Maui Fringe Theater Festival Jan. 22–24 at ʻĪao Theater

Maui Fringe Theater Festival 2016. MFTF photo.

Maui OnStage will present the Maui Fringe Theater Festival 2016, a weekend marathon of the performing arts, Jan. 22 through 24 at the Historic ʻĪao Theater.

Murder Blood Bear Story by Katelyn Schiller, showcased at New Orleans’ Razors Edge solo show festival and in nomination for best solo show at the Hollywood Fringe, will open the festival. Praised by Fringe audiences as “luminous” and “storytelling at its finest,” Murder Blood Bear Story is the tale of a young woman named Blue on a quest for happiness while tracking a bear through the wilds, hoping for an up-close encounter using a handful of blueberries as bait.

From O‘ahu comes the hit production of the 2015 O‘ahu Fringe, Money Talks: But What the Hell is it Saying by international singer/songwriter Lucie Lynch and best-selling author/performer Marcia Zina Mager.

“Imagine Ted Talks meets Broadway musical,” said its creators.

Money Talks, heralded as “Revealingly tender and brazenly funny,” is the wildly true story of two local women artists, who, though separated by a generation, struggle with one question— “What’s my worth?”

Image provided by Maui Fringe Theater Festival.

Maui playwright David Negaard will present the world-premiere of his original modern romantic-comedy Les Lapins Timides, which examines first dates in the 21st-century, set in a French restaurant.

“Improvocation,” explained by founder Chris Rose as “the radical arm of Maui Improv,” will present Foolish Games, a one-act comedy created out of improvisation.

A Real Man: Dad. Daughter. Autism. is a heartwarming and enlightening new solo stage show written and performed by Mike Guido. This Los Angeles-based comedian is the father of nine children, including his severely autistic daughter, Maria.

Additional productions will include Maui Festival of Fringe: A Burlesque Revue by Cabaret & Cocktails and a showcase by The Seabury Hall Dance Ensemble.

Shadows of Hippocrates by Arnold Jacobson will also be featured. It is a thought-provoking courtroom drama that offers a glimpse into how new medicines are tested before they are approved for patients, as one physician struggles to find a balance between his job and his Hippocratic Oath to “do no harm.”

Tickets per show are $10 (plus applicable fees).

To purchase tickets for any ʻĪao Theater event call 242-6969 or order online.

A Real Man. Image provided by Maui Fringe Theater Festival.

Image provided by Maui Fringe Theater Festival.

Image provided by Maui Fringe Theater Festival.

Image provided by Maui Fringe Theater Festival.