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No dazzling Hollywood blockbuster can touch the electrifying thrill of live theater. In a darkened space with the action right before you, the raw emotion behind every performance is amplified and intensified in a way that borders on magic. And as the world has turned, the act of theatre has evolved along with it, utililzing new multimedia tools and even opening the stage up to the streets to turn theater into a multi-sensory kaleidoscope of sensations. The following festivals are a love letter to not just that visceral experience, but also to those who tread the boards and their legions of devoted theater-going followers.

China: JUE Music and Art Festival

High energy, head-banging music and the artistic movements of performers come together to create one platform that unites the audience and the artists through their shared love for the arts. That’s the power of JUE Music and Art Festival, which is a celebration that draws cultures from around the world to Beijing and Shanghai to watch this intensive art explosion occur every year in March for three weeks. 

This festival is not for the hermit, so be prepared to take a journey into the minds of the performers, whether it’s during a live graffiti performance, concerts, independent documentaries and even hip hop dance workshops.  When film, music, dance and theater come together they create a world that can only be described as awesome. 

Australia: Short + Sweet

When you bring theater, cabaret and dance under one roof, you’ve entered the world of Short + Sweet. So named because of the fast-paced rotating selection of plays, this festival indulges our YouTube-challenged attention span while challenging performers to convey an entire work's worth of emotion into a short ten minutes.

Short + Sweet Theater, which will take place from July 3-August 30 in the Australian destinations of Chennai, Canberra, the Gold Coast as well as Brisbane, it will feature rounds of 10-minute theatrical performances by some of the freshest talent.  And with hundreds of works to showcase, it commendably weaves the emotions of the directors, artists and writers through the art of theater.

West Virginia: Contemporary American Theater Festival

CATF Opening! from Contemporary American Theater Fe on Vimeo.

A hush falls over the audience with the sudden dim of lights. Soon after, an appealingly timid man slowly steps onto the stage as the spotlight begins to trace his feet until it finally touches his face.  Softly he begins to speak…

West Virginia is the proud host to the Contemporary American Theater Festival, which is shown yearly at Shepherd University.  It is the stage where all up-and-coming actors love to be and all writers are proud to hear the words they have toiled over spoken aloud. The show will feature five plays beginning on July 11 to August 3, and offer as much of an adventure as turning the pages of your favorite book.

Lebanon: Beiteddine Art Festival

We all love to hear a great story. But listening to captivating tales while theatrical performers display their best moves in a palace about 200 years old will definitely be one unforgettable show.  The Beiteddine Art Festival, beginning Thursday June 26th to Saturday August 9th promises a tremendous experience and much more.  As the gates of the Palace in the Chouf Mountains open, thousands of spectators crowd in, anxiously waiting to see what the performers will do next.

Rising out of the shadows of a war, the Beiteddine Art Festival is one of the finest theatrical shows you'll find, infusing culture and history to educate, excite and impress. Some of the greatest stories of the world revolve around castles, so what better way to embrace the magic of theatrical storytellers than in the oldest setting of every fairytale. 

Scotland: Edinburgh Festival Fringe

As the month of August quickly approaches, if you listen closely you just might hear actors and actresses tuning their voices, dancers flexing their muscles, comedians’ last attempts at testing their jokes, and the exhaustion of circus animals.  They can only mean one thing: The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the biggest art festival in the world is about to hit the stage.

On August 1st to the 25th, this charmingly off-beat art show kicks off throughout Scotland, entertaining crowds and launching careers (performers from Monty Pythong to Flight of the Conchords got their start here). Infused with bright colors, eye-popping costumes, flashing lights and quirky theatrical performances, the festival is an adventure for the entire family, and one show that gets better with time.