Pack-adjacent Fringe Festival
CALL OF THE WILD (Humble Materials) image by Mark Zimmaro. Art by Kat Caro.
Philadelphia’s Fringe festival always signals “Fall” to me. This will be my twelfth year as a participant, and it’s been a profound experience watching the festival grow into what it is today: almost four hundred different, uniquely-inspired projects by artists from all over the world.
As an experimental dance-theatre company for young artists who value cutting-edge, original new work, PACK is represented in this year’s festival with five shows featuring our faculty, students or former students participating all over the city. Here’s a comprehensive list of what to see if you’re interested in catching the Philly PACK-adjacent Fringe shows:
Lisa Vaccarelli and The Wolves. CALL OF THE WILD photo by Mark Zimmaro.
PACK’s Artistic Director/Writer Jess Noel, Production Designer Kat Caro, Admin Coordinator Amy Henderson, and Choreographer Carolyn Breyer team up with former PACK student Max Henderson (sound) and PACK Tech Intern Singer Noel (lights) in Humble Materials’ CALL OF THE WILD. This project is a feminist dance-theatre discussion about waking up from flooded airwaves and overwhelm to the truth of the current moment. For ages 13-up. At PACK, Sept 17-19. Humble Materials has been called “a Fringe festival favorite” (Jillian Ivey, Broad Street Review) and “[Noel’s] blunt dialog lands hard: smart, physical, and fearless” (Lauren Berlin, ThinkingDance Journal).
Image courtesy of FULL SPOILERS FOR ONE TON GUNDRUM’s Fringe page.
PACK dad/son duo Sam Henderson and Stanley Henderson are performing in their original creation FULL SPOILERS FOR ONE TON GUNDRUM for ages 11-up, at PACK on Sept 24-27. Sam is a mighty legend in the Philly theatre scene, and Stan has quickly risen to legend-status in his own right thanks to his consistent, high-caliber work as a young, experimental, Philly-based artist. Don’t miss what is sure to be hilarious and heart-warming.
Image courtesy of Cicada Stories Fringe page.
PACK choreographer Amanda Rattigan is dancing in CICADA STORIES by Ella Sommer Martin. For ages 13-up at Icebox project space on Sept 17-20. Amanda’s performance quality is so special and unmissable. Truly, she is one of the most forward-pushing dancers in Philly. Amanda will leave your mouth agape over her commitment to fierceness, artistry, and strength.
Maiden Mother Crone image courtesy of Britt Fishel’s Fringe page.
PACK choreographer Sydney Donovan is dancing on Sept 25 & 26 at &SPACE in Britt Fishel’s Mother Maiden Crone. I’m excited to see Sydney and company take on concepts of feminine archetypes and cyclical transformation. Sydney’s work is always rooted in a healing spirituality that leaves audiences feeling lighter than when they walked in. She’s a stunning performer, but more importantly, Sydney is a conjurer of magic!
Production Image courtesy of Theatre By Development’s Fringe page.
Last, but certainly not least, PACK Assistant Director Gideon Caro-McDonald will perform as Elio in Rose Farrell’s RETURNED, IRIDESCENT on Sept 18-27 at the Drake. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to catch Gideon in a performance, you know what I’m about to say: Gideon is a master of making difficult parts look effortless (Waiting For Godot, 2026). His performances are heartbreaking, earnest and expertly-crafted. Gideon throws one hundred percent of his heart at his storytelling, and this is exactly the quality makes him an inspiring, impactful educator.
PACK is so lucky to be associated with these powerhouse theatre-and-dance-makers in this year’s festival. I’m thankful every September that I live in a city with such a vibrant performance art scene, and I’m thrilled to see all the Philly neighborhoods represented on the Fringe roster by unique, dedicated companies presenting new work for their communities. Looking forward to supporting Philadelphia’s 2026 Fringe artists.
Let’s break some legs, loves!
