Art should never be out of reach. In addition to our full slate of free digital offerings, this year’s Festival features nearly twenty shows—curated and independently produced—that are free or pay what you want, leaving the door to contemporary performance art open to all.

This is just a segment of the array of FREE Fringe offerings. See the rest of the list tomorrow.

Airport Opened
Brian Shapiro Presents
Airports are endlessly fascinating places—intersections of almost every imaginable personality with logistical challenges galore. Based upon interviews conducted with airport personnel globally, Airport Opened offers an opportunity to bear witness to an airport’s human side through the perspectives of people who actually work there.
More info and tickets here

An Unofficial, Unauthorized Tour of LOVE Park
Rose Luardo / Kate Banford
An interactive, questions-encouraged tour of LOVE Park with a completely legitimate, highly respected, and 100% real tour company. At each stop on this mind-bending guided walk through the park, facts will be manipulated and reality will melt. Maybe a bush will talk to you? And maybe that bush invented love. Presented by Fairmount Park Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation with support from ArtPlace America.
More info and tickets here

Artworks Trenton & Common Threads Gallery Presents…
Common Threads Gallery / Artworks Trenton
Exhibitions and programs taking place at Artworks Trenton include two exhibitions, Art of the Counterculture (TPRFM) and Pride and Prejudice (André Terrel Jackson); song craft by Danielia Cotton; and a featured performance by master storyteller Denise McCormack (see above). See Artworks Trenton website for a breakdown of events.
More info and tickets here

As You Like It
Indecorous Theatre Productions
Do you like the woods? Do you like crossdressing lesbian princesses? Do you like people who are incapable of expressing their deepest emotions? Then pack a picnic and join us for this unconventional production of Shakespeare’s greatest romantic comedy in the gorgeous Spring Gardens Community Garden. Performances on September 8 and 9 are free / pay what you want (other shows are $15).
More info and tickets here

Chichi Chip (an ode to the Gnarly)
Philly Kerplop
An interactive performance featuring hip-hop dance and a live marching band, taking place in Philly’s iconic LOVE Park. Philly Kerplop’s display of humor and daring physical dexterity will activate the park spaces in ways that feel both familiar and awe-inspiring.
More info and tickets here

Digital Art Showcase
Philly Game Mechanics
Come see work from this year’s Digital Fringe Festival. This event showcases a variety of pieces from multiple Philly artists. In addition, Philly Game Mechanics, a local community of game developers, has some game-related surprises.
More info and tickets here

God, Forgive These Bastards
The Hum’n’bards
God, Forgive These Bastards is a staged adaptation of The Taxpayers’ eponymous 2012 album. In the wake of his death, those who knew him remember the life of a man who was an addict, an abuser, and a master storyteller all in one. Come remember (and drink to) Henry Turner.
More info and tickets here

In Plain Air
International Contemporary Ensemble
As Christ Church installed its C.B. Fisk pipe organ—the latest in a 300-year history of grand church organs within the space—it invited members of acclaimed artist collective International Contemporary Ensemble to inaugurate the new instrument with a program of original compositions. The resulting multi-movement program unites the historic bell tolls of “The Nation’s Church,” the majesty of the intricately constructed organ, and the Ensemble’s characteristic focus on place and community into a one-of-a-kind sonic experience—a worthy welcome to an instrument that will continue to ring in the ears of visitors for the next 300 years.
More info and tickets here

(Kensington) Streetplay
The Renegade Company
Renegade invites audience members to Kensington to explore the past, present, and future of the neighborhood steeped in a pre-written narrative. Streetplay was written and is performed by residents to share their perspectives and create prompts/activities that foster engagement, challenge philosophies, and dissolve boundaries. Designed as a walking experience.
More info and tickets here

Oh FREEdom, Oh FREEdom, Oh FREEdom over me.

Watch this space for more free / pay what you want shows tomorrow.