IMAGE VIA ORLANDO FRINGE
Diane Jorge returns to Orlando Fringe with Solovela, An Improvised Solo Telenovela (Website), and honestly, the title tells you almost everything you need to know. It’s a fully improvised one-woman telenovela assembled live from audience stories, which sounds almost impossible until Jorge pulls it off. After first seeing Jorge perform during Orlando Fringe’s 2026 Winter Mini-Fest in Funny Fortunes with Mercado de la Fortuna, I already knew her mind worked frighteningly fast, but Solovela somehow manages to make that talent even more impressive.
Each performance begins with Jorge interviewing audience volunteers about their real-life romantic histories, personal drama, unresolved heartbreaks, enemies, and messy complications. From there, she transforms the material into a wildly melodramatic telenovela while playing every character herself. No two performances are remotely alike. One show centered around a single man and “the one who got away,” while another revolved around a couple and a former roommate they remembered very differently. Somehow Jorge turns both premises into fully realized soap opera chaos, complete with betrayals, callbacks, dramatic reveals, and escalating emotional stakes.
What makes the show especially impressive is Jorge’s command of comedic pacing. The humor ranges from punchy zingers to slow-burning setups that quietly build toward enormous payoffs later in the performance. Her use of foreshadowing is genuinely remarkable for a fully improvised show. She also plays beautifully with the fourth wall, constantly piercing and repairing it depending on what will get the biggest laugh. At times, an extended deadpan stare alone was enough to send the audience into hysterics.
I ended up seeing Solovela twice during this year’s Fringe, and what impressed me most was Jorge’s consistency. Even with completely different audience prompts and crowd dynamics, she maintained the same quick wit, confidence, and command of the room each time.
Fans of improv, audience-driven comedy, and unapologetically dramatic soap opera energy will likely have an excellent time here. Like any great telenovela, Solovela thrives on escalating emotions, shocking revelations, and absolute commitment to the bit — and Jorge handles all of it with astonishing speed, confidence, and charm.
Remaining Performances:
- May 18 at 7:25 p.m. $15
- May 21 at 6:25 p.m. $15
- May 23 at 6:55 p.m. $15
- May 24 at 12:20 p.m. $15
Event Details:
Venue: Blue Venue
Genre: Comedy, Improv, Parody/Spoof, Solo Show
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $15 ($6 artist-selected performance has passed)
Age Rating: 13 & Up
Warnings: Adult Language, Audience Interaction, Mature Themes
