LGBTQ Artists Flourish at Philly FringeArts

The Bearded Ladies Cabaret | Do You Want A Cookie?
Co-conceived by John Jarboe & Sally Ollove
(Sept. 4-23, 448 North 10th Street, Philadelphia)

Under the direction of John Jarboe, the Bearded Ladies has emerged as Philadelphia's most daring 'avant gardeans' of cabaret arts, mixing of song, music, dance, drag and scathing political satire. And indeed with the Bearded you never know what will be served up in this cookie factory. Or who is going to show up. Past shows include incarnations of Marlene, Judy, Edith, Candy or any number of 'to die for' cabaret divas as the Bearded Ladies feast on legendary cabaret history from the legendary French Le Chat Noir caf� to the louche Weimar gay bars of the 20s.

After the main show, there is the Late Night Snacks series with extended cabaret performances of the troupe performing with an international line-up of cabaret stars including Adrienne Truscott (NYC), Bridge Markland (Berlin), Cherdonna Shinatra (Seattle), Cookie Diorio (Philly), Malgorzata Kasprzycka (Paris/Poland), Daniel Park (Philly), Jess Conda (Philly), Dito van Reigersberg (Philly), Dieter Rita Scholl (Berlin), Mary Tuomanen (Philly), John Jarboe (Philly), Messapotamia LeFae (Philly), Machine Dazzle (NYC) and Tareke Ortiz (Mexico City).

Variations on Themes from Lost and Found: Scenes from a Life and other works by John Bernd
Ishmael Houston-Jones and Miguel Gutierrez
(Sept. 14-16, Christ Church Neighborhood House/ 20 North American Street, Phila.)

A generation of queer dance artists were lost in the 80s to AIDS, among them visionary gay choreographer-dancer John Bernd, who died in 1988, at age 35, at the height of his creative life. Bernd was one of the first artist's autobiographical narrative dealing with issues about the AIDS epidemic and the New York LGBTQ community.

Multi-awarding choreographer-dancers Ishmael Houston-Jones and Miguel Gutierrez explore Bernd's artistic world in "Variations/Scenes from a Life." Bernd's was one of the first choreographers to bring his personal journey as a gay artist representing issues of the LGBTQ his life in New York during the epidemic. Houston-Jones was also part of the legendary 'Downtown' dance vanguard scene, and danced in three of Bernd's original pieces. He and Gutierrez have been on a three-year create journey answering the question, what would contemporary dance be if those artists weren't lost to the epidemic? Gutierrez and Houston-Jones use sections of Bernd's choreography, as well as his music and visual art, from seven of his seminal dance works to create a moving chronicle of an artist and his all to brief times.

In the Forest | Tangle Movement Arts
(Sept. 12-15, Sanctuary at the Rotunda/4014 Walnut Street, Phila.)

Tangle Movement Arts the troupe of eight women aerialists and acrobats that incorporate themes of sexual identity and queer narratives. A frequent and popular troupe at Philly Fringe that was founded by choreographer-aerialist Lauren Rile Smith. Their premiere of "In the Forest" is staged in the cavernous Rotunda on the University of Pennsylvania campus, which makes a perfect arena for the acrobats to navigate to showcase the power and beauty of their aerial silks. The set, crafted by visual artist Jenna Reece, uses thousands of yards of silk fabric and knitted yard and fabric donated by the knitters of West Philadelphia and Queer Exchange Philly. With it the Rotunda is transformed into an intricate hanging maze in which the ensemble creates a circus-theater of secrets, shadows, trapeze and queer narrative. Musicians wander in and out introducing each story as the audience traverses through.

Choreographer Trajal Harrell | Caen Amour
(Sept. 13-15, FringeArts/140 N. Columbus Boulevard, Phila.)

Internationally acclaimed choreographer-conceptualist Trajal Harrell burned the floor in more ways than one in his last Philly Fringe show, "Twenty Looks at Paris is Burning at The Judson Church."

"Caen Amour" also time travels to reveal the dance DNA of sexualized dance history. Harrell investigates sexualized dance lineage, from sacred and profane Middle Eastern dance to America's fascination with what was called 'hoochie-coochie,' as well as otherwise maligned artistry of that was nonetheless part of the DNA of 20th contemporary dance forms. Harrell's dance fantasia revives shady peep shows and reveals the hidden connections that gave way to liberated 'postmodern' dance, and looks like today in various dance rituals and idioms - from Japanese Butoh to millennial neo-vogueing.

Song of My Self-Care |Jimmy Grzelak
(Sept. 6-8, Philly Improv Theater at the Adrienne/ 2030 Samson St, Phila.)

Jimmy Grzelak sings the Body Electric of poet Walt Whitman, while musing on the 'existential dread' in between ab workouts that Uncle Walt would swim the Delaware for. Grzelak mixes poetry, theology, sweat and electro-pop music in a piece based on gay bard Walt Whitman's reportedly long lost health and beauty book. Obviously Walt would be a devotee of six-packs or manscaping, especially with singing and dancing allowed.

Brian Sanders JUNK | Plunge
(Sept. 7-22, The Patio at Spring Arts/ North 10th St. & Hamilton St. Phila.)
This fierce acrobatic dance troupe has been a festival favorite since their first breakout hit "Patio Plastico," their voyeuristic journey of suburban kitsch and movement mayhem. JUNK has created other worlds of post-apocalyptic homoerotic culture, most recently with the revived Dancing Dead, set to music of the 70s. Last year's "Carry Me" was set in the gay male nightlife of New York in the 80s. PLUNGE is set in 2060, with dance characters time traveling to a 1960 Palm Springs to collect data and performance apparatus. As usual Sanders and his troupe of dance-acrobatics will be in fearless flight, even flinging out some verbiage. (At press time we don't know if 'fecophogus' is an acrobatic feat, dance move or cocktail.)

Le Super Grand Continental |Sylvain �mard
(Sept. 8-9, Philadelphia Museum of Art/2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy)

Both the gay and straight communities will participate be in the massive group spectacle in the forecourt of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The second spectacle �mard has staged working with hundreds of Philadelphians of every dance level to prove that they might not all have the moves, but they have plenty of esprit de corps, Philly style, once the epicenter of line-dances.

Songs of Wars I Have Seen | Philadelphia Orchestra & Tempesta di Mare
Heiner Goebbels, composer, Gertrude Stein, text
(Sept. 7-8- FringeArts/140 N. Columbus Boulevard, Phila.)

Musicians from The Philadelphia Orchestra and the baroque chamber ensemble Tempesta di Mare perform a musical stream spanning centuries and styles, ancient instruments and digital electronica. The meditative themes of war by 17th century composer Matthew Locke and contemporary German Composer Heiner Goebbels. The music scores haunting text from a wartime memoir of gay iconoclast Gertrude Stein, who stayed in Vichy France with her wife Alice B. Toklas, after the Nazis invaded.

For performance dates, times, venues and a complete listing of shows, queer and otherwise, visit Philly FringeArts Festival website.