This year’s festival runs from July 16 through July 19.
At BorderLight’s inception, Heinen, the festival’s executive and artistic director, had moved back to Cleveland, where she grew up, after living abroad. She thought Cleveland would be the perfect place to launch something similar to Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
“I had been exposed to theater in other countries,” she says via phone. “The Fringe Festival is kind of hard to describe. It’s a really unique event. We tried to explain what it would look like it in Cleveland. We formed a board and launched our first one in 2019. Pre-pandemic, we pulled in a lot of people and created a lot of excitement. It was at Playhouse Square and Public Square and along the mile between them.”
BorderLight became an annual festival in 2023 and has sought to bring in international performers, but because of immigration issues, that has become difficult.
“We haven’t been able to grow that international part of the program, but it’s still there,” says Heinen.
The festival opens on July 16 with Fringed Unleashed, an opening night party takes place from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the City Club of Cleveland. It’ll feature several performances by key acts participating in this year’s festival.
“The party is a little different this year,” says Heinen. “In past years, it’s been after the festival has opened. Now, we’re using as a way to promote the event. We have pop-up performances. Non-local companies like Mary Kay Vampires from Florida will be coming in. They caught the ire of [Florida governor] Ron DeSantis, so we invited them to Cleveland. We have improvised opera and a wonderful performance by the artist who is performing Black Is the Color of My Voice, a play about Nina Simone. There will be fun food and many of the artists will be there in costume. Tickets are very affordable at just $10 before the fees.”
Inspired by the life of Rock Hall Inductee Simone, Apphia Campbell’s one-person play follows the successful singer and civil rights activist as she seeks redemption after the untimely death of her father.
“Apphia Campbell is American, but she lives in Edinburgh and the show was seen in Europe first, but it’s coming to the U.S. this summer, and we are one of the earliest festivals,” says Heinen. “It won the Best Theatre Award at Adelaide Fringe and got acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe as well.”
Also on the international front, Sharif is a piece about being queer in Palestine. It’s still in development, so BorderLight attendees will receive what amounts to a sneak peek.
“They were not ready to put on a full production, so we’re hosting a reading of it, and there will be talk-back after two of the performances,” says Heinen.
There are also interesting performances from Cleveland-based artists.
“For folks interested in mythology and history, there is a piece called Arachne. It’s based on the Greek myth of Athena and Arachne but is set in the American South,” says Heinen. “It’s very funny. The women who performs it is a comedian. We also have a performance art piece called Black Metal Patio. It’s by local artist Dave Maher. He describes it as part exorcism and part cooking show. It’s like nothing we have ever done.”
Heinen is also excited about two pieces about “our connections at a time when we’re connected to our screens.”
“Connection: An Autistic Magician Attempts the Impossible is about an autistic magician,” she says. “He tries to connect with other people. It’ll be performed outside on the Hermit Club patio. Informed Chaos: A Theatrical Acrobat Circus Show is an acrobatic circus show with the theme of disconnection in the digital age.”
In addition, Fringe Jr. has expanded for this year’s festival and will feature You Go On, a musical about school shootings. The kid friendly shows will be concentrated on in a walkable family zone in the Playhouse Square District. They’ll take place from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 19.
“[Fringe Jr.] offers family content but the caveat is that they’re usually not children’s shows,” says Heinen. “A lot of them are 14+ and require parental guidance. You wouldn’t want to bring little children to, but it’s something you bring your teenager to and have a good experience. That’s what Fringe Jr. is. Some of it is all ages and some of it is specific ages. It’s all throughout the festival. Those tickets are cheaper. You can bring your kids and yourself for less of an investment, but the pricing is affordable. All through the festival but on the plaza on Saturday, there will be fun stuff like large-scale games like cornhole and various crafts.”
The event ends on July 19 at the Hermit Club with a masquerade-themed celebration that’s honor standout performances and the “most magical festival moments.” DJ Theo will spent at the party and guests can create their own masks at the event.
Heinen says she hopes the eclectic event give patrons an appreciation for theater’s potential.
“I hope people who attend understand that theater is a broader umbrella than maybe most people thought,” she says. “It’s not just sitting in the dark for two hours with an intermission. We have no intermissions. It’s 15 minutes or 30 minutes. It’s outdoors. It’s indoors. It’s free and ticketed. It’s less expensive than going to a movie. We want people to know that theater is for them, and these spaces are for them.”
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This article appears in Cleveland SCENE 7/2/25.