Fringe 2025 Wrap-Up
Three years. I had been trying to produce a show in KC Fringe for three years. This year was finally the year, and I still barely made it in.
I felt the strongest sense of accomplishment when it became official, but the work was far from over. Throughout the process,
the production would go through numerous script updates, casting changes, and rehearsal space complications. Nevertheless, we persevered.
Our production of “Telling Audrey” (the first production fully under the “Ghost Theatre” moniker) was a memorable one. It’s not up to me to speak upon the quality of the show because as the writer/producer/director, it is impossible for me to have a truly unbiased opinion. Audience reactions were all over the enjoyment spectrum. Some were shocked, some were filled with joy from the laughter, and others saw the show itself as a form of therapy. This is ultimately what I want from any show—a unique blend of reactions.
THANK YOU TO THE CAST
Our cast was incredible. This is an ensemble piece, so this really was their show. It’s my favorite part of the theatre medium, working with and seeing actors perform. We had a unique blend of actors, who each had their own challenges within this show. All of them grew in their own way and excelled in their role.
Courtney Klein, who played Audrey, continues to have some of the best instincts of any actor that I have been around, this show was no different. Her stage presence is undeniable and I really hope that audiences took notice.
Meredith Lindsey, who played Diane, joined us halfway through the rehearsal process—which is a challenge on its own—but she was also arguably dealing with one of the more demanding roles in the show. She succeeded in every fashion. Meredith is supremely talented but above all, but she also has a tremendous work ethic and dedicated mindset, which are the most important qualities to me in an actor or any type of creative collaborator.
Jeremy Walter, as always, is an absolute joy to work with. The role of “Sam” was going to be something different for him and he grew so much throughout this entire process. Jeremy has tremendous comedic instincts and took the character in a great direction. His more serious and somber monologues grew so much throughout the entire process and I am so happy to see where he took his performance.
Frances Ogbunamiri, who plays Joan, was another example of someone who grew so much through this entire process. She started in a great place but continued to get better and better. Frances is an actor that I can have a true and honest discussion about the character and story with and that is such a valuable asset to have in a production. Theatre is such a collaborative process and she is a tremendous collaborator.
THANK YOU TO THE CREW
The success of this show also lies in the hands of our tremendous crew.
Sarah “Frog” Owen stepped in as stage manager in the middle of the rehearsal process and helped organize this show so well and even did so while stage managing another Fringe show at the same time.
Minnie Washington assisted us with her time as well and was a massive help as an assistant stage manager. Whether it was taking over for Sarah when she had to be elsewhere or whether it was helping me transport furniture to City Stage, she was an incredibly important part of this show.
Alison Nickel was our costume designer and, as always, she was a pleasure and an ease to work with. She always had tremendous choices and options with her costume choices and sacrificed her time with zero complaints. There is no costume designer that I would ever want to work with more than her.
Lastly, Christina Foltz attended one of our rehearsals as an intimacy director. The professionalism and care that she put into this position, even if it was just for one day, was so vital to this entire process. Lending her time while directing a show of her own (a GREAT show, mind you), does not go unnoticed. I really hope to work with her again.
THE NEXT STEPS
I learned so much from this process. To quote one of my good writer friends, it was “baptism by fire”. There are certain elements of the playwriting process, in accordance to Fringe, that were a huge learning curve. I probably wrote a script that could’ve been simplified a lot more because we had to make cuts on the night before we opened because the show ran too long. I also learned the struggle of juggling producing, writing, and directing. I think in future Fringes, I may not juggle all three. A lot of my life, I’ve been sort of forced to juggle everything, so it was a humbling experience to see how truly difficult that was.
So now the question becomes “what now?” For now, a break is in order. A short one, but still a small break. I have a few small projects that I want to dive into (revealed later) but for now, peace and calm need to enter my mind.
My first fringe was a wild one. A memorable one. One that will forever change me.
- Brian Duskey
Creative Director & Producer