A guide to the Fringe, Kansas City’s ‘largest celebration of arts and culture’
The KC Fringe Festival returns for its 21st year with two weeks of stage shows, films and art the likes of which you won’t find anywhere else in Kansas City.
The festival, which bills itself as Kansas City’s “largest celebration of arts and culture,” lists its dates as July 13-27, but that is somewhat misleading. The 63 stage productions that are the festival’s meat and potatoes don’t kick off until July 18.
The acts range from family friendly to decidedly risqué, with shows generally running about an hour and featuring one character or small casts. Many are daring or experimental; all are original.
Artists will provide short previews of their shows during a free opening night party called the KC Fringe Flash Preview at 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 17, at Musical Theatre Heritage in Crown Center. To close the festival, shows with the best average attendance at their venues will earn Best of Venue performances July 27.
Beyond the stage performances are 21 films from 26 filmmakers screening July 18-20 at the Stray Cat Film Center and 35 art installations at two sites. One art venue already is up and running: the Fringe Benefits Gallery at Gael’s Public House, which opened July 6. The other, the Union Station Gallery in the venerable train station’s Grand Hall, will operate July 13-26.
Here is all you need to know if you plan to check out the festival.
How to go to KC Fringe Festival
What: More than 600 artists from around the world will give more than 340 performances in areas such as puppetry, comedy, drama, dance, musical theater, circus, spoken word and cabaret; also visual art and film presentations.
When: Performances, July 17-27; visual art, July 6-26; film, July 18-20 (with Best of Fringe screenings July 27).
Where: Eleven venues, mostly in midtown, including The Arts Asylum, The Bird Comedy Theater, City Stage in Union Station and Unicorn Theater.
Cost: A Fringe Button ($5; free for 12 and under) is required to purchase tickets ($15; $8 for 12 and under) to any show and to attend after parties and other free events. Discounted five- and 10-show passes are available. You can purchase buttons at every Fringe venue and at the Fringe 411 office at The Bird Comedy Theatre.
Schedule: For a complete list of shows and showtimes, go to kcfringe.org.
Highlights of the Kansas City Fringe Festival
▪ Kansas City vocalist Eboni Fondren will stage “Jazz: The Women Who Shaped Me” July 18-25 at Music Theater Heritage.
▪ Australian comic Jon Bennett, who won Best of Fringe at KC Fringe in 2023, will give a special performance of his crowd favorite “American’t” at 9 p.m. July 26 at Music Theater Heritage. Bennett also will present “How I Learned to Hug” July 18-26 at MCC Penn Valley’s Little Theater.
▪ Minnesotan Ben San Del, a veteran of fringe and comedy festivals around the country, will make his KC Fringe debut with “Apologies for the Late Reply” July 22-26 on the Unicorn Theatre’s Jerome Stage.
