By Analyn Revilla

Top 10 reasons to see plays at the Hollywood Fringe Festivals:

10. Participation in the Hollywood Fringe is completely open and uncensored. This free-for-all approach underlines the festival’s mission to be a platform for artists without the barrier of a curative body. By opening the gates to anyone with a vision, the festival is able to exhibit the most diverse and cutting-edge points-of-view the world has to offer. – That was straight out of the horse’s mouth – http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/learn/index/89

9. Theatre hopping in one night in the same theatre or just mozyin’ on down to the theatre next door to catch the next act.  Two weeks of staying out late theatre-bar-theatre-bar hoppin.

8. Live entertainment with breathing, salivating, thinking, reacting and overacting people in their own skin. This is the opportunity to boycott computer animated movies for two weeks.

7. Make an artist feel appreciated.

6. Surprise yourself.  If you can’t stretch your body, stretch your mind.  It’s yoga for the imagination.

5. Because Theatre is the new Cool (always has and always will be). I liken Theatre to Miles Davis – a classic cool who will always be cool, because he was fearless in reinventing himself.

4. 278 shows! (I think this is about right from the search on the website) to choose from in 2 weeks

acting · american · comedy · dark comedy · hilarious · identity · los angeles · love · new york · one woman show · relationships · storytelling · adult themes · comedic · comedy · dark humor · death · drama · dramedy · ensemble · family · funny · gay · music · musical · musical theater · one person show · one-act · original · satire · solo show · storytelling · theater · women · world

3.  Fancy is back! (I saw FANCY: Secrets from the Bootydoir last year, and was amazed by the talent. Chris Farah is a hot blooded story teller.)

2. A new and brave talent on the scene from Europe – Natacha Astuto wrote the thriller The Last Train. This is the first English version of the play that has played for 2 years in Europe in French. It won both the Grand Prix and the Young Jury prize at last weeks’ FESTIVAL DE CAHORS, FRANCE.

1. Women on the Fringe! This is the list of the shows that were written by women – shortened without the hashtags. Get the complete details on https://lafpi.com/about/women-at-work-onstage/women-on-the-fringe/

1. BURNT AT THE STEAK by Carolann Valentino

2. I CAN HEAR YOU…BUT I’M NOT LISTENING by Jennifer Jasper

3. LYDIA TRUEBLOOD – THE BLACK WIDOW OF THE ATLANTIC COAST by Liz Eldridge & Efrain Schunior

4. BETTER THAN SHAKESPEARE PRESENTS: MUCH ADO ABOUT SOMETHING, created by Megan Kelly and Kate Grabau (and William Shakespeare)

5. WOMEN by Chiara Atik

6. THE PENS SHALL HAVE THEIR DAY by Lesley Gouger

7. GWYNETH & BEYONCÉ: A Tale of 2 Virgins by Laura Keller and Christina Jeffs

8. THE CAVE: A FOLK OPERA by Melanie Rose Thomas

9. HONESTLY, OK – THE SEMI-TRUE STORY OF A GIRL AND HER SHOES by Nicole Dominguez and Lauren Stone

10. LOST IN LVOV by Sandy Simona

11. PIECES OF CARRA created by Rachae Thomas and Carly Pandza

12. THAT’S WHAT SHE DIDN’T SAY: A TRUE STORY OF TABOO, REDEMPTION & MUSICAL THEATRE by Bonnie Joy Sludikoff

13. THE LAST TRAIN (Le Dernier Train) by Natacha Astuto

14. FANCY: SECRETS FROM MY BOOTYDOIR by Chris Farah

15. SHAME BASED FUN by Sasha Fisher

16. GIMPLECAPPED: A JOURNEY OF “INSPIRATION” by Regan Linton and Laura Alsum

17. FROM A YARDIE TO A YANKEE BY Sardia Robinson

18. THE ALEXIS LAMBRIGHT TELL-A-THON: COMBATING ADULT VIRGINITY by Alexis Lambright

19. MARIA CONCHITA ALFONSO ALFONSO ALFONSO by Marina Gonzalez Palmier

20. BELLI GEMELLI: AN OPERA SITCOM by Kara Morgan and Heidi Tungseth

21. LOCKOUT by Ann Matthews

22. HAROLD & STELLA: LOVE LETTERS by Sheana Ochoa

23. THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC by Jacquetta Szathmari

24. CAN’T TAKE MY (EYES) OFF OF YOU by Fiona Lakeland

25. BONNIE’S FUTURE SISTERS by Meghan Gambling

26. AND SHE BAKES, LIVE by Daliya Karnofsky

27. VICTORIAN COURTING AND ZOMBIES book by Susan Sassi

28. WOMEN ON THE VERGE by Kimba Henderson

29. Poofy du Vey in BURDEN OF POOF by Courtney Cunningham

30. THE LAST TEMPTATION OF PAULA DEEN by Fell Swoop Playwrights

31. RIOT GRRRL SAVES THE WORLD (or, The Zine of Grrrl)’ by Louisa Hill

32. THE MERMAID WHO LEARNED HOW TO FLY by Kyla Garcia

33. WAITLESS by Cailin Harrison

34. DAUGHTER OF . . . by Susannah Blinkoff

35. CHITLIN BLUES: DANCING IN THE GREY concept by Constance Strickland

36. 52 PICK-UP by Rita Bozi and TJ Dawe

37. WHY I DIED, A COMEDY! by Katie Rubin

38. JESUS H: A SOLOR PLAY FOR THE ZEALOT IN ALL OF US by Mariah Freda

39. THINGS BEING WHAT THEY ARE by Wendy Macleod

40. GERMAINE by Rachel Germaine

41. PATHWAYS the DIGITAL MUSICAL by Lei Lei Lashawn

42. HAPPY AND GAY by Mary Steelsmith

43. LA BETE by June Carryl