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With more than 200 shows crammed into roughly two weeks, the Fringe is a feat of endurance. Urinetown, 21 Dog Years, and Bash'd are among the festival's success stories, although many more have fallen short of greatness. Half the fun is figuring out what to see, but for those short on time, our top picks this year are 666, an absurdist slapstick exploration of the death penalty that's been receiving acclaim overseas; The Aperture, a new play presented by the Cleveland Public Theater about a photojournalist who conspires with a child soldier to stage Ugandan refugee photos; Be the Dog, an adaptation of Dave Eggers' stories about the romantic entanglements of a group of twentysomethings, as seen through the eyes of a dog; and Baby Wants Candy, a hour-long improvised musical where the audience creates the title, Who's Line Is It Anyway? style.

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Read our guide to dance at the New York Fringe Festival on Flavorwire.

- Chris Kompanek