News Summary
The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival has concluded its annual two-week festival in Loch Haven Park, awarding top local talent across various categories. Five standout shows will have encore performances soon, requiring attendees to purchase festival buttons. The festival highlights the vibrant arts scene in Orlando, recognizing achievements in musical, comedy, and drama performances. Award-winning productions included ‘Lenox Ave.’, ‘Done to Death By Jove’, and ‘The Bunker’, showcasing the depth of creativity and talent present in the community.
Orlando Honors Local Talent with 2025 Fringe Theatre Awards
The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival has concluded its recent two-week run in Loch Haven Park, recognizing exceptional local talent with several awards. To celebrate, five outstanding shows from this year’s or previous festivals will have encore performances in the coming weeks.
Entry to these performances requires the purchase of a festival button, priced at $8. Buttons are sold exclusively in person at Ticket Central located inside the Lowndes Shakespeare Center and the Orlando Repertory Theatre. They are not available for purchase online or via phone. Proceeds from the festival button sales directly benefit the Orlando Fringe Festival, while all ticket revenue goes directly to the performers.
General admission tickets for the encore performances are available for prices up to $10 and can be purchased at the respective venues until three minutes before showtime. Additionally, advance tickets can be bought online until 10 p.m. the night before a performance, though a $1 processing fee applies to online purchases. Free parking is available at Loch Haven Park on a first-come, first-served basis, with limited street parking and various paid options at nearby locations.
Festival Highlights and Award Winners
The awards ceremony recognized 24 different performances and artists, with eleven local productions achieving accolades. The award for Best Show of the Festival was given to the locally written musical “Lenox Ave.” by Brandon Martin, which showcases the vibrancy of the Harlem Renaissance.
Other notable awards included the Best Comedy Play awarded to “Done to Death By Jove”, and the Best Drama Play awarded to “The Bunker”
by Martin Dockery. Performance honors were shared by former Central Floridians Beth Marshall and Ella Hadley, highlighting the depth of talent in the festival.
Additionally, Tod Kimbro won the Best Solo Musical award for his coming-of-age narrative rooted in Florida, while Megan Markham was recognized with the Best Solo Drama award for her performance in “Witch With Her Skirt on Fire.” Local talents were also celebrated for original script with Michael Knight’s “The Fabulous King James Bible,” music by Zelda Grey for “Liquid Sunshine,” and choreography by Ana Cuellar for “Enmi.”
Other Awards and Recognitions
Several other significant awards were presented during the festival. “The River’s Daughter” received the ensemble performance award, while “Fosgate, Ferret Loan Officer” was deemed the top family show. A new musical adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” earned the title of best musical.
Kyla Swanberg took home the Musical Performance award for her role in “Bullock and the Bandits Vol. 3: Cowboys and Aliens.” The dance show award was given to “Sam’s Skeleton Soirée,” while Phoenix Tears Productions received the site-specific award for their piece “They’re Doing All This Stuff,” which responded to recent criticism of the festival from Governor Ron DeSantis.
Conclusion
The success of the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival and its awards underlines the vibrant arts culture in Orlando, fostering creativity and artistic expression within the community. With encore performances scheduled, audiences have the opportunity to enjoy some of the festival’s finest offerings once more.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
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Additional Resources
- Orlando Sentinel: Orlando Fringe Festival Encores
- My News 13: Orlando Fringe Fest is Back
- Orlando Weekly: How to Fringe
- WESH: Orlando Fringe Festival 2025
- Watermark: Orlando Fringe 34th Festival
- Wikipedia: Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival
- Google Search: Orlando Fringe Festival
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Fringe Theater
- Google Scholar: Orlando Fringe Festival
- Google News: Orlando Fringe Festival
