Preview: Boulder International Fringe Festival

Boulder, Lyons, and the surrounding area remain in our thoughts—with a massive cleanup underway—but, as the saying goes, the show must go on. Perhaps some humor and creative bounty can serve as a brief reprieve. If you’re in need, look no further than the Boulder International Fringe Festival (September 19-29).

A veritable smorgasbord of cultural enterprise, the festival calendar includes theater, dance, film, visual art, multimedia art, workshops, and more. Participants are selected by first-come, first-serve (and a subsequent lottery drawing). It’s art for the masses. The jam-packed schedule can be a bit overwhelming, so here are a few highlights:

exotic exile. Naropa University graduate and former Boulderite Angela Delichatsios has spent the past year living in Greece and studying rebetika, a subculture of Greek urban blues music. This collaborative piece is a blend of live music (from hometown band Sherefe), singing, and dance that together tell the history of this subculture. “It’s often compared to the blues in the United States,” Delichatsios says. “[I hope] that the audience comes away with a desire to research their own cultural traditions and musical traditions within and outside the States.”

Cory Has a Band. Professor Tickles and Sergeant. Whiskers (pianists David Broome and Amir Khosrowpour) take the term “concert” very loosely. Think of it more as a variety show. Or, as they put it, “a hyper-vaudevillian performance.”

The Crane Wife. Puppet theater for people of any age. The Crane Wife is based on the namesake Japanese folktale, which is brought to life with handcrafted puppets, haikus, and an international group of artists.

exHOTic other. Burlesque performer Una Aya Osato (alter ego: exHOTic other) takes to the stage with her award-winning moves.

The Bike Trip. No, not that kind of trip. A psychedelic trip. Martin Dockery‘s hysterical monologue recreates the true story of the first LSD experience.

Dancing with Demons: A Comedy of Sorts. Writer Shana Cordon is it on stage, playing multiple characters in this archetypical fairy tale gone awry.

BaoBao on the Fringe! Give your body a break from all the sitting and watching with this get-up-and-move workshop. Adjei Abankwah and others from the annual BaoBao Festival will teach attendees about West African song and dance—and the sense of joy and community it instills.

Two-Wheel It: Boulder B-cycle is offering 50 percent off a seven-day bike sharing access pass for Fringe attendees.

—Image courtesy of Marina Maragkou