About Festival of Independent Theaters - Festival Pass
IT'S A BRAND NEW FIT!
The city's most beloved Festival returns... This time in a brand-new location!
For the month of August FIT is taking over T3 to bring the city of Dallas its biggest and most exciting festival yet! This year's lineup features a number of exciting projects, including an immersive, Spanish language play cycle about love, a heart pounding rock musical starring local leading man Gregory Lush, Tilda Grace’s movement based re-telling of a classic piece of literature, and the whirlwind, fever dream with a message Spank Bank Time Machine from self-described trauma clown, John Michael.
AND THAT'S JUST UPSTAIRS!
The downstairs Theatre Too space sees local playwright Janae Hatchett shine a light on mental illness with the inciteful comedy New and Improving, while Jaymes Gregory examines the work of pop artist Daniel Johnston in Hi, How Are You? The Unfinished Show. It's also the place to spend An Evening With Penis, presented by Pegasus Theatre and catch Man on Man, from the comedic mind of Jeff Swearingen.
PLUS FREE CABARET & IMPROV
Fans of cabaret will have plenty to love about Love is a Many Splintered Thing featuring Jodi Crawford Wright and I’m Literally Every Woman starring Sarah Powell, inspired by the now famous Barbie monologue. Also, local favorite Quintin Jones and Stede Bonnet star Laura Lyman Payne. On the Improv front, catch free late-night shows from Mama Tried, Dry Clean Only and The Imps!
The 2024 FIT Lineup and Ticket Sales
UPSTAIRS (The Norma Young Arena Stage)
REEL ART presented by Random Stage: Es un circuito teatral de obras cortas en las que sólo 5 actores tienen la oportunidad de mostrar versatilidad representando más de un papel en el mismo show. Reel-Art is a continuously evolving staging of short plays in Spanish where 5 actors seek to transform both the audience and themselves in relation to a specific topic. Under the direction of Austin’s Joty Collet, ReelArt presents 5 pieces that speak on a universal theme which brings us closer to a greater discovery of ourselves as human beings, LOVE.
GODS & HEROES by Paul Williams: Gods & Heroes is a rock and roll musical fairy tale about ’90s rocker Simon Byrd, presumed dead after taking a mysterious new drug. When he wakes in the modern world from a Sleeping Beauty-like coma, he discovers rock and roll itself is dead. Or is it only asleep?"
LORD OF THE FLIES presented by Out of Line Concepts: Lord of the Flies: Literature in Motion, inspired by William Golding’s classic novel, opts to use movement in place of dialogue and pushes the boundaries of textual interpretation by using a combination of dance, shadow puppetry, and physically rooted acting, all set to the music of various genres. This creative new interpretation uses a variety of theatrical styles and techniques to convey the heightened and primal emotions of the stranded boys.
SPANK BANK TIME MACHINE by John Michael: It's Angels in America meets Snakes on a Plane, but with DRUGS! Time travel with Trauma Clown John Michael who creates a space to mourn and celebrate those who we might have lost. This show raises awareness about NARCAN and offers us a chance to go back for a do-over. A queer fantasia which will unleash your inner FunMonster.
WHERE THE F IS JOESEPH MARA? By Mac Welch and Emily Bernet: Joseph Mara is living out his fifteen minutes of fame—and then he goes missing. When the possibilities range from hiding in a bunker to lost in space, are the theories really about finding Mara? Or racking up a million followers? Created by Mac Welch and Emily Bernet, this surrealist comedy challenges our fascination with viral conspiracies and the people who fuel them.
ALL DELIGHTED PEOPLE by Rhett Goldman: After a young artist named Crystal loses her connection to the divine, she creates an experimental play to try to better understand her situation. Within the play, a boy named Henry, abandoned by his mother in infancy, is conditioned to believe that his god has disowned the world. As Henry and his mother get closer to reuniting, Crystal must face the fact that her experiment may not provide her with the answers she’s looking for.
DOWNSTAIRS (Theatre Too)
MAN ON MAN by Jeff Swearingen: John Blankman is your average, simple…very simple American man. He works hard as a lumberjack, spends time with his friends, and at the end of the day, comes home to his lovely new bride from Russia. He’s no beta male, because society has taught him to be strong…and it’s a good thing because his manhood is about to be under attack! Part improv, part script…all (or mostly) from the comedic mind of Dallas’ own Jeff Swearingen.
SELFIE CONSCIOUS by Danny Anchondo, Jr.: Selfie-Conscious is an interactive show in which the host, notoriously bad influencer Mr. PIXIE, guides the audience in birthing a digital avatar for his new platform, “Selfie-Conscious”. Be sure to charge your phones and practice your selfie taking skills for this musical journey in which your selfie almost becomes the main character. But always remember, Mr. PIXIE is the star.
HI, HOW ARE YOU? THE UNFINISHED SHOW by Jaymes Gregory: Daniel Johnston was a musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in the “outsider art” genre. His struggles with bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia are well documented and his music and art have been frequently cited for their "pure" and "childlike" qualities. He communicates through these mediums in a manner that seems simple, but when dissected, reveals a fantastic world of Daniel’s creation. “Hi, How are You? The Unfinished Show” is a journey through Daniel’s imagination, delivered through his own words and imagery.
AN EVENING WITH PENIS by Robert Buckley, presented by Pegasus Theatre:Join us for a tongue-in-cheek evening with one of the world’s most talked-about organs! You’ll learn more than you ever wanted to know as Penis takes the stage in this interactive celebration of manhood’s most controversial symbol. At once Shakespearean and sassy, crude and classy, Penis will win your hearts and warm your cockles, as you examine the trials and tribulations of day-to-day life as Penis!
NEW AND IMPROVING by Janae Hatchett: Nathan, a former mathlete and current accountant, is convinced to attend a therapy mixer where he encounters two forces of nature: Turk, a self-proclaimed lady’s man, and Piper, a sarcastic smart aleck. With grace like a palm tree in a hurricane, they shove Nathan headlong into the dating pool. Will he sink or will he swim? This sharp and inciteful comedy tugs at the heartstrings and deftly demonstrates how mental illness comes in all shapes and sizes.
A MYSTERY SHOW!: Due to the late cancelation of one of our intended participants, this block will feature your chance to see a MYSTERY SHOW! Four exclusive, one night only events. Will it be comedy? Maybe it’s dance! Play reading, slam poetry...the possibilities are endless! Wanna find out? Buy a ticket, take your seat, and prepare yourself for curtain up!
BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE!
FREE IMPROV FEATURING: Dry Clean Only, The Imps, and Mama Tried.
LATE NIGHT CABARET: Free 10 PM performances (Fridays and Saturdays) featuring Sarah Powell, Laura Lyman Payne and Jodi Crawford Wright!
BRUNCH CABARET: Start your Sunday right with 11AM performances featuring Quintin Jones and Sarah Powell. All performances free. Light pastry provided.