Philly Plain Dealer

This article was co-written by Jason N. Peters and Stella Chiavon.

Written by Stella Chiavon

The Philadelphia Fringe Festival offers a vivid array of dance performances for people of all different experiences and backgrounds. The offerings are fruitful and intriguing, ranging from mythological (Venomous, a Mythical Dance for a Modern World by Jessica Fudim) to intimate, moving stages (Weathering by Faye Driscoll). The relationship between creative movement and the human experience is a huge theme for these pieces, and ticket prices vary.

As a dancer myself, I am looking forward to the piece titled Dame La Receta! On September 13th. I paid $25 for my ticket, but you are able to view other options to pay what you can. This performance is an ode to the importance of culture when cultivating the “American Dream”, specifically as immigrants within minority groups. What drew my eye to this piece was the description of themes that exhibit “…where culture and liberation meet, where joy becomes radical and preservation becomes a celebration.” According to the description online, this piece is about using creativity to promote togetherness and healing through transgenerational trauma. I look forward to reviewing this piece and experiencing the performance firsthand. Stay tuned to read my review!

Written by Jason N. Peters

In 2021, when Daisie Cardona was 19 years old the Philly Plain Dealer published her open letter to the leadership of Philadelphia titled “I Want To Live.” 4 years later Cardona is set to take the Philly Fringe stage with her new show titled Ashes and Iron. Her love for Philadelphia and yearning for her neighborhood to be understood shines through in “six full-length songs and spoken word interludes, performer Daisie Cardona brings the emotional landscape of Kensington to life.” 

Fringe Festival is the best opportunity Philadelphia gets to see premiere top-notch clowning. In past years many modern clowns have come to Philadelphia Fringe and 2025 is no exception. 5 Stagehands Fall Out of a Closet (the goose crisis) is the type of show name that immediately catches the eye. Grace Lazarz and Michael Amendola have been active in the Philly arts scene throughout their careers and are joining forces to bring together an absurd evening of comedy and confusion at the underrated Philadelphia nightlife institution The Trestle Inn.

Lastly, Healthcare is A Human Right! by Philly’s Medicare for All Movement wherein members of the group collaborated to express their frustrations with America’s healthcare system. In their own words: “Visual and performing artists from Philly’s Medicare for All Movement (M4A), a grassroots healthcare advocacy group, challenged one another to collaboratively create mixed-media performance pieces that express the injustice of the American healthcare system.”

Philly Fringe is one of the best annual events in Philadelphia and is a low-cost way to interact with the local arts scene. Check out the full schedule at https://phillyfringe.org/ 

• Venomous by Jessica Fudim – September 4 & 6 
• Weathering by Faye Driscoll – September 4-5 at 7PM, September 6th at 2PM
• Dame La Receta by Carne Viva Dance Theatre – September 10-13
• Ashes and Iron by Daisie Cardona – September 15
• 5 Stagehands Fall Out of a Closet (the goose crisis) by Grace Lazarz and Michael Amendola – September 3, 10, 17, & 24
• Healthcare is A Human Right! by Philly’s Medicare for All Movement – Sept 2 & 6