Terry Brennan Returns To Philadelphia To Premiere ADHD Mixtape At Philly Fringe

Tribe of Fools artistic director and Philadelphia Fringe Festival favorite Terry Brennan will be performing by himself for the first time at the 2024 Philadelphia Fringe Festival with a funny and touching look at the struggles of ADHD kids in school with his world premiere ADHD Mixtape, September 7th. This one performance only will be at the Circus Campus at 6452 Greene St. Tickets cost $25 and are available online

ADHD Mixtape is the story of an ADHD addled student from first grade to twelfth and the challenges they face along the way like trouble sitting still, trouble finishing assignments, gym class, and trouble fitting in as a teenager.  The show utilizes pop music, physical comedy, dancing as well as circus tricks like handstands, sledgehammer balancing, tire juggling and good old-fashioned pratfalls.  

This new work is created by Terry Brennan. Ali Rogers and Terry Brennan directed the show.

Brennan, who has ADHD, conceived the idea for the show after teaching multiple students with ADHD or other neurodivergent learning styles and watching them struggle with teachers and institutions that weren't equipped to handle them.

“I was teaching circus and theatre, two places that weird kids should thrive,” said Brennan. “Many of the teachers would talk very compassionately about the kids with ADHD or who were on the spectrum, but then in class would become incredibly frustrated with those same kids. The teachers would throw their hands up or lash out at the kids in ways that ultimately weren't helpful.”

This show features one actor (Brennan) who will play a child from the age of 6 all the way through the age of 18. Part of the comedy will be the hysterically transparent and DIY way that Brennan shows the challenges of school. There will be the signature exciting athletic movement and choreography that defines Brennan's performance style.

“This is the most physically challenging show I've ever created. I want it show to be a whirlwind,” said Brennan. “I hope audiences come in and are taken in by physical feats and athleticism of the show but spend just as much time laughing at the ridiculous and sillier aspects of the performance. Hopefully I can make some people laugh and then more importantly make some people stop and think the next time they encounter that kid whose entire being just can't stop vibrating.”

Performances

Saturday, September 7 at 7 p.m.

About The Artists

Terry Brennan is a critically acclaimed, and award-winning actor and director based in Philadelphia, Pa. He was the artistic director of Tribe of Fools, an award winning physical theatre comapny dedicated to creating new plays that blur the lines between theatre, dance, acrobatics, and other highly visual and kinetic storytelling techniques.

Ali Rogers is a circus coach and French to English translator. She has created multiple circus acts at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts and currently manages special events and performances at West Coast Circus in Pitt Meadows, BC.

Brennan's work has tackled issues like gender roles, toxic masculinity, violence, sexual identity, learning disabilities, family, power dynamics and even time travel. With the sensibility of a "long lost forgotten Marx Brother" he brings a sense of levity and fun to his productions in order to make complicated and difficult themes accessible and identifiable to the audience.

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