blog

29

JUN 2026

HFF26 Community Awards
voted on by Fringe patrons and community

Top of the Fringe Award: Syrian Soap

Fringe International Award: CVNT

Fringe First for World Premiere: Strange Beings

Fringe Award for Cabaret & Burlesque: DISCO THERAPY

Fringe Award for Clown & Alternative Comedy: CLUB CLOWN

Fringe Award for Comedic Theatre: Mark Vigeant: OUT THERE

Fringe Award for Comedy & Variety Acts: Wet Hot AMUSICAL Summer

Fringe Award for Dance & Physical Theatre: Trickster

Fringe Award for Dramatic Theatre: Paper Flowers

Fringe Award for Immersive & Games: The Council of Elrond: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Editon: Part 4

Fringe Award for Musicals & Operas: Enormous Things: The Musical

Fringe Award for Solo Theatre: Grief Box

 

HFF26 Discover Fringe Awards
presented by organizations outside of the festival

Adelaide Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by Adelaide Fringe Festival in Adelaide, Australia:

Mark Vigeant: OUT THERE

 

Denver Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by Denver Fringe Festival in Denver, CO:

They Tend To Themselves: A Choreopoem

 

Ella Turenne Award, presented by Hollywood Fringe Access Advisory Board:

They Tend To Themselves: A Choreopoem

 

Fringe Italia Off Exchange Award, presented by Fringe Italia Off in Italy:

Reservoir Dolls: The Whole Bloody Affair

 

International Fringe Encore Series 2026 “Hollywood Prize", presented by SoHo Playhouse: 

Jimi Darkness: Alcoholic Superhero

 

New York City Pivot Award, presented by LA Hidden Gems:

Rosie’s Turn

 

Splash Award, presented by Namba Performing Arts Space, Inc: 

Body as an Archive

 

Sydney Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by Sydney Fringe Festival in Sydney, Australia:

D.A.F.U.Q. – DATING ADVICE FOR USELESS QUEERS

 

The DSP Medal of Valor, presented by Drew Spears Productions:

Comics Reading Comics

 

The “FIERCE ARTISTAWARD, presented by Playhouse Arts “Zero to Fierce Festival”:

2026 Salem Witch Trial

 

The Hitmaker Comedy Award, presented by The H.I.T. Comedy Theater:

Lustily Ever After: The Musical

 

The Loud Karma Emerging Women and Gender-Diverse Playwright’s Award, presented by Loud Karma Productions, LLC:

1st – Sarah Grochala for S-27

2nd – Taylor Gates for Unbridled

3rd – Jessica Marie Fisher for Playback

 

The Planners’ Pick, presented by Theatre Planners:

Sage Center

 

The Sacred Fools’ Award for Unique Theatricality, presented by Sacred Fools:

Little Chaos

 

The Screamiest, presented by Midsummer Scream:

SOMETHING SPOOKY

 

The StageCrafts Freeway Circuit Award, presented by The StageCrafts:

My One Woman Show (The Search for a Truthful Moment)

 

The StageCrafts Seasonal MiniFest Award, presented by The StageCrafts:

MythicFest

Strange Beings

 

SpookyFest 

SOMETHING SPOOKY

 

FrostyFest 

Roast Your Chestnuts

 

SleuthFest

Dead Man

 

BardFest

JESTER!

 

Once Upon a Stage

Pining in the Prickly Pear Patch

 

The Take the Stage Award, presented by Theatre 68 Arts Festival / Theatre 68 Arts Complex:

I am not a Spy. This is a Magic Show.

 

Zephyr’s Zest Award, presented by Theatre Planners Venues / Zephyr Theatre:

A Revenge on Reality

 

 

HFF26 Community Award Nominees
voted on by Fringe patrons and community

Top of the Fringe Award:

Strange Beings

Brendan Scannell: The Abyss

Syrian Soap

HYSTERICAL

Enormous Things: The Musical

Paper Flowers

 

Fringe International Award: 

PARIS + JULIET

Nun Slut

CVNT

Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat King Cole

THE SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELLED (DUE TO THE END OF THE WORLD)

 

Fringe First for World Premiere:

Frank Sriracha: Home is Where the Stage Is

On the Line

The Men Who Drew The Universe

D.A.F.U.Q. – Dating Advice For Useless Queers

Strange Beings

Bebé Bebé

 

Fringe Award for Cabaret & Burlesque:

DISCO THERAPY

Lady Satan

Diane Diane! The Parole of a Lifetime

Straitjacket Sirens

The Jewel Box Cabaret

 

Fringe Award for Clown & Alternative Comedy: 

F*cking Famous

HYSTERICAL

Bebé Bebé

CLUB CLOWN

Syrian Soap

 

Fringe Award for Comedic Theatre: 

Vote for Tom Ryan: One Last Time!

She’s So Special

COFFEE DATE

Homecoming: A Darkly Funny Tale About Losing My Mom and Finding Myself… Again

Mark Vigeant: OUT THERE

 

Fringe Award for Comedy & Variety Acts:

Emotional Alpha

Wet Hot AMUSICAL Summer

Couplet: Folk Marry Kill

The Great Marzini

Reservoir Dolls: The Whole Bloody Affair

 

Fringe Award for Dance & Physical Theatre: 

Trickster

They Tend To Themselves: A Choreopoem

PartyBoy

Morpho Dance Fitness

 

Fringe Award for Dramatic Theatre: 

Three Eulogies for Tyson Miller

On the Line

Strange Beings

Playback

Paper Flowers

 

Fringe Award for Immersive & Games:

Don’t Kill Daisy

The Council of Elrond: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Editon: Part 4

DOLL COURT

RADICAL ACTS with Ramón: Tomfoolery, Grief and Whimsy

 

Fringe Award for Musicals & Operas:

NILBOG! the Troll 2 musical

Lustily Ever After: The Musical

Enormous Things: The Musical

The Unofficial ‘Meet the Robinsons’ Musical Parody

ANXIETY THE MUSICAL! (do you like that title? is that okay?)

 

Fringe Award for Solo Theatre:

My One Woman Show (The Search for a Truthful Moment)

Brendan Scannell: The Abyss

Only Child Syndrome

Grief Box

Bellingham Bay

Show Me Your Dick: A lifetime of dating in larger body

D.A.F.U.Q. – Dating Advice For Useless Queers

Body as an Archive

 

HFF26 Discover Fringe Award Nominees
presented by organizations outside of the festival

Adelaide Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by Adelaide Fringe Festival in Adelaide, Australia:

Brendan Scannell: The Abyss

Syrian Soap

HYSTERICAL

Mark Vigeant: OUT THERE

Couplet: Folk Marry Kill

I am not a Spy. This is a Magic Show.

Cell: A Duologue

 

Denver Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by Denver Fringe Festival in Denver, CO:

They Tend To Themselves: A Choreopoem

Goody

Grief Box

Gil Scott-Heron Bluesology

Bellingham Bay

 

Ella Turenne Award, presented by Hollywood Fringe Access Advisory Board:

Body as an Archive

They Tend To Themselves: A Choreopoem

Paper Flowers

Ritual Music to Cure a Lover

Somos Aire

Between Two Worlds: I Wasn’t Cancelled..Just Confused (Chronicles of The Not Deaf Enough Girl)

 

Fringe Italia Off Exchange Award, presented by Fringe Italia Off in Italy:

Bebé Bebé

They Tend To Themselves: A Choreopoem

ANXIETY THE MUSICAL(do you like that title? is that okay?)

Reservoir Dolls: The Whole Bloody Affair

Dinosaurs

Big Maestro & Little Cello Boy

 

International Fringe Encore Series 2026 “Hollywood Prize", presented by SoHo Playhouse: 

My One Woman Show (The Search for a Truthful Moment)

Couplet: Folk Marry Kill

Strange Beings

Jimi Darkness: Alcoholic Superhero

They Tend To Themselves: A Choreopoem

 

New York City Pivot Award, presented by LA Hidden Gems:

Rosie’s Brain

The Seven Year Bitch

Lesion Lady

Rosie’s Turn

I Suck: A Vampire Comedy

ANXIETY THE MUSICAL! (do you like that title? is that okay?)

 

Splash Award, presented by Namba Performing Arts Space, Inc: 

Day After Day (the Life and Music of Doris Day) 

There’s Something Seriously Wrong With Cyrus: How I Went From A Hot Mess To A Hot Bitch 

ANXIETY THE MUSICAL! (do you like that title? is that okay?)

Dead Man

In Search of Black People

Body as an Archive

Hollywood Chola

Alpha Nation

 

Sydney Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by Sydney Fringe Festival in Sydney, Australia:

D.A.F.U.Q. – DATING ADVICE FOR USELESS QUEERS

The Great Marzini

Animal Instincts

SHOGUN

The Last Palestinian

Dean Evans: My Finest Work 

 

The DSP Medal of Valor, presented by Drew Spears Productions:

Test Pilots

F*cking Famous

Comics Reading Comics

Brendan Scannell: The Abyss

Don’t ask Don’t tell 

 

The “FIERCE ARTISTAWARD, presented by Playhouse Arts “Zero to Fierce Festival”:

2026 Salem Witch Trial

RADICAL ACTS with Ramón: Tomfoolery, Grief and Whimsy

Body as an Archive

Tommy Cooper’s Fez

Bellyful

Bebé Bebé

 

The Hitmaker Comedy Award, presented by The H.I.T. Comedy Theater:

Trauma Bondage

Lustily Ever After: The Musical

Sam Ditto: I Quit!

Barbie Smith: God’s Favorite Tease

ANXIETY THE MUSICAL! (do you like that title? is that okay?)

 

The Loud Karma Emerging Women and Gender-Diverse Playwright’s Award, presented by Loud Karma Productions, LLC:

Kellie Pleshinger for Ghosttown

Ruby Marker for Hot Yoga

Jessica Marie Fisher for Playback

Sydney Rene Cox for Please Don’t Freak Out

Sarah Grochala for S-27

Penina Beede for Slack Off

Dana Schwartz for The Bomb

Taylor Gates for Unbridled

 

The Planners’ Pick, presented by Theatre Planners:

Body as an Archive

Letter from David

Sage Center

Sister Wivez

White Lilies

MPAT’s Burt Thunders Presents: The First Annual Fundraiser to Save The Whales

NEO

 

The Sacred Fools’ Award for Unique Theatricality, presented by Sacred Fools:

Little Chaos

Strange Beings

Cell: A Duologue

Jeremy Worried About the Wind

Lustily Ever After: The Musical

 

The Screamiest, presented by Midsummer Scream:

I Suck: A Vampire Comedy

NILBOG! the Troll 2 musical

No One But Me, My Dear…

On the Line

SOMETHING SPOOKY

DEAD JOHN (Rock ’n Roll Until We Die)

 

The StageCrafts Freeway Circuit Award, presented by The StageCrafts:

Glossolalia

Homecoming: A Darkly Funny Tale About Losing My Mom and Finding Myself… Again 

My One Woman Show (The Search for a Truthful Moment)

Another Distraction from the Epstein Files

Hold That Thought While I Scream

 

The StageCrafts Seasonal MiniFest Award, presented by The StageCrafts:

MythicFest

Strange Beings

The Council of Elrond: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Edition: Part 4

Enormous Things: The Musical

The Men Who Drew The Universe

Trench

 

SpookyFest 

DEAD JOHN (Rock ’n Roll Until We Die)

2026 Salem Witch Trial

Hot Yoga

HYSTERICAL

SOMETHING SPOOKY

 

FrostyFest 

Roast Your Chestnuts

Happy! Merry! Joyous!: Inside the Mind of a Caroler 

 

SleuthFest

Dead Man

On the Line

Black Bag Job

Murder Podcast: The Musical 

Comics Reading Comics

 

BardFest

Lady M

JESTER!

Get Thee to a Beanery: A Hamlet Coffeeshop AU

Paris + Juliet

Arden of Faversham

 

Once Upon a Stage

Jeremy Worried About the Wind

Wendy in Neverwood

Gulp!

Pining in the Prickly Pear Patch

Vote for Tom Ryan: One Last Time! 

 

The Take the Stage Award, presented by Theatre 68 Arts Festival / Theatre 68 Arts Complex:

Body as an Archive

NEO

Between Two Worlds: I Wasn’t Cancelled..Just Confused (Chronicles of The Not Deaf Enough Girl)

Cirque Lunaire: a puppet debacle

Frank Sriacha: Home is where the stage is

I am not a Spy. This is a Magic Show.

MaMa Does Dada: Absurdist Theatre

On The Line

Reservoir Dolls : The Whole Bloody Affair

SOMETHING SPOOKY

The Mary & Margo Art Experience

 

Zephyr’s Zest Award, presented by Theatre Planners Venues / Zephyr Theatre:

A Revenge on Reality

ARGUMENTS!

In The Beginning

Jackie, Baby!

NEO

 

5

JUN 2026

We are using tags to help audiences search for stories from their own communities! Artists have self-selected into the following tags (and they can be updated at any time, so check them throughout the festival!)

Try seeing something new, and from a culture you have never heard personal experience stories from. Storytelling is truly an important part of the change-making progress, when you buy tickets to these shows 100% of ticket sales go to the teams producing them.

 

FOR ARTISTS: HOW TO UPDATE YOUR TAGS

Step 1: Go to your project page + select “Add tags to describe your project…” underneath your main image.

Step 2: Reference www.hollywoodfringe.org/shows to see what tags are currently displayed, or make a tag “trend” by adding popular tags to your page! You can add as many tags as you would like, but note that the most helpful will be the ones listed at www.hollywoodfringe.org/shows

29

MAY 2026

Dear Fringers,

With just under a week before the end of the festival, we all might feel that we have this whole Fringing thing down, but we want to take a minute to remind you to keep safety in mind.

  • Safety is not something to be mindful of only at night. Ask someone to walk you to your car from your friend group at the festival at all times. Walking alone is never any fun!

    • This is especially important if you are in charge of your show’s cash box!
    • PS: Don’t just carry your box- put it in a non-descript bag. Or, go cashless & use venmo or paypal at the door.
  • We don’t want to scare you.. But want to remind you that we live in a city. No matter how comfortable you are at Fringe there is a whole world around you that doesn’t live by the same code of conduct. It’s worth noting that not everyone you see in a bar, or on the streets near a venue are necessarily with Fringe. By handing people your postcard you are telling them where to find you- this is marketing yes, but use your gut instinct when interacting and don’t risk your person just to get another ticket sale!
  • Take care of each other. This is your community, we are all responsible for making our community and festival what it is. Let’s make it great! 

If you feel unsafe at any moment, find your nearest venue manager or Fringe staff member and just chat with us about the situation. We’ll help point you in the right direction if anything needs to be escalated beyond an understanding conversation. If nobody is around, email [email protected] and we will get back to you within 24 hours (usually within a few hours during the festival). 

Remember, Hollywood Fringe has a strict code of conduct you and your cast/crew must follow. Please provide a copy to all members of your team before June 1st.

Thank you all for keeping our community safe – we’re stronger together!

Ellen + Lois
Co-Executive Directors of Hollywood Fringe

15

MAY 2026

Make sure you have everything in place for a smooth in-person box office experience. 

Some venues will run your box office, and for some shows, you will be responsible for running your own.

Make sure you have a plan, and leave room for things not to go as planned.  Who is running your box office? How are you taking payments for tickets at the door? Do you have a plan for a waitlist if your show sells out? 

WEBSITE BOX OFFICE TOOLS/FUNCTIONS

Check for any Accessibility Requests.

-Admin tab 

-Performances tab 

-“Accessibility Requests” button available for each individual performance

Download “Will Call Report” for each performance: 

-Admin tab 

-Performances tab 

-“Will Call” button (on each individual performance) 

Check your sales + fix your sales shutoff time (must repeat for each performance): 

-Admin tab

-Performances tab 

-“Edit” button 

-“Online Shutoff” box (you will want 0 min if you plan to use a QR code to the website at the door)

-Scroll to the bottom and click “Update Performance.” 

Message Patrons: 

Communicate with your patrons. If parking is tricky, send a pre-show email reminding people to come early (you can find details about parking near your venue here and public transit options here). If there is no late seating, please ensure they are aware.

Messaging Patrons (By Performance):

-Admin Tab 

-Performances 

-“View” button

-“Message Patrons” button 

ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR BOX OFFICE? PLAN IT OUT NOW. HOW ARE YOU SELLING TICKETS AT THE DOOR

- Bring change ($1s, $5s, $10s, $20s) if you’re accepting cash!

- Print out QR codes with any method of accepting digital payments (Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo, Fringe site) If you are using the Fringe site link, make sure your cut-off time is set for 0 minutes 

- If someone shows you their Fringe Button, please honor their $1 off discount! 

- If you have any discount codes, try to make sure your box office staff knows which you’ll be accepting at the door (and all that you have promoted to your audience)

- If any audience member asks you a question you don’t have the answer to, send them to [email protected]. We’ve got you!

REFUNDS + EXCHANGES (Through the website) 

Refunds & exchanges for tickets sold through the website are handled by the Fringe team, not the venue staff or the individual show.

The primary ticket buyer emails us at [email protected] to request any refunds or exchanges. 

What is the festival exchange policy?

- Refund requests received 24 hours prior to the show’s start time (unless canceled by the organizer) will be honored, and the audience ticket price will be refunded the ticket price (minus the service fee) within 3-5 business days. 

- Service fees will only be refunded if the organizer cancels the performance. 

- If notified 24 hours in advance, the Fringe Team will also swap performance times upon request, assuming no price difference exists and there are seats available for an upcoming performance. 

- Hollywood Fringe’s fees are on all tickets over $0. The service fee is $3 per ticket for any ticket under $25. Over $25, a $0.10 fee per dollar is added. 

- If a request for a refund comes in less than 24 hours before a performance begins that is related to an extreme circumstance, we will request the permission of the primary producer prior to granting it- you do not have to allow it. 

- If the primary producer requests a refund on behalf of a ticket buyer after the 24-hour window, we will also honor it. 

 

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