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Christine Dunfords Burn Scar Tackles Pacific Palisades Fire at 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival
Christine Dunford’s solo show Burn Scar opened at the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival in Hollywood, California, offering a comedic yet poignant look at the 2025 Pacific Palisades wildfire. The performance, staged in a small black‑box theatre, blends documentary elements with personal narrative to explore the fire’s impact on the community and the broader issues of disaster response.
The show premiered on Thursday, June 4, 2026, and ran for three additional performances on Saturday, June 13, and Saturday, June 20, all at the Theatre of Note on 1517 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Tickets were sold on a pay‑what‑you‑can basis, and the event was promoted through the festival’s website and local press.
Burn Scar is written and performed by Christine Dunford, a classically trained actress from the Bronx who has previously produced satirical and political solo shows. In this production, Dunford draws on her experience fleeing the January 7, 2025 Palisades Fire, which destroyed 6,837 structures, killed 12 people, and became the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history. The show uses a mix of slides, whiteboards, and video footage to guide the audience through the narrative, shifting from a TED‑Talk‑style presentation to an immersive recounting of the disaster.
The performance is described as a “comedic documentary” that addresses the serious subject of the wildfire while maintaining humor. Dunford’s approach highlights the political and corporate dynamics that she says exacerbated the suffering of victims. She portrays the fire’s antagonists as entities that advertise aid in commercials but fail to act when disaster strikes, underscoring a theme of neighborly neglect.
The Hollywood Fringe Festival, which ran from June 11 to 28, 2026, featured 480 shows across the Hollywood Theatre Row area. The festival is known for its open‑call format, allowing artists to register and produce their own productions without a curated selection process. Burn Scar fits within the festival’s tradition of showcasing independent, transformative theatre.
Audience reactions reported in local reviews noted that the show was both entertaining and cathartic. Critics highlighted Dunford’s skill in balancing humor with the gravity of loss, and praised the use of the black‑box setting to create an intimate experience. The production’s focus on resilience and hope resonated with viewers who had witnessed the fire’s devastation.
The Palisades Fire itself was part of a larger outbreak of Southern California wildfires in January 2025, which also included the Eaton Fire. The fires were driven by extreme Santa Ana winds and drought conditions, leading to widespread destruction and loss of life. The event prompted investigations into arson, and a man was later charged with starting the fire that became the Palisades Fire.
Burn Scar remains a significant cultural response to the disaster, offering a platform for community reflection and discussion. The show’s final performance on June 20 closed a chapter in the festival’s history, leaving audiences with a blend of laughter, tears, and a renewed sense of collective responsibility.
The production continues to be available for viewing through the festival’s archives, and Dunford’s website lists upcoming projects that build on the themes explored in Burn Scar.
The show premiered on Thursday, June 4, 2026, and ran for three additional performances on Saturday, June 13, and Saturday, June 20, all at the Theatre of Note on 1517 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Tickets were sold on a pay‑what‑you‑can basis, and the event was promoted through the festival’s website and local press.
Burn Scar is written and performed by Christine Dunford, a classically trained actress from the Bronx who has previously produced satirical and political solo shows. In this production, Dunford draws on her experience fleeing the January 7, 2025 Palisades Fire, which destroyed 6,837 structures, killed 12 people, and became the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history. The show uses a mix of slides, whiteboards, and video footage to guide the audience through the narrative, shifting from a TED‑Talk‑style presentation to an immersive recounting of the disaster.
The performance is described as a “comedic documentary” that addresses the serious subject of the wildfire while maintaining humor. Dunford’s approach highlights the political and corporate dynamics that she says exacerbated the suffering of victims. She portrays the fire’s antagonists as entities that advertise aid in commercials but fail to act when disaster strikes, underscoring a theme of neighborly neglect.
The Hollywood Fringe Festival, which ran from June 11 to 28, 2026, featured 480 shows across the Hollywood Theatre Row area. The festival is known for its open‑call format, allowing artists to register and produce their own productions without a curated selection process. Burn Scar fits within the festival’s tradition of showcasing independent, transformative theatre.
Audience reactions reported in local reviews noted that the show was both entertaining and cathartic. Critics highlighted Dunford’s skill in balancing humor with the gravity of loss, and praised the use of the black‑box setting to create an intimate experience. The production’s focus on resilience and hope resonated with viewers who had witnessed the fire’s devastation.
The Palisades Fire itself was part of a larger outbreak of Southern California wildfires in January 2025, which also included the Eaton Fire. The fires were driven by extreme Santa Ana winds and drought conditions, leading to widespread destruction and loss of life. The event prompted investigations into arson, and a man was later charged with starting the fire that became the Palisades Fire.
Burn Scar remains a significant cultural response to the disaster, offering a platform for community reflection and discussion. The show’s final performance on June 20 closed a chapter in the festival’s history, leaving audiences with a blend of laughter, tears, and a renewed sense of collective responsibility.
The production continues to be available for viewing through the festival’s archives, and Dunford’s website lists upcoming projects that build on the themes explored in Burn Scar.
