District Fringe Festival
District Fringe was created by artists for artists to promote and propel the strong independent theater tradition in the D.C. area.
At a time when the arts community is under direct threat from the current administration, we unapologetically stand for diversity, equity, and inclusion as we work to create an open, egalitarian space for artists to produce work that challenges, entertains, and inspires.
Who we are
D.C. theater artists announce new fringe festival
District Fringe: Uninhibited. Unafraid. Unstoppable.
A coalition of D.C.-based Indie Stage Collective theater artists are joining forces to produce a new independent theater festival, District Fringe, to be held in the summer of 2025. The festival is intended to fill a gap left by the abrupt shuttering of the Capital Fringe Festival in early 2025.
Leadership includes:
Karen Lange (Artistic Director, Pinky Swear Productions)
Tracey Erbacher (Artistic Director, Theater Prometheus)
Aubri O’Connor (Artistic Director, Nu Sass Productions)
Nu Sass Productions is the acting nonprofit producer of District Fringe.
Why now?
A Statement From Karen Lange
For so many years, Capital Fringe was truly the only place where a nascent company or independent producer could put their work in front of an audience for less than $1,000 with all tech and space included.
The cancellation of Capital Fringe is a huge loss for the next generation of D.C. performing artists, which is why we decided to come together and work on a new event that will fill that void: District Fringe.
With the arts community under threat by the Trump administration, we intend District Fringe to stand as a reminder that artists remain uninhibited, unafraid, and unstoppable in the face of the current political climate.
The festival will be small but mighty. By necessity, this will be a juried festival, which marks a departure from the previous festivals. Additionally, we’ll focus only on local artists. District Fringe is theater by the people, for the people,” said Lange. We will not be seeking federal government grants from an administration determined to quash freedom of expression. In these times, art is more important than ever and we need to elevate rather than and suppress the voices of artists. Our festival is excited to welcome shows that showcase the incredible diversity of artists in this region. Ultimately, we want the art to reflect the city we live in.”