The Rogue Festival is a testament to the perpetual power of art.
If you believe the lore, Fresno playwright Marcel Nunis started the event on a makeshift stage in the backyard of his Tower District home and it just “somehow never died,” says Jaguar Bennet, a comedian/performer and former president of the Rogue Festival board.
“We never thought it would last this long.”
And yet, 25 years later the festival (and its signature Muse) has grown into Fresno’s defining arts event and a must-stop for performers on the circuit of “fringe festivals.” That’s the catch-all term for similar home-grown showcases, which are often a low-brow and low-budget mix of storytelling and spoken word, dance and music, performance art, magic and even, occasionally, some puppetry.
“The Rogue has brought performers from all over the world to Fresno,” Bennett says.
“And world-class performers like (Brooklyn storyteller/actor Martin) Dockery keep coming back.”
What you hear from veteran performers is that “Fresno audiences are among the most appreciative audiences anywhere.” Which makes the festival a perfect venue to launch new work, some of which ends up as part of worldwide tours or even on Broadway, Bennett says.
It’s a real putting-Fresno-on-the-theater-world-map kind of deal and a blessing for local audiences.
This year, there are more than 50 performance groups doing more than 200 individual performances at 10 official venues (and a few less-than-official ones) over the Rogue’s six-day run. With that in mind, we asked Bennet for five recommendations, based on the following criteria:
An out-of-town performance
Martin Dockery: “The Review,” “The Stakeout” and “Wanderlust”
“Somehow, Brooklyn-based playwright and storyteller Martin Dockery has three shows in the Rogue this year: ‘The Review,’ a brand-new play about two men clashing during an annual corporate performance review; ‘The Stakeout,’ Dockery’s hit off-Broadway play about two men on a stakeout of two men on a stakeout of them; and ‘Wanderlust’ a one-man show about searching for an epiphany.
Dockery has been a returning Rogue performer for well over a decade and is a bona fide star of the fringe-theater circuit. His intricate language and surreal situations have been a favorite of audiences at the Rogue and worldwide.
A local performance
Tony Imperatrice: “Cassini LIVE”
“Fresno-based organist and composer Tony Imperatrice has performed at the Rogue many times before, but this year he is presenting his most ambitious work yet: “Cassini LIVE,” an original musical score telling the story of NASA’s Cassini mission to Saturn, accompanied by stunning space images from the mission.”
A not-safe-for-work choice
Nadia Lotte: “Champagne Cabaret”
“This burlesque show (from Los Angeles performer Nadia Lotte) promises comedy, singing, striptease, plus ‘talented tarts’ who will ‘take off as much as legally allowed.’ ‘Nuff said.”
One to see if you’ve never been to the Rogue Festival before
LadyK: “A Hot Flash Gospel”
“First-time Rogue audience, meet first-time Rogue performer: Spoken word artist LadyK combines poetry, humor and testimony to explore faith, menopause, Black womanhood and liberation. This promises to be an intensely personal show that speaks from the heart on intimate topics most people are afraid to touch. It’s raw, it’s alive, it’s the essence of the Rogue Festival.”
One to see if you’re coming back for year 25
The Fools Collaborative: “S’Will”
“Fresno’s favorite drunk Shakespeare company (and community arts collective) returns with a ‘lovingly mangled’ version of the bard’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ set in the Central Valley, and always, in every performance one actor is completely wasted. Anything can happen when you mix immortal poetry with copious amounts of alcohol, and every performance will have unpredictable results.”
You can find the full schedule of performances online or in the Rogue handbook, physical copies of which can be picked up at various locations around the Tower District or a Rogue Festival teaser show Thursday night at Summer Fox’s tap room on Van Ness Avenue. A $6 Rogue wristband is required for entry to any show, with individual tickets available in advance at Roguefestival.com or at venues starting 30 minutes before showtime.
The two-week Rogue Festival in 2026 is celebrating 25 years in Fresno’s Tower District. ROGUE FESTIVAL
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Joshua Tehee covers breaking news for The Fresno Bee, writing on a wide range of topics from police, politics and weather, to arts and entertainment in the Central Valley.