The Buzz Intro Interview

Ashe Kazanjian, Creator and Performer

People should see my show to laugh, sing, and envision a better future! Come if you seek the camaraderie of shared experience! No show will be exactly the same, because each new audience helps create a unique event!

I've loved the Fringe Festival since was lucky enough to visit the Edinburg Fringe festival 20 years ago. Meow Meow performed- hers was the first cabaret performance I had ever seen live. When I lived in Czechia, I worked with the Prague Fringe team to host parties throughout the festival, including a 1950's style sock hop and a costumed screening of "Rocky Horror Picture Show." For me, Fringe has always been about experimental theater, independent artists, and community building. I'm so excited to debut "Password" at the Atlanta Fringe because my theater community is here- I finally get to share my work with all the writers, performers, and improvisers who've inspired and uplifted me over the last decade.

In 2021, I lost my own mother to Alzheimer's dementia. In the years before her death, I was able to connect with her through the music of our lives. I wrote this show to share the power of music in piercing the fog of dementia, while exploring themes of memory, community, and liberation. Originally, I was planning a show around the music of my Mom's life, but the events of the last decade have left me considering my own future. Looking around I couldn't find any shows or media about a future we'd actually want to live in. With "Password, " I want to bring the audience together in an empowering vision of a healthier, more equitable future.