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Bach meets the WWE in the spirit of the Fringe
Philly Fringe 2025: Clayton Lee presents The Goldberg Variations
Krista Mar
Clayton Lee, the performance artist behind Curated Fringe show The Goldberg Variations, hands out beers as the audience files into the FringeArts theater. He is wearing a t-shirt of professional wrestler Bill Goldberg (costume fabrication by Lisa Blackford). This act of hospitality, which blurs the line between host and performer, sets the tone for an action-packed, funny, vulnerable, and sexy performance.
When the lights dim, Lee stands at the podium next to a projector displaying the Wikipedia page of Goldberg. Lee wishes the audience had done their homework to research Goldberg, but given that he can’t assume it, he explains the multiple meanings behind his show’s title.
Goldberg Variations is a set of musical compositions by J.S. Bach. It is also an homage to Lee’s childhood crush, Goldberg, a member of World Wrestling Entertainment. Finally, Lee states that all of his sexual or romantic partners have resembled Goldberg to varying degrees—white or white-ish, bald or balding, muscular or muscular-adjacent.
He then proceeds to show us the highlights of his dating and sexual history with social-media profiles of his exes on display. He examines his past with a deadpan affect, turning devastating breakups into punchlines. Lee’s vulnerable, self-effacing jokes land with plenty of laughter through the first section.
His show embodies the spirit of the Fringe—bold, cutting-edge performance that “stretches the imagination and defies expectation.” While I’ve seen a decent number of Fringe shows, this one has the most unexpected moments and twists. Without giving the surprises away, the show is action-packed, but well-paced, with peaks and valleys of energy. Some of the most memorable moments are quiet, intimate ones, where Lee shares doubts and insecurities. Despite including many different sections and types of performance, the show feels cohesive. The audience is forced to sit, witness, and wrestle with uncomfortable concepts and visuals. There is no resolution, but an invitation to sit and become comfortable in the impasse.
Lee defies model minority stereotypes while exploring boundaries and power dynamics. During his interview with an audience member, he asks increasingly uncomfortable questions and pushes boundaries of physical and relational intimacy with a stranger. Lee asks the audience member to call him a homophobic and racial slur. He defies minority stereotypes of the demure, non-confrontational, and high-performing Asian American. Asian men are especially emasculated in American culture and media, but Lee puts his sexuality front and center throughout the show.
Goldberg Variations is an unhinged performance art piece—an imaginative, boundary-pushing, genre-defying original and a must-see.
What, When, Where
The Goldberg Variations. Written and performed by Clayton Lee. Through September 13, 2025, at FringeArts, 140 N Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia. (215) 413-1318 or phillyfringe.org.
Accessibility
ASL interpretation will be available at the Saturday, September 13, performance. FringeArts is a wheelchair-accessible venue with assistive listening devices and sensory kits available, and gender-neutral restrooms.
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