The Great Salt Lake Fringe (GSLF) returns for its 12th edition with what promises to be the strongest slate of shows, one-third larger than last year’s offerings. Four venues will be active during the event which will run from July 23 to Aug. 2, in downtown Salt Lake City. The event will take place at the main hall and the Sister Dottie S. Dixon Memorial Black Box at the Alliance Theater, connected to the Utah Arts Alliance, at Trolley Square, as well as the MadKing Fellowship Theater at The Gateway. The newest venue is Lightree Studios (740 W. 1700 South).
This year’s slate is a well-balanced blend of new performers and creative producers, including several from out of state, along with returning GSLF participants, some of whom were award winners. Among the returning producers are Interdisciplinary Arts Collective, Salt Lake Children’s Theatre, Salt Lake Community College’s theater program, Puppets in the City, Salt Monster Theatre Co., Method: Theatre Company, Opera Contempo, Cache Dexter and Laura Elise Chapman.
While theatrical plays continue to be bread and-butter offerings for Fringe, this year’s slate features commendable diversity, with opera, contemporary dance, dance theater, one-person shows, comedy, juggling and student-run productions including one with some of the youngest performers to ever grace a GSLF stage.
From 2025 GSLF: Pedro Flores, Juan Jose and the Deathly Vatos, Plan-B Theatre Company. Photo: Sharah Meservy. Scanning this year’s slate, it is likely that GSLF can do as well if not better than last year. Total attendance in 2025 was way up over 2024, with 2,631 (not including the three bring-your-own-venue shows that year), which represents an increase of more than 46%. A total of $19,980 was paid out to the artists for 19 shows. The average payout per show was more than $1,000. The top-selling show in each venue was: Welcome to Fat School (Alliance Main Hall), Juan Jose and the Deathly Vatos (Alliance Black Box) and The Resurrection Men (MadKing Fellowship Theatre).
Founded in 2015 as part of a Westminster University enterprise project, GSLF has been admirably resilient. The organization has staged the annual event in three different parts of Salt Lake City, managed through the pandemic and developed a brand that has gained the loyal support of a solid core of members from Utah’s performing arts community. This is the fourth year that the event’s main staging area will be at Trolley Square. As a creative incubator, GSLF has remained true to the ideals of that first independent festival 77 years ago in Edinburgh, where four criteria are essential: no prior professional performing arts experience required, no juried selection, no pretentiousness or poseurs and no costly, complicated professional production values.
Shianne Gray, GSLF co-director and one of the group of Westminster University students and alumni that founded the Fringe, noted that within 24 hours of opening this year’s application process, all of the initial performance slots were filled and a waitlist was opened. The rapid response led to GSLF adding a fourth venue this year. Fringe is highlighted as a model of artistic equity in terms of treatment and access. All of the ticket sales revenue is paid out to each performer or group, based on their cumulative audience numbers.
Because the Fringe model puts every performer on an equal playing field, it is up to the individual show creators and performers to promote and advertise their work. From year to year, many Fringe participants have stepped up their social media and public relations game, which has whetted the public’s appetite for viewing work that is being presented for the first time. Shows run a maximum of one hour.
“The Fringe fills a unique role in the Salt Lake theater ecosystem because it provides opportunities that traditional theater seasons often can’t,” Jay Perry, GSLF co-director, said. “It adds several things to the local arts scene: A place for new work - many productions are world premieres or original pieces by Utah playwrights and artists. A home for artistic risk and experimentation - you’ll find everything from comedy and musicals to drama, dance, puppetry, improv, and one-person shows - all in the same festival. Accessibility for artists - the Fringe model lowers barriers for emerging companies and independent creators who may not have the resources for a full production at a larger theater. A community gathering - it brings together artists, volunteers, and audiences from across Utah, creating an atmosphere that’s more like a celebration than a traditional theater season.”
As of late last week, more than 400 were already sold and sales easily sailed past $6,000. The Utah Review highlights several shows: Polaroids from the Apocalypse by Sara Alanis Morales and directed by Vicki Pugmire (July 24-Aug. 2) is set in a dystopian future; The Variants by Randall Huskinson (July 25-Aug. 2) features a mother and her three adult children during Zoom chats that tilt toward an in-person reunion; a five-year process has culminated in a five-episode development for this Fringe.
Described by the artist as a surreal, solo clown show, Meat Bar, a Los Angeles-based comedian and performance artist, will present Sugar Mud (July 25-Aug. 2). The show traverses themes of storytelling and systemic control through a vortex of magical surrealism and fringe society wisdom. Living in Seattle, J’myle Koretz, a Salt Lake City native, will bring Twink or Swim (July 25-Aug. 1) to Fringe.
Opera Contempo returns to the Fringe stage for the first time since 2022 with three scenes from a new opera This is Jane (July 24-Aug. 2) by Angela Elizabeth Slater and Kendra Preston Leonard. Based on actual events, the opera opens in 1965 around a pregnant student seeking an abortion, a procedure not yet legalized, linking to Roe v. Wade’s 1973 decision. The company will perform three scenes from the opera’s second act.
Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival 2025 Special | 3m 5s video has closed captions. The festival showcases bold, original, and experimental performances across theatre, dance, comedy, and multimedia art, emphasizing artistic risk and diversity with a fresh cultural experience for all audiences.
Jay Perry joins Mary Dickson to preview the festival, emphasizing a showcase of bold, original, and experimental performances. The festival runs across multiple venues and emphasizes accessibility and innovation within a community-driven model.
- Four venues: Alliance Theater Main Hall, Alliance Black Box, MadKing Fellowship Theatre, Lightree Studios
- Shows include opera, contemporary dance, one-person shows, comedy, and student productions
- Notable past participants and top-selling shows highlighted
Volunteer with Us: Volunteers make the Fringe go round, continuing a tradition that began with Westminster College students and alumni under the mentorship of Nina and Michael Vought. The Fringe aims to maintain its original spirit from Edinburgh’s festival ethos-no prior professional experience required, no juried selection, no pretentiousness, and no costly production values.
- Introduction of a fourth venue due to high demand
- Commitment to artistic equity and audience accessibility
- Emphasis on new work and local talent alongside national acts
From 2025 GSLF: To Be Frank…, Salt Lake Community College theater program, Great Salt Lake Fringe, 2025.
Key Highlights and Context
The festival’s growth reflects a deliberate expansion in venues and a commitment to inclusive, affordable, and experimental performance. Attendees can expect a mix of established local groups and new voices, with many shows running for a limited window to preserve spontaneity and freshness. The fringe model’s emphasis on audience-driven promotion and equitable revenue sharing fosters a participatory arts culture in Salt Lake City.