Valerie Hager swings her way through the last frontier in “Naked in Alaska.” (
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Karen Lynn Gorney goes sci-fi in “The 3rd Gender.” (
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Every summer, like a relative with too much luggage, it arrives on our doorstep: the New York International Fringe Festival, the ungainly cousin to the Edinburgh original. By the time Fringe-NYC’s 17th season runs its course on Aug. 25, it will have showered us with 185 productions of varying degrees of expertise.
Once again come titles possibly conceived during a drunken bout of Mad Libs — “A Fallopian Fairy Tale,” “What’s Your Opinion on Spontaneous Human Combustion?” and “See Jane Give Up D - ck” among them.
This year is light on boldface names, but a few productions seem promising. “Rubble,” by Mike Reiss, longtime scribe for “The Simpsons,” stars the Emmy-winning gagman Bruce Vilanch. And then there’s “The Tomkat Project,” which . . . well, we just like the title. But at $15 a pop — $18 at the door — you might want to take a chance. Perhaps the next Bradley Cooper, Mindy Kaling or Michael Urie — FringeNYC alumni all — is waiting in the wings downtown.
In the meantime, here’s how some of the major categories shake down. For places, dates and other details, visit fringenyc.org.
*SERIOUSLY — SCI-FI!
“Slaughterhouse-Five,” based on Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, is the rare Fringe show to merge space travel and philosophy.
Future shock: James Rado, co-author of “Hair,” is the “creative consultant” behind the dystopian “Barcode.”
In 2397, “The 3rd Gender” rules planet Earth. Does it mean “Saturday Night Fever” star Karen Lynn Gorney will use a unisex bathroom?
*HIGH NOTES: THE MUSICALS
“Aisle Six” is set in “a cursed supermarket, the worst place you’ve ever worked.” The old Waldbaums in Canarsie?
In “Bradley Cole,” someone creates a fake social-media identity. Gee, these things usually turn out so well . . .
If you can’t decide which rock genre you like most — or least — “Lollapacoacharoozastock Music Festival” spoofs them all.
*LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX
A Japanese porn star inspired “I Am a Moon,” billed as a lyrical look at a profession that has a conspicuously dark side.
In the ’60s, Scandinavians were supposed to be sexperts. Swedish show “Fxxx Me!” tells us whether that’s still true.
“Naked in Alaska” promises (North) pole dancing, along with other ways to stay cozy in the buff.
*TWISTED CLASSICS
“Antony and Cleopatra: Infinite Lives” resets Shakespeare’s Egyptian-Roman love story to the Arab Spring.
Tony nominee Elizabeth Swados did the music for “Occupy Olympus,” an Aristophanes comedy retooled for the 99 percent.
Molière’s 17th-century hypocrite “Tartuffe” will find plenty to bitch about when he finds himself in 21st-century Brooklyn.
*GROUP THERAPY
Matt Graham, of last year’s “This Too Shall Suck,” reflects on a life spent poring over Scrabble boards in “The Great iii Am.”
Jen Bosworth’s meditation on love, cancer and Jack White manifests itself in “Why Not Me.”
Make room for Daddy — and father issues — in Mary Dimino’s “Big Dummy, Me and My Old Man.”