Hollywood Fringe Festival 2026 Reviews

55 minutes of pure joy. Impossible to not just sit there with a smile on your face the whole time. Sharp and silly in all the best ways. ... full review

Great character work and writing. Terrific message. Important and funny show!... full review

Incredibly unique, wholesome, and relatable - writer and magnetic performer Ari Fromm teaches their audience “pupils” an important lesson about identity and inclusivity through an animated, larger-than-life performance that transports you to the wild and colorful world of Fruits. The type of show you come to Fringe to see! ... full review

Brendan Scannell is going down and he’s taking us all (willingly) with him! Relevant, relatable, and yet singularly his own, “The Abyss” is L.A. storytelling worth experiencing! ... full review

This is the kind of show that every Fringe Festival should aspire to have on its roster. A raw, honest, courageous telling of an original story with depth and insight, beautifully told by an expert storyteller. It's delivered with conviction, humor and a compelling honesty by the very talented Olga Konstantulakis, who doesn't miss a beat in this solo performance. From beginning to end it's lean, to the point, no wasted moments, no fluff, all power. I'll be seeing this again. The bar is set h... full review

Smart and silly and he sings some bangers!... full review

I'm a simple man. A jukebox musical kicks off with "Flagpole Sitta," I lose my goddamn mind... full review

Funny, raw, well-structured, with a real payoff. ... full review

Very moving and funny. An intimate show by a talented performer. See it!... full review

Brilliant! Couldn’t stop laughing, hilarious and heartfelt in all the best ways. Would definitely see again! ... full review

The Abyss is one of those rare shows that completely pulls you in from the moment it begins and refuses to let go. Seamlessly blending comedy and drama, it's laugh-out-loud funny one moment and genuinely heartbreaking the next. What makes the show so compelling is its ability to balance humor with real emotional depth. The story unfolds in a way that feels both intimate and universal, drawing the audience deeper and deeper into its world. By the end, you're not just watching the characters — you... full review

This was an entertaining and humorous exploration of what it’s like to live in a woman’s body. As a woman in perimenopause and also having gone through infertility, this was so relatable! ... full review

Beautiful, funny, an absolute gem! ... full review

A show punching up at landlords through a smarmy Doofus landlord's absurd POV. ... full review

This piece mesmerized me and took me to so many different places in one theater. I empathized with the artist’s personal story as I was reminded of mine, and cried with her while I was sitting in the front row watching. I was blown away by the depth and aliveness of the show. And I loved all the elements mixed into it—the movement, the poetry, the nonlinear timeline, the characters, the rawness of the story! I was so moved! I will be going back to see it again. This kind of authenticity is the ne... full review

My wife and I had a great time attending and we came away with a reminder of how vital the theatre and other types of live performances are.... full review

First Time is a funny and engaging show delivered with confidence. It’s intimate and conversational, with heartfelt moments throughout, and lots of hilarious anecdotes about sex and discovering yourself. It’s tight, well-paced, and effortlessly holds the audience’s attention, which is especially impressive given it’s the writer-performer’s first ever show!... full review

I’ve been a professional actor in Los Angeles for over twenty years, and after a while you think you’ve seen everything. Great actors. Great writing. Great productions. It gets harder and harder to be genuinely surprised. DWNYC surprised me. I walked in expecting to see a smart adaptation of Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter. I walked out feeling like I had spent an hour trapped in a basement with two men whose lives were slowly unraveling right in front of me. From the moment you walk int... full review

Kendall Brezinski’s one-man show feels like sitting down with someone for an honest, unfiltered conversation about growing up, identity, love, and learning to accept yourself. The simplicity of the staging keeps the focus on his storytelling, creating an intimate atmosphere that feels personal and vulnerable. The show explores some heavy themes - including depression, suicidal ideation, the longing for connection, and the complicated ways we search for love and validation - while balancing those ... full review

Compelling, intriguing, and brilliant. ... full review