Finding Good Gigs

From time to time, a friend will send me info about a festival or event that they think one of my shows would be perfect for. For some reason, every time I apply to one of them, I get in and get my full fee. Cool beans!

I've always wished that there was a list like this somewhere, but the truth is, although there are sites that list tons of events like these, the majority aren't appropriate for performers like us and it's just a waste of time to apply.

Below, I've included a few festivals that are especially "solo-performance friendly" and definitely fringe friendly.

Do you know of any gigs like this. If so add them!

Oral History Performance Conference www.ohmar.org
Hob-knob with members of the National Geographic Society, the Army Corps of Engineers and other types that place story telling outside the box. In 2008 it was in NYC, but the conference changes location every year.

North Charleston Performing Arts Festival - Charleston, SC - www.northcharelston.org
Meant to compete with the Piccolo Spoleto Festival which takes place in Charleston, this new festival is worth looking into.

The One Festival (of One Person shows) - New York, NY - www.teatrolatea.com
Get accepted, perform and win and your solo show will get a fully produced spot at an Off-Broadway theater.


Roanoke Arts Festival - Roanoke, VA - www.roanokeartsfest.org
I rubbed elbows with some famous peeps at this festival and had a great venue for my show.

Question of the Day: Show Length?

Asker: John Hefner - solo performer - www.thehefner.com

Best known Show: The Hefner Monologues

Question: Dear Mr. Fringey,
I'm down here in Orlando at the Fringe Festival, performing
the 75-minuteversion of THE HEFNER MONOLOGUES, and have noticed
an odd trend: thevast majority of the shows here are 60 minutes.

Should I go for the entire 90-minute full version of the show
for Boulder and other festivals from here, or stick with the
shorter (but possibly inferior, it's hard to tell?) 75-minute
version.

Answer:
Dear Mr. Hefner,
Well, the majority of Fringes out there prefer a 60-minute
show that's why you probably see so many productions running
at60-minutes, In some fringes they will actually cut the
lights out at60-minutes - such as the San Fran fringe.


To tell you the truth, most fringe audience members are
accustomed to a 60-minute show... and even 75-minutes is
too long, so yes, the longer show can and will work against
you in the fringe. Since everyoneelse is working on the
60-minute time frame, a lot of audience members
may skip your show because it will throw their schedule
off.


If you're doing a show, I believe you should have at
least 4 options:
1) A solid 2-3 minute pull out for teasers
2) A 30-minute version for odd fill opportunities
3) A 60-minute version for Fringes
4) A 75-90-minute version for traditional theater venues


When I first started running my show it was a 90-minute show..
.. I cut it down to 60-minutes and it was leaner and meaner.
You're probably too close to the show to see what you'd need
to cut in order to make it into a 60-minute show. It can be
done.... and believe me and it will make it a better show.....
and no, you won't lose any of the message.


In order to cut... think of places where you can increase
the pace... look for lines that don't get laughs.... and
look for a large section that you can do without.

Ok man, good luck!
Mr. Fringey

Guest Review: Edinburgh Fringe

Guest Review: Edinburgh Fringe Festival
By Guest Reviewer: Patrick Ferri

Guest Festival Ranking: 5 out of 5 bow ties

Mr. Fringy's Description: This is the Mack Daddy, baby! Are your eyes are bigger than your appetite?

(Fringe 2008 features 31,320 performances of 2,088 shows in 247 venues)
The Sunny-side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe is the bomb)

a. It’s the first (the template for all others).

b. It’s the biggest (the program is as big as my phone book; no joke).

c. It’s the best (Edinburgh at fringe time is too stupefying to put into words).

The Flip Side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe sucks or what makes it difficult)

a. You will not get audiences.

b. You will go into amazing debt.

c. You will see great shows and question why you came.

Your Money Sock: How big of a money sock do you need here, based on food prices, and other expenses? (Choose one: A tiny sock, a men's tube sock, a full blown stocking) How much money did you spend on this one when all was said and done?

It is a union suit. I went for one week instead of the full 3 and I am just getting out of debt now.

How to Fill Your Seats: What's the best way to fill your seats here marketing-wise?

Take ads out on the side of buses. I had no houses so I cannot answer that question. When I complained to another Edinburgh Fringe veteran about getting 10 people in the theater, he responded "Wow, you did really good !!"

There is a book I wish I bought beforehand instead of at Edinburgh Airport on my return: "Fringe," by James Aylett and James Lark. They can tell you much more.

Fringe Specs:
Age in Fringe Years: A spritely 61 years old and getting younger every day. If there is a reason that aging is good for your health. This is it!
Festival Dates: August 3-25
Application Deadline: April 16, 2009 Applying: www.edfringe.com
Festival Cost: (Don't faint!) $23 subscription fee and then $607 with your application. $870 for a small add (recommended but not required) + a venue rental fee (roughly $150 per 100 seats) then plan to pay 6% commission on all ticket sales through the box office.

Is there a fringe central? There is. They will answer all kinds of questions and give you plenty of help. However, they do not really take care of anything for you like American and Canadian Fringes.

Ticket Prices:
Do you get 100% of door? If not, how much? You have to pay many fees out of each ticket. I do not remember them all but you are going to a socialist country. You will loose.

What's the ticket range price? Ticket prices range from $10.00 - 20.00. (10 or 12 GBP max).

Do performers see other shows for free? Everyone has to pay to see anything unless they are comped.

Payment:
Do you get paid each night? If not how? Were you paid on time if the money was sent to you?
My venue paid me at the end of my run.

Showcase: Is there a showcase for out of town performers? No; but there are 3 preview days before the Fringe proper starts.

Venue Location:
Can you walk to all the venues? If not how did you get around? It is a compact city and I walked everywhere in the city. There are venues outside the city that would require a bus.

Travel-in: What city do you fly into and how did you get to you destination? Continental airlines added direct service to Edinburgh recently from Newark.

Billeting: Did you use fringe fest lodging? If so, how was the lodging? If not, who did you stay with? I stayed at B&B's. If you are there for the month, get an apartment. The Fringe office will help. There is also an American online forum where you can share info with other people who are going.

About Mr. Fringy's Guest Reviewer: Patrick Ferri (Defining True Physical Comedy)

Check him out at: www.wreckageorama.com

What categories does your show fall under? Comedy and clown.

How long have you been fringing? 10 years.

How many fringes do you do each year? 1

What has been your favorite fringe? Edinburgh.

What has been your biggest money making fringe? Piccolo Spoleto

What fringe did you make your most important contact? I'm not sure I have.

In one word, why do you fringe? Build!

What's the name of the show (s) you are fringing this year? My show name remains "Wreckage-O-Rama".

Do you use your own tech person at your shows? If so, how much do you pay them? Only if I have hired the venue. The pay depends on the time invested; probably around $20/hr.

Any fringes to avoid? They are all experience.

The Tortonto Fringe Festival

By Guest Reviewer: Jimmy Hogg
Guest Festival Ranking: 4 out of 5 bow ties.

Guest Festival Description: The "Get in, get the money and get out" fringe.

The Sunny-side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe is the bomb)

1. All centralized and within walking distance, you don't need a car or even a bike- it's easy to get around.

2. Venues. The venues are fantastic- better than any other venue I've been to- and really well organized.

3. Fringe Club. There's a fringe club where artists and patrons congregate every night. I think it's really important for every fringe to have a base like this for people to meet.

The Flip Side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe sucks or what makes it difficult)

1. I haven't found this, but a lot of people think it's hard to get audiences. However if you look at the stats the average box office return to artists is amongst the highest in North America. I think you just have to work a lot harder to get bums on seats cos it's a big city and there's a lot going on.

2. Comps. This is a problem with a number of fringes. I would like all artists to be able to see my show for free- obviously not ahead of those paying, I don't want to shoot myself in the foot- but 5 minutes before the doors close, any artists waiting should get in for free. Otherwise artists don't go and see each others work which is a shame as I think that's one of those most beneficial things about the fringe. Some FOH Managers will let you use a password- it's at their discretion- but this just means that you have to know the artists who are going so that you can tell them your password. It's just a pain in the arse for everyone.

3. Beer prices. For some reason the fringe club was charging over $5 for a 16oz pint in a plastic cup. If I remember rightly it was $5.75. This is ridiculous considering you can buy 20oz's of the same beer much cheaper all over the city. And come on, we're fringe artists, we like beer, but we don't have tonnes of cash. That pissed me off.

Your Money Sock: Size 10 men's sock. It's not cheap here to drink, but the public transit is cheap and you can get anywhere in the city- including the airport for $2.75. And there is an abundance of cheap eats that are really good- you just need to know where to go. Like any city it can be expensive if you don't know what's what.

How to Fill Your Seats: What’s the best way to fill your seats here marketing-wise? Flyer, flyer, flyer. Firstly 2 days before the fringe starts paper the town. And that doesn't mean leaving big wedges of flyers in every coffee shop- leave just a few. But poster everywhere so that people get used to seeing your image, so that by the time you flyer fringe line-ups (which you must do relentlessly for at least the first 5 days of the fringe) people are already aware of your show. And talk, talk, talk. Don't just hand a flyer to people, talk to them- and be up beat, none of this, "Yeah, it's a pretty good show-" sell it! And finally, go and see shows- you'll mix with patrons and artists, you'll be able to give recommendations and you'll become a part of the community which is rewarding in itself, but also puts bums on seats.

Is there a fringe central? Yes.

Fringe Specs:
Age in Fringe Years: The frisky 19 year old with a bit of a premature ejaculation problem.

Festival Dates: July 4-15

Application Deadline: January 31, 2008

Applying: www.fringetoronto.com

Festival Cost: $660 application fee + $20 processing fee.

Ticket Prices: Do you get 100% of door? Oh, yes.

What’s the ticket range price? $10 max.

Do performers see other shows for free? Negotiable.

Payment: Do you get paid each night? If not how? Were you paid on time if the money was sent to you? Yeah, paid cash each night and the rest of the money was in my hand very quickly. They're very good at that.

Showcase: Is there a showcase for out of town performers? Not specifically for OOTP's, but there is a live chat show every night which you can sign up for and do a segment of your show or talk about it.

Venue Location: Can you walk to all the venues? If not how did you get around?
Easy to get anywhere.

Travel-in: What city do you fly into and how did you get to you destination? Toronto. You can get local transport downtown and be at your digs in around an hour from the airport.

Billeting: Did you use fringe fest lodging? If so, how was the lodging? If not, who did you stay with? I stayed with friends.

About Mr. Fringey's Guest Reviewer: Jimmy Hogg, world class performer/writer

Check him out at: www.myspace.com/jimmyjimmyhogg

What categories does your show fall under? (IE, comedy, women, religious, etc). Comedy.

How long have you been fringing? 3 years.

How many fringes do you do each year? 3-5.

What has been your favorite fringe? Minneapolis 2006, cos it was my first big fringe with a solo show and I was stunned by how many people turned out to see my show and how responsive the audiences were

What has been your biggest money making fringe? Toronto.

What fringe did you make your most important contact? Impossible to say, I've met so many people at so many fringes. If you put yourself out there you will meet influential, intresting and exciting people.

In one word, why do you fringe? Cos.

What's the name of the show (s) you are fringing this year? A Brief History of Petty Crime


Do you use your own tech person at your shows? If so, how much do you pay them? No, I have no tech person.

Any fringes to avoid? Sorry to say it, but Fraser Valley. There was literally no-one there. No-one. It was a disaster for everyone involved.

Guest Review: Cincinnati Fringe

By Guest Reviewer: Les Kurkendaal


Mr. Fringey's description: The "my grandma's ten tattoos beat your grandma's lip ring" fringe.





Mr. Fringey’s Festival Ranking: 5 bow ties our of 5.

Sunny-side: The Cincy audiences are very supportive. The Fringe Staff is awesome. The performance spaces are cool.

Flip Side: There is nothing difficult, this fringe is very well run.

Your Money Sock: You need a tiny sock. It's not an expensive city so you can get by easily. Lot's of funky places to eat that aren't that expensive. Also, The Fringe has it's own bar at the "Know Theatre "with drink specials for fringe artists.

How to Fill Your Seats:
Flyering lines of the popular shows, hanging out and meeting people at Fringe central . Also The press is very supportive of the Fringe which helps as well. Fringe Central is at the Know Theatre. It is open all day. They have computers set up with internet access for the out-of-towners. They also have a bar. Every night they had a party, some nights karaoke, some nights they had live bands and it was lots of fun. And audience members show up there and hang out so it is a great place to pimp your show

Fringe Specs:

Age in Fringe Years: A really great 5 year old with ADHD (but it’s controlled completely with medication, so it’s ok to bring him to public events)

Festival Dates: May 26 – June 9

Application Deadline: December 7,2008

Applying: Snail mail with application and demo. You can find the info at www.cincyfringe.com

Festival Cost: $30 (yeah you read that right - it makes the 50% cut well worth it!)

Ticket Prices: 10 bucks. Performers see shows for free.

Payment: You get 50 percent of the door. I got my check 1 week later.

Showcase: Yes there are showcases for out of town performers

Venue Location: All venues are close and within walking distance.

Travel-in: you can fly into Cincinnati, Dayton or Indianapolis

Travel Advisory: I used fest lodging . You either stayed with someone or at the bed and breakfast in the neighborhood that billeted Fringe performers for free.

About Guest Reviewer Les Kurkkendaal

Check him out at: www.myspace.com/leskurkendaal

What categories does your show fall under? Storytelling/solo performance

How long have you been fringing? 8 years

How many fringes do you do each year? 4-5 fringes

What has been your favorite fringe? It's a tie between Minnesota and Cincinnati

What has been your biggest money making fringe? Capital Fringe

What fringe did you make your most important contact? I made my most important contact at Minnesota Fringe

In one word, why do you fringe? I fringe because I love doing Independent Theatre and I love traveling to new cities.

What's the name of the show (s) you are fringing this year? I have 2 shows : "Christmas in Bakersfield" and my new show which is called "The Attack of the Big Angry Bootie"

Do you use your own tech person at your shows? If so, how much do you pay them? I use Fringe techs

Any fringes to avoid? I have heard horrible stories about Kansas City Fringe and Iowa Fringe