Queer at FringeArts Fest: The Captive


Each day this week, G Philly will be highlighting a different LGBTQ-themed show that is featured at this year’s FringeArts Festival. Get to know the artists who are bringing their works to the festival, and learn about what makes their productions unique.

It’s a play that was considered such a scandal during a 1926 premiere that the entire cast was arrested for indecency. Now, the Philadelphia Artists’ Collective is bringing The Captive to this year’s FringeArts Festival via the Physick House at 321 South 4th Street.

According to the play’s producers, The Captive “centers around Irene (played by Rachel Brodeur), the daughter of a domineering diplomat, who carries a dark secret that could ruin her life. Her quiet devastation sparks a chain of events that will shake the foundations of her otherwise tidy world.” Hmmm…we wonder what that “dark secret” could be!

The play’s director, Dan Hodge, who is also the co-founder of the Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, says that it is “about people who desperately need to love and be loved, and yet seem incapable of being honest…At first glance, the captive of the title seems to be Irene. But as the play unfolds, each character emerges as a prisoner to another. It’s pretty thrilling to experience.”

As added bonus, the play will be site-specific, taking place in the historic Physick House, making the production an immersive theatrical experience.

“The Physick was a perfect fit for this show,” added Hodge. “It has a sense of class balanced well with an odd severity. Because the rooms are small, the audience will be right on top of the play, heightening the ‘fly on the wall’ experience.”

Tickets to the 100 minute performance are $25, and the play runs from September 1 through the 20. You can find out more information by visiting the FringeArts website.

Previous Queer at FringeArts Festival Highlights: