Mr. Fringey's Description: A wing and a prayer and a staple gun filled with frozen gummy bears.
Overview:
The Sunny-side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe is the bomb)
1. It's contained. 30 shows in 3 venues with over 150 performances in 12 days on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. 2 venues are in the same building. The other venue is a short, easy walk so you can catch almost any performance back to back to back.
2. It's connected. Horse Trade and EXIT Theatre/San Francisco Fringe Festival + Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals = a truly fringe-tastic experience.
3. It's a smooth ride. The Horse Trade people really care and help you.
The Flip-side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe sucks or what makes it difficult)
1. It's in its third year. It's getting a good reputation. It hasn't made household names yet but it's becoming tough to jump in there. It's not going to get bigger so you have to pounce on the entry. The online entries are 1/3 of the number of participants. That registration filled up in under 2 minutes this year. The next 1/3 are Canadian participants. The final 1/3 are drawn from a hat at midnight on Halloween. That's how I got in when I was in it in '08.
2. It's still a fringe. You need to have your game together. Your show needs to be at a performance level, your marketing plan needs to be in place, your tech needs to collapse or expand at a moment's notice and you have to hustle. Some people are good fringe citizens and some are self-involved jerks. From my experience, Frigid has more of the former. Actually, last year's Frigid only had 2 groups I did my best to avoid.
3. Canadian fringe people have a frisky tradition of handing out postcards and busking at other people's shows to generate audience. New Yorkers have a caustic tradition of hating this because of the guys hawking specials for strip clubs in Times Square. You can always tell the Canadian participants by this. I know it works elsewhere but in NYC it's like watching your kids lose a soccer match.
Potential to Make Money:
Do you get 100% of door? If not, how much. 100%
Do performers see other shows for free? Yes if they are available.
Do you get paid each night? If not how? Were you paid on time if the money was sent to you? Yes.
Fringe Specs: Age in Fringe Years: 3
Festival Dates: Feb 25 – March 8
Application Deadline: October 31
And: “Our audience numbers were up more than 20% from last year, almost a 50% increase from our first festival only three years ago, this is amazing.”
Applying:$35: On-line at http://frigidnewyork.info Festival Cost:The Kraine Theater $850,The Red Room $550, UNDER St. Marks $675
Ticket Prices: $15 and under.
Navigation of the City
What city do you fly into and how did you get to your destination? Laguardia, JFK or Newark International. Public transportation from any of these airports can get you to midtown. The F, V and 6 subway trains are close.
About Mr. Fringey Guest Reviewer:
Name: Chris Harcum
Show Name:American Badass (or 12 Characters in Search of a National Identity).
Mr. Fringey’s Description: Benjamin Franklin meets Will Rogers in drag.
Overview:
The Sunny-side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe is the bomb)
1. THE STAFF: I loved the Fringe staff at the Saskatoon Fringe Theatre Festival! Very friendly, very helpful and everyone of them came to see my show. I'm still friends with them! I was billeted, all my questions were answered in a timely manner whenever I called, I was paid on time and always treated with a friendly smile!
2. THE AUDIENCE: They came out in droves! I was scheduled into a 160-seat venue and had several sold out performances! The audience was fun, welcoming, playful and numerous! Very friendly city!
3. THE MEDIA COVERAGE: The media coverage at the Saskatoon Fringe was amazing! From the newspapers to the radio to the television stations (big and small) -- the coverage of this Fringe was so well-rounded and complete! My show (and my ugly mug!) appeared several times in the StarPhoenix, I was interviewed by two radio stations, and appeared on two television programs (one national, one local). Lots of press -- it was great!
The Flip-side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe sucks or what makes it difficult)
1. FRINGE CONFUSION: There are two Fringe festivals of sorts in Saskatoon. The street fair (buskers, live music, dry ribs and tons of carousing teenagers) and the theatre festival. In one sense this works, the street fair brings people to your venue area but many seem unaware that there is a theater festival going on -- they're there for a burger and some drinks. So, there are plenty of folks to whom you may attempt to sell your show but many times they are happy simply catching a busker show or two, eating and leaving. And the newspapers/media are covering the theatre festival while printing about the street fair. The drawback - sometimes the theatre festival gets lost amongst all the food carts and buskers. This can make it difficult to sell your show -- but not impossible. Keep plugging away with your press, flyers, posters and chatting people up -- the good people of Saskatoon are very open to hearing about your show!
2. HOT GYMNASIUMS: I hesitate to even mention this as my venue was a hot gym and I had the third highest selling show of the fest in 2007. It's clear, the heat doesn't keep audience away! Hot venues and sweating are to be expected at many Fringe fests but in July on the plains in Canada -- kids, it gets hot!
2. AGAIN, THE DRY RIBS: I loved and hated dry ribs - all at the same time! If you have never had a deep-fat fried beef rib, you can't begin to imagine the agita involved! Love the taste, hate my waist! Get ready to gain weight on all the yummy street fair food! :)
Ease of Filling Seats:
What's the best way to fill your seats here marketing-wise?
Like any Fringe -- get out on those streets and chat people up! Whether it's postcards or giant posters attached to the top of your backpack (my personal fave that worked well for my show!), talk and talk and talk and have fun and talk some more! Get your press out on time with great, colorful professional photos, go see other Fringe shows -- be seen! Make yourself as accessible to the press, the potential audience and other Fringers as possible. PS. Really, in my experience, flyers are a bother to audiences waiting in line. Be creative and that will get you more audience than shoving flyers in people's hands that end up in garbage anyway.
Is there a fringe central?
Yes, there are Fringe offices where the staff works/lives -- :) -- and tickets are sold. Signboards for each show are displayed outside of these central offices. PS. In 2007, a performer could sign up for a free sandwich board for the entire fest. Decorate it as you wish!
Is there a showcase for out of town performers?
Not that I'm aware of. There were press/marketing opportunities but not outright one-night-only showcases for either local or out of town performers. Edmonton and Vancouver have this down pat -- I would love to see this event take hold in Saskatoon!
Potential to Make Money:
Do you get 100% of door? If not, how much.
Yes!
Do performers see other shows for free?
Not in 2007. We all used 'passwords' that immediately put us on a 'Comp ticket' list and got us into shows. Oops -- was I not supposed to mention that? :)
Do you get paid each night? If not how? Were you paid on time if the money was sent to you?
No. I think I was paid twice -- once half-way through the fest and a final payment the day after the fest closed. I was paid on time and correctly by check.
Navigation of the City
What city do you fly into and how did you get to your destination?
I drove. I was touring the CAFF across Canada. Driving around Saskatoon was easy -- there's one road in and one road out if you're heading east to west. :)
Can you walk to all the venues? If not how did you get around?
Absolutely! I found that all the venues were centrally located and within easy walking distance of each other. And you can always get some dry ribs from that street fair along the way!
Did you use fringe fest lodging? If so, how was the lodging?If not, who did you stay with?
Yes, I was billeted by the Fringe at a volunteer's house. I loved it! The billetors were wonderful people, I had plenty of room and privacy (a private upstairs apartment to myself), located very close to the Fringe. Thanks, Saskatoon!
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)
About Mr. Fringy's Guest Reviewer: Fiely Matias (17 Fringe fests)
LOUNGE-ZILLA! (Orlando, San Francisco, Atlantic/Halifax, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Vancouver Fringes) THE NAKED GUY (Orlando Fringe) SQUARED, THE GAME SHOW (Orlando Fringe) NOT SHIRLEY MACLAINE (Seattle, Kelowna, Sudbury Fringes - none still in existence)
What categories does your show fall under?(IE, comedy, women, religious, etc).
Comedy, cabaret
How long have you been fringing?
17 years! I'm that old! My first Fringe was in 1992 (Seattle and Vancouver if I remember correctly) and I have performed at the Orlando (4 times), San Francisco, Vancouver (twice), Kelowna (defunct, I think), Seattle (defunct, I know), Edmonton, Saskatoon, Ottawa, Sudbury (defunct?), Atlantic/Halifax - if you include non-CAFF Fringes like the FringeNYC (twice) and Prague, I have performed in 17 Fringe fests.
How many fringes do you do each year?
Varies -- some years one or two, some years I tour, some years not at all.
What has been your favorite fringe?
Oh gosh -- you're asking me to pick my favorite child. No can do. Let's just say, I've never met Fringe that I haven't liked. There's been many great experiences at each Fringe in which I've participated!
What has been your biggest money making fringe?
Top 4: Orlando (biggest), Edmonton (second biggest), Vancouver (third), Saskatoon (4th) -- all fairly close in dollar amount!
What fringe did you make your most important contact?
Orlando Fringe (Beth Marshall). Among oher contacts, she invited us to perform at the CAFF member annual meeting which introduced me to all the other Fringes. Thanks, Beth! PS. I have made alot of great contacts in all the Fringes.
In one word, why do you fringe?
FREEDOM! If you allow me more than one word: I Fringe because it's an artist's dream come true in that it is a non-censored, non-juried playground for theatre performers to express their creativity however they like. And if you saw my shows, you'd understand why this appeals to me! :) Bonus: I have made some great, lifelong friends over the past years Fringeing around North America!
What's the name of the show (s) you are fringing this year?
I'm writing a new show this year so look for me in 2010 with several shows: 'LOUNGE-ZILLA!' - we have yet to perform in Montreal, Winnipeg, among others -- 'Bitches of The Kingdom', a new musical in which the storybook princesses comically bemoan their treatment and exploitation in the Disney animated films -- 'The Naked Guy', a live sitcom hit that played to sold out houses at two separate Orlando Fringe fests (100-seats sold-out for entire run & 250-seats sold-out run)!
Do you use your own tech person at your shows? If so, how much do you pay them?
No. I use the Fringe-provided tech and have had great experiences!
Any fringes to avoid?
The ones I'd tell you to avoid are already gone! :)
Guest Review:New Orleans Fringe Fest By Guest Reviewer: Annie Howe of Nana Projects
Guest Festival Ranking:5 bow ties out of 5. Mr. Fringey’s Description: If Frank Zappa made a baby with Nina Simone and they allowed Nora Jones to raise it
The Sunny-side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe is the bomb)
1. The organizers, staff and volunteers 2. The audiences were amazing and up for any kind of show 3. The shows were super high quality and totally great 4. The festival did an incredible job publicizing the event
The Flip Side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe sucks or what makes it difficult) I would say that the festival was a huge success and the things I will list below probably would change next years the festival expands so I would not say they made the festival bad but are hopefully changes that will happen next year 1. I think intentionally the venues were small so that way shows would be crowded- Maybe more shows or bigger houses some shows had to turn people away- which I guess is a good sign! 2. More opportunity to expand runs- again probably because the festival was a new one they wanted to contain it, but there were many shows that could have extended their runs 3. Again same as above each show only got three slots to perform in the times were really good though and every show we went to no matter the time of day was crowded if not full
4. 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)
I would say you need a ladies ankle sock- New Orleans is easy to get around with out a car but there are so many bars and places to eat- it depends on how much fun you want to have there were many people hosting folks from the fringe at their houses so that helped a lot flights were cheap from Baltimore.
5. How to Fill Your Seats: What's the best way to fill your seats here marketing-wise? Post cards all over town, word of mouth we just talked to everyone we met and a ton of people knew about the fringe already and were excited- seems like if the audiences liked your show they really went and told their friends by our last show we had standing room only!
6. Is there a fringe central? Yes they set up a circus tent and had parties there each evening- again another place to network and make connections.
7. Ticket Prices: $7.00 or 5 shows for $30.00 plus a three dollar button Do you get 100% of door? If not, how much. 50% of the door
Do performers see other shows for free? Each company got 10 comps to use however they liked 8. Payment: Do you get paid each night? If not how? Were you paid on time if the money was sent to you? Payment after but notified quickly about ticket sales after each show.
9. Showcase: Is there a showcase for out of town performers? Not this year
10.Venue Location: Can you walk to all the venues? If not how did you get around? Walk to most bike to all - We rented a car because our show needed a car to transport all the luggage
11. Travel-in: What city do you fly into and how did you get to you destination? Baltimore to New Orleans via rental car
12. Billeting: Did you use fringe fest lodging? If so, how was the lodging? If not, who did you stay with?Fringe hooked us up with an awesome guy who was hosting about 15 plus out of town fringers in his warehouse.
Fringe Specs: Age in Fringe Years: Brand Spanking New. And: 20 spots available – 15 juried and 5 by lottery. Festival Dates: November 13-16, 2009 Application Deadline:July 15, 2009 Applying:www.nofringe.org. Snail mail with application. Festival Cost: $25 Ticket Prices:7 bucks.
About Mr. Fringy's Guest Reviewer: Annie Howe of Nana Projects Mr. Fringey’s tag: Cirque Du Sole on a piece of gluten free toast with real butter. Check them out at:www.nanaprojects.com
What categories does your show fall under? (IE, comedy, women, religious, etc). Puppetry
What's the name of the show (s) you are fringing this year? Danny The Diver and Luna
What has been your favorite fringe? (Nana Projects is new to the fringe, so they didn’t have answers for the usual fringe questions).
Do you use your own tech person at your shows? If so, how much do you pay them? The fringe provided all the tech support.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Guest Review:OttawaFringe Festival By Guest Reviewer: Amy Salloway
Guest Festival Ranking:4 Bow Ties out of 5. Mr. Fringey’s Description: The Humid Panty Pantry.
The Sunny-side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe is the bomb)
1. The Ottawa Fringe is really well-managed. The staff (Artistic Director Kevin Waghorn and his crew) has a lot of fun together and creates a really congenial, comfortable, inclusive atmosphere for the artists -- it's clear they value the Fringe participants and want them to have fun and be happy. The staff members are good communicators, they welcome artists into the office, they're easy to get a hold of, they're not easily offended or ruffled, and they run a Fringe that's quite smoothly organized, and yet also isn't overly bogged down by rules and regulations. They also listen to feedback, and take suggestions for how to improve -- for example, the Ottawa Fringe used to have virtually NO web presence -- their website was awful, and no one ever updated it. Performers said, "Hey, um, you guys really need to move into the technological era", and this year -- TONS of web presence. The website is now interactive -- audience members can log in to write reviews, and folks can add interviews, links, photos, etcetera -- and there's a Facebook application.
2. It's a low-stress Fringe. The Ottawa Fringe has a dedicated audience. The city is easy to get around, and easy to poster. Audience members don’t mind being flyered while they’re in line. The technicians are all really nice and really competent. The theatres are decent and close together. There’s food and shopping two inches from the Fringe grounds (entirely surrounding the Fringe grounds, actually). The atmosphere is consistently cheery and relaxed.
3. It’s really social. It’s not a huge Fringe, so it’s a great place to get to know other performers and locals; there’s lots of hanging out at the end of every night, lots of really great conversations.
The Flip Side: (Give 3 reasons this fringe sucks or what makes it difficult)
There’s really no suckage. The entire festival has such a relaxed, endearing feel, I've never met anyone who didn't enjoy being there. I could say that, on the whole, you might not find Ottawa your piece of cake if you're looking for a BIG Fringe with BIG moneymaking potential -- if you feel unsatiated by anything smaller than Winnipeg, yeah, you're going to be disappointed here. However, if you're not a size queen, there's little pain to put up with. Here are my minor gripes:
1. The volunteers have varying levels of competence, and it’s not unusual to have some box office discrepancies or ticket count errors.
2. The papers are VERY erratic in their willingness to review shows. This is kind of a pain — the Ottawa Sun and the Citizen used to be good about reviewing, but this past year, they were AWFUL — reviewed a handful of shows the first weekend and then quit giving the Fringe publicity altogether. Boo.
3. There's a wide variance in venue size, so if you were hoping for a 100-seat venue and you get one of the 60-seat venues, you might feel a little cheated at the reduced income potential.
4. ....Oh, and 3.5 HUMIDITY. Ottawa is a freakin' HUMID CITY in the summer. Yuck.
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) Men’s tube sock. Ottawa’s relatively affordable. How to Fill Your Seats: Whatâ•˙s the best way to fill your seats here marketing-wise? Flyer, talk up your show...nothing unusual. Is there a fringe central? There is a “beer garden” on the lawn next to the Fringe's main building (The Arts Court), that contains the outdoor showcase/band/karaoke stage, tables to hang out at, port-a-potties (with hand-washing sinks!), one beer tent, and one food booth. It’s small and, uh, sort of homely, but everyone hangs out there anyway (and puts their sandwich boards up there too).
Ticket Prices: Do you get 100% of door? If not, how much. YES.
Do performers see other shows for free? YES, with passwords.
Payment: Do you get paid each night? If not how? Were you paid on time if the money was sent to you?
Yes, you get paid after each show. If you forget to pick up your money, or if you're the last show of the night, you can get it in the office the next day. You get the advance ticket sale payout (the NON at-the-door sales) your last day in town, or you can have it mailed to you.
Showcase: Is there a showcase for out of town performers? There are showcases at the beer tent all throughout the Fringe, every night starting at 9 pm. They're often themed, like "Solo Performer Showcase!", "Musical Showcase!" etcetera. Some performers really like to participate in them, others feel that flyering and hanging out around the audience in the beer tent is equally good publicity, since it can be hard to get people to pay attention to stuff on an outdoor stage. Besides the showcase, there are also karaoke nights and dance nights at the beer tent, so you can always schmooze that way too.
Venue Location: Can you walk to all the venues? If not how did you get around? Yes, you can walk to all the venues.
Travel-in: What city do you fly into and how did you get to you destination? You can fly into Ottawa and take a taxi or bus to downtown. Ottawa overlaps the last weekend of Montreal, so the Montreal performers take the bus or train from there, or drive.
Billeting: Did you use fringe fest lodging? If so, how was the lodging? If not, who did you stay with? Yes -- the first year I did Ottawa, I stayed with the festival director (Kevin); the following two years, I stayed with a volunteer four blocks from the festival grounds. Ottawa is good about finding people billets, though there's not always a lot of lodging super-close to the Fringe area. The University also rents dorm rooms close to the Fringe.
Fringe Specs: Age in Fringe Years: That sweaty hip 12 year old with all the pimples. Festival Dates:June 18 - 28, 2009 Application Deadline: December 1, 2009 And: In 2008 The Ottawa Fringe gave over $80,000 back to the artists involved in the festival. Tickets sales increased by 10% and 12,000 tickets were sold. Applying:www.ottowafringe.com. Snail mail application. Festival Cost: $577.70 Ticket Prices: $10-$12 or lower. You can also participate in the 2-4-1 opening night ticket deal, which almost everyone does to get audiences in the door.
What categories does your show fall under? (IE, comedy, women, religious, etc). I have three shows, all semi-autobiographical solo comedy narratives -- "Does This Monologue Make Me Look Fat?" (written in 2003), "So Kiss Me Already, Herschel Gertz!" (written in 2005), and "Circumference" (written in 2006/2007).
How long have you been fringing? I've been doing the Fringes in the cities in which I've lived (Seattle and Minneapolis) since 1994, but I've been TOURING to multiple Fringes since 2004 -- that is, 5 years.
How many fringes do you do each year? 4-7 -- a mix of US and Canadian Fringes. I have never had a year in which I got into all the Fringe lotteries to which I applied. I usually apply to anywhere between six and nine, and usually get into three to seven!
(If it’s relevant, I've participated in: Seattle (now defunct), Minnesota, Thunder Bay (now defunct), Atlantic (Halifax), Victoria, Vancouver, Cincinnati, Orlando, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, the Rogue Festival (which is basically a Fringe), the Berkshire Fringe (not a CAFF Fringe).)
What has been your favorite fringe? Ottawa and Winnipeg.
What has been your biggest money making fringe? Winnipeg.
What fringe did you make your most important contact? Minnesota and Vancouver maybe, but really, I’ve made great contacts all over the place...
In one word, why do you fringe? I would have said “opportunities”, but Cody Rivers took that one, so: “connections”. :-)
What's the name of the show (s) you are fringing this year? "Circumference" Do you use your own tech person at your shows? If so, how much do you pay them? No, no tech person. Any fringes to avoid? I have answers to this in my head, but I don’t want them on a public website. :-) I try to think of everything as being a learning experience...
"Welcome to Fringe or Die. Home of Mr. Fringey, The Famous Fringe Festival Fact Facilitator and his Fellow Fringe Friends Full of Fresh Fringe Opinions. As you navigate through the information contained here-in, it might help to think of this site as your friendly bohemian courtship counselor, sent here by the International and National Fringe Theatre Festival Goddess to help ensure that your love of fringe performance leads to Fame, Riches, Adventure and lots of Fringe Karma Points."
Potential to Make Money: 
About Mr. Fringey Guest Reviewer:
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