2023 Short Fringe


2023 FronteraFest Best of Week Schedule (with Ticket Links!)

NOTE: Each Saturday "Best of Week" performance begins at 8pm at Hyde Park Theatre, 511 West 43rd St. Tickets are $24 for Saturday shows.

The Saturday Best of Week shows are over for 2023! Perhaps you want . . .

  • First-round Short Fringe performances here
  • Final week (February 14 - 18) Best of the Fest perfomances here
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    FROM EARLIER IN THE FESTIVAL

    Saturday, January 21: BEST OF THE WEEK (TICKETS HERE)
    Of the five pieces being reprised tonight, four were chosen by this week's panel and the fifth was determined by audience vote. These shows are listed in the order in which they will be performed.

    Sorry, I Can't, I'm Busy. I Have to War Tonight. Created by Franny Harold. Written by Franny Harold and Mase Kerwick. Franny Harold is half-Spanish, but ultimately, she didn't ask to be born. According to legend, the women of the small Spanish town where her family is from defeated Portuguese troops in 1468. This piece follows one of these young women, who, just like Franny, is grappling with life's classic, "Why am I even here?" The woman goes from experiencing an identity crisis to a straight-up crisis of war (in 25 minutes or less). Totally relatable for any woman in her late 20s. The intention of this piece is to explore themes of healing and self-identity, even when it feels like you don't have one, and the importance of defending your life, even when you'd rather just go to the town plaza and eat lots of bread instead. Directed by Mase Kerwick.

    A Short Story, by Jen Brown. A combination of jokes and stories, A Short Story is a reflection on being a young woman today.

    Halfway to Death: A Coming of MIDDLE Age Escapade, by Christine Hoang. Comedic storytelling piece about an adventurous weekend in NYC.

    Ph*Ck! You Must Be On Crack! by Sandy Maranto. While she's not on crack, Sandy Maranto does need the occasional piña colada and nap to get through life. Come hear why.

    La Planchada, by Carl Gonzales. (ScriptWorks Commission) The play is about a pair of friends (a historian and a YouTuber) teaming up to find out if the legend and ghost of La Planchada, or "The Ironed lady" is real or fake. What happens will test their faith, their culture, and their sanity.

     

    Saturday, January 28: BEST OF THE WEEK (TICKETS HERE)
    Of the five pieces being reprised tonight, four were chosen by this week's panel and the fifth was determined by audience vote. These shows are listed in the order in which they will be performed.

    Uncomfy, by Anthony Ellison. Uncomfy is a quick revue of awkward interactions, failed relationship moments, or just not comfortable. Not all folks think the same way, but we all see the wrong signal sometimes.

    I Am Jodie Comer, by Joy Cunningham. How watching Killing Eve helped me make sense of things and move on with my life.

    How to Properly Train Your Husband, by Tristan Young Mercado. Two women hold a presentation on all the ways in which husbands can properly be trained.

    A Woman Manages Her Anxiety, by Molly Fonseca & Anikka Lekven. (ScriptWorks Commission) This is the story of an anxious woman. Watch as she tries to manage her uncomfortable feelings, watch as she tries to escape a shame spiral, watch as she tries to make a new friend. Watch as she tries.

    Dammit Lola, created by CB Goodman and Roz Mandola. Dammit Lola is experimental DIY comedy shenanigans.

    Saturday, February 4: BEST OF THE WEEK (TICKETS HERE)
    Of the five pieces being reprised tonight, four were chosen by this week's panel and the fifth was determined by audience vote. These shows are listed in the order in which they will be performed.
    Augusta Speaks Volumes, written and performed by Helen Sneed. The piece is the story of Augusta Stubbs, a New York woman whose life is a cautionary tale.

    Snickerdoodles and Disco, by Max Langert. A queen, a rook and a knight go off the grid and find themselves in the woods at the edge of a field in the middle of nowhere.

    Pizzas, Pandas, and those Pesky Princes, by Maggie Gallant. Royal observations from a displaced Brit.

    Buried in Grey Flannel -- the search for an elusive scent, and other obsessions, by Adam Sultan. Adam Sultan leads you on a journey of olfaction and old habits. Part TED Talk, part memoir, part madness.

    Tooth'n'Hare, by Will Schutze and Zac Carr. A dumbshow presented by Mr. Bonetangles and Picklehead the Clown. A puppet-clown collaboration by Will Schutze and Zac Carr. A dull spectacle of the state of suffering, a toothache, and a rabbit doctor named Philippe making house calls.

     

    Saturday, February 11: BEST OF THE WEEK (TICKETS HERE)
    Of the five pieces being reprised tonight, four were chosen by this week's panel and the fifth was determined by audience vote. These shows are listed in the order in which they will be performed.

    Better Sex With Opera, by Colleen Mallette. Better Sex With Opera features the Wisdom and Vocal Shenanigans of International Soprano Comedienne Colleen Hughes Mallette and her poor Pianist. After 20 years on the Road, the High C Diva offers advice, tidbits and trills. Audiences are encouraged to participate. Purcell may turn over in his grave, but it's a worthy cause. SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: We are professionals. Do not try this at home without advice from your physician.

    The Road Trip, by Paul Normandin & Gloria Rabil. At three stops along a drive from Texas to California, two strangers slowly reveal themselves. The closer the pair get to their destination, the more they learn about what motivates them to head west. First-time playwright Paul Normandin offers a short play about two characters in a temporary situation trapped on a collision course with each other.

    No fucks given. None taken. All done, by Pamela Paek. A one person show unpacking asexuality and all it's not.

    Mostly Alone, by Collin Carrothers. A 10-15 minute comedic presentation of a dating history since coming out as queer in 2007.

    Terror at Twenty-Eight Feet, written and directed by Brian Wittenbrook. The city's mayor, a restaurateur, a city inspector, a billionaire, and balloon-artist clown become stuck in an elevator. One is dead.


    Hyde Park Theatre is located at 511 W. 43rd Street. Covered off-street parking for the patrons of HPT is available during performances in the lot at 4315 Guadalupe Street, just north of The Parlor. You can drive through The Parlor's parking lot to reach it. Evening HPT parking also available at Kenneth's Hair Salon, just south of HPT, and at the Hyde Park Church of Christ on the northeast corner of 43rd & Avenue B. We are grateful to them all for their generosity.

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    This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, and by an award from The National Endowment for the Arts. Art Works.

    HPT is also funded by grants from The Still Water Foundation and Tocker Foundation.