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Okay, granted, we only have one official Fringe Festival venue in our beautiful capital city, but that certainly doesn’t stop it from packing a punch. The Gremlin Theater on University promises blood, sweat, tears, laughs, oddities, and even some, uh, underpants.

At large, the annual Fringe Festival is a fantastical grass roots melee of independent theater types, from consummate professionals to experimental nut jobs and everything in between. While you may not know what you’re in for when choosing your poision (over 160 plays will happen between Minneapolis and St. Paul over the next 10 days!) odds are, it will be memorable. Check out just a few of our favorite picks for Fringe shows at the Gremlin below and visit the Fringe site to find more information.

Change Your Underwear, Change Your Life
Self-help or self-hell? After decades of reading self-help books, Mary Hirsch discovers she’s from Pluto with the wrong color parachute and no cheese for anyone to move. Guaranteed to curdle your chicken soul soup. Mary has years, and years, and years, and years — well you get the picture — of experience in the world of self-help or, as she refers to it, analyterature. In this show she will reveal what she has, and hasn’t, learned along the way as well as her own words of wisdom (using the word “wisdom” very loosely in a way that is NOT legally binding).

Saturday, 8/6 7:00 p.m.; Monday, 8/8    5:30 p.m.; Thursday, 8/11 5:30 p.m. (This performance is ASL interpreted); Saturday, 8/13 8:30 p.m.

Nightmare Man
A new musical written and composed by Nathan M. Schilz, this World Premiere performance of “Nightmare Man” is directed by film and stage veteran Paul von Stoetzel. “Nightmare Man” is a tale of guilt and heartache as Thomas (Derek Meyer) struggles to come to terms with his past. He meets Jade (Madelyne Riley) in a dream, who tries to help him alleviate his suffering. Featuring Martin Ruben, appearing courtesy of Actor’s Equity Union, this intense musical is based on the original short story by bizarro fiction writer Jeremy C. Shipp.

Friday, 8/5 5:30 p.m.; Monday, 8/8 8:30 p.m.; Friday, 8/12 4:00 p.m.; Saturday, 8/13 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, 8/14 2:30 p.m.

YARRRH! The Lusty, Busty Pirate Musical
Swordfights! Buried treasure! Cleavage! Bawdy songs! Climb aboard the Golden Rack as three actresses play 10 characters. This world premiere is a saucy, R-rated, gender-bending twist on classic pirate movies. It’s a fast-paced blend of Hollywood kisses, wandering hands, quick changes, low necklines and lower puns. It’s the female Irma Vep; it’s the lost Marx brothers pirate movie; it’s grand, outrageous, pansexual fun–but leave the kids at home!

Sunday, 8/7 1:00 p.m.; Tuesday, 8/9 5:30 p.m.; Thursday, 8/11 8:30 p.m. (This performance is ASL interpreted); Saturday, 8/13 10:00 p.m.; Sunday, 8/14 1:00 p.m.

For more info and to purchase tickets visit the Fringe Festival site at www.fringefestival.org.