CALLBOARD: From Edinburgh to 59E59: A Fringe Tradition

Val Day, Artistic Director of 59E59 Theaters

In 2004, our founding artistic director, Elysabeth Kleinhans, blazed a trail by creating the very first Brits Off Broadway Festival. Determined to bring the best of the UK’s theater to New York audiences, she traveled to Scotland each summer, combing the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the most exciting new voices.

Fast forward to 2017, my first year as artistic director. I found myself side-by-side with Elysabeth in the heart of Edinburgh as she energetically navigated the city’s winding cobblestone streets. She shared her favorite shortcuts, long-held secrets, and legendary discoveries. It was, quite literally, a passing of the baton, and that grand tradition continues. 

Every August, I embark on my own theatrical pilgrimage to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest performing arts festival in the world. My days begin with scouring reviews from The Guardian, The Scotsman, and The Stage, and from there the whirlwind begins: racing between venues, adjusting an already jam-packed schedule, and chasing down tickets to sold-out shows. It’s ten exhilarating days filled with shows such as solo autobiographical stories, slapstick comedies, dysfunctional family dramas, and the occasional pause to eat and ponder what exactly is haggis?

This year’s Fringe once again reaffirmed why it matters so deeply to our industry. Yes, the city is crowded and costly, but at its heart, the Fringe remains what it has always been: an open opportunity for artists to take risks, sharpen their craft, and connect with enthusiastic audiences that are up for everything and anything. Performers and theater companies work tirelessly, often at great personal cost, to create work that surprises, unsettles, and shifts how we see the world.

That daring spirit was everywhere at the 2025 Fringe, which saw a remarkable 2.6 million tickets issued across 3,893 shows and 301 venues.

At 59E59 Theaters, we’re proud to have our own small part in this global ecosystem through our East to Edinburgh (E2E) Festival, a July showcase where companies are given space on a first-come, first-served basis to preview their work before heading to Scotland. Each E2E production carries its own spark, and two this year especially stood out on the international stage:

Edie, Jessica Toltzis’s riveting solo show about activist Edie Windsor and her wife Thea Spyer, was hailed as a "must see" at the Fringe. With sharp wit and commanding presence, Toltzis reframed Windsor’s landmark legal battle for equality as an intimate and deeply human love story.

Exhausted Paint: The Death of Van Gogh, performed by Drew Stroud, offered a raw, poetic portrait of the artist’s inner life. Critics called it "uncomfortable but absolutely authentic," praising its searing intensity and emotional truth.

For 59E59 Theaters, it’s a thrill to see work nurtured here in New York find its place on that global stage. And for the Fringe as a whole, it’s proof that 78 years on, it remains a crucible for artistic invention, shaping the future of the performing arts.

Congratulations to all our E2E shows on their successful runs in Edinburgh and here’s to the next generation of discoveries waiting just around the corner.