As New York slowly recovers from a long, grueling pandemic, the city is excited to welcome back the arts. With protocols in place, event spaces, musicals and theaters are opening their doors to guests once again. One of those events I was particularly excited about is the return of the FRIGID Festival.
Launched in 1998, FRIGID’s mission “is to provide both emerging and established artists the opportunity to create and produce original work without limit to content, form, or style, and to amplify their diverse voices.” This year the festival offered tickets for in-person attendance and a livestream option for guests who weren’t quite comfortable attending in person. Now in its 16th season, FRIGID is always uncensored and independent, allowing artists to keep 100 percent of their earnings. Sometimes, it takes recovering from a pandemic to understand how important that is.
With over 20 performances taking place at The Kraine Theater & UNDER St. Marks, attendees will hear heartfelt storytelling about dealing with breakups, makeups, and divorce. Then, there are the necessary, but hard to hear, performances like The Story of Falling Don. Written and performed by Daniel Kinch, the heart wrenching true story recalls the tragic events of 9/11. Kinch also reflects on how some of the survivors and first responders are fairing 20 years later.
Not to worry, every performance doesn’t leave you ugly crying. The festival also features humorous stories about first orgasms, dating, and relationships. One of my favorite solo performances was by Emil Ferzola in Bathroom of a Bar on Bleecker, which tackled the risks of podcasting (there was an actual mention of Joe Rogan), family, mental health and love at first sight. Tickets are still available at https://www.frigid.nyc/. The festival runs through the end of the weekend.
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