofringe.org/may/visual-fringe-in-festival/.

Kids Fringe is a free festival for kids and families that takes place during the weekends of the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival. Kids Fringe occurs on both Saturdays and Sundays, May 21, 22, 28, and 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Orlando Garden Club.

The free event will include live performances, workshops, and art activities. Performances will be thirty minutes or less and include plays, music, puppetry, and magic. Kids Fringe will have a ribbon cutting and juice box toast on Saturday May 21st at 10 a.m.

New shows coming to Kids Fringe this year are The Everglads, by Puppet Celebration, Inc., The Princess and the Pea (African Version) by Lovely Day Arts and Batman Villain Support Group, by Central Florida Vocal Arts. The Everglads is a musical puppet performance about rockin' crocodiles taking Florida's venues by storm. The Princess and the Pea is a tabletop puppetry performance that will bring a cultural twist to the classic tale. In Batman Villain Support Group, Batman's infamous rogues gallery will team up to complete a feat never seen before: talk (and sing) about their feelings. Young artists from Arts4All Florida will share their talents at Kids Fringe for the first time. Disability inclusion activist Rebecca Oslacky will sing musical theatre songs and Aidan Wilson will bring an art installation to the festival.

International guests at Kids Fringe include The Long Way, featuring trombonist Elias Faingersh of Theater KEF of Sweden, Samurai Training Workshop with Theatre Group Gumbo of Japan, and an Object Theater Workshop with Yanomi Shoshinz of Japan. Returning favorites include Mad Science LIVE!, Mr. Richard and the Pound Hounds, and Drag Queen Story Time with Gidget Galore. Mad Science LIVE! features cool and exciting experiments that are easy and safe for little ones. Mr. Richard and the Pound Hounds is Orlando's only rock band just for kids and plays fun tunes that will make you want to dance. Gidget Galore will share stories that emphasize messages of acceptance, being a good citizen, sharing and inclusion.

Besides shows, music and arts, Kids Fringe has some special events planned this year. Experience a backstage tour on May 28th at 11:30 a.m., where kids and their caregivers can take a tour of our Fringe venues and learn about what happens behind the scenes. There will be pillow fights on the Kids Fringe lawn, and a parade to celebrate the end of each day. Genevieve Bernard, Education Manager and Kids Fringe Producer, said "I'm thrilled about this year's line-up of Fringe-y fun designed just for kids. Fringe touring artists are joining us from as far away as Japan and Sweden sharing music, puppetry, and magic and our outdoor activities are back including site-specific theater, performance art, freestyle painting and parades. It's going to be a great Kids Fringe."

For the full schedule and more information about Kids Fringe, visit https://orlandofringe.org/kidsfringe/.

Returning to the Fringe lawn this year, is our free outdoor stage. The Outdoor Stage at Orlando Fringe is located at Loch Haven Park and will feature performances from over 50 incredible artists including singer songwriters, musical duos and trios, bands of all genres including Jazz, Latin, Indie, Pop, Alternative Rock, local dance troupes and choirs, live readings and stand-up comedians, improv groups and more! Starting Wednesday, May 18th you can experience these artists every week night from 6:00pm-11:00pm and weekends from 3:00pm-11:00pm. The Outdoor Stage will have an opening reception on Friday, May 20th at 8:00 PM on the lawn at the Outdoor Stage.

For more information about the outdoor stage, visit https://orlandofringe.org/may/outdoorstage-2/.

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