Craig Fox & Bryan Webster in MISS MARY DUGAN, Fresh Fruit Festival 2012

WHAT WE DO

The Fresh Fruit Festival encompasses theater, performance, poetry, comedy, spoken word, music, dance, visual arts and some talents that defy categorization. Artists come from around the city, nation and, indeed, the world. Australia, Canada, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, France, Maui, Israel, Italy, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and all of New York City’s boroughs and suburbs have been represented. We offer local artists generous stipends and technical help through the generosity of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

WE REDEFINE INCLUSIVE

“the most inclusive expression of LGBT arts ever held in the City of New York.”    -Edge Media

We present work that is fresh, exciting and insightful. Performers of all racial and many ethnic backgrounds, sexuality, and gender orientations fill our stages. African-, Caribbean-, Chinese-, East Indian-, Filipino-, Hispanic-, Japanese-, Korean-, Native-, and even unhyphenated Americans were among groups represented in our festivals.

Many of the Festival’s productions have gone on to commercial runs. Festival performers have been recognized with IT, OOBR, G.L.A.A.D, and Theatermania “Best Documentary” awards.

Notably, the work of Lesbian and Transgender artists was represented in proportions more representative of their numbers in the LGBT community than is usually seen in such events. And our audiences are equally diverse.

Fresh Fruit has established a community of artists and audiences who connect with each other not only on the personal level (for friends have been made during the Festival itself) but also through our shared mailing lists, Alumni Groups on Facebook, and our awards for outstanding work in the festival – The Fresh Fruit Awards of Distinction.

City Councilor Gale Brewer, then Manhattan Borough President, called us “a profoundly effective weapon against all forms of prejudice.” -May 15, 2013

WE ARE GOING AND GROWING

• We produce – in conjunction with local colleges, the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation, the LGBT Community Center, and other production companies – collaborative events bringing together artists of many disciplines to present their work, as well as free lecture demonstrations and online seminars of historical, sociological, and career building interest.
•  We act as advisor and sometimes fiscal sponsor to fledgling LGBT arts & cultural organizations.
•  We produce Developmental Readings, “Radio” Plays, conversions of monologues to short Films, offering dramatic & Technical assistance throughout the development process.
•  We are expanding our development of new works, spoken-word events, and combinations- such as the moving and dynamic coming-out spectacle ‘OUT In The OPEN’ – called a “poetic and powerful work… a ‘Credo’ for our time – as just and eloquent as any ever heard in modern oratory.” – Artzine

We believe the arts bring hope, experience, learning, self-confidence, a means of expression, and a path out of despair.