VIRGINIA BEACH —Art that pushes the envelope returns to The Z this April. The Z Fringe Festival returns to Virginia Beach Town Center for three days of theater, comedy, and new works, alongside a visual arts installation.
The Z Fringe Festival was created in 2023 to celebrate new works that “push the envelope”. Inspired by the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, the Z Fringe Festival sees more than 200 artists showcasing more than 25 new works during the Festival.
Now in its 4th year, the Z Fringe returns with the most diverse range of shows yet! This year’s festival selections include performances from artists debuting their first-ever written piece, to seasoned playwrights hoping to debut their latest work.
Adam Hanson debuted a new musical, Scripted, at the 2025 Festival, and will return this year with a sequel to the award-winning piece starring young actors.
“When we first became aware of Fringe, we loved the idea that it creates a level playing field for artists to explore and showcase their creativity in a public forum, maybe for the first time,” Hanson said.
“Last year, Maggie and I had a much more active role in building and shaping the experience for the young actors. This time, it’s a team effort to mentor these young artists and help them navigate the first project that they’ve really spear-headed from the start.”
In addition to many new plays and one-acts, the festival features cabarets, sketch comedy, and solo performances that audiences would not be able to see onstage during the average theater season.
“I heard about the Z Fringe from other performers in the solo, comedy and indie theatre world. The artist centric, boundary pushing, supportive spirit the festival embodies is something that really excited and enticed me to want to be a part of it,” said Lucie Pohl, an artist from NYC who will debut her new solo comedy piece at this year’s festival.
“My shows have all explored different stages in my life and this new show is no different,” said Pohl.
Alongside performances, visual artwork will be displayed gallery-style in the lobby through the entire festival. Artist submitted individual works, full gallery displays, and maker space crafter tables. Artists will sell their work and be available during the Festival Gallery Tour.
What is a Fringe Festival?
The Z’s Fringe Festival is a celebration of self-produced performance art that pushes the envelope and makes a statement. Performances at The Z Fringe are theatrically-based, meaning they have a viewpoint, tell a story, or connect multiple pieces with a theme. Like the origin story of Fringe Festivals, The Z Fringe was created to give performing artists access to performance space and the opportunity to explore new concepts and performance formats that don’t fit a ‘traditional’ production model.
More information about the festival can be found at zfringe.org. All-access passes, single day passes, and single-show tickets are available online or by calling the box office at 757-499-0317.
Zeiders American Dream Theater is located at 4509 Commerce Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Zeiders American Dream Theater is funded in part by the citizens of Virginia Beach through a grant from the City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission.
ABOUT ZEIDERS AMERICAN DREAM THEATER
Zeiders American Dream Theater, known as The Z, is a professional, non-profit performing arts company whose mission is to provide a wide range of highly entertaining artistic experiences to the community by fostering and introducing new works and exceptionally gifted artists in all areas of the performing arts. The Z is a community hub for celebrating creative growth and entertainment. With intimate performance spaces and unique programming that generates an exciting connection between the performer and the audience, The Z inspires audiences and performers to tap into their own creative spark, unleash their dreams, and achieve their full potential. TheZ.org
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