A perennial Fringe favorite, KC’s Magic Showcase is a family-friendly show which entertains all ages. The magicians are members of the Society of American Magicians and they are in all senses pros. Each performance features different magicians, so each show is different. This show was emceed by Cosmo and included a master of rope tricks,…

Comedian Emmy Rivera uses Puerto Rican American Gothic to tell the story of what happens when a Puerto Rican Jersey girl moves to the mid-western college town of Lawrence, KS. Her performance is intended to show the struggles she faced while working through the struggles of being a “perfect” grandmother despite her long-ago buried party…

In a small but lovely “Fringe with Benefits” show at the Arts Asylums, five visual artists look at both male and female nudes through the perspective of “the female gaze.” Ashley Boettcher’s beautiful series of nudes show the female form in poses of strength, grace, and agility while using aerial silks. The works began as…

One of the true highlights of Fringe is finding the hidden gems: the small-venue performances, far from the big-ticket shows, that combine powerful material and performance in a one-two punch. Such a show is “kNew”, by t. l. sanders. Sanders, a poet, plays multiple characters in the story of a son dealing with the sudden…

‘Life Of An Empath’ is an interpretive dance production, wherein Joseph Sheppard, choreographer/performer, dances to 13 wonderful musical selections – using props (e.g., breathing spheres, binoculars, fans and wands) – to represent the journey of an individual learning to grow into his empathic abilities. Sheppard’s performance is sincere, emotive, and earnest. His choreography for the…

“Dreams Do Come True” is a comedy/stand-up routine by Kent Rader, an accountant turned comedian telling his story of how he left behind the world of numbers for one of laughter. We follow him from childhood to the present on his path to the very stage he stands. There are two stages to both the…

“Sides of History is Multifaceted Storytelling” At the Unicorn Theatre Levin Stage an actor comes on before the ubiquitous KC Fringe Festival curtain speech is even over. “Oh,” I think to myself, “they’re going to pack every minute they’ve got.” I had no idea… When was the last time you left a Fringe show both…

By definition, Jim Cogswell is not exactly a troubadour. While he focuses the acoustic music he plays on themes of courtly love, he is not a wanderer, hailing from Leawood. Nor does he compose original music, at least not yet. However, through Jim’s set, he entertains and engages the audience through these songs of love.…

The Teen Fringe Open Mic Night is a great event for teens to get their arts and voices out there. The night started out with a variety of pizza with gluten-free options and sodas from Dr Pepper to Sprite. After the food, the teens chose two out of three workshops. The first one, improv, lasted…