Fringe Festival 2020: A Festival-in-Place
For 25 years the San Francisco State University Fringe Festival has taken student playwrights to the next step in their play’s development, moving the pieces from the page to the stage — or in this year’s festival, right to your screen via Zoom. All live screenings will include a post-show discussion with the playwright and director. These and other offerings will be available for free on the Fringe Festival web page following their live premiere. Free.
Fringe Festival
The Fringe has been an opportunity for the diverse and multicultural voices of students. It has produced many plays by Asian American, Latino, African American, gay and lesbian writers, delving deeply and entertainingly into the many aspects of culture represented in the Theatre Arts and Creative Writing programs. Fringe has produced work by nationally and regionally prominent playwrights, including Marcus Gardley, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, Jonathan Spector, Christopher Chen, Rachel Bublitz and Evelyn Pine.
Program
Sunday, May 3, 7 p.m.
“The Three of Us”
An actress converses with other characters, herself and the audience in three scenes. Betrayal, lust and English and French accents. By Lilly Rodriguez. Directed by Janine Sternlieb.
“PG&E and Me”
He&rsqu4o;s just a couple of days late on his bill payment. And he was just about to pay. Really. By Jon Strednak. Directed by Janine Sternlieb.
Monday, May 4, 7 p.m.
“AmaZone”
The Amazon is on fire, and a Jaguar urges us to flee, while a native of the rainforest waits to be consumed. By Arthur Diaz. Directed by Terry Boero.
Monday, May 4, 8 p.m.
“Cold Feet”
They say that marriage is the start of a new life, but what if you ditched your wedding. Better yet, what if your fiancé also bailed? Wouldn’t that be something? By Julia Anderson. Directed by Terry Boero.
Thursday, May 7, 7 p.m.
“Marla”
Three friends learn the person responsible for organizing the bombing that killed their friend is set to be released in a prisoner exchange. By Ali Littman. Directed by Roy Conboy.
“Marla” is based on the circumstances surrounding the death of Marla Bennett, a 24-year-old graduate student who died in the Hebrew University bombing on July 31, 2002. Marla, who grew up in San Diego, was a close friend of the playwright, though she was 10 years older. In this work, Ali Littman has imagined how her contemporaries would have reacted to this news, and her death — conversations Littman was too young to be included in at the time. Much of this play is real and true, including a letter Marla sent to her parents before the bombing as well as accounts of the funeral, which Littman attended, and information on her death, pulled from legal documents and articles.
Monday, May 11, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
School Haze
Three students stay after school to supervise their male classmates, who are supposed to be serving a detention sentence. As the boys undermine their authority and berate them with insults, a fire is lit within the girls to take this mistreatment no longer. This political drama is inspired by the Kavanaugh hearings and the #MeToo movement. By Molly Krost. Directed by Felix Bishop.
Tuesday, May 12, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Partners
Partners in crime are driven to prison by partner cops. After all the time they’ve spent together you’d think they’d know each other. By Colin Hollander. Directed by Felix Bishop.
Monday, May 18, 7 p.m.
Santa
Elves get numbers, but Santa and Mrs. Claus gave Jean Pierre a name and a warm room in their home. So why would he leave? And now why would he return? By David Wainwright. Directed by Roy Conboy.
How Many More
In three monologues, a high school student, a college student and a high school principal process different elements of a mass shooting. By Samantha Sotomayor. Directed by Anais Leno.