It’s that time of year. Sept. 7–17, the sparkling seaside city of Vancouver plays host to the annual Vancouver Fringe Festival. Travis Bernhardt and Chris Nash of Chris and Travis shepherd 40 Fringe performers and artists onstage, and host a special two-hour preview event Sept. 6. Each performer or performers will have two minutes to pitch their show or event to festival attendees. This year’s Dramatic Works Series focuses on playwrights of Asian descent and will include Gruesome Playground Injuries by Island Productions, written by Rajiv Joseph; I Am For You, written by Mieko Ouchi and presented by Wunderdog Theatre; Bombay Black by Anosh Irani; and Bondage, written by David Henry Hwang and presented by West Moon Theatre.

The always-popular Fringe Workshops include “Shadow Puppetry with Mind of a Snail” (for adults and teens ages 14 and older); “How to Puppeteer Anything: Object Puppetry Masterclass” with Ingrid Hansen from Snafu; and a series of storytelling sessions titled “Your Story. Your Voice.,” divided into “New to Storytelling” and “Experienced Storytellers” categories. Staged at venues around town including Granville Island, other highlights from this year’s 100 shows include Cry-Baby: The Musical from Vancouver-based Awkward Stage Productions; Interstellar Elder presented by Little Orange Man; Kitt & Jane, the tale of a 96-year-old astronaut tasked with protecting the last remnants of the human species; and Gold, Guns & Greed, a play about Gold Rush-era serial killer Agnus McVee. Throughout, there’s live music and great food.