#1 Besties With Boy Trouble (U.S.)

Presented by Lizanda (Chicago, IL) at Both Sides Art Gallery

Join BFFs Liz and Anda in a show proven by Science to build self-esteem in teens. Prom! Parents! Bullies! Drama! Vampires! Gossip! Recycling!

Comedy; Sketch

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

The 3 Citrons

Presented by The Hollow Tree (Chicago, IL) at the Americana Stage

Prince Tomás seeks desperately to find his true love. With the help of his step-brother and sister, the Prince intends to woo three princesses, each procured from a magic orange, or "citron."  There's only one problem. These "princesses" aren't staying at the castle of their own volition and they might not have even gotten there by the magical means Tomás believes.

Drama; Comedy

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

55 Minutes of Sex, Drugs and Audience Participation

Presented by Howard Lieberman and Loren Niemi present a Jaded Optimist Production (Minneapolis, MN) at Dream Theatre

When the fishbowl stops, you choose one of the nervous-making topics, and we tell fast, funny, emotionally honest stories of the pleasures of forbidden love, wretched excess, reckless living and making a good confession. And for the brave or foolish, you become part of the story....

Comedy; Spoken-word; Sketch; Storytelling

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

The Adventures of Skater Girl

Presented by Small Fish Radio Theatre and Thespinarium (Chicago, IL) at the Black Cloud Gallery

Small Fish Radio Theatre and Thespinarium presents curated programs of original theatre, music, poetry, and storytelling. Here at the Fringe, we’ll record our latest podcast featuring new work from playwrights Walt McGough, Lauren Haines, and Trina Kakacek, poet Will Cooper, and storytellers Janna Sobel and Lisa Scott. What is a Thespinarium? Come give us your two cents on that score and perhaps we'll feature it in our show!

Drama; Comedy; Spoken-word; Solo performance; Sketch; Radio theatre

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

The Alembic

Presented by Terra Mysterium (Chicago, IL) at Dream Theatre

The clockwork of fate is a tricky matter. In this musical, Steampunk tale an alchemist undertakes the work of transmutation. A Goddess responds to his call. Within the realm of humanity, she forgets that she is a Goddess and will pay the ultimate price for her innocence.

Drama; Musical

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Anonymously Yours

Presented by Wyatt Kent (Chicago, IL) at Black Cloud Gallery

The smash hit from last year's fringe returns! A brand new barrage of hilarious raw emotion, harvested from the depths of anonymous boards of the web. From Rants and Raves to Random, come see more of the desire and rage of the internet, unapologetic and uncensored. We didn't write it. Did you?

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Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Ashes to Ashes

Presented by Twilight Productions (Indianapolis, IN) at Black Cloud Gallery

A man returns to his childhood lake house a year after his mother's death to help his ex-trucker/Deadhead father spread her ashes, but is distressed to find him living with another woman. When a secret is revealed about the mother's death, both men must confront the truth—and lies—of their colorful yet troubled past.

Drama, Comedy

Young adults, Not-so-young-anymore adults

As We Like It

Presented by Messenger Theatre Company (New York, NY) at Dream Theatre

A two-woman adaptation of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, As We Like It features music, puppetry, dance and wrestling. Celia and Rosalind devise sports and play pretend. They take on all the roles, including themselves, as they work through love and their Daddy issues. These rich girls play games.

Drama; Comedy; Puppetry; Physical theatre

Children under 12; Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Beneath the Zipper

Presented by Robert JM Productions (Edmond, OK) at Black Cloud Gallery

Penis! That's right, it's an all male theatrical celebration of the penis told through monologues, sketches and audience participation. From sizes to shapes to first times plus fun with condoms. A little naughty adult comedy written and directed by Robert Matson. "Think Vagina Monologues for men." –Eric Webb, Oklahoma Gazette

Drama; Comedy; Sketch

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Breaking Rank!

Presented by Howard Petrick (San Francisco, CA) at Black Cloud Gallery

The autobiographical story of a Vietnam-era draftee who fights against the military bureaucracy for his right to organizing his fellow GIs against the war. "Petrick delivers... he has you laughing through the fear..." –Winnipeg Uptown. "It’s a dazzling display with a self-deprecating honesty." –Kings River Life. "Fascinating... engaging." –CBC

Drama; Comedy; Solo performance

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Bruiser: Tales From a Traumatized Tomboy

Presented by Kelsie Huff (Chicago, IL) at Chicago Art Department

Some girls dream about their wedding day. Others long to play with ponies. Only a select few name and collect their scabs, speak to imaginary rodents in their minds, and make mortal enemies out of cute yellow doggies. Kelsie Huff brings to the Chicago stage the true story of how a misplaced tomboy blossoms into an even more awkward adult. Bruiser tackles the hilarity of adolescent and adult humiliation using Huff's trademark blend of uproarious characters, crushing and unavoidable hereditary influences, and engaging storytelling.

Drama; Comedy; Solo performance

Cathedral City

Presented by Too Much Free Time Productions (Brooklyn, NY) at the Americana Stage

Well, hello! I am, ahem, a time traveler. I have commuted forth and back to the future, abducting my front row seat for every performance of this solo sketch show! I enjoyed each immensely, and laughed until my suspenders broke. Singing trees, mechanical cats, WHIMSY about horrific loneliness, and me!

Comedy; Solo performance; Sketch

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Cheater

Presented by Natalie Shipman (Chicago, IL) at Both Sides Art Gallery

Natalie grew up an overweight, Catholic girl—an unlikely formula for a future philanderer. Cheater is a true story told through monologue and music of a girl's struggle to be faithful, one guy at a time, all the while keeping a serious sense of humor about her potentially life-destroying missteps.

Comedy; Solo performance; Sketch

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

The Comic Thread (sketch comedy)

Presented by Bitter Jester Creative (Highland Park, IL) at Americana Stage

Sketch comedy not born of the Second City school of thought, TCT has been performing since 1998. TCT has been banned from some festivals and has won awards at others. This is not the sketch comedy you take home to your mother. Your aunt, on the other hand, loves us.

Comedy; Spoken-word; Sketch

Not-so-young-anymore adults

Crash Stories

Presented by Kim Morris (Chicago, IL) at Black Cloud Gallery

They say, "Get up one more time than you get knocked down." So after a while, when you realize you're still standing, you look back and you wonder how. This is the how.

Solo performance

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

CRAZYTOWN: my first psychopath

Presented by Jude Treder-Wolff (Smithtown, WI) at Black Cloud Gallery

How do you know that nice, helpful guy in the next cubicle is a psychopath? You don’t. Jude Treder-Wolff takes you down the rabbit hole of belief in a comic take on an over-eager therapist getting over herself (when nothing else seemed to be working).

Drama; Comedy; Musical; Solo performance

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Dawn on a Splintered Heart

Presented by Revision Theatre (Chicago, IL) at the Dream Theatre

Three couples/Three moments/Three short plays. Test what you’re willing to say to put your heart at ease. Confronting betrayal, death, and fear—Dawn on a Splintered Heart dives into how triviality and mortality affects family and romance.

Drama; Comedy; Dance

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

A Day for Grace

Presented by Doug Vincent; Music by Sam Llanas (formerly of BoDeans)(Erie, CO) at Both Sides Art Gallery

Music by Sam Llanas (formerly of BoDeans). Directed by Tanya Taylor Rubinstein. A Day for Grace follows the adventures of a father-to-be chasing parental shadows to find the light for his unborn daughter. "A Day for Grace is one of those shows that is so human that it’s both hysterically funny and very painful. It’s brilliantly hilarious and, at the end, completely transcendent of all the experiences." –Tanya Taylor Rubinstein

Solo performance

Teenagers, Young adults, Not-so-young-anymore adults

Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-Latino

Presented by Yes Theatre Co. (Indianapolis, IN) at Both Sides Art Gallery

Do Re Mi Fa So Latino is an Hispanic re-imagination of American pop culture. Meet President Rodriguez (the first openly non-American citizen President), and Mexican Harriet Tubman, smuggling hard working Hispanics out of Arizona to the less oppressive north. A fun, and slightly offensive romp, with no Spanish speaking skills necessary!

Comedy

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

En El Corazon

Presented by Wishbone Theatre Collective (Chicago, IL) at Americana Stage

En El Corazon is a devised play, based on interviews of people who have been displaced from their homes. Specifically, these people are from Columbia, South America and are now living as refugees because of U.S. actions in their country. The play will explore these events from many perspectives and includes actors and artists of Caucasian, African American, and Latino descent.

Drama; Comedy

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Feel the Power of the Dork Side

Presented by Dr. Pete (Marietta, GA) at the Both Sides Art Gallery

Dr. Pete Ludovice, engineering professor by day and stand-up comedian by night, leads a roller-coaster ride through the lighter side of science math and technology. Who thought learning could make you wet your pants? It’s like your H.S. science class on nitrous oxide.

Comedy; Solo performance; educational

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

The Granny Diaries

Presented by Mary Redmon (Willow Springs, IL) at the Black Cloud Gallery

I may have gray hair, but it doesn't mean I don't swing! The teeter-totter ups and downs of grannie to 11 kids. Slide into my experience tring to keep all these kids straight!

Comedy; Musical; Solo performance

Not-so-young-anymore adults

Handshake Uppercut

Presented by Jay Dunn & John Leo (Brooklyn, NY) at the Americana Stage

Two gentleman brawlers drag each other through eternity with only each other's courtesy and cruelty to keep them alive. A hysterical, brawling clash of 1920's silent film and rock n' roll vaudeville, Handshake Uppercut is an unabashedly dark, erotic, edgy and super-funny experience. Oscillating between gleeful savagery and seething politesse, Fringe circuit veterans John Leo (Best of Fringe, SF: '03/'08) and Jay Dunn (Edinburgh & Philly '10) take silent comedy to its outer limits in this hilarious Beckettian duel.

Comedy; Physical theatre; Clown

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Hunting Middle Class

Presented by SilverAro (Saint Paul, MN) at Chicago Art Department

Hunting Middle Class is a hilarious story about two misguided tramps and a mad billionaire. When Felix Nebikanezer makes a bet with a fellow billionaire he is forced to trap two hobos and make them kill for him. What will the two tramps do when forced into this corner? Watch and find out.

Comedy

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

In My Own Defense

Presented by Social Paraphernalia (Chicago, IL) at the Americana Stage

I can accept that I'm crazy because that doesn't definitively prove that I'm insane. Here's the moral of the story: If going against the norm automatically equates to being crazy, we all are in a loosing battle.

Drama; Comedy; Spoken-word; Sketch

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Kinetic Concoction

Presented by SHARP Dance Company (Philadelphia, PA) at Chicago Art Department

Addictive and thought provoking, SHARP Dance Company will present a night of very different pieces ranging from: the humorous “Rollercoaster Rules” to a woman trapped in a straight-jacket on pointe shoes in “Unguarded Moment.” And don’t forget the 34ft long skirt?? Come enjoy a night of SHARP's "Meaning Behind Movement.”

Dance

Children under 12; Teenagers; Young adults

Lady Love

Presented by Amrita Dhaliwal / Dal Vivo (Chicago, IL) at Dream Theatre

Lady Love has traveled the world with the sole mission to find love for all. Dating online? Forgo your monthly fee and come see Lady Love. Join her in Chicago and walk away with a fuller understanding of love.  Divorcees, hopeless romantics, ice cream pint eaters, widows, etc welcome. meetamrita.com/ladylove

Drama; Comedy; Solo performance; Physical theatre

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

The Last Sleepover

Presented by Eleusis (Chicago, IL) at Chicago Art Department

Will Magdalena become Magdalena? Sixteen-year-old Magdalena loves Sarah without hesitation. But on the eve of entering adulthood, outside forces—parents, boys, and society—threaten to tear them apart. Most menacing, Magdalena realizes she will need to disentangle herself in order to find her own way. The Last Sleepover asks the question: Do we lose ourselves in the process of finding "the One"?

Drama

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Modal Kombat

Presented by Modal Kombat (New York, NY) at Dream Theatre

The first ever guitar-controlled video game battle! Guitarists play real video games using REAL guitars as controllers LIVE in a hybrid video game battle/concert.

Musical; Guitar-Controlled Video Game Battle

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Moksori/Voice

Presented by The Interpreters (Sueol, South Korea) at the Both Sides Art Gallery

"I was no longer human..." Two South Korean women explore womanhood and heritage through channeling the forgotten “comfort women,” East Asian women forced into brutal sexual slavery during WWII. How do we come face-to-face with our own traumatic history? Will we be able to articulate their stories—and what about our own?

Drama; Physical theatre

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

No Stopping, No Warping, No Dying

Presented by 1-UP Productions (Chicago, IL) at the Chicago Art Department

This powered-up ride through a thirty-year friendship promises laughs that far exceed an 8-bit pixel count as Player 1 and Player 2 navigate the challenge of leveling up through the stages of their lives, all the way from World 1-1 to World 8-4. But will they save the princess?

Drama; Comedy

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

OCCUPY THIS! Tales of an accidental activist

Presented by Reverend Nuge (Dearborn Heights, MI) at Black Cloud Gallery

Comedic monologist Tommy "Reverend Nuge" Nugent went to Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Detroit just to carry funny signs. But a funny thing happened on the way to the Revolution... he started to believe in it. "Nugent makes it look easy and fun." -Cincinnati Citybeat

Drama; Comedy; Solo performance

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Pink Milk

Presented by White Elephant (Evanston, IL) at Americana Stage

Pink Milk is based on the life of Alan Turing: lonely, gay, a genius. He talks to inanimate objects. He feeds apples to robots. A talking glass of milk kills his lover Christopher. There are movement sequences. There is electronic music. At one point, Snow White runs through a forest.

Drama; Physical theatre; Dance-theatre

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Put It In the Scrapbook

Presented by George Contini (Lawrenceville, GA) at Dream Theatre

A man-actress with ambition! Actor George Contini brings to life the forgotten legend Female Impersonator Julian Eltinge. Facing debt and obscurity, an aging Eltinge recalls his fame in Vaudeville, Broadway, and Silent Film while the world begins to view him more as a Perversion than an Artist. Presenting the first re-creation of Eltinge’s stage routines and rare archival footage, this multi media performance examines the dark fluidity of Eltinge’s sexual persona and its ability to ultimately offer him salvation.

Drama; Burlesque; Musical; Solo performance; Drag

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

The Roast of Cinderella

Presented by The League of Miscreants (Forest Park, IL) at Dream Theatre

The Chicago Fringe Festival is a noble and heroic effort to provide artists with a platform. To truly shine, to reach full potential, every hero needs a villain. The Miscreants are that villain.

Comedy; Sketch; Clown; Atrocity

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Scientist Turned Comedian Tim Lee

Presented by Liquid Desert Productions (Los Angeles, CA) at Both Sides Art Gallery

A creative blend of stand up comedy and science. "Very cerebral comedy" –NY Times

Comedy; Sketch

Shadows and Lust

Presented by Strangeloop Theatre (Chicago, IL) at Chicago Art Department

For 18 year-old sex addict Cal, moving to Chicago was supposed to offer an opportunity to break his destructive habits. But between his girl-obsessed roommate, the sex-drenched atmosphere of college, and the allure of the Internet, he realizes that taming his addiction may be more difficult than he thought.

Drama; Comedy

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Sorry to Disappoint Me

Presented by Eric Bjorlin (Chicago, IL) at Both Sides Art Gallery

A house, a spouse, a baby and a mouse. For Eric growing up, it seemed like a reasonable expectation for life on his 30th birthday. But when the day finally hits, he must reconcile his past dreams with his current reality. It’s not always pretty.

Drama; Comedy; Solo performance

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

The Space/Movement Project: A Retrospectacle

Presented by The Space/Movement Project (Chicago, IL) at Chicago Art Department

Retrospectacle is a suite of three dances that span the company's recent collaborative creative efforts: a full company piece, a trio, and a quartet.

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Storms Under Her Skin

Presented by Rebecca Kling (Chicago, IL) at Both Sides Art Gallery

The person standing next to you, are they a boy or a girl? What about you? Are you a boy or a girl? You can only pick one, obviously, and you had better get it right. I'm transgender, which complicates things. This show is about how we physicalize gender, but it's about other things, too: apologies, surgery, the equations of sex, the weather (metaphorically speaking), boobs, and more. (PS - Not to brag or anything, but I've been described as "charming" and "smart" by the Chicago Tribune. No big deal.)

Spoken-word; Solo performance; Performance art

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

The Tipped & The Tipsy

Presented by Jill Vice (San Francisco, CA) at the Black Cloud Gallery

Come join us at "Happy's" where the beer is cold and the bartender's hot. You may have experienced bars from the patrons point of view. This show takes you to the other side of the bar and beyond. Sit down with the regulars of "Happy's" and enjoy a shot of satire.

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They Call Me Q

Presented by Qurrat Ann Kadwani (New York ,NY) at the Dream Theatre

Who is Q? Why do they call her Q? Travel with Q as she goes on a journey to find herself amidst her traditional Indian parents, Caucasian teachers, Puerto Rican classmates, African-American friends and an Indian girl she meets in India. Life wasn't easy growing up in the Bronx but will Q be able to reconcile being Indian and American?

Drama; Comedy; Solo performance

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UnMasked

Presented by Curt...from Detox (Cincinnati, OH) at Both Sides Art Gallery

Detox is coming!!! The extraordinary actor, writer, spoken word artist, and phenomenal story teller, Curt... from Detox, has been freed and is bringing, UnMasked to Chicago. Said to be the love child of William Shakespeare and Richard Pryor; 1 man, 8 characters, and 56 minutes brutal honesty. See you there!

Drama; Comedy; Spoken-word; Solo performance; Sketch

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

The Unmasking

Presented by Allen Green (Oak Park, IL) at the Black Cloud Gallery

What would happen if you looked deeply into your soul to uncover your angers? unmask yourself.. be vulnerable... give thanks for the Buddhas into your life.... who would you be? Allen's wife of 25 years dies suddenly and he's forced to face the shadows of his nature...

Drama; Solo performance

Teenagers; Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

The War to End War

Presented by The Island (Chicago, IL) at Chicago Art Department

An explosion of performance, this play reveals itself like a three part dream. Part one is a surrealist re-imagining of the Treaty of Versailles. Part two is a Dada revue hosted by German artist Kurt Schwitters. Part three is a high stakes poker game between nuclear physicists.

Comedy; Dance; Spoken-word; Burlesque; Musical; Physical theatre; Clown

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults

Where Is My Mind?

Presented by Schedule C Productions (Anderson, IN) at the Americana Stage

Mesmerizing mind reading, crazy karaoke, vindictive ventriloquist figures, and even a soulful song are par for the course as Jackie Strait attempts to escape the one man show in his mind. Is he merely mad, or is there something more? In the end, only Jackie’s imagination... and yours... can set him free.

Drama; Comedy; Spoken-word; Solo performance; Insane in the membrane

Young adults; Not-so-young-anymore adults