Amphibian Stage’s SparkFest returns to Fort Worth theater this week. Here’s what to know
Local theater company Amphibian Stage Productions’ annual SparkFest returns this week, bringing its combination of edgy, weird, thoughtful and new programming to its Near Southside theater from June 6-18.
This year’s programming includes a fashion show, an acting competition, music, theater, talks, poetry readings, food and more from the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
Think of the festival as a combination of The Cliburn International Piano Competition, a fringe festival, where performers present experimental work, and the Aspen Ideas Festival, where intellects gather to discuss big ideas with the stylish marketing and flair of South by Southwest with an emphasis on diversity.
There’s also food — lots of food — and $5 wine slushies.
“It’s so hot during the summer, the wine’s a way to say, ‘Sorry we dragged you out in the heat,’” said Kathleen Culebro, the company’s founding artistic director, who announced last month that she is stepping down fter 24 years.
This year’s 20 different events and 70 different participants from across the country will reflect on what it means to be AAPI.
On the opening night, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, a fashion show features designers Stephen Flores, Kierra Lechelle Powers and Jasmine Woods, who will make outfits from found objects in the company’s building. It’s described as a combination of the reality TV shows “Project Runway,” “Chopped” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Stand-up comedian Shafi Hossain, who calls himself “the funniest chemical engineer in the world” performs on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Five local members of the AAPI community will share personal stories for the This Is My Story segment at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Among them is Rachmad Tjachyadi, the former Lewisville teacher who was put on administrative leave for wearing a pink dress on campus on Spirit Day and later resigned.
Artist Thu Anh Nguyen will unveil a mural in the lobby and invites the public to participate. Popular speaker and facilitator Philippa Pham Hughes will present her short, animated movie “The Greatest Poem” and lead a discussion about identity, community and poetry.
Arkai Music, an electronic-classical duo who just finished their European tour, will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday.
“They could play anywhere,” Culebro said.
Promoting new work and young talent have always driven Amphibian’s mission. The festival sticks with that mission.
Culebro noted international groupies on the theater festival circuit have purchased tickets for the event. The added boost encouraged Near Southside businesses to get involved with some restaurants offering discounts and stores welcoming visitors.
Megan Henderson, the director of events and communication for the Near Southside Inc., called it “a voyage of cultural celebration.”
“What makes the festival so unique is its integrated format of performance, music, visual arts, education, comedy, acting, design, food and the important dialogue that follows each event,” Henderson said. “With a focus on the AAPI community, SparkFest invites AAPI leaders to make the Near Southside their center-point for expressing their cultural traditions and sharing their cultural narratives.”
Evan Michael Woods, Amphibian’s marketing director, called it “a summer camp for attendees.”
The annual acting competition and rotating production of new plays are a boon for the underrepresented actors and playwrights and the audience, too.
The three plays selected this year each run twice. “Did You Eat?” by Zoë Kim runs at 8 p.m. on June 12 and 11 a.m. on June 15. “Barren” by Alex Lin runs at 8 p.m. on June 13 and 3 p.m. on June 15, and “You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World” by Keiko Green runs at 8 p.m. on June 14 and 2 p.m. on June 16.
After its performance here, Green’s show heads to the esteemed Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Lin has also showcased at the O’Neill.
The acting competition puts 10 performers before a live audience who from June 13-15 compete for a $5,000 prize. SparkFest’s acting competition is about breaking down the barriers facing women and people of color. From cultural biases to auditioning for roles not designed for them, the rigorous competition gives them the chance to perform without a specific role in mind and sharpen their auditioning skills, Culebro said.
And the audience gets a chance to say they saw them before they became famous. And drink frozen wine.
SparkFest runs June 6-18 at the theater at 120 S Main St. Individual tickets and $80 and full passes are available. For more information, visit amphibianstage.com or call 817-923-3012.
