There are three things you can count on every May in Orlando: The love bugs are swarming, kittens are BOGO at the shelters, and you can get a damn fine plate of deep-fried cheese curds on the Loch Haven Lawn.
That’s right, the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival is back for its 28th year. Hundreds of artists from all over the world are concentrated in one small area of the city for two intense weeks in the longest-running fringe theater festival in the country.
Along with all the things patrons have come to cherish over the years, there are some new things to experience this year. Fringers of the Future allows teen performers to present shows at the festival, nurturing a new generation of artists.
And for the first time, American Sign Language interpreters will be part of Fringe. Members of the Orlando group Signing Shadows will perform alongside the actors at select shows during the weekend of May 24-26.
Last but not least, in a welcome new development, Fringe now takes credit cards. Pay for one of the dozen different brews offered in the Beer Tent with the swipe of a card, no drink tickets necessary. The locally brewed Joyland IPA comes highly recommended – and I hear it goes great with cheese curds.