Don’t talk to Fringe playwright Kristen Cantwell about her new work at dinnertime, because you will be overtaken, as I was, with fierce hunger pangs. Because Kristen’s play is the musical cabaret, Butter: A Love Story.

Kristen scored at last year’s Fest with Confessions of an Invisible Woman (Here’s Trey’s video interview.), and if my stomach is any indicator, Butter will repeat that triumph.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz9-mqYsM6I]

Wow. A dazzling night of Fringeness at the Palace of Wonders: magic, music, puppets, drama, comedy. And beer, popcorn, and hot dogs. That’s pretty much all I ask of life.

We’ll have video highlights of the evening up soon, but in the meantime, check out Bob Morrison’s excellent pix from the evening here.

We met the frisky funsters of Happenstance Theater, Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell, at last week’s Happy Hour. The pair, along with Scott Sedar, are returning to the Fringe Fest with Low Tide Hotel.

The group’s show from last year’s Fest, Prufbox, was called “elegant, eloquent, and visually engaging in its simplicity and precision” on this very blog, and was such a success that it got the attention of James Smithson’s institution and carried the group to far-flung cities. The new work sounds equally intriguing, and not only because it involves a live mermaid and salt water taffy. Mmmmm…taffy.

And remember, tonight, Wednesday, June 27, be at the Palace of Wonders, 1210 H Street NE, from 8-11 p.m. for the first-ever Fringe Festival Preview.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 27, the first-ever Fringe Festival Preview is happening at the Palace of Wonders, 1210 H Street NE, from 8-11 p.m.

In addition to $1 off on Bud and High Life (and shouldn’t that be enough?), there will be preview performances by some of the artists in the 2007 Fest, including this tantalizing list:

Butter: A Love Story, Beale Street Puppets, George Burns, DC Dollies and the Rocket Bitch Review, “Faggot”, Lysistration, Collaterally Damaged, Leela DC, The R Word, The Lesbian and the Flying Pig, SpeakeasyDC, Love and War: with the Bard’s Broads and Dames, Bouncing Ball Productions, Arts United, Swami Yomami, Nautch DC, The Pabst and Popcorn Hour presents The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus

So come, get a taste of Fringey goodness, and remember that you may buy tickets starting July 9 at Capfringe.org. See you tomorrow!

Well—folks are commenting on our videos over at YouTube even before we post them here! May we remind everyone (anyone?) that comments at this location are entirely welcome. (Thanks, Sam!)

So, here then is the latest vid, from last week’s Happy Hour at the Warehouse Theater. We were very excited to meet Dr. Lynette Long, who told us about her first Fringe effort, and first play, One in Two, which deals with the psychological aspects of abortion. What is also interesting about Dr. L is that in her previous career as a principal, she coined the term “latchkey kid.” Fascinating!

And, in a very Fringe-y coincidence, Dr. Long and her self-described “sidekick,” Georgette Sobel (pictured above, l-r), were the winners of the door prize, passes to the Improv. We swear the contest wasn’t rigged! Here’s a picture of Fringe events coordinator Sam Goldblatt and Warehouse honcho Paul Ruppert picking the winners:

Glad that’s settled. Herewith, Dr. Lynette Long discussing her play One in Two, and below a comment about it from “satarnowski” at YouTube.

“The pro-life versus prochoice debate has become commonplace, however, little attention has been put on the psychological effects of abortion. This play promises to be powerful investigation of our culture and a moving look into the lives of one in two women. My expectations are high and I hope this brings the woman’s movement to the next level by shedding light on the psychological needs and rights of women.”

We met Joan Bellsey at the Temperence Hall Happy Hour last week and she gave us the lowdown on her first Fringe Fest foray, The ExFiles. Joan’s play deals with the fallout when two moms break up and fight over child custody. Joan’s very active and chipper son Liam makes an appearance in this video.

The eloquent Julianne Brienza continues explaining what to expect from this year’s Fringe Fest. And if you see her, do offer a “Happy Birthday,” won’t you?

Capital Fringe Fest director and co-founder Julianne Brienza gave us the lowdown on what to expect from this year’s fest, including custom-built stages, a new box office location, and more. So much more, in fact, that we’re posting it in several segments. Herewith, part the first. And remember: another Fringe Happy Hour tonight at the Warehouse Theater, 1021 7th Street, NW. Be there, from 5:30 to 7: 30.

The next Capital Fringe Happy Hour event happens tomorrow, Wednesday, June 20, at the Warehouse Theater, 1017 7th St. NW. Fringe artists, performers, actors, and such are promised to attend, so do add the date to your to-do list.

Here’s Fringe events coordinator Sam Goldblatt and volunteer coordinator Colin Hovde to better explain the utter charm of the Fringe Happy Hour, what you have missed so far, and what you may eagerly look forward to.

Welcome back, Fringers. Has it been a mere 304 days since last we blogged? Now that our long national nightmare is over and the long Cap Fringe Fest is about to begin, let’s get this party restarted.

As with last year, we intend Fringe & Purge as Washington City Paper’s guide to the Capital Fringe Festival. Here you’ll find everything from the complete Fringe schedule, to our popular Fringe festival blog. You can order tickets (starting July 9), sign up to receive up-to-date festival information on your cell phone, get venue info, as well as find out where to eat while you’re getting fringy!

The Capital Fringe Festival is D.C.’s celebration of theater, music, craziness, dance, improv, puppetry, and much more! Join us July 19-29 to celebrate all that D.C.’s performing arts community has to offer. Check out capfringe.org for more information.

The indefatigable Trey Graham will be gracing these pages again, of course, and we will also feature more video interviews and overviews—and perhaps some underviews, this being Fringe after all.

First, we report from the latest Fringe Happy Hour, which happened Wednesday June 13, at Temperance Hall. (Please note that the next Happy Hour takes place next Wednesday, June 27, at the wonder-inspiring Palace of Wonders in the Atlas District.)

On hand at Temperance, and like everyone else ignoring the implications of the venue’s name, were Fringe director and co-founder Julianne Brienza and ace volunteers Sam Goldblatt and Colin Hovde. Colin is just back from Alaska, where he had the Fringy experience of directing a play on a budget of absolute zero. Video interviews with all to appear shortly.

We met first-time Fringe playwright Jonathan Padget, who will premier his musical version of The Blue Lagoon. He swears the inspiration was the 100-year-old novel by Henry de Vere Stacpoole, but we’ve got visions of Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins in our head. Then again, we always have visions of Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins in our head.

Onward–also on hand was another Fringe virgin, Joan Bellsey, who brought along the littlest fringer, her son Liam, pictured above. Joan’s play is ExFiles, tagged “Two lesbian moms collide over custody in this bittersweet drama.” A video interview with Joan discussing her work will be up soon. (As soon as I can cobble it together…)

Photog Bob Morrison has some fancy snaps on his site here.

And finally, congrats to Paloma Santiago and Ellen Juhnke, who each won a copy of the Not For Tourists Guidebook and VIP passes to the Improv. Everyone who entered is elligible for a Fringe All-Access Pass as well as a shiny new Vespa. And there’s still time to enter–show up next Wednesday at the Palace of Wonders and join in the fun. See you there.