Tickets and Shows

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Why you love the Fringe.

On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco

September 26th at 6:00pm

“I’m supposed to give this lecture, okay? I mean I’m going to give it. My wife, she told me I should, and so I will. It’s on a topic of broad, general, interest. It’s "On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco." So that’s what I’ll be talking about. And just that. Except… Well, never mind. There’s really nothing more to be said about it. But I shall venture to hope, so to speak, that you’ll find it quite beneficial, in fact. It’s really, um, important.” Don't miss this revival of a Chekhov classic.

Length: 50 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: MuCCC
Genre: Theatre

The Russell Beckett Show

September 26th at 6:00pm

A young woman surprises a doctor and his wife with a donation that affects all of their lives, especially the couple's. Another woman recounts a stream of memories with only her mouth to be seen, but are the memories really from her life? Canadian author Craig Russell's thoughtful comedy "Donation" and Samuel Beckett's powerful monologue "Not I" complete this unique double bill from the TANYS-winning theater company Aspie Works.

Length: 55 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre
Genre: Theatre

Shibari

September 26th at 6:00pm

A live Shibari performance exploring trust, vulnerability, and emotional connection through rope. Using traditional Japanese tying techniques, the performers move through a slow progression of restraint, suspension, stillness, and release. The piece centers on attention, presence, and the unspoken communication that develops between two people as tension, surrender, intimacy, and playfulness emerge through movement and suspension.

Length: 60 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: Aerial Arts of Rochester: Aerial Arena
Genre: Dance

Dick Tracy - Live Radio Drama Double Feature

September 26th at 6:15pm

Experience Dick Tracy at the WHAM radio studio in 1946, recreated by screen plays with live Foley effects, vintage commercials, and a seven-actor ensemble. Presented as a "broadcast," these adventures feature Tracy navigating mystery, danger, and romance in the jazz-era 1930s. Act One follows The Case of the Big Top Murders at a circus. Act Two tackles The Case of the Diamond Double-Cross, with Tracy searching for a missing diamond amid rising threats. Enjoy nostalgia and unexpected twists.

Length: 60 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: Biltmore Bar & Lounge
Genre: Theatre

RIT Players Presents: When Jack Met Jill

September 26th at 6:15pm

You never know what moments will be pivotal. An existential crisis, or a change in your soda-drinking habits. An unfathomable loss, or a moment of uncertainty about whether you’re looking at a possum or not. For Jack and Jill, it’s all of the above, as moments across time (and sometimes, between realities) converge into a poignant collage rendering of their relationship.

Length: 45 Minutes
Tickets: Not Required
Venue: The Little Theatre: Theatre 1
Genre: Comedy

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

September 26th at 6:30pm

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a wildly funny musical where six fiercely competitive middle schoolers battle for spelling glory, one word at a time. As they navigate the bee, the spellers reveal hilarious, awkward, and surprisingly touching glimpses into their lives. Featuring audience participation and a score that’s as charming as it is clever, this Tony Award-winning musical is packed with enough laughter and spelling anxiety to make anyone grateful they’re not on stage.

Length: 90 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre
Genre: Theatre

Stand-Up Through the Ages

September 26th at 6:30pm

2026 marks 10 years in the Rochester Fringe Festival, and this show gets better every year! Seven comedians, ages from early thirties to late eighties, share their unique and hilarious observations, proving that whatever your age, life is definitely a laughing matter. The popular performers from previous sold-out shows return, bringing original jokes galore. Enjoy the wit of Kelsey Claire Hagen, Tori Hosier, Charlie Frusci, Miriam Zinter, Bob Holzwarth, Dan Mulcahy, and host Phyllis Reed.

Length: 60 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: School of the Arts: Club SOTA
Genre: Comedy

Sanctified Sauna

September 26th at 6:45pm

Breath in...and release. Sanctified Sauna embodies traditional European sauna rituals in an immersive performance to create a unique theatrical wellness experience. You’ll feel waves of heat, steam, and scents of essential oils unique for your journey. From deep restorative warmth to the invigorating cold, you'll leave the toxicity of daily life behind and discover the story of purification and wellness. Set yourself apart at the hottest and coolest fringe show to date and claim your ticket NOW!

Length: 75 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: St. Paul's Episcopal Church: Outdoors
Genre: Multidisciplinary & Circus

The ABBA Reunion Tribute Show

September 26th at 7:00pm

Direct from a London West End producer, "The ABBA Reunion Tribute Show" gives ABBA fans the opportunity to re-live the iconic ABBA phenomenon that swept the airwaves and discos during the '70s and '80s in a truly authentic, feel-good, party-style tribute concert. Featuring timeless classics including "Mamma Mia," "Super Trouper," "Take a Chance," "Dancing Queen," and many more!

Length: 75 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: St. Paul's Episcopal Church: Front of Sanctuary
Genre: Music

Catharsis Time!

September 26th at 7:00pm

Join us for our fourth year of "Catharsis Time!" Created by local author Sara Zavacki-Moore and playwright Matthew Dwight Moore, the show features a terrific cast of hand-picked creatives. This year’s theme will be “resilience,” and will feature some of Rochester’s best storytellers. As a special bonus, we will be offering a free expressive writing workshop to explore the benefits of creative writing and mental health.

Length: 50 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: School of the Arts: Ensemble Theatre
Genre: Comedy

Cirque du Fringe: Anchors Away

September 26th at 7:00pm

All New for 2026! Is there a doctor in the house?! You may just need one to treat you for all the heart-stopping entertainment that awaits you on board the beautiful HMS Spiegeltent! Let our crew whisk you away on a cruise of a lifetime that will leave you feeling like a cheeky sunset cocktail on the open sea. Hosted by the highly strung, overly familiar, and “charming” cruise director, this night promises to be a night you won’t soon forget. High Seas. High Stakes. High-Flying Circus!

Length: 90 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: Spiegeltent
Genre: Multidisciplinary & Circus

The GateSwingers Big Band

September 26th at 7:00pm

"The GateSwingers Large Band" brings the timeless energy of swing and contemporary jazz to life for today's audiences! From bar rooms to ball rooms, from the Fairport Canal Days, to the Rochester International Jazz Festival and the Rochester Fringe Festival, and from weddings to jazz clubs and everything in between, the band consistently earns enthusiastic responses from audiences. The GateSwingers will keep the music up and the audience dancing in the aisles!

Length: 60 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: The Hochstein School: Hochstein Performance Hall
Genre: Music

Illumina

September 26th at 7:00pm

In this collaboration between MCC's On the Edge Theatre Troupe and RoCo, festivalgoers are invited to become both creators and participants in a shared work of illuminated art. As each person adds light to the installation, their actions merge into a larger, radiant image, revealing the power of collective effort. Set beneath the open sky, the finished piece will reveal a simple, yet resonant idea: change begins with each of us, but shines brightest when we work together.

Length: 60 Minutes
Tickets: Not Required
Venue: Rochester Contemporary Art Center: Side Lawn
Genre: Theatre

Mister Aubs.

September 26th at 7:00pm

“Mister Aubs.” is the artistic voice of Aubrey K. Barnes—a poet, educator, performer, and community arts facilitator whose work lives at the intersection of storytelling, healing, literacy, and human connection. Rooted in Rock Island and shaped by influences ranging from hip-hop and spoken word to literary writers such as James Baldwin, Mister Aubs. creates poetry that blends rhythmic performance with vulnerable reflection, social commentary, and emotional honesty.

Length: 60 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: Downtown United Presbyterian Church: Hallock Lounge
Genre: Spoken Word

The Nocturne Club

September 26th at 7:00pm

Join your host for an hour of decadent glamour and unapologetic sensuality at "The Nocturne Club," where the spectacle of vintage burlesque meets the modern day. With a diverse cast curated from the best of upstate New York and beyond, "The Nocturne Club" pays homage to early burlesque and jazz, and celebrates the modern artists keeping the stage alive today. From feather fans to rhinestone headdresses to three-piece suits, prepare to be dazzled and left wishing for more.

Length: 60 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: The Rose Room
Genre: Dance

Thank You Kiss Presents: Please Excusememe

September 26th at 7:00pm

Satire and wit abound at Thank You Kiss (TYK) sketch comedy shows. Critics have lauded the group as “laugh-out-loud funny” with “‘hell yes’ social commentary.” TYK blends satire, sincerity, and silliness through sketch, improv, and video. Marc D’Amico, Megan Mack, John Forrest Thompson, and Beth Winslow have studied and worked at renowned comedy theatres including iO, The Second City, and The Annoyance. The group is a winner of The Missouri Review’s prestigious Miller Audio Prize for Humor.

Length: 60 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: The Focus Theater: Focus Theater
Genre: Comedy

Window Scrolling

September 26th at 7:00pm

In a storefront where visibility replaces audibility, performance becomes an act of longing. Audiences gather on the street, watching through glass as a series of string-based works unfold—string quartets, duos, solos, and avant-garde compositions with mannequin-like movers suspended between motion and stillness. At select moments, a few audience members may be invited inside, crossing the threshold from observer to participant. Within, sound returns—intimate, immediate, and immersive.

Length: 120 Minutes
Tickets: Not Required
Venue: Delmonico & Dugdale Strings
Genre: Multidisciplinary & Circus

Out of Sync

September 26th at 7:25pm

"Out of Sync" is an ongoing project based on RIT instructor and alumni Chuck Miller’s graduate research in visual communication design exploring the conversation between performer and performance. By blending his outsider electronics of Grebben with a variety of visual content mixed in a live setting, Miller treats audiences to a uniquely organic show that is always evolving.

Length: 40 Minutes
Tickets: Not Required
Venue: The Little Theatre: Theatre 1
Genre: Visual Arts & Film

Hamilton

September 26th at 7:30pm

Rarely has Broadway moved to the screen as adeptly as “Hamilton.” This is not a remake of the musical but instead a direct stage-to-film version, one that faithfully captures the hip-hop buoyancy of the original. At America’s 250th, the musical serves as a reminder of our foundational tenets. It does so with actors, lyrics and characters who, contagiously singing and dancing, leap from the pages of history.

Length: 160 Minutes
Tickets: Not Required
Venue: Spiegelgarden
Genre: Visual Arts & Film

Just To Be Close To You

September 26th at 7:30pm

Direct from Edinburgh! New York Premiere! Meet Carl Poteraychke, a dreamy lounge singer ready to serenade, seduce, and show you what it means to love—just for an hour. Equal parts absurdist comedy and heartfelt longing, Cam Poter’s ten-time award-winning clown show blends character comedy and audience interaction into one hilariously surreal search for connection. “A clowning masterclass.” — The Skinny

Length: 60 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: The Garden Studio
Genre: Comedy

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