UPDATED 8/30/13, 5 P.M.: The much anticipated Philly Fringe Arts Festival kicks off next Friday (Sept 5), and this year’s foray into contemporary performing and visual arts is expected not to disappoint. And, as always, area folks won’t have to walk far to experience the eccentric arts as many of Fringe’s events take place within the boundaries of West Philly and University City. Below is a list of shows in no particular order being held in the neighborhood (for a full listing, visit the Live Arts/Fringe Festival website). We’ll update the list with more events as we get more information.

Alternative Theater Festival by iNtuitons Experiment Theatre Company on Sept. 7, 7 p.m. at the Platt Student Performing Arts House. Alternative Theater Festival is a collection of five short plays directed and written by University of Pennsylvania students touching on themes of unrequited love, mental illness, loneliness, infertility, and self-discovery.

Jonatha Brooke

WXPN presents My Mother Has Four Noses on Sept. 11, 8 p.m. at World Café Live. Singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke performs her one-woman musical about her mother’s final years battling Alzheimer’s.

Bricolage by Megan Lynn/Asterial Dance, Caite Cuan Dance on Sept. 7, 8 p.m. at Community Education Center. New York-based dance companies Catie Cuan Dance and Megan Lynn/Asterial Dance premiere four original Philadelphia dances inspired by everything from Yeats’s Byzantium to the human experience.

Celebrating Dance by Dancefusion & 360º Dance Company on Sept. 6, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m.; Sept. 7, 3 p.m. & 6 p.m. at Mandell Theater at Drexel University. Dancefusion and New York’s 360º Dance Company co-present two performances that combine historic modern and contemporary dance work. Dancefusion celebrates 25 years this year. 

XFS Philly Song Shuffle by Xtreme Folk Scene on Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m. at World Café Live. Fifty-five artists on one stage perform four minute sets of music in 200-plus minutes. The magic of a song shuffle live!

Gender Reel Film & Performance Art Festival on Sept 19-21, 6 p.m. at The Rotunda. Gender Reel presents its film and performance arts event dedicated to the experiences and lives of transgender and gender non-conforming people.

Jennifer the Unspecial by Buskwich to Broadway on Sept. 13, 7 p.m.; Sept. 14, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. at the University of Pennsylvania Museum. The award-winning musical about four middle schoolers who time travel and learn that worth is not tied to popularity and approval.

Poor Poe by William Burrison/Nighthawks on Sept. 8, 3:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. at The Rotunda; Sept. 11 – 12, 8 p.m. at Christ the King Prayer Chapel (6212 Elmwood Ave). An exploration of Poe’s battles with alcoholism and mental illness as set on a Philadelphia train written by three-time PA Arts Council recipient William Burrison. A preliminary short play, The Ship That Stops, will also be performed.

The Pink Museum by Mick Queer on Sept. 21, 12 p.m., 5 p.m. & 9 p.m. at Meetinghouse Theater at the Community Education Center. Philadelphia installation artist Mick Queer takes you through a guided tour of one man’s gay history of ex-boyfriends, sexual artifacts and cultural touchstones.

Sephro: Back to Earth by Fantasy Weavers Original Opera for Children & Adults on Sept. 7, 7 p.m. & Sept. 11, 8 p.m. at The Rotunda. A continuation of Kate Quinn’s opera saga about Cryss and the Sephrons’ search for Craela.

Polygon Comedy Presents: The Fringe! on Sept. 8 & Sept. 22, 7 p.m. at Studio 34. Local independent comedy at its finest!

Parts: A Speed-Through by Drexel Players on Sept 6-8, Sept. 13-14 6 pm. & 8 p.m. at URBN Center Annex.  An interactive exploration from the Drexel Players on how we fit all together and the roles we play.

One Year by MamaCITA Fire Installation open Sept. 7, 8, 12–15 & 19–21, 6 p.m.; 25-minute performance on Sept. 7 and Sept 21 at 6:30 p.m. at The Sanctuary at The Rotunda. This provocative art installation of wire sculptures “confronts public apathy towards urban violence”; each sculpture representing one of 331 murders in the city in 2012.

Love, Rose: An Original Chamber Musical by Jeremy Lloyd, Directed by Matthew Decker on Sept. 19-21, 8 p.m., Sept. 22, 4 p.m.
at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral. An intimate staged reading of one man’s love affair with a mystical woman and his sister’s challenge of what he believes to be ultimately true.

The Storm Rider: A Woman’s Journey by The Theater Cooperative on Sept. 13 – 15, 8 p.m. at The Rotunda. The story of Lili Bita’s journey through abuse, inner demons, and ultimate acceptance.

To purchase tickets to any of the West Philadelphia shows, click here.

–Annamarya Scaccia