"Adventures in Baby Hitting" is a HIT!
Per Alliance for the Arts:
To Whom It May Concern,
It is my pleasure to write on behalf of Adventures in Baby Hitting, which was proudly presented at the 2025 Fort Myers Fringe Festival. As part of our annual festival celebrating bold, original, and thought-provoking work, Adventures in Baby Hitting stood out not only for its sharp writing and commanding performance by Joshua Ritter, but also for its fearless exploration of complex themes of juggling an acting career while caring for infant twin mentally and physically challenged boys.
New to Fort Myers Fringe this year, we presented an award called “The Fringiest”—our most unique honor, given to the show that best embodies the spirit of fringe theatre. This includes creative risk-taking, innovation in storytelling and staging, and the ability to surprise, challenge, and resonate with audiences who are compelled to continue talking about the show long after the curtain drops.
We were thrilled to have the show as part of our festival lineup and are confident that it will continue to inspire meaningful conversations wherever it’s performed. The creators demonstrated not only artistic excellence but also professionalism, generosity, and a clear passion for advancing the artform.
Cheers!
Michael Hebler
Events & Programming Director
Alliance for the Arts
“It’s a put yourself in someone else’s shoes. A show that makes you laugh and makes you think.”
—Matt Palm, Orlando Sentinel
“I loved the performance and storytelling! Original and very personal.”
—Anonymous, Fringe Judge
“It was really powerful. You wouldn’t think you’d laugh that much hearing about such a tough life. A really amazing show! Honest and fun!”
—Nathan
“I’ve never seen anything so smooth. It was perfection.”
—Jon
“That was one of the most intense experiences I had. It was riveting, it had pathos, it was full of humor. It was so human and so raw. I would recommend it to anybody.”
—Ron
“Josh was awesome! He made me laugh, he made me cry. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.”
—Dina
“It was so funny and heartfelt and sad. All of the emotions! Josh is such a great storyteller! I loved it.”
—Katie
“I actually have two parents that have Alzheimer’s and so many of the things that Josh described in this show are things I’m dealing with with my parents. He really was right on.”
—Francios
“It was fantastic. Josh was very brave, very witty. He was able to weave father relationships and children relationships and all kinds of things we can all relate to in life, but he had a unique spin. It was very touching.”
—Jeremy
“It was amazing and I had chills. The way he writes and expresses himself is brilliant. It was riveting.”
—Karen
“A unique story with an excellent performance and object work.”
—Anonymous, Fringe Judge
“Complex and moving. Very personal. Josh is sharp, committed, and did a great job of weaving topics together.”
—Anonymous, Fringe Judge
“A thoughtful and hilarious show!”
—Sally
“Oh my gosh it was so amazing! So funny. I love the authenticity. Everything came from the heart - you feel like you’re on the journey the entire time. It was so good - I loved it!”
—Jay
“This show just blew me away. There was a mix of laughs and sadness and it all melded together. The content is serious. If you know about caregiving in the autism community, you will relate to it. If you don’t, you’ll learn a lot from it. The show flew by. I don’t laugh at anything, but there is a lot of funny stuff in this show. It’s funny, it’s thoughtful, and it’s unique.”
—Bob
“What a great show! I loved it! I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was entertaining, it was funny, it was informative, just an incredible show. I absolutely loved it.”
—Melanie
“I thought that was fantastic. Brilliant writing, brilliant storytelling. I loved how he wove the tapestry of himself, his kids, his father, the humor, the pathos. It was fantastic.”
—Damian
“He did an amazing job at being so revealing and so funny. You’re laughing the whole time and then you just want to sob. His delivery and structure were so powerful, it really is a masterful show. I loved it.”
—Meli
“It was an amazing experience as a parent to be able to listen to somebody’s story and admire it so deeply. And how can it be so funny when talking about so many profound things and land them in such a human way and be so clever at the same time? It was amazing. It was simply incredible.”
—Maria
