On Dec. 2, the Orlando Fringe held their annual application lottery at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, with District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan presiding over the drawing of shows for the 2020 theater festival. Out of the 385 productions that applied – the most entries ever, from as far away as India and Nigeria – 101 received guaranteed slots in the schedule, along with three "Fringers of the Future" high-school troupes. An additional 103 landed on the waitlist, leaving over 180 hopefuls the option of pitching themselves to a "BYOV" off-site venue (apply at orlandofringe.org) or trying their luck again next year. Orlando Fringe also recently announced additions to their staff, including operations manager Melissa Fritzinger, outdoor stage producer Gina Barone, Visual Fringe producer Melanie Leon and Kids Fringe producer Jessica Hoehn; the last two may be familiar to Festival patrons from their work onstage.
- Photo by Seth Kubersky
- The Orlando Fringe Festival holds its annual application lottery (Dec. 2, 2019)
Florida Theatrical Association, which presented the Broadway tour of The Play That Goes Wrong at the Dr. Phillips Center last week, has announced a record-setting $128,500 in scholarships and grants for the 2019-2020 season, which are funded in part by season ticketholders' donations. Three Florida colleges, including UCF, received Bob Pittman Post-secondary Education Scholarships to offset theater students' tuition; 15 area theaters won Barbara H. Gault Professional Training Program funding; three educators – including Melody Herzfeld from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School – received Director's Chair Awards; and five local graduating thespians took home Mr. & Mrs. Donald K. Yost High School Awards. Applications for next season's grants are already open at floridatheatrical.org.
Now Playing
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, through Dec. 15 at Winter Park Playhouse ... A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas, through Dec. 22 at Garden Theatre ... Annie, through Dec. 22 at Athens Theatre ... A Christmas Carol, through Dec. 15 at Bay Street Players ... A Christmas Story, through Dec. 15 at CFCArts ... A Christmas Story: The Musical, through Dec. 22 at Theater West End ... Miracle in Bedford Falls: The Musical, through Dec. 29 at Orlando Rep ... Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, through Dec. 29 at Orlando Shakes ... The Spitfire Grill, through Dec. 29 at Mad Cow.
Upcoming
Orlando Ballet presents The Nutcracker, Dec. 13-23 at Dr. Phillips Center ... Phantasmagoria's A Christmas Carol, Dec. 13-16 at Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Dec. 21 at Wayne Densch ... Phantasmagoria's Through a Christmas Darkly, Dec. 19 at Maxine's on Shine, Dec. 20-21 at Penguin Point ... The Golden Gals – A Christmas Musical, Dec. 19-21 at Parliament House ... Orlando Opera presents All Is Calm, Dec. 20-22 at Dr. Phillips Center ... David McElroy's One Man Christmas Carol, Dec. 22-23 at Penguin Point.
– This story appears in the Dec. 11, 2019, print issue of Orlando Weekly. Stay on top of Central Florida news and views with our weekly Headlines newsletter.
