The best thing about being an underdog is that no one expects anything of you. So when the Hollywood Fringe Festival was organized a couple of years ago, we paid attention, sure, but figured it might be a flash in the pan. It wasn’t until this summer, its third year, that we realized this little engine that could was not only here to stay but also getting damn good. With the policy of throwing shows any- and everywhere around Hollywood — bars, clubs, traditional theaters, street corners — the Fringe opens its doors to anyone who wants to play. Highly charged political dramas share billing with a campy, queer restaging of Meryl Streep’s most iconic film scenes, and suddenly all the people who sniffed at the ludicrous idea of an L.A. fringe festival are lining up. In and around Hollywood.hollywoodfringe.org.

—Rebecca Haithcoat

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