Tag Archives: Solo Shows

#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: Godless

Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , , ,

by Constance Jaquay Strickland

Quick peeks at #HFF25’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins

Fringe Femmes

WHO: Cristina Fernandez

WHAT: Godless

WHERE: Hudson Theatres (Hudson Guild), 6539 Santa Monica Bl

WHY: Because Cristina’s show is a wonderfully nonlinear comedy that invites you to let go of control and ride the current of her thoughts, quirks, and curiosities. Because she trusts her audience, and in turn, we trust her back. Because she breaks the rules with such ease, you forget they ever existed. Because it’s authentic, wholesome, and yes—experimental, that means you won’t see anything else like it at Fringe. Because there are beautifully human moments when she doesn’t have to say anything at all. Because the tilt of her head, or a single swan-like movement across the space, becomes a performance all its own. Because she takes us on an emotional, very human ride through the inner terrain of fears, anxieties, and quiet worries—but never forgets to remind us that joy, laughter, and love are how we make it through.

Because at the end, just when you think it’s over, Cristina leads the entire audience out the door in a spontaneous Conga. Because yes, it takes a second to realize what’s happening—but when you do, it’s exactly what you need. Because it was wild, warm, and unexpectedly unifying. Because that one shared moment won’t fade from memory anytime soon.

HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10321

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#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: Grief Baby’s Road Trip

Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , , ,

by Constance Jaquay Strickland

Quick peeks at #HFF25’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins

Fringe Femmes

WHO: Adedana Ashebir

WHAT: Grief Baby’s Road Trip

WHERE: Hudson Theatres (Hudson Guild), 6539 Santa Monica Bl

WHY: Because my heart exploded as Adedana let us into her cycle of healing after the loss of her father. Because I wasn’t raised by my own father, and it was deeply moving to witness a daughter keep the memory—and voice—of her father alive with such tenderness. Because grief is hard to witness when you’re still in the thick of it.

Because it didn’t hit me until the next day, walking alone, that I, too, had my own ‘grief baby’—and I hadn’t allowed myself to name the losses I carry: my grandmother, and four dear friends. Because Adedana became a vessel for that release, for all of us. And that is a rare and beautiful gift an artist gives her audience.

Because Adedana has an extraordinary ability to connect. Her presence made me feel like we were friends gathered in circle—sharing, listening, remembering. Because her show is a tender meditation on what one life means to another. Because the sudden loss of a parent shifts your reality in a heartbeat, and she captured that surreal unraveling with grace and humor.

Because her journey—of discovering lessons tucked in her father’s parables and quotes, of deciding to learn to drive and make the brave solo trip to the Grand Canyon—was jaw-droppingly inspiring. Because it spoke to a young woman reclaiming agency, finding out who she is and what she’s made of.

Because this is the question pulsing underneath: Who are you after your parent dies? And who gives you permission to grieve out loud?

Because Adedana taught us how to hold space—for others, and for ourselves. Because we don’t always realize how our words land when someone is grieving. Sometimes, the most compassionate thing we can offer is silence, or presence.

Because this is a season of healing. The people are demanding a release. And Adedana answered that call with an open heart and outstretched arms.

Because she reminded me, and maybe will remind you too, that our ‘grief babies’ are real—and they deserve to be named and remembered. Because you have two more chances to this show!

HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/11821

Click Here to Find More “Women on the Fringe!”

#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: How Do I Hold It?

Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , , ,

by Constance Jaquay Strickland

Quick peeks at #HFF25’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins

Fringe Femmes

WHO: Tabatha Myers

WHAT: How Do I Hold It?

WHERE: Thymele Arts (Kansas Room), 5481 Santa Monica Bl

WHY: Because this show doesn’t ask for your pity—it earns your presence. Because her words are spoken like a gust of wind: sudden, sweeping, and unforgettable. Because it’s rare to witness a performer this willing to blend absurdity with honesty, grief with punchlines, and horror with lightness. Because I walked away from this show with a keener sense and understanding of what it means to not let anyone steal your light. Because trauma isn’t linear, and neither is healing.

Because Tabatha reminded me to laugh. Because Tabatha reminds us all that expression doesn’t have to be tidy to be true. Because watching her on stage feels like sitting with a friend who finally lets you in. Because she never asks you to feel sorry for her—only to feel. Because joy and resilience are not opposites of pain, but its unexpected companions. Because her story holds both the weight of what she’s survived and the shimmer of who she’s still becoming. Because you’ll walk out seeing your own light a little clearer. Because this is a show that leaves room for you to heal sideways. Because the stage needs more writing like this. Because laughter in the dark is a revolution. Because Tabatha had this profound ability to see through violation, confusion, pain, and disappointment and find a way to keep living.

Go support this show, you won’t be sitting hoping to be entertained, instead, you’ll go through a quiet revelation of self. 

HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/11783

Click Here to Find More “Women on the Fringe!”

#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: She’s About to POP!

Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , , ,

by Constance Jaquay Strickland

Quick peeks at #HFF25’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins

Fringe Femmes

WHO: Charlene Modeste

WHAT: She’s About to POP!

WHERE: Hudson Theatres (Hudson Guild), 6539 Santa Monica Bl

WHY: Because this story isn’t fiction—it’s lived.

Because Charlene’s voice is as smooth as butter.

Because fibroids are a silent epidemic in Black women’s bodies, and silence has never saved us.

Because Charlene dares to make the invisible visible.

Because reproductive justice isn’t a luxury—it’s a right.

Because navigating a flawed system while in pain is a performance in itself—and she lived it before she ever stepped onstage.

Because we’ve been taught to endure, but not to speak.

Because she speaks anyway.

Because cannabis, healing, and the right to choose have been violently policed when you’re a Black woman.

Because she names what so many carry in secret.

Because her body becomes a battleground, and then a beacon.

Because storytelling is survival.

Because she makes you laugh, ache, and think—sometimes all in the same breath.

Because you’ll carry this one with you, long after the curtain falls.

Because the more we talk about healthcare injustice, the more power we build as a  community.

Because Charlene has the right to receive the medical care she believes in.

Because now is the time to go support this show.

HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/11580

Click Here to Find More “Women on the Fringe!”

#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: Rag Doll on a Bombsite

Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , , , , ,

Quick peeks at #HFF25’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins

Fringe Femmes

WHO: Shelley Cooper

WHAT: Rag Doll on a Bombsite

WHERE: Hudson Theatres (Hudson Guild), 6539 Santa Monica Bl

WHY: It’s a surprising treat, heading to the Fringe and getting a look into history – particularly, at remarkable women in history. Here, writer/perfomer Shelley Cooper (directed by Kelsey Miller) reveals hard truths about Lotte Lenya’s dark and violent upbringing, shedding light on her celebrated portrayal of Jenny Diver in “The Three Penny Opera”… and her need to share it with an audience. We travel backstage, onstage and into the corners of Lotte’s past along with her present romance with composer Kurt Weill in a very personal and affecting way, thanks to Shelley’s considerable chops as a singer and dancer.

HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/12077

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#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: A Bella Incarceration

Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , ,

by Eloise Coopersmith

Quick peeks at #HFF24’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins

Fringe Femmes

WHO:  Ann Noble

WHAT: A Bella Incarceration

WHERE: The Broadwater Studio,  1078 Lillian Way

WHY: Anne Noble is clearly a master at her craft. Her solo performance immerses us in a torrent of language about incarceration, drawing from historic writers. Her character’s initial portrayal is articulate, intelligent and delivered with rapid-fire precision, skimming the surface of her character’s inner life. As the narrative unfolds, Anne’s character receives the keys to freedom, elevating her soul beyond the confines of prison bars to reveal deep emotional scars. It’s a deeply evocative and expressive journey.

HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10534

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#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: Astrologically Screwed

Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , ,

by Azo Safo

Quick peeks at #HFF24’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins

Fringe Femmes

WHO: Pam Levin

WHAT: Astrologically Screwed

WHERE: Hudson Theatres (Hudson Backstage), 6539 Santa Monica Bl

WHY: Pam meets a world renowned astrologer who predicts several pivotal moments in her life, one of which is a negative event that will take place when she turns forty.  The negative event remains a mystery until her life falls apart on the same day as her fortieth birthday. The build-up to that moment includes several astrological predictions coming true – including in love and career. Pam is ultimately guided by the universe and her guardian angels to triumph.  There is a vividly heartbreaking scene involving a teddy bear. The show explores topics of faith and spirituality, love of family, guardian angels and the power of intuition in steering us toward the answers we seek.  Pam’s spirited and energetic performance is filled with hope and humor. Be sure to bring Kleenex! 

HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10974

Click Here to Find More “Women on the Fringe!”

#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life, Sex, and Everything in Between

Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , ,

by Eloise Coopersmith

Quick peeks at #HFF24’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins

Fringe Femmes

WHO:  Ariella Salinas Fiore

WHAT: The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life, Sex, and Everything in Between

WHERE: The Hobgoblin Playhouse, 6440 Santa Monica Bl

WHY: Ariella Salinas Fiore shines in her show with a mix of fun, frisky, and fabulous energy. Her storytelling is incredibly sincere and real, drawing audiences in to care deeply about both her and the topics she discusses. She unabashedly tackles personal challenges – particularly society’s judgments on physical appearance – offering not just entertainment but also a poignant educational experience. Her narrative sheds light on the universal struggle to stay authentic in a world that often dictates how one should be rather than accepting individuals as they are.

HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10927

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#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: My Mother Doesn’t Know I’m Kinky

Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , ,

by Eloise Coopersmith

Quick peeks at #HFF24’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins

Fringe Femmes

WHO:  Jean Franzblau

WHAT: My Mother Doesn’t Know I’m Kinky

WHERE: The Broadwater Second Stage,  6320 Santa Monica Bl

WHY: Well-structured storytelling with a powerful narrative exploring what some might consider a taboo topic. Educational and deeply personal, Franzblau takes her audience on her journey of self-discovery into her authentic sexual identity. Despite ratings and descriptors suggesting an adult audience, the storytelling remains respectful and accessible to all. Those attending with a sense of wonder rather than judgment will certainly enjoy this work.

HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10366

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#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: Body Count

Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , ,

by Constance Strickland

Quick peeks at #HFF24’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins

Fringe Femmes

WHO: Joy Regullano

WHAT: Body Count

WHERE: The Broadwater (Studio) 1078 Lillian Way

WHY: It was 11pm and I was not sure what to expect as I walked into the theatre and saw a condom under my seat. As I sat down I knew this was going to be a wild ride and ooowee that it was. Joy is HILARIOUS! The way she takes up space despite her size and can hold a room in the palm of her hand with a pause in her voice… or the way she grins when even she knows what’s she’s said is over the top but true. Yes. She is hilarious. Yet that freedom, that deep ability to rouse laughter, is not an accident. Joy makes us laugh because she can pinpoint her pain, dissect it, sit with it and then see in between the moments. We’ve all thought we could fuck the pain away and Body Count reminds us we’re only running from ourselves. So let’s talk about it – Joy offers us this gift in a communal space and together we come to understand that loving someone unconditionally is healing and the best of times are  right around the corner.

HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10932

Click Here to Find More “Women on the Fringe!”