Orlando's hottest theater can be found on local stages for two steamy weeks this month

Orlandoans, it's time to fully feel the Fringe once again. The 33rd annual Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival has just kicked off and runs through the month with a straight-to-the-point theme: "Get Fringed."

As the longest-running fringe theater festival in the United States, the festival hosts over 136 different productions, local food and beverage vendors, local art, live music and more centered around Loch Haven venues the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Orlando Family Stage, Orlando Museum of Art and Loch Haven Park, whose green expanse is transformed into the Fringe Lawn every summer. (Read on about some new venues below.)

Featured shows careen wildly across genres and subgenres, amply evidenced from just a random selection of shows: God Is a Scottish Drag Queen, How The Grinch Killed Christmas: A WHO-dunnit Parody, Danny Feedback to the Future, The Lightbringer and Barbenheimer, to name a mere few.

Fringe is famous for giving creative freedom and opportunities to amplify both participating artists' voices and performances — this year coming from all over the world, and of course Orlando — through a lottery system.

Like any other year, all of the ticket sales from this year's Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival will be given back to the artists in full. Those who participate in the festival are encouraged to be their most authentic creative selves during the 14 days of the event.

If it's your first time Fringing, there are some key components to bear in mind since the festival is unlike any other local art or theater event. And be sure to keep an eye on Orlando Weekly's show reviews, posted daily online and collected in next week's print issue. Visit orlandofringe.org to dig deep into schedules and venue addresses, as well as buy tickets.

Winning the lottery:

One of Fringe's most freewheeling traits is that it is 100 percent unjuried. The festival's performers are chosen through a lottery, meaning that "a veteran artist has as much of a chance of having their show picked to perform as someone who has never performed in their life," according to the Fringe staff. So, each one of the 136 acts was drawn from the lottery that took place late last year. Who doesn't love a good roll of the dice?

Tickets to shows:

There are over 1,000 ticketed shows waiting for you at this year's festival. The good news is Orlando Fringe Festival tries to make most shows as affordable as possible with a price range of free-$15. The even better news is that 100 percent of the ticket sales go back to the artists that are performing!

Getting into the festival:

A Fringe Button is your key to unlocking the gates of the Orlando Fringe Festival and a collectible symbol of your support for the festival. One Fringe Button is $10 and will get you into the festival but will not grant you access to the performances — you must buy individual tickets to each show you'd like to see. (Note: This is a key point; we made this rookie mistake once and it almost cost us getting into the show!) Since all of the ticket sales go to the performers, the button funds the operation of the festival — which includes the dedicated staffers who run the lottery, schedule the festival, and do absolutely everything else besides the actual performing (and sometimes that too!).

New venues:

While a lot of the action will be centered around Loch Haven Park — Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Orlando Family Stage, Orlando Museum of Art, the Fringe Lawn etc. — the "Bring Your Own Venue" roster stretches over a wider swath of the city. That means the Renaissance Theatre Co., Savoy, CityArts, The Dust (near Lake Eola Park) and of course the festival's new Fringe ArtSpace on Church Street will also be getting fringed. One definite advantage of this new Fringe sprawl is that it will ease up some of the parking snafus in the Loch Haven area. (Which reminds us! Consider carpooling, ride-sharing, biking or availing yourself of the Fest's shuttle service.)

Fringe Fest fuel:

In addition to showcasing local artists, the Orlando Fringe Festival hosts a plethora of local food and beverage vendors. You can find your festival fuel at the food stalls on the Fringe Lawn, which offers up a stacked schedule of local music and plenty of spirits.

Kids Fringe:

The Orlando Fringe Festival puts precious few limits on performers' creative expression, meaning the acts are uncensored and may not be for your kiddos. (If you go to more than, say, three shows, you're probably going to see full frontal.) Luckily, there is a Kids Fringe that will take place on the weekends of May 18-19 and May 25-26. This kid-friendly mini-fest will be held at the Orlando Garden Club and will feature performances, workshops, interactive art experiences and more.

Now go out there and get fringed! Fringe runs through May 27.