The performing arts world as we knew came to an abrupt halt when the pandemic started — including what would have been the 15th annual Capital Fringe Festival. It’s taken two years but the plucky theater festival is back, giving artists an opportunity to take a risk and express themselves, free from the curatorial gatekeeping that often accompanies traditional theater. The result? Performances that can be raw, weird, and full of surprises.

There are some changes from festivals past. Rather than being spread around the city, the shows are all clustered around Georgetown, mostly in former retail spaces — hence the notations for each show including the name of the specific performance space, such as “Home Rule,” and what it used to be — in this case, the old Washington Sports Club. As is the case at many theaters still, proof of vaccination and ID are required to enter any indoor theater spaces, and masks are also required.

Gone is the Fringe season pass or other multi-show ticket packages — instead, attendees buy tickets for each show individually. There are perks, however: show a real or digital copy of a Fringe play ticket at many Georgetown businesses and receive discounts or free items, such as a free side when you order a lobster roll at Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls, or all-day happy hour prices at Mr. Smith’s.

With only two weekends of events this July, there’s less time to see performances than in years past, when the festival spanned several weeks. But with only 31 shows, all coming to Georgetown venues, deciding what to spend $15 (the cost of every show) and an hour of your time on shouldn’t be too challenging. Mark your calendar for the weekends of July 14-17 and July 21-24, and review our highlights.

GREEN MACHINE: A dispensary is run by three friends — “a Black realtor, a white stoner, and an aging hippie.” After a mysterious businessman comes to invest in their bud, the partners unpack big questions about changing neighborhoods, wealth, and how friendships and business relationships can survive under financial strain in this show by Jim McNeill. This production is the first for new company Urban Idyll Theater, which plans to tell stories about D.C. and Baltimore. (July 15-23 at Home Rule — Formerly Washington Sports Club)

I’M JUST DOING MY JOB: ONE WOMAN SHOW: Diana Veiga has a gift for storytelling. Whether it’s a terrible job or a dating misadventure, this born and bred D.C.-area native has been blessed with an abundance of A-plus material. While it might not have seemed like a blessing in the moment, Veiga is resilient, resourceful, and deeply funny. Veiga blends comedy and narrative as she shares tales of life as a strip club waitress, personal assistant, and other jobs she likely won’t take on again. (July 16-23 at 23rd Amendment — Formerly Washington Sports Club)

LET’S TAKE THIS OFFLINE: You can’t drop a series of fire emojis into an IRL conversation with a friend, or respond to your coworker’s long story with a silent thumbs up — but what if we did use digital norms for in-person communication? What if you only contributed to conversation at a party as often as you chimed in on the group chat? Get ready to keep it 100 with “Let’s Take This Offline,” a participatory show in which Catherine Wigginton Greene and Colleen Laughlin skewer the absurdity of modern communication. (July 16-24 at 3 Stars — Formerly DSW Georgetown)

MEATBALLS AND MUSIC: Growing up with a sick mom and a dad with schizophrenia wasn’t just hard for Tom Sweitzer — it was dangerous. Burdened by sadness and abuse, he finds refuge in music therapy and the love of the kind church lady across the street. Directed by Jeremy Blaustein, this one man show features singing, a cast of colorful characters (all played by Sweitzer), and a true, inspiring story of triumph over tragedy. (July 16-24 at Home Rule — Formerly Washington Sports Club)

SADEC 1965: A LOVE STORY: The discovery that her estranged father has cancer sends Flora Le on a six week motorcycle journey through Vietnam, her father’s homeland. Her search for answers about their difficult relationship and the love she never received sends Flora back through time and into the heart of a man who sealed his off decades ago. This is a true tale of adventure, mystery, and memory. (July 15-24 at Home Rule —Formerly Washington Sports Club)

SHEBOYGAN: This tragicomedy tells the story of a widower who uncovers a secret his late husband took to the grave. Inspired by recent news events, the drama explores how hidden information triggers complicated questions about racial identity in modern America. Directed by Craig Wallace, it’s the playwriting debut of historical fiction novelist Louis Bayard. (July 16-22 at W. Washington — Formerly Forever 21 Georgetown)

THE BODY SHOW: Everyone has their own, unique relationship with their body — what is more personal, after all, than the vessel through which we exist in this world? In Mikala Jamison’s show, seven D.C.-area storytellers share true, personal stories about body image, physical changes, how bodies shape identity, and about finding peace with the skin you’re in. From “health obsessions,” to trans identity, to fat acceptance, and beyond, the stories explore bodies in all their beauty and complexity. (July 16-24 at 23rd Amendment — Formerly Washington Sports Club)

THE GATE: This one-man show is about two communities and the gate that divides them. Is the metal barrier really critical to keeping the Jewish Israeli residents of the small kibbutz safe, or is it an unnecessary obstacle and an insult to their Palestinian neighbors? Playwright and actor Robbie Gringras and Voices Festival Productions explore the emotions behind this debate in this 45-minute-long drama, which is followed by a 15 minute talkback. (July 21-24 at W. Washington – Formerly Forever 21 Georgetown)

Also opening at Capital Fringe:

• Drama unfolds as a father explores his relationships with his sons, two of whom are clones of the first, in “A Number, presented by theater company Edge of the Universe Players 2.” (July 14-24 at Home Rule — Formerly Washington Sports Club)
• Swearing and sex jokes take center stage in “All the Feels: An uplifting cabaret”, Pinky Swear Productions’ show that aims to send everyone home feeling better. (July 16-24 at 3 Stars — Formerly DSW Georgetown)
• An epilepsy diagnosis, gender identity, and how to rebuild after trauma are all themes of Sianna Joslin’s one-person show “Atemporal.” (July 15-24 at 3 Stars — Formerly DSW Georgetown)
• Turning tears into laughter is one way to process pain. In “Climate, Cancer, and 7 Celibate Men: A Queer Comedy,” Caroline Howe explores queerness and resilience while blending improv comedy with storytelling. (July 15-24 at 23rd Amendment — Formerly Washington Sports Club)
• It can be hard to recognize self-sabotaging behavior and even harder to identify the cause. In “EGO/DEATH,” a one-person supernatural dark comedy, Ruth’s ghost must unpack what led to their death. (July 14-22 at Home Rule — Formerly Washington Sports Club)
• A pair of astronomers explore strange worlds during challenging times in the award-winning dark fantasy drama “Etched Glass Decanter.” (July 15-17 at Representation — Formerly Washington Sports Club)
• A woman flees the pandemic and a toxic relationship via hot air balloon in “Higher.” While traveling over the Mason-Dixon line in a small basket, she and her pilot share family secrets while navigating a range of difficult and sometimes divisive topics. (July 14-24 at W. Washington — Formerly Forever 21 Georgetown)
• Hyla Matthews dives into a series of life crises in “Interrupted,” a stand-up-style dark comedy. (July 21-24 at Representation — Formerly Washington Sports Club)
• A teacher questions her religious beliefs while embarking on a romantic journey in “Mary,” a comedic drama. (July 15-24 at W. Washington — Formerly Forever 21 Georgetown)
• In “Mixed Race Sweetie,” L.A.-based Mike Lane sings, plays guitar, and jokes his way through stories about grief and growing up Irish and Chinese-American. (July 16-24 at Representation — Formerly Washington Sports Club)
• When the love between a parent and a child collides with decades-old trauma, a specific, relatable brand of humor is born. In the dark, autobiographical comedy “Motherload,” two friends hold a microphone and a mirror up to themselves and their complicated relationships with their mothers. (July 15-24 at W. Washington — Formerly Forever 21 Georgetown)

• In his interactive solo performance “My Father, My Martyr, and Me,” Fargo Nissim Tbhaki uses poetry to explore his life, his father’s, and that of Sirhan Sirhan, the Palestinian man who assassinated Robert F. Kennedy. (July 14-23 at Whatsoever)
• The one-woman cabaret “Pretty Messy Love” follows one romantic on her lifelong journey to discover true love. (July 14-24 at Representation — Formerly Washington Sports Club)
• Luigi Laraia imagines the last few hours of Salvador Allende’s life in “September 11, 1973: The Day Salvador Allende Died”. The play is set on the day a U.S.-backed coup led by General Augusto Pinochet deposed the democratically-elected president of Chile. (July 14-24 at 23rd Amendment — Formerly Washington Sports Club)
• Fringe-goers might remember “Sobriety of Fear,” from 2018, Shaun Michael Johnson’s one man dive into a family’s struggle with intergenerational domestic violence. Featuring a revised script, this fresh version of the drama is directed by Mediombo Singo Fofana. (July 16-24 at 23rd Amendment – Formerly Washington Sports Club)
• After her father goes missing on the Appalachian Trail, Maine McAfee doesn’t lose hope and links up with a local teen to find her dad. The two amateur detectives use morse code to try and solve the mystery in “Static: Noise of a New Musical.” (July 15-24 at 3 Stars — Formerly DSW Georgetown)
• What if seeking an anonymous hook-up on Craigslist went…well? In “SWB – Strangers with Benefits,” a woman enjoys kink and catharsis with an internet rando. But can the love affair last? (July 16-23 at Representation — Formerly Washington Sports Club)
• A dive bar. A stranger. A missing lover. When immigration raids the joint, chaos ensues. “Tacones (Rhymes with Cojones)” tells a story of redemption that spans generations and countries. (July 16-24 at 3 Stars — Formerly DSW Georgetown)
• Three women and three conversations leave the truth between the lines in “The Approach.” (July 14-24 at Representation — Formerly Washington Sports Club)
• Lillian Brown explores internalized segregation and the complexities of Black identity in “The OREO Complex,” a multi-disciplinary art experience that tells the story of a Black woman navigating predominantly white institutions. (July 15-17 at Representation — Formerly Washington Sports Club)
• DC Cabaret Network pays tribute to the memory of community member George Fulginiti-Shakar with “This is Cabaret,” a musical showcase featuring a range of songs. (July 16-23 at 3 Stars — Formerly DSW Georgetown)
• Dive into small town life with “Untitled,” a one-woman comedy about legacy, identity, and belonging told through the story of a town square and a contest to rename it. (July 14-23 at W. Washington — Formerly Forever 21 Georgetown)
• Steve Budd had questions about sex and how other people were having it. “What They Said About Sex” is a one-man exploration of all the things he didn’t know about getting it on. (July 15-24 at 23rd Amendment — Formerly Washington Sports Club)