Summer in LA means outdoor movies galore. However, if you want to see a one-person show that takes you on an emotional journey involving Shakespeare and live music, you've got to turn to theater. The Hollywood Fringe Fest runs June 11-28, and this celebration of independent drama is just what you need to add a little culture in your life. With over 200 shows, narrowing it down can be hard, but here are four you should carve out some time to go check out over the next couple of weeks.
1. Assistants. If you aren’t an assistant, odds are you at least know someone who is, and you’ve heard the horror stories. What better way to express the frustration that comes with being degraded on the daily than through song? This musical follows four assistants as they try to soldier through paying their dues to work their way up the industry ladder.
2. Missed Connections. The missed connections section of Craigslist is practically found poetry on its own, but this show elevates it to drama. Using real “missed connections” off the site as jumping off points for monologues, the cast explores this weird corner of the challenging dating life in LA.
3. Shakespeare’s Last Night Out. No theater festival would be complete without a nod to the Bard. This one-person show imagines Shakespeare’s final hours as a wild night of drinking complete with a vision that future generations will doubt he wrote his plays. The rock musical that follows takes you down Shakespeare’s memory lane as he defends his work through song.
4. The Poe Show. This show imagines Edgar Allen Poe as a late-night talk show host. All the guests are historical figures, with varying levels of historical accuracy. If you’ve ever wondered what a variety show interaction between Edgar Allen Poe, a talking raven sidekick and Susan B. Anthony would be like, this is the show for you.
Love live shows and laughing? Check out our comedy calendar.