Dear Fringers,

In this last week, we’ve seen unprecedented threats to the freedom of expression in the arts in the United States. Companies nationwide are withdrawing their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion across the board. Government institutions are scrambling to align with new, daily-issued executive orders.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has new initiatives in their typical open-access arts funding that ask us to shift our work to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary while silently adding in new guidelines that do not align with our work at Hollywood Fringe.

This same NEA program funded our Scholarship Program from 2016-2023, and encouraged the start of our Access Advisory Board; programs that now would be barred under these new guidelines.

These changes to NEA funding are significant. Non-profit arts organizations like the Hollywood Fringe operate on tight budgets, and NEA grants have been key to sustaining their programs. Without this support, many initiatives—and the organization’s future—are at risk.

These restrictions also send a broader, troubling message: federal support for the arts now comes with ideological conditions. This threatens to silence marginalized voices and limit artistic freedom.

Here at Hollywood Fringe, we want to reiterate that we are not backing down on our commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. If we did not do work to make this Festival a reflection of the city around us, who would we be? To create that safe space takes work, especially in anti-racism and disability justice. Our artists and audiences deserve it.

We additionally will not be asking for money from organizations that exclude members of our community from their programming, including the National Endowment for the Arts. We refuse to take any part in this attack on our artists’ right to live and create freely.

Our Scholarship Program, Accessibility and Anti-Racism Workshops, and Access Advisory Board are not going anywhere. These programs are vital to our success as an organization, artistic platform, and community.

To our artists who identify as BIPOC, MENA, AAPI, Trans, Non-Binary, Intersex, Women, Disabled, d/Deaf and other affected artists, we will not stop fighting for your inclusion in the arts. We celebrate you and the stories you bring to our festival.

It has become essential for Hollywood Fringe (and like-minded organizations) to seek alternative funding sources to do the work that matters: from providing scholarships to first-time producers from underrepresented communities to inviting the festival’s access advisory board to assess our organizational practices, and striving to create fair conditions for both artists and staff. These may include private donors, philanthropic foundations, and grassroots fundraising efforts to sustain and expand our impact.

We will be launching our annual Commissioners Club Campaign this week, and we will need you, our community, to stand with us as we make this important appeal.

While challenges lie ahead, our commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic freedom remains unwavering. With your support, Hollywood Fringe will continue to be a home for community and creativity.

Will you join us?

The Hollywood Fringe Staff + Board of Directors

Hi Everyone!

Hope your post-fringe rest has been relaxing! As we gear up for the next one we wanted to introduce you to Emily! Emily Nobel is our 2024 LA Country Arts Intern and she will be helping us make the 2025 festival that much more amazing! 

Q: Introduce yourself- what brought you to the Fringe team?

Hi! I’m Emily, a senior at the University of Southern California majoring in Theater with an emphasis in Acting and minoring in Business Entrepreneurship. Originally from New York, my love for theater began there and has grown throughout my studies. Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to study theater in London, which deepened my appreciation for the craft. I discovered Hollywood Fringe through the LA County Arts Internships program and am thrilled to join the team from August 2024 through the fall semester. I’m excited to immerse myself in the Hollywood theater industry and learn more about what it has to offer!

Q: ….So you love theatre, eh? What’s your favorite part of being a part of the LA Theatre community?

One of my favorite aspects of being part of the LA theater community is the access to a wealth of art, often for free or at a low cost. It’s amazing to see my friends’ artistic projects evolve and come to life. I also enjoy meeting new people and being exposed to new art forms!

Q: What’s your favorite social media platform? Why?

My favorite social media platform is Instagram. I spend a lot of time on it because it merges elements from various platforms I’ve grown up with. The story highlights and close friends’ option are similar to the use of Snapchat, and Instagram Reels are usually reposted TikToks.  I use my account as a scrapbook for memories, posting about travel, birthdays, and life events.

Q: Do you have any theatre accounts you think folks should follow?

 I don’t follow many theater accounts, but some of my favorite actors I follow are 

@yarashahidi @zendaya @jameelajamil @sydney_sweeney !

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s 77th-anniversary festival begins next week! Running August 2-26, Edinburgh Fringe has thousands of shows taking place in Scotland, with DOZENS of performers and shows from Hollywood Fringe that have taken the leap across the pond. Check out the Edinburgh Fringe website to learn more about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe! 

Shows and performers from Hollywood Fringe performing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe:

#1 Son – Natasha Mercado (Hollywood in Edinburgh 2024 Artist Ambassador) 

Baby Rock

The Best Man Show

Bulger Boys

Chris Grace as Scarlett Johansson

Chris Grace: Sardines (A Comedy About Death)

Devon Drew: Pop Star

The Dolphin I Loved

The Funny Thing About A Panic Attack

The Heaven’s Favorite Murderess

Furiozo: Man Looking for Trouble

Gaslighting Is My Love Language

Grape Culture

Isabella Charlton: So My Dad F****d The Nanny

Joni Mitchell: Take Me as I Am

Kenny Goes to Sleep

The Kids Might Die (A Tale Told By an Idiot)

Laughable

Medicine Woman

Mel McGlensey is Motorboat

Mr Chonkers

Mr Chonkers Presents… Piggy Time

My Little Phobia

My Mother Doesn’t Know I’m Kinky

Olivia Raine Atwood: Faking It

Sinatra: Raw

Sonnets from Suburbia

Thank You So Much for Coming

A Transcriber’s Tale

Trust Me, I’m from Essex

Viv Ford: New Kids On The Blockchain

Did we miss any? If you have a show at EdFringe that you have performed at HFF, let us know, and we will add you to the list! Email [email protected]

Join us in Edinburgh and take advantage of our new program, Hollywood in Edinburgh! Through a venue partnership with Summerhall, we are thrilled to provide more support to all US artists in Scotland! 

See you in Scotland!  

We are thrilled to introduce your “Hollywood In Edinburgh” 2024 Artist Ambassador…. 

Natasha Mercado

This year we are excited to offically launch our new support program for US artists bringing their work to Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Hollywood in Edinburgh, made possible through a venue partnership with Summerhall! 

The program will feature two networking events in Edinburgh and a late-night Cabaret spotlighting some of the fantastic US artists bringing their shows to Ed Fringe this year. Helping us launch this new program is Artist Ambassador Natasha Mercado! A 2022 Hollywood Fringe scholarship recipient, multi-fest award winner, and brilliant community builder. 

Natasha is excited to host our first event in Scotland, USA Artists Meet Up In Edinburgh at Summerhall on August 4th! RSVP to the FREE event today! 

Get to know your 2024 Artist Ambassador, Natasha! 

What is your background in theatre and storytelling? How did you get started- was it at Fringe, or in other spaces? Tell us about your Fringe experience – what got you involved?

My way of creating theatre is through an absurdist, feminist lens charged by unapologetic vulnerability and connection. My background in storytelling started with drama classes I had been taking since I was a toddler. So, I’ve been trying to tell stories since I could babble, but I truly fell in love with improv in high school at the Washington Improv Theater. After college, I ended up working at the Upright Citizens Brigade as a producer and director for their corporate events and was able to take their improv, sketch and character curriculum backwards and forwards. But I think a significant milestone for me as an independent artist was creating my first solo show “Tree” over Zoom after I had been laid off from UCB. I ended up premiering “Tree” in November 2021 at Junior High, a non-profit 501©3 community arts space that prioritizes the safety and expression of female, queer, nonbinary, and artists of color.

“Tree” went on to have sold-out runs at the Hollywood and Victoria Fringe Festival, receiving accolades such as Victoria’s ‘Pick of Fringe’ and Stage Raw’s ‘LA’s Top Ten Shows.’ I have extensively toured the North American Fringe circuit, winning numerous awards including three sold-out runs (Orlando, Victoria, Hollywood), Most Fringe Buzz Award (Orlando 2023), George Wallace Producer Pick (Orlando 2023), Best Clown/Physical Theatre (Victoria 2022), Encore Producers’ Award (Hollywood 2022), Fringe Scholarship (Hollywood 2022), and the Fruit Loop Scholarship (Edmonton 2023).

In 2023, I made my directorial debut at the Hollywood Fringe with Alex Kern’s “Thank You So Much for Coming” which won “Best of Broadwater” and “TVO’s Best Immersive”. And this year in 2024, I had two shows I directed in the Hollywood Fringe, “Medicine Woman” by Veronica Osorio and “Astro Cabaret” by Emma Irene, which cumulatively were nominated for 8 awards (including “Top of Fringe”) and won 3.

I’m about to make my Edinburgh Fringe debut with my second solo show  “#1 Son”, which I have been workshopping in Los Angeles for the past year and a half. I’m self-producing and it’s all been a huge labor of love– every text blurb, graphic, Instagram post, etc. Over these past 3 years since making “Tree,” I’ve realized that being an artist is a lot of admin work and that admin work for me has to be an extension of my art so that I can stay inspired (because it is a LOT of admin work).

Why Fringe? What makes the Fringe Festival model special? 

I love the Fringe! I’m so deeply grateful for my experience because it has made me a working independent artist. Someone told me early on that a person gets as much from the Hollywood Fringe experience as they put into it and it’s so true. The Fringe is so near and dear to me because I feel like I was able to go in with an open heart, even with all the new social anxieties fresh from quarantine, and I’ve received back ten fold in terms of community, support, friendship and career opportunities.

The Fringe is special because it provides unparalleled artistic freedom. At any given Fringe, I can promise you will see the weirdest, best, one-of-kind art that you didn’t even know was possible until that very moment. And anyone can do it! So there’s artists at all different stages in their career, which is incredibly inspiring.

And Fringe audiences get it. They want to connect to different perspectives and storytelling techniques. That’s why they show up. Because they want to see all the weirdo stuff!

Overall, the sense of community and collaboration among artists at the Fringe is palpable. Whenever I’m on the Fringe circuit, I’m always surrounded by the hardest working theatre artists you’ll ever meet. It’s just a sweet little ecosystem of collaboration, inspiration, and mutual support– which of course, lends itself to genuine networking, learning, and growing as an artist.

Accessibility is another crucial aspect of the Fringe. The lower cost of participation allows emerging and independent artists like me to present their work and tour, while affordable ticket prices make theatre more accessible to a wider range of people to actually SEE it. It’s seriously a steal to see the quality of shows at this price… because as an artist, I get to see a lot of the shows for free! Awww yeahhhhhhhhhhh

The recognition and exposure I’ve gained have opened doors to further opportunities, as a performer and as a theatre arts educator. I’m proud to say that I’m also a teaching artist with the Unusual Suspects Theatre Company non-profit, which is committed to creating – with Yield Giving’s recent $2M award – a Youth Theater Conservatory that will provide youths from underrepresented communities in Los Angeles with free access to college-level education in acting, playwriting, directing and production design.

And yes, I teach kids in communities in-need and incarcerated youth, yet I’m doing my show “#1 Son” about being “God’s sexiest son”. That may seem contradictory and even shocking! But really, my view is that clowns take on structures of power and difficult subjects – and I believe there’s a way to do that with heart, responsibility and positivity.

I also teach adults with my “Soft Clown” workshops which are unapologetically centered around sensitivity and earnestness to give participants the chance to explore vulnerability as a path to connecting with their most authentic comedic voice.

We know you’ve developed a new work for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe through some LA based programs. Can you give us a hint of what to expect if someone comes to see #1 Son?

I mean… expect the unexpected! There’s pretzels, plungers, demons, and nipples but all with a healthy dose of heart and pointed jabs at masculinity. And of course religious iconography. It’s a clown epic following Father Greg Orian (like gregorian chant) as he navigates lust, lies & living with the demon on top of his head.

Why is community important to you? What do you hope to help build as our first Hollywood in Edinburgh Program Ambassador?

Community is incredibly important to me because it fosters a sense of belonging among artists. In all my experiences working at the Upright Citizens Brigade and at various Fringe Festivals to now teaching and directing multiple shows, the sense of community has been a constant source of strength and motivation for me to keep creating. Like lots of my artist friends, I have experienced firsthand a deep sense of loneliness and isolation in my life, but being part of a supportive network allows us to share our stories, learn from one another, and grow as artists.

As the first Hollywood in Edinburgh Program Ambassador, I hope to help build a bridge between the vibrant artistic communities of Hollywood and Edinburgh. My goal is to foster a sense of unity and collaboration, creating opportunities for artists to connect, share resources, and support each other’s work. By doing so, we can create a more inclusive and dynamic arts scene that benefits everyone involved.

Additionally, I want to bring attention to the power of vulnerability and authenticity in storytelling. Through my work, including “#1 Son”,  “Thank You So Much for Coming” and “Medicine Woman” (which will all three be at the EdFringe this year?!), I strive to create spaces where artists and audiences can connect on a deep, emotional level while laughing their asses off. By embracing vulnerability, we can foster empathy and understanding, breaking down barriers and building stronger communities.

Ultimately, as an ambassador, I hope to inspire others to engage with the arts, support each other, and create meaningful, impactful work. The Fringe has given me so much in terms of community, support, friendship, and career opportunities, and I want to pay that forward by helping to build a thriving, supportive arts community that encourages artists to take risks, be bold, and stay ruthlessly inspired.

Say hello to Natasha in Edinburgh & get your tickets for her show: #1 Son!

HFF24 Community Award Winners
voted on by Fringe patrons and community

Fringe Award for Cabaret and Variety:

WINNER: Batter Up: Double Play

Astro Cabaret
Fringe! Tonite! Alive!
Magic for Animals
Sexame Strip: The Naughty Puppet Cabaret Show

Fringe Award for Comedy:

WINNER: The Best Man Show

BABY
Furiozo: Man Looking for Trouble
Medicine Woman
Queen Bee
Three Can Keep a Secret
What the Chuck?!
Woody Fu: One-Man John Wick

Fringe Award for Dance and Physical Theatre:

WINNER: THE ANTI “YOGI”

1972
Dissent: A Dramatherapy Performance
Meeting #7
The Death of the Swan

Fringe Award for Drama:

WINNER: Mikvah Girls

Dinosaurs
In For A Penny
Mermaid
Our American Tragedy
Vanlyfe

Fringe Award for Immersive and Games:

WINNER: Gameshow! Gameshow! Gameshow!

Kill The Umpire
Reforged: An SCP Immersive Experience
Shakespeare, Inc.
The Complaints Dept.

Fringe Award for Musicals and Operas:

WINNER: Bigfoot! The Musical

Final Girl: The Musical
Hunnysweet: an Adult Adventure Through the Hundred Acre Wood
SUPERNOVA : Spiritual Death of a Hot Mess
Zoog Dabbity

Fringe Award for Solo Performance:

WINNER: Handala

Grief Box
ICE CATS: A Dead Mother Traumedy
Not My Grandmother’s Daughter
SAM
The Day I Accidentally Went to War
The Iditarod
TYT 5

Fringe Award for Two Person Show:

WINNER: Habla y te Salvas: True Stories of a No Sabo Kid & his Guayaco Dad

The Sphere of Fixed Stars in the Heavens by J. Holtham
This Show Is Surrounded By True Events
We Need Better Friends

Fringe International Award:

WINNER: Medicine Woman

Furiozo: Man Looking for Trouble
Nora and Jim
Rock Bottom
The Godmother

Fringe Award for World Premiere:

WINNER: BABY

Batter Up: Double Play
Habla y te Salvas: True Stories of a No Sabo Kid & his Guayaco Dad
Handala
Mikvah Girls
SAM
THE ANTI “YOGI”
This Show Is Surrounded By True Events
Vanlyfe
We Need Better Friends

Top of the Fringe Award:

WINNER: BABY

Habla y te Salvas: True Stories of a No Sabo Kid & his Guayaco Dad"
Handala
ICE CATS: A Dead Mother Traumedy
Medicine Woman
Mikvah Girls
THE ANTI “YOGI”
The Best Man Show
Three Can Keep a Secret
Vanlyfe

HFF24 Discover Fringe Award Nominees
presented by organizations outside of the festival

Best of The Actors Company, presented by The Actors Company:

WINNERS:

Amen
Am I Really Jewish?
An Honest Work
Brainwashed
Baby Rock
Extraterrestial Kink
Modern Butchood
Morgan The Musical: A Sex Toy Western
The Border – A Russian Anti-War Self-Confession
The Dolphin I Loved
This is Very Important

Adelaide Fringe Exchange Award, presented by Adelaide Fringe Festival:

WINNER: Medicine Woman

QUEEN OUT (VERB)
Woody Fu: One-Man John Wick
Missions
BABY
My Little Phobia
Habla y te Salvas: True Stories of a No Sabo Kid & his Guayaco Dad

Best of Asylum Award, presented by Theatre Asylum/Combined Artform:

WINNER: Black Bastard

DND Betches!
Give Me The MacArthur Genius Grant
Jenny Lind Presents P.T. Barnum
Kosher Salt
Majorettes
Our American Tragedy
Painted Ponies
Pure Cinema
SAM
Sunita: Back to Me
The Build
The Connie Converse Universe Starring Hope Levy
The Easter Bunny
The Funny Thing About Men
The Motherfucker With The Hat
Woody Fu: One-Man John Wick

Best of the Broadwater Award, presented by The Broadwater:

WINNERS:

Not My Grandmother’s Daughter
TYT 5
Kenny Goes To Sleep
A Bella Incarcerated
The Day I Accidently Went To War
This Show Is Surrounded By True Events
Delusions and Grandeur
What the Chuck?
Mikvah Girls
Sam
The Best Man Show
Role Play (Or The Hottest Day In Belgian History)

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

WINNER: Habla y te Salvas: True Stories of a No Sabo Kid & his Guayaco Dad

THE ANTI “YOGI”
UNTITLED PSYCHIC BUSTER PROJECT
An Honest Work
RONALD
The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life, Sex, and Everything in Between
The Best Man Show
Latini-Duh!™ The Upside Down Latinoverse
tHis Is Very IMPORTANT

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

WINNER: Mermaid

Black Bastard
TYT 5
Give Me The MacArthur Genius Grant
The Day I Accidentally Went to War
The Epistle of Her

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

WINNERS: Woody Fu: One-Man John Wick & Medicine Woman

Theatre Show (a play about a woman)
Gameshow! Gameshow! Gameshow!
Baby Rock
Handala

International Fringe Encore Series, presented by SoHo Playhouse:

GUARANTEED SELECTION: Gil Scott-Heron Bluesology

FINALISTS

What The Chuck?!
The Day I Accidentally Went To War
BABY
Mikvah Girls

Jaxx Cultural Arts Envoy Award, presented by Jaxx Theatricals:

WINNER: FOXY LADIES LOVE BOOGIE 70’S EXPLOSION!

Bigfoot! The Musical
Final Girl: The Musical
PODCAST: The Show
POPERA: Sex, Death and Politics
The Rabbit Queen
Theatre Show (a play about a woman)
Vanlyfe

Loud Karma Emerging Female and Nonbinary Playwright Award, presented by Loud Karma Productions, LLC:

WINNERS:

1: Obsessed-Starr Shapiro

2: Vanlyfe-Elliot Evans and Soph Fuchs

3: Heart Held at Knife Point-Eliran Sternin

Omnia Motus-Allison Shea Reed
ICE CATS: A Dead Mother Traumedy-Alli Miller-Fisher
The Rabbit Queen-Ilana Gordon
Femmina Super-Bethany Hill
Mikvah Girls-Emmy Weissman
Handala-Myriam Ali-Ahmad

No Room in the Green Room Award, presented by MB Stage Productions:

WINNER: Sunken

Shakespeare, Inc.
A Third Space: The Trans Conversation Project
Remember 92 : Sierra Leone Will Rise Again

Soaring Solo Social Impact Award, presented by Soaring Solo LLC:

WINNER: Black Bastard by Jon Gentry

Mermaid by Italome Ohikhuare
The Day I Accidentally Went To War by Bill Posley
Magic For Animals by Liz Toonkel
The Godmother by Melina Farahani
Handala by Myriam Ali-Ahmad

StageCrafts Select Award, presented by The StageCrafts:

WINNERS: Roost; Dinner for Eight; Lessons from Children’s Books

The Hobgoblin Playhouse:
Did I Just Join a Cult?
The Iditarod
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
Kosher Salt

The Madnani Theater:
Norman Judd: A Life in Concert
space exploration because SPACE EXPLORATION because sPaCe eXpLoRaTiOn!!!
Faking It
The Fairy Who Cried Gems

Javista:
Role Model Juliet
All the Boys I Blocked

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

WINNER: QUEEN OUT (VERB)

THE ANTI “YOGI”
Medicine Woman

The Screamiest Award, presented by Midsummer Scream:

WINNER: Final Girl: The Musical

Bride of Blood
Did I Just Join A Cult?
Dracula: Live from Transylvania
In For A Penny

The Splash Award, presented by Namba Performing Arts Space:

WINNER: The Day I Accidentally Went to War

Mermaid
The Godmother
Vanlyfe
Mictlan
Queen Out
Magic for Animals
Schizophrenia is Funny

Theatre Theater Playwright Award, presented by Theatre Theater Podcast:

WINNER: Edward G Excalibur, 638: an Uncommonly Comical Review of an Accidental Assassination Attempt of Fidel Castro

Kate Dragone, Lines
Maddie Natoli, The Death of the Swan
Drew Petriello, Vote for Tom Ryan
Elliot Evans and Soph Fuchs, Vanlyfe
Vincent X Kirsch, Whim

Three Clubs Production Award, presented by Three Clubs Theatre:

WINNERS: FOXY LADIES LOVE BOOGIE 70’S EXPLOSION! AND Hunnysweet: An Adult Adventure Through The Hundred Acre Wood

This Song Reminds Me Of…
Supernova: Spiritual Death of a Hot Mess
Chess, The Musical
Bigfoot! The Musical
What The Chuck?!
Astro Cabaret
Sexame Strip: The Naughty Puppet Cabaret Show

Zephyr’s Zest Award, presented by Zephyr Theatre:

WINNER: THE ANTI “YOGI”

Daddy Issues
Revolution with Ramón
The Super Trio
There is Something Seriously Wrong with Cyrus: How I Went From A Hot Mess To A Hot Bitch
Where Within