2026 Philly Fringe kicks off with a banger of a show, 1A Clown’s Way: A Clown’s Guide to Falling in Line. This one-clown, one-act workshop production is written and performed by Madi Distefano, a multidisciplinary Philadelphia artist and a dear friend. It was about this season, in 2025, that we first gathered together with her and other merry pranksters to brainstorm what to do about the whirlygig three-ring-circus of destruction that is our government. We were a group of artists and free-thinkers, dreading what is happening in this country, and our Clown Party formed in joyful resistance.

A year has passed, and so much has happened that I recognized in the story that is told on stage. Madi gives a powerhouse performance in multiple well-crafted roles. Will the MC of the oppressive Big Top bully the audience into submission, or will tactical frivolity prevail when we heed the better clowns of our nature? Do we wait for a signal, or let our voices be heard? It’s a message that resonates with these mad, mad, times.

Run, don’t walk, to see the next performance at the Asian Arts Initiative Black Box Theater, 1219 Vine Street, Philadelphia.

Shows runs for 75 minutes and is up for just one week, tomorrow through Sept. 15. Get your tickets while they last! 1A Clown’s Way: A Clown’s Guide to Falling in Line.