Guest Review: Hollywood Fringe

Guest Review: The Hollywood Fringe Festival
By Guest Reviewer: Les Kurkendaal

Guest Festival Ranking: 4 out of 5 bowties
 
Mr. Fringey’s Description: Baby! Sexy Baby! I luv my Sexy Baby, fringe!

Overview:
The Sunny-side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe is the bomb)
1. The staff was great ! Very nic ! Very organized. If any issues came up they took care of them immediately.  Ben Hill, The Fringe Director was very friendly and approachable.

2. All of the venues are great theatre spaces and within walking distance of each other so the Fringe is easy to navigate

3. The location of the fringe is fantastic . It was in the middle of Hollywood and that really added to the excitement of the Fringe .

The Flip-side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe sucks or what makes it difficult)
1. It was a first year fringe  and something like this had never been done before in Hollywood  so it took a little while for audiences to warm up to the idea of fringe and  show up to see shows .  Getting butts in seats was challenging that first week!

2.  A lot of the really good press coverage didn’t come out until the second weekend

3. If you brought your car to Fringe central , the parking in the lots were expensive and the metered parking sucked. I got  several parking tickets that week!


Ease of Filling Seats:
What's the best way to fill your seats here marketing-wise?
Lots of flyering . Hang out at Fringe central and really talk up your show. Word of mouth.It  also is very important to get press releases out on your show.  A little press coverage goes a long way!

Is there a fringe central?
Yes. And it was a good one! It was at a theatre in Hollywood near all of the venues. They served good cheap beer and mixed drinks. They even had a psychic there to do psychic readings for performers!  It was a wonderful party atmosphere.Everyone was very friendly and it was very easy to meet people!

Is there a showcase for out of town performers?
There were actually several showcases throughout the Fringe. There was a fringe jam almost every night where performers could perform and showcase their stuff.


Potential to Make Money:
Do you get 100% of door? If not, how much.
If the audience members purchased  tickets at the door the artist got 100%. If the audience member purchased the ticket online , the artist gets a small percentage taken out of the ticket price

Do performers see other shows for free?
Each show had the ability to offer free entry to other performers .

Do you get paid each night? If not how? Were you paid on time if the money was sent to you?
We received a check at the end of the fringe . The check arrived within two weeks after the Fringe.
 

Navigation of the City
What city do you fly into and how did you get to your destination?
You fly into LAX and can either take a bus  a cab or the subway

Can you walk to all the venues? If not how did you get around?
Yes . All of the venues are in walking distance.

Did you use fringe fest lodging? If so, how was the lodging? If not, who did you stay with?
 I live in LA  but I talked to many out of towners . Some people  stayed with friends. Some stayed at youth hostels or inexpensive hotels in the area.  I met one out of towner who found a random  website online where people offer up extra rooms at their places for people from out of town and so she stayed with a person from the website for free.

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)
I would say between a men’s tube sock and a full blown stocking . There are a lot of inexpensive places to eat and drink in Hollywood but a lot of people from out of town did stuff like trips to Disneyland and magic mountain , one group even took a road trip to Vegas so stuff like that can get a little pricey.


Fringe Specs:
Age in Fringe Years: 2
Festival Dates: June 16 - June 26, 2011
Application Deadline: April 1, 2011
Applying: www.hollywoodfringe.org
Festival Cost: $175 -$250 with application 

And: Venue rental is $150 - $300 per performance. Artist gets 100% of the door.
 

Ticket Prices: free - an average of $12

 

About Mr. Fringy's Guest Reviewer: Les Kurkendaal

Check him out at: www.facebook.com/leskurkendaal
What categories does your show fall under?
Storytelling ,GLBT
How long have you been fringing?
10 years
 

How many fringes do you do each year?
3
What has been your favorite fringe?
Minnesota
What has been your biggest money making fringe?
Hollywood
What fringe did you make your most important contact?
Hollywood – my show Christmas in Bakersfield is now going to be made into a movie
In one word, why do you fringe? Creative Freedom !
 
What's the name of the show (s) you are fringing this year? I will be doing my new show : Drink , Drank , Drunk , Diary of the Life of The Party at Minnesota Fringe and I will be doing Christmas in Bakersfield at Chicago Fringe

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?
Hmmmmmm , I’m trying to be a kinder gentler person so I’d rather not say . LOL !!!!!!!!!
 

Photo by:
Mathieu Brooks