Through the month of June, production companies looking to prepare for their debut in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe will perform in 59E59 Theaters in a series called East to Edinburgh. Here are some of the shows that will be playing!
Edie
By Jessica Toltzis & Kfir Lapid-Mashall
Directed by Eli Pauley
With Jessica Toltzis
Never underestimate the power of a lesbian in love. Edie is based on the fabulous life of Edie Windsor and her sexy and tumultuous relationship with Thea Spyer. Edie sues the United States of America and convinces the Supreme Court to recognize the love that she and Thea share, changing the very definition of marriage.
okay, bye!
Written and performed by Kaila Galinat
Directed by Jasmine K. Bernard
okay, bye! explores the grief, wisdom, and humor of rejection. Romantic heartbreak, bad friends, therapists who’ve ghosted, an exploration of gender identity and sexuality, and one irritated cat. Equal parts clever comedy and sincere search for meaning.
The Brilliance of Broken Glass: Button
By Brooke
NY Comedian/Moth StorySLAM Champion Brooke is a former literal child.
Heard solo shows are navel gazes, have three acts.
So Brooke wrote one. Because she’s had three.
A novel, navel nonfiction narrative comedic hour filled with gut laughs and belly aches.
Brooke fashions wry comedy, award-winning poetic storytelling into a uniquely-styled exploration of innie and outtie worlds.
The Strongest Girl in the World
Written and performed by Truly Siskind-Weiss
Directed by Ellie Jay Stevens
Gather round the campfire for this funny and nostalgic play about love, loss, and summer camp. Truly doesn’t really remember her dad. Instead, she’s collected songs, and stories to build a picture of who he was. Join her as she embarks on a journey to discover her father, and watch as she reconnects with her childhood self along the way.
#Charlottesville
Written and performed by Priyanka Shetty
Directed by Yury Urnov
Priyanka Shetty’s gripping docu-play #CHARLOTTESVILLE is created from firsthand accounts, court transcripts, and news reports, capturing the aftermath of the deadly 2017 “Unite the Right” rally when white supremacists gathered in Charlottesville and how the town—and nation—grapple with white supremacy.
Saloon Girls
By August Kiss Fegley, Katie Kunkel, and Alison Newton
Directed by Katie Kunkel
With August Kiss Fegley, Alison Newton, Zoya Ansari, Aubree Williams, Chloe Mutebi, and Olivia Tyrrell.
Our ensemble cast will pour you a stiff one as they pull back the curtain on a 19th-century brothel of the Great American West. Journey with us to learn the bawdy and boisterous stories of 4 soiled doves and their Madam, whose status quo is thrown to bits by the arrival of a long-lost sister in search of her sibling.
Who We Become
By Lanford Wilson
Directed by Mark Cirnigliaro
With Margaret Curry* and Geoff Stoner
Experience Who We Become, a trilogy of one-act plays by Lanford Wilson performed in repertory.
Breakfast at the Track (July 17, 18) is a clever exploration of marital discord.
In The Moonshot Tape (July 18, 19) a successful writer’s interview with a hometown reporter takes an unexpected turn.
A Poster of the Cosmos (July 17, 19) is a tense interrogation about a mysterious crime.
PSA: Pelvic Service Announcement
Created and performed by Amy Veltman
When a “know-it-all” NYC comedian and mom seeks help for pelvic floor problems, she learns just how much she doesn’t know about life’s most basic functions. In this multimedia extravaganza, Amy shares her hard-won education through original songs and portrayals of people and parts she met along the way. Winner “Best Musical Comedy” United Solo festival Off Broadway.
Jack Offerman’s Big Uncut Flick
By Todd Michael
Directed by Melissa Firlit
Bring on the laughs. In Jack Offerman’s Big Uncut Flick, a quirky 1970s small-town broadcast unravels into a chaotic collision of campy commercials, outrageous characters, and a gripping 1930s noir-style crime story. This fast-paced, meta-theatrical comedy pokes fun at nostalgia, crime dramas, and the absurdities of live television. Perfect for audiences craving wit, satire, and a wild theatrical ride!
Tim Kenneth Kicks the Bucket
Written and directed by Brandon Kiziloz
With Connor Bullock, Jud Meyers, and Mackay Mumford
When their philosophy professor, Tim Kenneth, suffers a meltdown in class, obnoxious prankster Scooter and teacher’s pet Pencil embark on an odyssey through the suburbs of New Jersey, saddled with the weight of their own existence and with complicated feelings about their lecturer.
Kafka for Beginners
By Julian Henry Lowenfeld
Directed by Katie McHugh
With Jonas Kobberdal
A prisoner in solitary confinement is pressured to recant his “heresy.” Will he remain true to his ideals? An uplifting dark comedy based on true stories of prisoners of conscience around the world.
The Boy from Bantay
Written and performed by Jeremy Rafal
Directed by Josh Boerman
From his childhood in the Philippines – a technicolour blur of cartoons and classical music – The Boy from Bantay follows one boy’s heartwarming journey to become a concert pianist.
Exhausted Paint: The Death of Van Gogh
By Justin Maxwell
Directed by Penny Cole
With Drew Stroud
Join us for a tilt-a-whirl trip through the mind of Vincent Van Gogh. A terrible spinning wheel controls the artist as he frantically relives the turbulence of his life. Disoriented, reeling from idea to idea, the soul crushing, chaotic randomness of creation shapes a deep vision of Van Gogh, a man who was so much more than a severed ear.