The tradition of fringe festivals dates back to 1947 in Scotland, when eight theatre companies organized their own event at the border — or in the “fringe” — of the official Edinburgh International Festival, welcoming artists from all walks of life and embracing alternative performances.
Since then, fringe festivals have become the experimental epicenter of performance art. The tradition arrived in dear old Philly in 1997, when the first Philadelphia Fringe Festival was presented by FringeArts. Since then, it has expanded from five days to a jam-packed full month, totaling more than 1,000 performances and drawing audiences of up to 40,000.
The 2025 Philadelphia Fringe Festival continued to boast a star-studded and multidisciplinary line-up. Lasting from September 4 to September 28, it featured theatrical productions, stand-up comedies, circus acts, puppet shows, and a variety of other creative projects. Some stand-out performances this year included Weathering, a living sculpture choreographed by Faye Driscoll, La Otra, a bilingual play that combined comedy with magical realism from 1812 Productions, and Around the World in 80 Toys, a theatrical homage to cinema via magic, object puppetry, and special effects.
Both the Bryn Mawr and Haverford arts programs have extensive connections to the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. In fact, Bi-Co faculty members, students, and alums consistently participate in Philly Fringe productions. Bryn Mawr’s current Director and Professor of Theater, Catharine Slusar, has performed in the Fringe Fest no less than four times as of 2025. Notably, she and her predecessor, Mark Lord, presented Samuel Beckett’s Not I in 2021. Just this year, Marina Kec BMC ’12 choreographed and starred in Where Echoes Remain, an original ballet performance that interweaves the dancers’ personal stories.
Meanwhile, Haverford alums frequently direct and star in their own Fringe productions as well: Ryan Rebel ’14 was a founder of the Shoe Box Company, and he directed WILD: A Clown Western for the 2017 Fringe Fest (starring Jo Vito Ramírez ’13). In 2009, four Haverford alums featured in the Fringe Fest as part of Illegal Refill, a Philly-based improv group. The Bi-Co improv groups Throng and Lighted Fools opened for their act, and Haverford students had the pleasure of free entry.
Bryn Mawr has also hosted multiple projects for or from the Philly Fringe Festival on campus. In 2018, the college’s Performing Arts Series collaborated with FringeArts to present ear-whispered, an extensive survey of Lebanese live artist Tania El Khoury’s works, unprecedented in its scale and location. The Performing Arts Series also featured Lovertits in 2016 and Spokaoke in 2022, both of which premiered to great success at the 2014 and 2012 Fringe Festival, respectively.
Over at Haverford, FringeArts is actually a regular associate of the Hurford Center’s Philly Partners program, which connects students to summer internships at local arts and humanities organizations. Through this institutional tie, Adriana Cruz-Soto ’27, a junior Anthropology major at Haverford, had the opportunity to intern at FringeArts this summer. As the Guide and Website intern, she helped the marketing department edit performance profiles and create webpages for each production.
“This was actually my first experience working in an arts organization and an event of this size, so I didn’t fully know what to expect,” Cruz-Soto says. She was really surprised by the sheer quantity and diversity of venues that the Fringe Fest uses (90+ spaces spread all across Philadelphia!). According to Cruz-Soto, there weren’t many full-time employees at FringeArts. “So it is incredibly impressive what they’re able to achieve with a relatively small staff and the help of interns and volunteers,” she remarks. “Everyone puts the artist first.”
FringeArts also acted as Cruz-Soto’s “gateway into exploring Philly.” Throughout the summer, she familiarized herself with a number of local businesses, scenic spots, and creative forums. “Interning at FringeArts opened my eyes to the Philly art scene, particularly independent and experimental theater,” Cruz-Soto says. “[It has] deepened my admiration of nonprofit work and made me want to pursue more arts administration experiences in the future.” She hopes that her fellow students will take advantage of Fringe Fest as an opportunity to venture into the city. “There’s definitely something for everyone in [the] Fringe Festival,” she states, “so I really encourage everyone to browse the website…and look for a show that excites you!”
Following Cruz-Soto’s advice, I stopped by the Philly Puppet Slam! in West Philadelphia on Friday, Sept. 12. Hosted at Studio 34 by local puppeteers, it is a late-night showcase of short-form puppetry performances, including but not limited to shadow puppetry, object puppetry, and crankies. The event had a spectacular turn-out, and the audience was electric, engaging with the performers and shaking the room with their applause.
Professor Honglan Huang from the EALC and Visual Studies department at Haverford actually starred in this puppet slam. She performed a playful yet thought-provoking hand puppetry piece that centered on a pair of furry friends on a bookish rat search. Her ability to characterize each puppet with voice and hands alone was astonishing — There was certainly no shortage of coos and chuckles.
Overall, the 2025 Philadelphia Fringe Festival continues the medium’s legacy of experimentation, collaboration, and community. It remains an excellent opportunity for Bi-Co students to explore the city’s arts and performance scene.
Non-profit organizations and independent artists are always fighting an uphill battle when it comes to funding and staffing. Given recent cuts, layoffs, and even censorship under the Trump administration, they need our support more than ever. Just this January, the beloved Capital Fringe Festival in Washington D.C. announced its closure after 20 years, largely due to rising costs and difficulty securing venues. If we want Philly Fringe to stay around for years to come, we will have to keep showing up and showing out.
