July is here and with it the summer theatre season is officially in full swing. The Shaw Festival at Niagara on the Lake has opened its musicals (WONDERFUL TOWN and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC) and its plays (AN INSPECTOR CALLS, THE STEPMOTHER, GETTING MARRIED, THE LITTLE FOXES, AFTER THE DANCE and THE PRESIDENT).

Opening later this month at the Shaw are MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION (July 6) and BELLE MORAL: A NATURAL HISTORY (July 12). Shakespeare in Delaware Park is currently running its opening production of KING LEAR (which closes July 13) and rehearsing its next production of MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (which opens July 24).

Shea’s Performing Arts Center hosts the Broadway tour of WICKED through July 13. And MusicalFare Theatre is preparing to open its hilarious summer production of MID LIFE: THE CRISIS MUSICAL! on July 16. These are all greatly diverse options for your theatergoing. The Shaw Festival is in Canada, only 45 minutes from Buffalo, and presents world class theatre in an idyllic community that just begs you to stay for a couple of days and enjoy one of its outstanding hotels or bed and breakfasts.

Shakespeare is in the middle of Delaware Park in Buffalo, is free, and produces the masterpieces of the greatest playwright of the Western world. Shea’s is in downtown Buffalo and offers the touring productions of Broadway’s mega hit musicals. And MusicalFare, which is in Amherst, is an intimate venue that offers smaller productions of regional and world premiere musicals.

So there are your traditional options for the month of July. There are plenty of them to choose from. But, if you’re feeling adventurous, read on…

There is a more “off the beaten path” type of theatre happening in July that I want to let you know about. This is a new theatre festival that was inaugurated last year.

The Buffalo Infringement Festival describes itself as a non-profit-driven, non-hierarchical grassroots endeavor bringing together a broad range of eclectic, independent, experimental, and controversial art of all forms. Visual, performing, musical, and media arts are all welcome.

Taking place in multiple venues in and around Buffalo’s Allentown District, the festival is an annual eleven-day event running from July 23 – August 4. There are over 100 potential performances with titles like SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKING SPACE, DREAD HEAD HELP, CAR STORIES, and many, many more. I say “potential performances” because nothing ever seems to be set in stone at the Infringement Festival.

Plans can change in an instant and I think that is part of the fun. Performance locations can range from Rust Belt Books on Allen Street (which seems to be the epicenter of activity) to Days Park, a parking lot, a car, or even more bizarre locations. The Festival limits its top ticket price to $10 and many of the performances are on a pay-what-you-can basis.

To find out more about the Infringement Festival, go to their website, www.infringebuffalo.org. I’m sure Artvoice or even the Buffalo News will be running a schedule of events as we get closer to the festival. This is grass roots, non-traditional theatre. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re looking for something a little different and unique, it may be a fun and unusual night out.

Enjoy the summer!

Randall Kramer is the Artistic and Executive Director of MusicalFare Theatre, a leading musical theatre company in the Northeast, located on the Daemen College campus in Amherst.