Home > Newsroom > Theatrical Festival in DC’s Downtown Will Premiere in Former Retail Stores
Capital Fringe is coming to the Golden Triangle BID this July
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 30, 2024) – Artists from around the region will be performing theatre, dance, and other original productions in empty retail space as the District’s beloved Capital Fringe Festival arrives in the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID) this summer.
The 17th annual Capital Fringe Festival comes to the Golden Triangle for the first time and runs from July 11-21. Eight days of programming will feature 23 productions, and 86 individual shows in vacant retail spaces provided by Blake Real Estate along Connecticut Ave. NW. All shows are 75 minutes or less.
Notably, the partnership with Capital Fringe is the latest effort by the BID to mesh art with underutilized office and retail space as one way to reimagine the central city core at a time when many workers no longer commute to an office.
“We are delighted to partner with Capital Fringe to host more than a hundred memorable performances in the Golden Triangle this summer. Arts enliven the neighborhood and bring creative energy to vacant spaces. We look forward to welcoming Fringe performers and theatergoers to our community,” said Leona Agouridis, BID President and CEO.
“Capital Fringe is an outlet for authenticity, where performers and audiences can safely express themselves,” said Julianne Brienza, Capital Fringe Founding Director. “We want people to come downtown to the Golden Triangle and enjoy a variety of extraordinary performances. Tickets are $15, and 70% of all ticket revenue goes directly to participating artists.”
The Fringe Festival follows a string of innovative artistic partnerships by the BID, which continues to serve existing businesses while also looking for new ways to bring energy into the neighborhood post-pandemic. On select dates in June and July, free Fringe lunchtime teasers will be performed in Edward R. Murrow Park (at 18th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW) as part of the Golden Triangle’s Lunch Culture series. The series offers entertainment and enrichment to draw office workers outside for a midday break.
Last year, the BID began working with the Rorschach Theatre and has successfully staged three productions in the site of a former Big and Tall store. More recently, the BID partnered with Artomatic to create a temporary home for hundreds of artists through a seven-week exhibition in a vacant former office building.
Agouridis has been at the forefront of efforts by Mayor Muriel Bowser and other District leaders to come up with new ways of bringing people, vibrancy, and revenue into the heart of the city. Many of these ideas are highlighted in the recent Downtown Action Plan, which recommends arts, among other things, to enliven this part of the city.
The Fringe Festival includes 150 cast and crew members, most of whom are from the DMV. The theme this year is HAPPY and each venue is named accordingly. The shows will be performed in the following Golden Triangle venues:
Additional shows will be performed in Dupont Circle, just outside the boundaries of the BID. The other locations include Edlavitch DCJCC, Theater J/Goldman Theater, and Cafritz Hall.
Tickets will go on sale June 20. Visit https://capitalfringe.org/ for more details about this year’s Fringe Festival.
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About the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District
Formed in 1998, the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID) enhances Washington, DC’s central business district, the 44-square-block neighborhood stretching from The White House to Dupont Circle. For more information, visit goldentriangledc.com and follow the BID on X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Karyn Le Blanc at 202-497-4572 or karyn.leblanc@kglcommunications.com. Or Vince Morris at 202-503-6802 or vince.morris@kglcommunications.com
