Guest Review: Winnipeg Fringe

By Guest Reviewer: Noel Williams
Guest Festival Ranking: 3 out of 5 bow ties



Mr. Fringy's Description: The gazillion- dollar-locals-only-do-not-try-
this-at-home fringe!

Sunny-side: 
Since all the venues are close together, and within walking distance to 
each other, it makes flyering lines pretty easy. Another great thing about
this fringe is that youcan be assured that a reviewer or two will show
up at your show - and generally right away.

Flip Side:
The fringe has become quite huge, and it is easy to get lost in the
festival program,which is practically as long as a Charles Dickens novel.
If you don't make the first half of the program, some folks won't even
know you’re there.
WARNING: Don't be a premiere or a byov!
This festival seems to be for the veterans of fringe. If you don't have your
stars you'dbetter have a name on your poster of someone who does or has
in the past. Audiences here seem to be drawn to who they know! 

Also, Winnipeg audiences have really moved to a particular style and 
sensibility. The abstractor alternate forms of theatre are not as popular.
The types of shows that went over wellwere one man shows with a simple
story doing a lot of characters, and the stand-up poetry genre.

Your Money Sock:   
If you are a veteran with a five star show - you can wear flip flops no
with socks andyou and a family of 100 ninja turtles can live off your
ticket sales! Otherwise bring an adult sizedonesie with footies, and be
prepared to fork out about $3000 or more once you get there.
(Mr. Fringey says," Holy Coowie!")

How to Fill Your Seats: 
Be a local five star show or get yourself connected to one. There are 
too many shows for audiences to choose from. They look at the top of 
the star list and go from there. You can flyer all you want, but you 
need a pretty convincing routine to work the line, and get the line to 
actually come to your show. The beer tent is a great place to talk to the 
crowds, but it can be hit or miss. When it's a miss, it’s full of drunks
who may say things like,"What show? Where am I? Where is my green dragon?”

Fringe Specs:

Age in Fringe Years: 21 with an attitude going on 73.

Festival Dates: July 16-27.

Application Deadline: December 11, 2007.

Applying: On-line application form at www.winnipegfringe.com.

Festival Cost: $610

Ticket Prices: 0-$9. (Keep in mind there is General
Service Tax(GST) of 7% but outof country performers can
get a waiver)Performers can see other shows for free only
if they get your password, and there is a limit to the number
of password tickets that
can be handed out.

Payment: 100% of door. Rather than getting paid each night, you get 2
checks while you are there and a third is mailed to you.

Showcase: It’s outdoors with a small crowd of folks who would rather
just be drinking their beer and not be bothered.

Venue Location: All venues are walkable from one another.
Fringe Central houses the beer tent and King's Head Pub-
which are right next to each other.

Travel-in: You can fly into Winnipeg, but be aware
if you are from out of country that you might be better
off driving in. It is a risk to have your set or posters
or postcards go via air as they may be confiscated.
There are laws regarding flying in with goods and materials
for display or use in a public performance.  

Billeting: I stayed with a great family, but they were
located almost30 minutes from the festival, which made for
a lot of money in parkingand gas.

(Mr. Fringey says, "Sound familiar?")

About Mr. Fringy's Guest Reviewer:
Noel Williams -  Performer & Clown Extraordinaire
Check her out at: www.myspace.com/captainmelisande
























How long have you been fringing?
This is my first solo fringe, but I went to Winnipeg with another 
show several years ago, and had a completely different experience. I 
have to say I was shocked by how much it had changed.

How many fringes do you do each year?
I did 4 fringes in 2007.

What has been your favorite fringe?
San Francisco was really great. They made me feel like a celebrity, and 
I got to stay with my dearest friend, so it felt like more of a 
vacation.

What has been your biggest money making fringe?
Indianapolis! Who knew! It was the in-betweener of Minneapolis and San 
Francisco, and it was awesome. The Stand-up Monkey Poet, who is a 
British out-of-towner sold out opening night! The audiences were really
just excited to see something new and different! I made the most money 
at this fringe. It's small and well supported.

What fringe did you make your most important contact?
Ok Mr. Fringey, are you fishing for this one? Of course I made some of the 
greatest artistic friends in Minneapolis at the Minnesota Fringe- you, 
Barnaby King, Courtney McLean, Emily Morwen. But in San Francisco, in 
addition to getting connected to the Clown Conservatory via an audience 
member, I also met the Fresno folks of the Rogue Festival in San 
Francisco flyering a line. They came to see my show and totally saved 
me by taping it after my video camera had been stolen. I am now doing 
their fringe this year, and was accepted to the DCA Studio Season in 
Chicago from the tape of that show!

In one word, why do you fringe?
It is a great place to work on your material with different audiences. 
I really went to develop myself as a performer and shape the show. I 
really learned a lot as a producer though. The number one thing I 
learned was a stage manager is nice, but a local marketing person is 
essential.

Do you use your own tech person at your shows?
Yes, except for Indianapolis- and I made more money there.

If so, how much do you pay them?
I paid them $25 per show, counting tech as a show.

Any fringes to avoid?
Not that I know of. I'd like to think there is a fringe for every 
artist to be successful. It is just important to know why and where you
are going. If you want to make money know how to market your show well,
and where it will work best. Different fringe audiences like different 
things. Do your homework in the summer for the fall application- see 
what types of shows go over well at which fringes, and that might be a 
good way to determine which fringe has the best audience for your show.

Get a local person, preferably in marketing to show you the ins and 
out of the city and how to connect to your audience on a marketing 
level.

Review: San Francisco Fringe

Review: San Francisco Fringe

Mr. Fringey's Description: Fringe in a Yurt with a side of Dennis Hopper
Mr. Fringey’s Festival Ranking: 5 bow ties out of 5

Sunny-side: You’ll really feel taken care of here as a performer and they really hold your hand. They’ve got the fringe system wired. Fringe application fees are low. The quality of edgy work is the best in the world. You’ll most likely make some LA entertainer connections. 420 is the official deodorant of the theatre district.

Flip-side: If Taylor Street was in any other city I would have felt really unsafe. I slipped in a pool of vomit going to my venue on the first night and then was chased by a naked homeless man after my show. I was like, “Wow, I’m definitely not in Virginia anymore. Am I still on planet earth?”

Your Money Sock: Dude, leave your money sock at home. Although housing is expensive if you choose to live there, everything else is dirt cheap, especially the mongo-sized burritos in the Mission. Tons of cheap organic food. Get housing with your old hippie friend from college and you’ll come out of this fringe ahead!

How to Fill Your Seats: Stand outside the most popular shows and hand out your cards as others exit and enter the show. The crowds are here and they’re there to see shows. If you get your cards in some hands, you can pack your venue. Hands-down the easiest fringe to pack a house – even on off days and times. I watched Jimmy Hogg impressively sell out nearly every one of his “Curriculum Vitae,” shows here.

Marketing Angle: This is a fringe where audience members actually read the on-line reviews and the reviews in the weeklies. No need for a marketing angle here. Do your typical postcard salsa dance, hit up your Myspace list and your San Fran contacts via e-mail. An easy fringe to market. Bonus Tip: Since the venues are in the theater district downtown, it would benefit you to take postcards to all the hotels in the area that are close to Taylor Street. Also, give postcards to the Hotel shuttle drivers who will in turn give them to their passengers.

Fringe Specs:

Age in Fringe Years: A hip and hot home-schooled 17 year old who is Harvard-bound via the Ken Kesey bus.

Festival Dates: September 3-14

Application Deadline: January 25.

Applying: On-line application form with $35. www.sffringe.org

Festival Cost: $475

Ticket Prices: 0-$9 – Performers see other shows for free.

Payment: 100% of door. In cash each night. Other money sent within 2 weeks. (I got my money about 10 days later)

Showcase: Two showcases. One for in-town performers and one for out of town performers.

Venue Location: All venues are within a two block radius from one another. Fringe Central houses a café where artists hang out between shows.

Travel: Fly into San Fran airport and then take the Bart into the city to your destination. You can get a ticket at the Bart kiosk for $2.75. It’s extremely easy.

Travel Advisory: By foot, by bike, by bus, by Bart! Biking kicks ass in San Fran!

Review: The DC Fringe

Review: The DC Fringe

Mr. Fringey's Description: The Metrosexual Bohemian

Mr. Fringey’s Festival Ranking: 4 ½ bow ties out of 5:

Sunny-side: Urban with community. The fringe reviewers are mostly prominent well-known journalists and they like to hob-knob with the performers. You can easily make important connections for your career. DC feels like Europe. It feels really huge… like the entire city is fringing! The performances are top notch and edgy! The fringe provides you with an e-mail list of all your audience members so you can thank them and add them to your invite database (How cool is that?!) They have free workshops for performers during the fringe!

Flip-side: It’s spread out and really huge. Unless you are an extrovert, you’ll have to work to meet and tap into the fringe community.

Your Money Sock: You’ve got your choice in DC whether to go the cheap route or the expensive route. To me it’s got the best of both worlds. You can eat cheap or go out an splurge.

How to Fill Your Seats: Best bet for marketing is the usual route: Stand outside the most popular shows and hand out your cards as others exit and enter the show. You won’t see many other performers doing this, so you’ll most likely feel like there’s a city ordinance against it. Don’t worry, there’s not.

The crowds are here and they’re there to see shows. If you get your cards in some hands, you can pack your venue. Hands-down one of the easiest new fringes to pack a house – even on off days and times. I did a midnight show to a nearly full house.

Marketing Angle: I don’t recommend spending money for an ad in a festival program, but for this one I do. It’s worth the money. Also, this is a fringe community with an active blog site through the Washington City Paper. Audience members actually read and participate in the “Fringe or Purge” discussions. Also, the fringe reviewers hang out with the performers so it feels like a really unique community.

No need for a marketing angle here. Do your typical postcard salsa dance, hit up your Myspace list and your DC contacts via e-mail. An easy fringe to market.

Fringe Specs:

Age in Fringe Years: A gifted 3-year old who is already taking college courses on-line at the community college.

Festival Dates: July 10-27

Application Deadline: December 31.

Applying: Snail-mail with $45. www.capfringe.org

Festival Cost: $600

Ticket Prices: 0-$15 – Performers pay to see other shows, unless you make contact with a performer ahead of time and they fill out an on-line comp for. Really rather complicated!

Payment: 70% of door. All money sent within 30 days.

Showcase: None in 2007.

Venue Location: Venues are spread through the vast city. You’ll need a car or public transport to get around.

Travel: Fly into DC and then take the Metro in. I stayed with a friend in Arlington and took the metro in for my shows.

Travel Advisory: If you plan on parking in DC, it’ll cost around $10-$20 per show. Make sure you bring a rolling carrier for your gear in case you have to park far away from your venue.

Review: The Boulder Fringe

The Boulder Fringe

Mr. Fringey's Description: Like a Breath of fresh air out of your neighbors oxygen tank (you have to use his mask and tubes and he’s 77)
Mr. Fringey’s Festival Ranking: 2 ½ bow ties out of 5

Sunny-side: The fringe staff runs a tight, friendly ship. The nightly CRAB, (a talk-show-like-fringe event at the Laughing Goat Café, and hosted by Eddie the Eskimo, who interviews performers about their shows), is one of the best, funniest events in the entire world, the Boulder air will heal your soul and feed your creative spirit.

Flip Side: It’s a new fringe, the crowds are minimal, as an out-of-towner you’ll be lucky to break even, it’s an expensive town to eat and play in, many of the shows are produced by Naropa University students or alumni which gives the festival an incestuous quality, downtown Boulder feels like Disney-land meets a Crate and Barrel Catalogue, it’s really, really white.

Your Money Sock: I won’t lie. This is a pricey fringe. There are very few places to get cheap food, so you shouldn’t plan on doing this fringe unless you bring an extremely large extra curricular activity fee stocking. Out-of-towners should cross their fingers to break even on this fringe.

How to Fill Your Seats: Local artists like Gemma Wilcox or dance companies out of Denver will pack houses, but don’t plan on doing it yourself unless you have a marketing angle up your sleeve. The crowds here are pretty small, though typical of a new fringe festival. Handing out your postcards downtown and putting flyers in shop windows won’t fill your house either because most typical people in the street haven’t heard about the fringe. Best bet for marketing is the usual route: Stand outside the most popular local shows and hand out your cards as others exit and enter the show. Though in other fringes, this method will literally assure you’ll fill your venue, it won’t necessarily work the way it’s supposed to in Boulder. Don’t be discouraged. You’ll work for your crowd in Boulder.

It reminds me of when I went to work in the canneries in Alaska to “make bank.” The year I arrived, the salmon runs were extremely low. Everyone said the salmon were having problems returning because of oil spills, climate changes, etc. I never made bank and had to borrow money to get home. I did however enjoy the hell out of the air in Alaska and would go there to breathe again if given the chance.

Marketing Angle: With a large article in the Boulder Weekly and another prominent interview in the Daily Camera, I knew it wasn’t enough to pull in a crowd. (Good media coverage will, at it’s best, only bring in 2-5 tickets per show). I sent e-vites out to all the Jewish organizations in town and that went out in their newsletters. I also took a stack of comps down to the newspapers who had given me coverage. I averaged about 25 audience members per show even during off times/days.

Fringe Specs:

Age in Fringe Years: Your run of the mill, mainstream 4 year old toddler.

Festival Dates: August 14 - 25

Application Deadline: December 15.

Applying: On-line application form with $30. www.boulderfringe.com.

Festival Cost: $665

Ticket Prices: 100% of door. 0-$15 – Performers see other shows for free.

Payment: In cash each night. Other money sent within 30 days. (I got my money about 60 days later)

Showcase: One night where all performers get to showcase one-minute of their work.

Venue Location: All venues are briskly walk-able to one another. Fringe Central - The Dairy Center of the Arts - houses 3 venues and has a café where performers can hang out with one another.

Travel-in: Fly into Denver and then take a bus into Boulder. You can get a ticket downstairs (near baggage claim) at the local bus desk. One way is $10 and it’s extremely easy.

Travel Advisory: By foot, by bike, by bus! But be careful, the bus system stops running at midnight, so you’ll have to cut your fringe festivities short some nights.