Guest Review: Philly Fringe Festival

By Guest Reviewer: H.R. Britton
Guest Festival Ranking: How many bow ties would you give this fringe? 4 out of 5

Mr. Fringey’s Description: Lenny Bruce meets Martha Stewart.

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

1. Provided you find and arrange a venue, you're always guaranteed to be part of the festival. You can plan on it, as opposed to other festivals which either judge you, or pick you out of a hat.

2. You can set your own schedule.

3. Philly is a friendly city, and the audiences are enthusiastic.

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

1. It can be a hassle to have to find and arrange the venue.

2. You're responsible for providing your own light & sound people, as well as your ownbox office person.

3. As I'm a solo performer, I find it a bit of a hassle to go to the Fringe Central to collect the 'will call' tickets before the show.

Ease of Filling Seats:
What's the best way to fill your seats here marketing-wise?
I've tried a number of things. I take a small ad out in the program guide. I put cards out in nearby coffeehouses and bookshops. Sometimes I stand out on the street and give out cards and talk to people. I've never been disappointed with the size of my houses

Is there a fringe central?
Yes. There's a ticketing center, and there's also a late night hangout for the artists.

Is there a showcase for out of town performers?
There's not a specific "out of town" showcase. However, leading up to the Festival there are events where fringers can get to know one another and perform excerpts from their work. There's one called "The Binge" and there's a "late night cabaret," which may be unofficial, and of course, at the night-time artist hangout there are performances too.

Potential to Make Money:

Do you get 100% of door? If not, how much.
Tickets at the door: 100%. Tickets through the fringe Box office have about 8 or 10% deducted

Do performers see other shows for free?
As I remember it, you get to see shows for $5

Do you get paid each night?
At the door ticket proceeds go directly to the theater company, since they're administering their own box office.

If not how? Were you paid on time if the money was sent to you?
The proceeds from the tickets sold online and at the Fringe Ticket Central come later, maybe a month or so.

Navigation of the City

What city do you fly into and how did you get to your destination?
You can fly, bus or train into Philadelphia. There's pretty good public transportation to the airport, and the train station is right downtown. NYC and Newark are also relatively nearby airports.

Can you walk to all the venues? If not how did you get around?
You can walk to a lot of the venues, especially the ones in the Old City. Otherwise, there's a bus and subway, and you can plot a trip on the Transit Authority's website.

Did you use fringe fest lodging? No

If so, how was the lodging? If not, who did you stay with? One time I stayed at the youth hostel on Bank Street, which is okay. One time I stayed with a friend.

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) men's tube sock

Fringe Specs:
Age in Fringe Years: 13 going on 43.
Festival Dates: September 4 - 19
Application Deadline: April 3, 2010.
And: They also have a Facebook application
Applying: $80 on-line at http://www.livearts-fringe.org/
Festival Cost: Mandatory Fees: $80 application fee, Marketing Fee: $100 for 50-word description; $200 for 50-word description and photo. 10% fee for box office ticket sales. General Liability Insurance $95-$177, Sandwich Board rental fee $40.

Ticket Prices: You set your own in whole dollar amounts

About Mr. Fringy's Guest Reviewer: HR Britton

Mr. Fringey’s tag: The man in the overcoat with the anxiously comic stories and monologues.

Check himout at:

www.OvercoatTheater.com

www.myspace.com/overcoattheater

What categories does your show fall under?
Solo show, storytelling, travelogue, religious rant.

How long have you been fringing?
last 4 years, plus one in 2001

How many fringes do you do each year?
1 to 3

What has been your favorite fringe?

Hard to say, obviously. I really liked the close knit and supportive feeling of San Francisco's fringe. I think Philly is fun and accessible.

What has been your biggest money making fringe?
Probably Philly.

What fringe did you make your most important contact?

At what fringe? FringeNYC. I got a great review of "Jesus Rant" in BackStage, also, through that show I got a paid gig at another solo festival.

In one word, why do you fringe?
Exposure

What's the name of the show (s) you are fringing this year?
"Jesus Rant" (in Ottawa) "Melting in
Madras" (Frigid New York, Philly)

Do you use your own tech person at your shows? If so, how much do you pay them?
At Philly and New York. For the run, I paid one helper about 150, give or take.

Any fringes to avoid?
No.

Photos by: Ignacio Carballo
Cards by: Amy Mees

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.