Finn taught visual art in Orange County Public Schools and in the community for over 25 years to all age levels. In 2021, Finn came across an old city transit bus that she was able to repurpose into “Olive the Art Bus.”

“This summer, I’m offering seven different mobile art camps plus 4 pop-up single day camps,” Finn wrote.  “I have a couple of Harry Potter themed camps, miniature making, resin casting/mosaics, painting and fiber arts for kids from 5 – 15. Most of my camps are being held at Cypress Grove Park.”

“My second week of [Harry Potter] art camps are being held at Goblin Fabrication Studios, a professional studio that makes props for the theme parks. We’ll be getting tours and learning about 3D printing and more while we celebrate our fandom!”

She offers fully mobile camps and classes with various art partners in the Orlando area including homeschool groups, classes, camps, partnerships with art organizations, museum visits, parties and business events.

Finn offers painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, miniatures and fiber arts or custom experiences.

“Helping students define themselves as lifelong creative people has been my source of joy for my entire career,” according to her website, TheArtBusFL.com. “During the pandemic, my husband and I converted an old school bus into an RV, [which] got me thinking:  What would a mobile art program in a bus look like?”

Camp signups are at LittleOrangeArt.com. Contact her at theartbusfl@gmail.com to learn more and book the Art Bus.

Kris Finn runs the Art Bus, which is a fully mobile art school. (THEARTBUSFL.COM).

The post Art Bus rolls out summer schedule first appeared on The Community Paper.

(COURTESY OF INTERSTRUCT DESIGN + BUILD)

On May 21, Parramore Arts — the “gallery without walls” — will present two exhibitions: “Connection,” curated by Pat Greene, and “Future Perspectives,” curated by Damay Cruickshank.

In addition to the showcase, a concurrent event, Interstruct Connect, will spotlight Page 15, a nonprofit that empowers young writers in Parramore.

The first exhibit, “Connection,” is a multimedia installation by Angelo the Artiste, on display at ArtCube through July. His work, which explores the ever-growing connection between humans and technology, includes a stop-motion animation. 

ArtCube, a gallery housed inside a small shipping container, was an initiative begun by architect and Interstruct Design + Build CEO Ryan Young as a way to incorporate free, public art in everyday life. It isn’t static. Like a brick-and-mortar gallery, it cycles through art of varying media, focusing on local talent through curation by Pat Greene, director of The Corridor Project.

Paired with the ArtCube exhibit, “Future Perspectives” features artists Roberto Sébastien, Dessary Francis, Robb Johnson and Ishaan Vadhera. Only on view during opening night, their works will be shown inside four U-Haul trucks.

The exhibition will open May 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Interstruct Design + Build, located on 814 W. Church St. For more information about the event, visit Interstruct’s website.

The post A double exhibition is coming to Parramore Arts first appeared on The Community Paper.

On the surface, Harbor House may appear as a normal homeless shelter, but their impact is much bigger than that. As a resource for those who have experienced domestic violence, countless lives have been saved by their welcoming arms, and much of that is due to the time given by hardworking volunteers.

Volunteering with Harbor House is no easy task, either, given the sensitive nature of their clients, and with safety as their top priority, a volunteer must be truly committed to helping.

An interview, background check and three-day training program ensure that everyone who comes in contact with their clients is trustworthy. Once a volunteer is accepted, they are required to work a minimum of eight hours every month. 

Despite the higher bar for entry than many other volunteer opportunities, Divya Sharma, Harbor House volunteer coordinator, said that they still have dedicated individuals coming in every month to help around the shelter and provide assistance where they can. Even still, Sharma said that they always need more direct service volunteers.

Sharma made it clear however, that there are opportunities for those who wish to help women in need without participating in direct service work. Indirect volunteers are not required to go through the longer application process that the direct volunteers do.

Helping out at the many drives and events Harbor House organizes is just as important as well, Sharma said. For their “It Takes Courage” event in March, nearly 90 volunteers showed up to help. 

Don’t have time to volunteer? Harbor House is always collecting furniture, toys and clothing items for families at their shelters.

In total, Harbor House has over 1,700 active volunteers who have provided over 20,000 hours of service together to protect the vulnerable members of our community.

Those interested in becoming a volunteer can reach out via email to Volunteer@HarborHouseFL.com. Donations can also be coordinated via email to Donate@HarborHouseFL.com.

The post Harbor House needs you! first appeared on The Community Paper.

Life moves quickly. People get busy. And somewhere along the way, many of us have lost the simple, human rhythm of checking in on one another. Not because we don’t care, but because we’re not always sure how. We are more connected than ever through our phones, our calendars and our screens. And yet, many people still experience a quiet kind of disconnection, one that technology cannot reach.

And still, the need is there.

In my work with older adults and families, I’ve come to understand that what people need most is not always something clinical or complex. It is connection. It is being seen. It is knowing that someone will show up.

That is what Neighbors Network brings back.

For over a decade, this Central Florida nonprofit has been quietly building something rare. It is a community where neighbors help neighbors in ways that are real, flexible and deeply human. A place where older adults are not defined by what they can no longer do, but are supported in continuing to live full, meaningful lives in the homes they love.

And for those who feel the pull to help, but hesitate, this is a different kind of volunteering.

There is no pressure to do more than you can. No expectation to be everything to everyone. You simply offer what you have, when you have it. A ride. A conversation. A helping hand. And somehow, those small moments ripple outward in ways that matter. Something shifts, not just for the person receiving help, but for the person giving it too.

Neighbors Network reminds us that community is not something we scroll past or schedule. It is something we practice. It is built in ordinary moments, between ordinary people who simply choose to show up.

And in doing so, something extraordinary happens.

We begin to feel it again.
___
Kristin B. Abramson, a licensed massage therapist and certified dementia practitioner, is the board secretary for Neighbors Network.

The post Growing older in community first appeared on The Community Paper.

To be honest, I am truly an “older American.” Recently, I reached almost exactly my middle 80s! I am in an age range that includes a growing number of adults with a very wide range of skills and talents and experience, as well as personal and community perspectives.

This age range includes many strengths and opportunities — but also concerns like increasing frailty, financial worries, loss of friends and family, and even the occasional thought that the world doesn’t seem to need us as much.

During May, we are encouraged to focus and reconsider how we can show up, reach out, and continue to use our skills, experience, beliefs and strengths, because we are “older Americans.”

I’ll see you out there: at church or temple or Rotary, maybe on the picket line, certainly at the polls, at the library looking for that new backyard gardening book, getting our steps in around the nearest lake, attending to our vaccine schedule and medical/dental checkups, playing mahjong, enjoying book club, and volunteering our time with agencies that help others in our local community.

We older Americans are everywhere, and we can all fully live this time of our lives. Let’s reach out in our community, so every age range has a sense of belonging and contributing!

The post The meaning of Older Americans Month first appeared on The Community Paper.

Senior Resource Alliance

Since 1985, Senior Resource Alliance has been helping seniors, age 60 and older, in Brevard, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. SRA informs them about the many state and federal programs available and assists seniors in applying for them. SRA also offers a range of programs like utility bill assistance, free health and wellness workshops, the CyberFence app that protects seniors from online scams, and more.

Call the SRA helpline at 1-800-963-5337 on Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for help in finding what programs may be best for you. Find more information at SeniorResourceAlliance.org. 

City of Orlando Senior Connections

The City of Orlando has a large network of senior neighborhood centers for residents 55 and older to join a range of activities, classes, social groups and educational opportunities. Two main facilities, the Mayor William Beardall Senior Center and the L. Claudia Allen Senior Center, are often lively with events and programs. Another 12 satellite locations are open around the city with a smaller selection of programs and shorter opening hours.

Contact the Beardall Center at 407-246-4440 or visit them at 800 S. Delaney Ave. to find an activity for you.

The L. Claudia Allen Senior Center can be reached at 407-246-4461 or visited at 1840 Mable Butler Ave.

Locations for the 12 satellite sites can be found at Orlando.gov/Our-Government/Departments-Offices/FPR/Senior-Connections.

One Senior Place

Located at 715 Douglas Ave. and 8085 Spyglass Hill Road, One Senior Place has two resource and shopping centers for a range of senior-related products and services. They also offer information services, counseling, educational events and classes ranging from fall prevention to movies and choirs.

Call 321-323-7325 for the Brevard location or 407-705-2042 for the Greater Orlando location for any questions or a free consultation about what services may be best for you or your loved one. More information is also available at OneSeniorPlace.com. 

Orlando Senior Help Desk

An online resource for all information needed to “navigate the senior maze,” the senior help desk seeks to make sure that Orlando seniors know everything they need to know. 

Seniors can visit OrlandoSeniorHelpDesk.org or call the help desk at 407-678-9363 with any questions about available resources, how to apply for different programs, and concerns about housing or healthcare.

Orange County Senior Services

Orange County offers a range of services, events and programs to encourage local seniors to connect, engage with their community and remain active. Events range from informational (like their “Building Strong Bones” classes) to active (with “Dancing for Joy” workshops); there is something for everyone. 

With two recreation centers, the Renaissance Senior Center at 3800 S. Econlockhatchee Trail and the Marks Street Senior Recreation Complex at 99 E. Marks St., there is always something interesting going on.

Call 407-836-7446, email OfficeOnAging@ocfl.net or visit OrangeCountyFL.net/CommunityFamilyServices/SeniorServices.aspx to find upcoming events and services.

Seniors First

Focused on nutrition, in-home care and medical equipment, Seniors First is dedicated to enhancing seniors’ quality of life. They offer a Meals on Wheels program that delivers food to homebound seniors age 60 and older, as well as an emergency meal program for those facing a crisis. 

Seniors First also has a food pantry at 5395 L.B. McLeod Road that is open on the second and fourth Thursday of every month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

For more information and to apply for their programs, visit SeniorsFirstInc.org or call 407-292-0177.

(FACEBOOK.COM/NEIGHBORSNETWORKFL)

Neighbors Network

Focusing on helping seniors remain in their own homes, the Neighbors Network organizes volunteers to assist with everyday tasks and chores. Along with daily in-home assistance, they also offer special discounted tickets and events to theaters and museums, as well as hosting monthly lunch-out events.

Membership with the network costs $300 annually or $93.75 quarterly for an individual and $400 annually or $125 quarterly for households of 2 to 3 adults. Adults 55 and older in Maitland, Eatonville, Winter Park, Casselberry, Fern Park, Orlando (north of Colonial), College Park, Baldwin Park and Altamonte Springs are eligible for membership.

Apply online at NeighborsNetworkFL.org or call 321-209-2775 to have an application mailed to you.

The post Senior services available in Orlando first appeared on The Community Paper.

From an early age, their father instilled in them one of Rotary’s core principles — service to the community. Both Eagle Scouts, the brothers eventually joined their father in the family business after completing their education at the University of Florida. Joe graduated in 1956 with a degree in engineering, and Jon graduated in 1959 with a degree in business administration. After college, both served a tour in the Air Force before returning to work for their father.

Brothers Jon (left) and Joe Stine. (COURTESY OF BILL PEEPER)

Jon Stine served as president of The Rotary Club of Orlando in 1978–79 and remained active in numerous club and community initiatives.

Throughout the Stine brothers’ many years of membership, they carried forward that tradition. Their Rotary service projects have included:

—Helping generate funding to build 21 classrooms in Kenya, where children previously were taught outdoors under shade trees.

—Creating literacy programs in six Orange County Title One elementary schools, providing students with casual reading books they could call their own and take home.

—Establishing and helping fund food pantries in those same schools, ensuring students from families in need had food available for weekends and holidays.

In addition to Rotary, Joe Stine was involved with Boy Scouts, Heart of Florida Capital Funds Committee, Orlando Growth Management Plan, Associated Industries of Florida, Florida Wholesalers Association and Southern Industrial Distributors Association.

Jon Stine was busy with Junior Achievement, Mid-Florida Industrial Development Commission and the Orange County Civic Facilities.

The brothers said that their father was a strict boss with high expectations — not only in business but also in their personal and community lives.

Older brother Joe said, “He was our father, our boss and our best friend,” and Jon readily agreed.

Paul Stine began working for the industrial supply company owned by Harry P. Leu in 1933 and ultimately purchased the company from him in 1940. Harry Leu, also an Orlando Rotarian and club president, later became one of Orlando’s most notable philanthropists, donating his lush 56-acre estate on Lake Rowena to the City of Orlando in 1961. Today it is known as Harry P. Leu Gardens.

The post Rotarian brothers recognized for combined 125 years of service first appeared on The Community Paper.

Orlando Museum of Art docent Dolly Charron leads a guided tour through a gallery on March 13, 2024. (COURTESY OF MOLLY LAWSON).

Dolly Charron remembers when she realized she was meant to be a teacher. As a little girl, she would march her stuffed animals up the stairwell railing in a single-file line, her Maine coon cat Jill in tow, to her double canopy bed. Staging them in rows at their “desks,” the classroom session began as she relayed what she learned in her own classroom earlier that day on her blackboard. 

This love for teaching followed Charron throughout her life — first as a tutor; then as an English, Spanish and ESOL teacher in Orange County; as an adjunct at UCF; a professor at both Seminole State and Valencia colleges — up until her retirement from Valencia in 2019. 

Motivated by the lingering feeling that she “retired too young” and a desire to do more than just take classes to keep her mind engaged, Charron became a docent — a volunteer guide — at the Orlando Museum of Art in 2022. 

“That kind of propelled me to say, ‘Yeah, I love this — I like learning, but I also like doing something,’” Charron said. 

But OMA’s docent corps didn’t completely quench her thirst. Charron became a tour guide at Leu Gardens that same year, then became a docent at the historic home and Winter Park landmark Casa Feliz last year.

Docents come from a variety of walks of life, from former educators to artists. Although there are few requirements to qualify as a docent, many tend to be retirees with more flexible schedules and availability, OMA Associate Curator for Community Engagement Molly Lawson said.

Most programs consist of two main phases: a “classroom” phase and a “performance” phase. At OMA, docent training revolves around a 10-week course from late January to early April, focused on permanent and temporary collections at the museum, homework assignments, shadowing experienced docents and a final project: a presentation on their favorite piece in the museum.

Kris Steele, visitor operations manager at The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, runs a docent corps of two dozen volunteers. Docent training at the museum begins with lessons on Louis Comfort Tiffany and current exhibits on “Morse Mondays,” the last Monday of every month from October through April except December. Operating biannually, docent training at Morse operates in three phases: classroom, mentorships and a final exam.

Trainees must accompany a mentor, or experienced docent, to learn first-hand about tours — from posture to reading social cues to how to deliver information. When the trainees are ready, they’ll complete three supervised tours, shadowed by Steele or the museum’s deputy director or chief operating officer, Steele said. Finally, they must pass a written take-home exam designed by Steele himself to test the strengths and weaknesses of each trainee. 

The entire process takes about two years, Steele said, depending on whether the docent-to-be expresses interest during an off year. He said that although the process sounds rigorous and intensive, the logic behind the program is to cultivate passion. 

“Someone might walk in the door, and there’s perhaps a less-than-interested, disgruntled spouse who’s been dragged along by the elbow, but there’s something for that person,” Steele said. “And even if they don’t have an appreciation, at least when they walk in the door … they can appreciate or witness somebody else’s passion, enthusiasm for it. That actually has a really remarkable effect.”

Rita Griffin, head docent at Casa Feliz, was hired last year to build its docent program from the ground up. The growing docent corps of six currently hosts 45-minute-to-an-hour walk-in tours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. 

Casa Feliz head docent and program coordinator Rita Griffin leads a tour of the historic Winter Park home, designed by James Gamble Rogers II. (COURTESY OF BETSY ROGERS OWENS).

As Casa Feliz expands its docent program and recruitment, Griffin curates the training with two holy texts: The first is a white binder, full of facts and the history on the home and its architect, James Gamble Rogers II, and the second is his architecture book, docked at the Casa Feliz chapter. 

Trainees are asked to study at home, then spend time reading all of the materials in the small museum area on-site. After, trainees shadow experienced docents on multiple tours, followed by Griffin’s “quizzes.”

Griffin defines a docent as a jack of all trades — a historian, a teacher, an actor and a storyteller. 

“We’re looking for people who are interested in history, who have a good voice, who have a passion for people,” Griffin said.

Steele said the key to being a good docent is empathy: the kind of empathy, he said, that can’t be achieved by a hologram or a QR code. 

“It’s an ability to see things from another person’s perspective, to critically think in that way,” Steele said. “To be empathetic, but to do it in real time, so they can help make a connection, or help a person build that synapse in front of them.”

Lucy Boudet, the former vice president of marketing and strategic communications at Valencia College, is also a docent at Casa Feliz. She studied interior design before switching to advertising at the University of Florida and previously served on Winter Park’s Historic Preservation Board. 

Growing up in Winter Park and remembering the historic house’s move in September 2001 when it was saved from demolition, Boudet said she applies her passion for architecture to her approach to touring.

“I think I focus on the things that I love, and that comes through,” Boudet said. “And then also, you pick up on the people. It’s an interaction, and that’s what you can’t do when it’s virtual.”

Patricia Rapp, a docent at OMA since 2022, uses her volunteer work to implement her passion: providing a safe space for children to learn and engage with the world around them.

Rapp, a former event planner and stay-at-home mom, uncovered her love for education during the pandemic by teaching her own children. When they returned to school, she said she realized she needed a place to channel this passion. 

Rapp said she approaches her tours differently than most, especially with children. She said she introduces herself as simply Patricia, not “Ms. Patricia” or “Ms. Rapp.” 

Patricia Rapp, a docent at the Orlando Museum of Art, sits on the floor with children during a tour on Sept. 29, 2025. (COURTESY OF MOLLY LAWSON).

“We’re all on the same level,” she said.  “When we start, I’m going to walk you through the museum. I’m going to point out some things. I’m going to ask a lot of questions, but I want you guys to ask questions back. It’s meant to be a conversation.”

Rapp said that despite some volunteers avoiding heavier topics on their tours, Rapp sees the museum as a safe space to facilitate conversations around race and sexuality that are regulated in schools. Rapp cites Nick Cave’s “Soundsuit” as an example — reflecting his frustrations following the Rodney King beating in 1991.  

“I think it’s really important to purposely address those issues and talk about them in a space that feels more comfortable, that’s slightly detached through looking at a piece of artwork, but you can recognize pieces of your own experiences,” Rapp said.

Rapp said the key to being a good docent, especially when working with children, is to maintain a curiosity for what others have to say. 

“I think when people are genuinely curious about someone else, and especially for kids who are neurodivergent on the spectrum, they’ll become a lot more open, because they’re used to people just wanting them to do it the way everyone else does, but that’s not interesting,” Rapp said. 

When asked about the most fulfilling part of being a docent, Rapp described the “aha moment” for those on the tour.

For Charron, that fulfillment comes from knowing she can help both adults and children realize there is no right or wrong in their interpretations of art. 

“I just like them to feel that they’ve taken something away, they’ve learned something, and that maybe, just maybe, it’ll make them open up their minds and want to research on their own,” Charron said.

The post ‘A passion for people’: How local docents keep the conversation going first appeared on The Community Paper.

It’s just over a month until the show they’re rehearsing premieres at Orlando Fringe. It’s called “A Strange and Distant Manor,” developed by Fringe veteran and improv teacher Travis Ray. He’s been attending Fringe in Orlando for over a decade (he’s not sure what year, maybe 2010), but he remembers what that first visit felt like.

“It feels like the most magical circus has rolled into town,” Ray said. “For me, going to Fringe and being at Fringe is just a little snapshot … of what I wish the world was like. This huge, collaborative, exciting, dynamic, artistic festival and environment.”

This is Ray’s third original improvised show he’s brought to Fringe. This one is a little different than his previous two, however, as they were parodies of existing properties. This show rather explores a genre: a gothic murder mystery, a la Christie or Hitchcock.

The characters onstage fit certain stereotypes within this story, and the show — though made up on the spot — follows the familiar beats of a story like this, with twists and schemes and melodrama galore. The idea from Ray is to use the gothic style to be both playful and perhaps explore something a little more scary. “Either way,” he said, “we can address that and play around with it as much as we want.”

This is the first full run-through of the format. The structure is written on the whiteboard behind the cast, and occasionally, they’ll glance at it, placing themselves in the timeline. They’re building this plane while they’re flying it. This is a brand-new format, so even for the most experienced of this ensemble, they’re uniquely in the dark. That’s not a problem — it’s why no one improvises alone. It’s their first stumble-through, as they call it, of “A Strange and Distant Manor,” and when they’re done, they already know what to do better next time. By May, they’ll be ready.

In rooms all across Orlando, rehearsals like this are being held, in makeshift theaters that serve as a platform for performers to tweak, refine and grow their show from the ground up. Every spring, wild ideas are imagined in whatever workshop space these theater artists can gather in.

From May 12 to 25, performances of all variety will take over the stages of Orlando Fringe for the 35th festival, “the longest-running Fringe in the United States.” “A Strange and Distant Manor” will be one such performance, made up on the spot — but well-rehearsed — for every performance in Loch Haven Park.

For Travis Ray, it means returning to the circus he fell in love with some 15 years ago. “I tell people it’s my favorite part about living in Orlando.”

The post Setting the scene first appeared on The Community Paper.

Some of the fun decor around Fringe, including Fringezilla the mascot. (SABRINA HANSEN)

While I am a journalism student at UCF, I am also majoring in the theater studies program. Journalism is my new love, but my first love has always been theater, so I can’t forget my roots.

Even though it is my third year in college, I had never been to the Orlando Fringe before. So, to prepare for my coverage of the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival in May, I went to the Orlando Fringe Winter Mini-Fest.

On the first night, I met with Fringe officials who walked me through how it all works: Genevieve Bernard, the director of experience, and Ilene Lieber, the PR consultant. They greeted me warmly, and their excitement for the festival was evident.

After meeting with them, I was given a Fringe access button. While the $15 tickets for each show go straight to that show’s actors, Lieber informed me that “100% of the button sales go back to Fringe! So, you know, that does help to support Orlando Fringe, and it’s also something super fun that’s a part of the festival that we’ve had for years.” This was good to know for when I return in May. 

While waiting in the lobby with the rest of the crowd for the preview show to begin, I talked to Emily Fontano, who had applied to the Fringe festival 10 times and was finally picked to present her show, “Against Her Wishes: A Dark Comedy,” for the festival in May. “The show is the improvised, immersive musical-slash-dark-comedy funeral for my mom that she never wanted,” Fontano said. “It’s just funny. It’s not sad. If you came to cry about moms dying, this isn’t the one for you.”  

We were let into the theater for a preview of the 24 shows that would occur over the next four days. In the preview, I saw three minutes of each show. The actors chose which three minutes of their shows they thought would pique the audience’s interest the most. 

The theater had three venues for shows: yellow, purple, and blue. That way, they could host 24 shows in only four days. This sets a precedent for the festival in May, when there will be nine venues hosting over 150 shows. These spaces span the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Orlando Family Stage, Loch Haven Park and more.

The only three venues playing shows during the Winter Mini-Fest were yellow, purple and blue. (SABRINA HANSEN)

With the previews behind me, I came back the next night to see “Cracks.” The story was an autobiographical dark comedy that followed actress Claire Lochmueller’s journey of finding out she was transgender. Lochmueller has performed in multiple Fringe festivals, including ones in Richmond, Montreal, Portland, Maine, etc. This was her first time with the Fringe in Orlando, but not her last, as “Cracks” will be showing this May as well.

Claire Lochmueller in “Cracks” during the Winter Mini-Fest in January 2026. (SABRINA HANSEN)

“The community here seems really strong,” Lochmueller said, “and that was kind of something I was noticing, where I was like, ‘Oh, big community, a lot of people that are very excited about it.’ It felt very welcoming, too, coming as a newcomer to Orlando.” 

The next show I saw was “Anatomica: A Comedy About Meat, Bones, & the Skin You’re In.” The comedy starred actor Amica Hunter, who talked about the exoskeleton, the endoskeleton and the hydrostatic skeleton, which, Amica explained and showed, is commonly found in earthworms.

Amica Hunter in “Anatomica: A Comedy About Meat, Bones, & the Skin You’re In.” (SABRINA HANSEN)

On the second night of the festival, I saw “Funny Fortunes with Mercado de la Fortuna.” When I talked to Mercado de la Fortuna herself, actress Diane Jorge, she informed me that Mercado is inspired by Puerto Rican astrologer Walter Mercado.

Diane Jorge in “Funny Fortunes with Mercado de la Fortuna.” (SABRINA HANSEN)

Most of the show is Mercado interacting with the audience. Jorge explained that most of her act is improv.

This is Jorge’s second time at Orlando’s Fringe festival and the first year touring the Fringe circuit as a performer. When asked what she would miss about Orlando, she told me, “You know, this was my first Fringe. My first love, and you never forget your first love. Sometimes your first love is the standard you compare to. Here I felt such community and such love. So, I think I’m going to miss just being at my first love, if you will. Just being at the place that started it all.” 

Jorge will be showing “Solovela, an Improvised Solo Telenovela” for the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival. 

Afterward, I saw “The Event.” This was a more dramatic piece about the thoughts of the actor onstage and his relationship with the audience. I talked to actor David Calvitto, who informed me that his friend John Clancy wrote the play after watching various one-person shows in Edinburgh.

David Calvitto in “The Event.” (SABRINA HANSEN)

I did not attend the third day, but I was there for the last day of the Mini-Fest. Ever since the preview night, I had been in anticipation of seeing “The Best Man Show” by Mark Vigeant. The show focused on the best man of the wedding, the brother of the groom, who drunkenly gives his best man speech about his brother, but has his own realizations about himself throughout the speech. The show made my stomach hurt with laughter, but it also had moments that really made me ponder what love truly means. 

Mark Vigeant in “The Best Man Show.” (SABRINA HANSEN)

The last show I saw at the festival was “Shirley Gnome: Live, Bare & Natural.” Gnome perfectly blended comedy and musicality, and I expect to have some earworms of her songs stuck in my mind. 

Shirley Gnome in “Shirley Gnome: Live, Bare & Natural.” (SABRINA HANSEN)

When coming into this mini-fest, I had no idea what to expect. All I could hope for was a good time. I am so pleased to say it exceeded all my expectations.  

The shows were funny, poignant and lively, and the environment was immersive. 

There was no competition or malice. I often saw the actors attending other shows, congratulating each other on their performances, and all in all just catching up as if they were old friends — even if it was their first time meeting each other.  

It was evident that this place had fostered a community of genuine interest and excitement. Everyone was so approachable, from creatives to staff to the audience. 

I can see why the Orlando Fringe has such loyal fans, including Michael Offutt. “I remember the first time I went to the Fringe 10 years ago,” Offutt said, “It just felt like, you know, you come out of a show, and another show starts in 10 minutes, and you have to run to another theater. I just love the atmosphere. I like the ability to see some of the same performances here and even some of the same patrons.” 

If this was just a taste of what is to come with the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival this May, then I cannot wait! 

The post My experience with the Orlando Fringe Winter Mini-Fest   first appeared on The Community Paper.