Philly Fringe with benefits

Philly Fringe

‘Raw Stitch’

Prolific local playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger is utilizing Fringe in an inspired way: “Raw Stitch” is a collection of her most raunchy, bawdy, politically insensitive material. And she’s throwing cheap beer on top of it all! (These are all things a respected playwright cannot get away with in regional theater.)

Sept. 8-22, Quig’s Pub, 1714 Delancey Place, third floor, $12

‘Othello, Desdemona & Iago Walk Into a Bar’

Upstart director Mark Kennedy has worked extensively with groups like Pig Iron Theatre Company and New Paradise Laboratories. That should be a solid foundation for his latest concept: re-imagining “Othello” in a go-go bar — or at least fragments of the play along with a few surprises.

Sept. 8-23, The Trestle Inn, 339 N. 11th St., $15

‘Dostoyevsky Man’

Typically, Philly Fringe’s film category is amongst the least lively of the festival. But this year longtime local theater makers Larry Loebell and Seth Reichgott have teamed up to create an inspired DIY movie. Shot entirely on an iPhone, “Dostoyevsky” centers on a laid-off professor desperate to win his job back.

Sept. 14 & 16, 211 S. Broad St., eighth floor, $9

‘Jeff Coon and Ben Dibble Must Die’

Let’s take a moment to celebrate how far Philadelphia has come as a theater town: We now have whole shows based on theater scene inside jokes. For non-insiders: Jeff Coon and Ben Dibble are two of the most successful professional actors in Philadelphia. Local actors Alex Bechtel, Michael Doherty and Greg Nix are constantly loosing parts to them. Let the insanity begin!

Sept. 5-10, Skinner Studio at Plays and Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey St., $15

‘Some Other Mettle’

Over the last five years, Applied Mechanics has gone from DIY to one of the most polished theater groups in Philadelphia, thanks in large measure to designer Maria Shaplin’s ingenious visual concepts. This time out the company explores the power of human determination in a shape-shifting performance space.

Sept. 8-18, Jolie Laide Gallery, 224 N. Juniper St., $15

But wait …

When Bruce Walsh isn’t telling us what Fringe shows to see, he’s staging his own. Catch his latest show, “Chomsky vs. Buckley, 1969,” on Friday and Saturday, 7 & 9 p.m. For tickets for all Fringe shows, visit livearts-fringe.org.