Theater

Major Drama over Sale of Source Theatre on 14th Street!!

By Prince Of Petworth


Source Theatre located at 1835 14th Street, NW via CulturalDC

From CulturalDC:

“By now, you have likely learned that on August 5, 2025, CulturalDC completed the sale of Source to a qualified buyer for $4.5 million. The building, which had been on the market since October 2024, was sold after a competitive and proactive process in which the Board of Directors tirelessly solicited and prioritized bids from nonprofit organizations with the goal of sustaining the space for DC’s arts and cultural community.

Once news of the sale became public, unfortunately, we started to see false and biased reporting, as well as conversations and criticisms expressed on online platforms that cannot be categorized as anything less than vitriol and bullying. Over recent days, the spread of misinformation and actions taken against our organization have become too egregious for leadership to leave unaddressed.

In particular, the Washington City Paper published an unfounded and editorialized article regarding the sale of Source – without conducting due diligence, in terms of fact-checking or allowing CulturalDC to speak to the various erroneous accusations. Following a request for corrections, the City Paper has made only minor edits, allowing factual errors; and misleading statements to persist. The very vocal parties serving as unreliable sources with the press – and across social media channels – continue to perpetuate a distorted narrative.

For accuracy, the Board believes it is prudent to clarify the sequence of events leading up to the sale of Source: (more…)

“DC Fringe, a new festival is happening this summer!”

By Prince Of Petworth

From an email:

“A coalition of D.C.-based theater artists are joining forces to produce a new independent theater festival, District Fringe, to be held in the summer of 2025. The festival is intended to fill a gap left by the abrupt shuttering of the Capital Fringe Festival, which was announced earlier this year.

“For so many years, Capital Fringe was truly the only place where a nascent company or independent producer could put their work in front of an audience for less than $1,000 with all tech and space included,” said Karen Lange, artistic director of Pinky Swear Productions and one of the artists pioneering the District Fringe effort. “It is a huge loss for the next generation of D.C. performing artists, which is why we decided to come together and work on a new event that will fill that void: District Fringe.”

District Fringe has already received a $20,000 seed donation, and fundraising efforts are underway to bring this new concept to life this summer. (more…)

“Capital Fringe Festival Ends after 20 Remarkable Years”

By Prince Of Petworth


old location at 1358 Florida Ave, NE photo by Austin Graff

From a press release:

“It is with a heavy heart that Capital Fringe announces it will no longer produce the annual Fringe Festival. We are immensely proud of the impact twenty years of an open-access Fringe Festival has had on DC’s arts scene and are deeply grateful to the artists, audience members, volunteers, community members, festival and program staff and partners who have supported and created with us over the decades. It has truly been extraordinary!

Since its inception in 2005, Capital Fringe has been a cornerstone of Washington, DC’s arts community, fostering creativity and collaboration through its annual open-access Fringe Festival and year-round programming. Over the years, Capital Fringe has engaged 87,000 artists and attracted 497,000 audience members, generated $3,294,714 in artists revenue. Fringe programming efforts have brought the arts to hundreds of established venues as well as vacant properties throughout Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Downtown, and Georgetown. From our founding of operating out of a vacant Italian restaurant, Fringe has achieved remarkable milestones, including raising capital and operating funds to establish a permanent home for the region’s small theater community and independent artists.

Fringe Festival Platform Impact (more…)

“An important message about Source from our Board”

By Prince Of Petworth


1835 14th St, NW via Cultural DC

From CulturalDC:

“In September 2024, we announced the sale of Source, our multidisciplinary black box theatre in the 14th Street Corridor, due to Covid-related financial shortfalls. Similar to other performing arts organizations in the District, CulturalDC has faced a substantial reduction in income and contributions – both private and public – which has threatened the economic sustainability of Source. Since the pandemic, we have been impacted by increased vacancy and cancellations at Source as occupants have shifted programming, taking advantage of non-traditional spaces leased at low and little to no cost. As direct funding for operations has decreased, we have encountered fiscal difficulty while still staying dedicated to upkeeping the property. (more…)

17th Annual Capital Fringe Festival Announced – July 11-21!

By Prince Of Petworth

From the Capital Fringe Festival:

“The time is near for this year’s Capital Fringe Festival, our annual celebration of theatre and freedom of expression. In 2024, the Capital Fringe Festival will feature entirely original theatre, dance, and unclassifiable productions with a total of 150 cast and crew members, 83% of whom are from the DMV area and 17% from across the country and internationally.

The festival has once again moved to a new neighborhood and will take place in (more…)

“Folger’s new cafe name announced!”

By Prince Of Petworth

From a press release:

“When the Folger Shakespeare Library (201 East Capitol Street, SE) reopens on June 21, 2024, after a major 4-year renovation project, visitors won’t have to leave the building in order to grab a snack or have a meal. Quill & Crumb, the new café that will be housed in the Folger’s historic Great Hall, will offer lunch, baked goods, and snacks alongside coffee and tea service during the day, and a full-service bar and light bites in the evening. (more…)

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