FringeNYC 2014 - Your Personal Guide to The 18th Annual New York International Fringe Festival

The productions listed under the Show Rankings and Show Reviews sections are
ones I've seen from beginning to end. In contrast, this News & Buzz section provides
recommendations of shows I haven't yet seen but are receiving good buzz.
This section also offers news & tips to make your festival experience as much fun as possible.

The FringeNYC Encore Series (8/25/14): Some of the finest FringeNYC productions will return in September for the FringeNYC 2014 Encore Series. Eight ensemble shows will be performed at the Soho Playhouse and eight solo shows will play at the Baruch Performing Arts Center. For details on all Encore shows, please click here.

Sold Out Runs (8/20/14): All 6 added performances have sold out. Plus there are now 9 shows that have sold out their entire runs; the latest are Depression: The Musical, I'll Say She Is, and The Truing. For details, please click here. Some of these shows are likely to be offered in September as part of the FringeNYC Encore Series; please stay tuned here for details.

Added Performances! (8/15/14): Six shows that have sold out their entire runs has just each been given an added performance. If you're interested I recommend buying tickets ASAP, as these extra performances will probably sell out quickly too. To learn more, please click here.

Another Powerful Contender for Best of Fest (8/14/14): On Wednesday I saw the Peanuts parody Absolutely Filthy. It's absolutely brilliant and hilarious, and my new top show for the fest. For my full review, please click here.

A Contender for Best Show of the Festival (8/11/14): Sunday night I had the great pleasure of seeing the sold out opening of Gary Busey's One Man Hamlet (As Performed by David Carl). In a word, genius. There may be better shows at the festival, but it's hard to imagine what they are. I'd give this five stars if I could; but under my rating system, an exceptionally strong ****. For my full review, please click here.

Lucky Saturday (8/10/14): I saw only two shows on Saturday, but they were both among the best of the fest: The Ultimate Stimulus (****) and 20/400: Sketchy as F*ck (***½). For their reviews, please click here.

Selling Out (8/10/14): Tickets are going quickly this year; 22 productions have already sold out one or more performances. For details, please click here.

First Reviews (8/9/14): I caught four shows on opening day. The winner by a mile was The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking, which is educational, tuneful, packed with laughs—and delivers three rounds of booze to each audience member. To read all reviews, please click here.

Preview of Top Shows on Tuesday 8/5 (8/5/14): Six shows that are likely to be highlights of FringeNYC 2014 will perform excerpts for the press and public today from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm at The Sheen Center (18 Elizabeth Street). The shows are, in order of performance, Bedroom Secrets, I'll Say She Is, Gary Busey's One Man Hamlet (As Performed By David Carl), The Imbible, Fatty Fatty No Friends, and Urban Momfare. For more, please click here.

The Flood Is Sold Out (7/25/14): FringeNYC 2014 shows are already starting to sell out. In fact, before the FringeCentral box office for physical ticket sales even opened, The Flood sold out its entire run online! If you want to see a particular FringeNYC show, please feel highly encouraged to buy tickets ASAP. I'll be frequently updating which shows are selling out here.

New Ticket System (7/25/14): FringeNYC switched to a new ticketing system this year via Eventbrite. There are three forms of tickets available: small physical slips of paper (similar to MTA MetroCard receipts) purchased via the FringeCentral box office, PDF tickets that you buy online and then print out as entire sheets of paper, and electronic tickets you display on your phone. Each ticket, regardless of its form, includes a scannable code.

If you're using your phone, please be sure to raise the brightness high for the ticket checker to ensure your code can be scanned quickly and easily. If your phone has a crack across its screen, please be aware that you might not be able to get the ticket scanned properly; in this case, opt for a printed ticket instead

For complete information on buying tickets—including ways to get substantial discounts—please click here.

To view a list of the FringeNYC 2014 shows I've seen from beginning to end, rated and ranked in rough order of preference, please click here.

Location of FringeCentral (7/13/14): The location of FringeCentral—the key spot for both ticket buying and Fringe info—is 114 Norfolk Street. This Lower East Side spot is closest to the Delancey Street stop on the F subway and the Essex Street stop on the J/M/Z subways. It's within easy walking distance of the majority of this year's FringeNYC venues—especially Venues 1-4, which are just a few feet away on the same block. To learn more, please click here.

Navigating this Site's FringeNYC 2014 Coverage (7/13/14): There are a number of sections in this site to help you get the most enjoyment out of this year's festival.

To view a list of the FringeNYC 2014 shows I've seen from beginning to end, rated and ranked in rough order of preference, please click here.

For key info, including where to find show descriptions, how to catch live-on-stage sneak peeks of shows, where to see free outdoor shows, how to buy tickets, and much more, please click here.

For a list of shows that have sold out one or more performances via advance sales, please click here.

For a list of shows that have canceled performances, please click here; and that have added performances, please click here.

And to learn about great places to grab food in the neighborhoods that host the shows, please click here.