PhillyGayCalendar had the chance to catch up with Frank Schierloh, a Philadelphia-based actor and performer, who stars in the upcoming FringeArts festival production of Bat Boy: The Musical.

The plot of Bat Boy is pretty unrealistic, but it's based on an actual tabloid story. Tell us a little about the show.

Yeah, the show is based on a series of tabloid articles from the Weekly World News about a mysterious half boy/half bat that some teens found in a cave.  In the Weekly World News I believe Bat Boy ran as a recurring character of sorts, frequently doing crazy things, like running for President, having wild beach parties and marrying a yeti. However, the show takes the character and tells the story of how he was found in a cave, and how a very narrow-minded town come to terms with finding this new creature.

Who do you play in the show? What has it been like for you to work on so many different characters?

My first character is Rick Taylor, who is the local bad boy and one of the people who originally finds the bat boy.  Then I play Lorraine, the town gossip, who is just a blast.  I also play Mr. Dillon, and a series of voices that appear in other characters’ minds.

It’s been a blast to work on these characters.  They’re all so different and it’s just really fun to be able to do all these crazy things within the confines of this one show.  I feel a bit schizophrenic at times!

The whole idea of a half-bat/half-human is ridiculous, but the show does try to teach the audience, on some levels, about tolerance, right?

Yeah, one of the greatest things about this show is that it has an immense heart.  The show teaches you to accept things in your life and in other people.  It makes this bat boy who is totally unrealistic the most human character in the show, and you relate to him, and when you see what people do, and try to do to him, it really makes you question how you treat others who are different from you.

How long have you lived in Philly?

I have lived in Philly for just over two years now.

What does the Fringe Arts festival mean to you as a performer?

Fringe is great opportunity for theatre artists all over the city to express themselves in whatever way possible, and that to me is the best part about Fringe.  You can see so many amazingly different things at Fringe that it makes for a great festival.  The Fringe festival makes you think, more than anything else, and that is the best kind of theater.

Not to be stereotypical, but, as a gay man, why do you think gays are largely drawn to the theater?

It’s because theater is SO accepting.  I once heard (to quote RuPaul) that “we as gay men get to choose our families”, and I think that theater, because it is an art form that requires so much openness and acceptance, is the perfect place for people whose families might not be accepting to go and make your own family.  You can get so close to people in such a short amount of time and make lifelong relationships; you really are creating your own family and I think that’s what draws in so many of the LGBT community.

Bat Boy: The Musical runs September 18-22, 2013 at the Skybox at the Adrienne Theater, 2030 Samson Street, Philadelphia.  Tickets ($20 general admission, $15 for students, and $10 for industry) are available by visiting the FringeArts website.  For more information, call 215-413-1318.