Apply Now! Houston Fringe Festival

The 5th annual Houston Fringe Festival will take place August 30-September 15, 2012. The Houston Fringe Festival is a three-weekend event with over 100 companies and individual artists performing all types of theater, dance, film and music. The Houston Fringe supports both emerging and established artists in all genres. The festival provides venues, technicians and promotion. Performers keep half of ticket revenue for their shows. 

 

Visit www.houstonfringefestival.org to apply.

 

Application deadline: Tuesday, May 1, 2012 

 

Late application deadline: Thursday, May 10, 2012 

 

Application Fee: $25 by May 1, $35 if submitted May 2-10 

 

Notification date: Friday, June 1, 2012 

Fringe Fest Pop Ups?

Three new festivals that use the "fringe" in their title have popped up on my radar recently. I haven't had time to explore them further (I have an interview set up with one of them) but I anticipate, like a lot of other "sort of" fringe festivals, they're just using the name "fringe" because it's trendy. 

Remember, unless it's a performing arts festival that adheres to the true fringe philosophy of 100% unjuried, 100% uncensored, 100% accessible for artists and audiences alike, with 100% of ticket sales given directly back to the artists, it's just a fringe in disguise.

 

It just so happens that 2 these festivals are in my home state of Virginia. 

1) Shenandoah Fringe Festival in the Staunton/Harrisonburg, VA area. March 26-28. Check them out at shenandoahfringefestival.weebly.com

2) Gettysburg Fringe Festival in the Gettysburg, VA area. June 18-27. Check them out at gettysburgfestival.org

3) The Houston Fringe Festival in Houston, TX.  May 19-23. Check them out at houstonfringefestival.org

For my most recent fringe article entitled "Fringe 101," check out Richmond Grid.

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: Frigid Fest (New York City)

By Guest Reviewer: Chris Harcum

Guest Festival Ranking: 5 out of 5

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).

Check him out: www.chrisharcum.com

Bully Award: The New York Fringe

As if the New York Fringe Festival didn’t have a bad enough reputation already, it gets this years, Bully Award once again for basically telling the Long Island Fringe Festival that it couldn’t use the name “Fringe” in it’s festival name.

I guess having Brooklyn and Ellis Island, isn’t enough, they have to have the word fringe too? Warning to all you other fringes out there who may get a cease and desist warning in the future- you’ve been warned.

Here’s a letter that the good peeps in charge of the LI fringe sent to The New York City International Fringe Festival

Dear NYCIFF,
We would like to take this opportunity to address issues which have been brought to our attention. The New York City International Fringe Festival has managed to get a service mark, the equivalent of a trademark, on the words “Fringe Festival” in the state of New York. This is the equivalent of service marking the words “Pet Shop”, “Bakery” or “Drug Store”, generic phrases used to describe a type of service.

Well, our friends at the NYCIFF have decided that we are confusing people by referring to ourselves as the Long Island Fringe Festival and have demanded that we stop immediately or face legal action.

First of all, if they had actually looked closely, they would have known that the name of the festival is “Fringe 2009 - Experience Long Island”. While it is true that we are the first Long Island Fringe Festival, that is just what we are and that cannot be ruled on in a court of law, it is just a fact.

When we started to put together the festival in September of 2008, it was meant to be a tribute and a celebration of the long and proud tradition of Fringe, an event that started in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1947 at the first International Performance Festival, not on New York City in 1992, and is now an annual event celebrated by 100’s of Fringe Festivals world wide.

If anyone should be allowed to lay claim to the words fringe festival, Edinburgh should be in front of the line with no one behind them. In the true spirit of theatrical collegiality, however, they have let this celebration of creative arts expand and encircle the globe with the spirit and name Fringe Festival. This is what the original fringers had set out to do, entertain and enlighten the general public with a wide range of creative talent assembled into a Fringe Festival.

With an abundance of dancers, musicians, poets, playwrights, visual artists and more on Long Island and around the world, it seems that the more opportunities there are to showcase these people the better. Unfortunately The Present Co., organizers of the NYCIFF, believes that they are the only one who should be allowed to be called a “Fringe Festival”.
May I also add that this seems to be a selective enforcement as no other fringe festival in New York has been told to stop other than the Long Island Fringe. It is also strange that instead of trying to contact us and discuss their concerns, they instead went directly to a lawyer and decided to threaten a lawsuit.

The organizers of Fringe 2009 are not difficult to find. Our names, phone numbers and e mail address are public knowledge and are posted on many websites. So it makes us wonder how a little first year festival could cause such a problem for a well established event such as the New York City International Fringe Festival.

To anyone out there who was confused we apologize. Fringe 2009 is in no way connected to the NYCIFF and we definitely want that to be clear. We are our own festival of Fringe, the first on Long Island, and we are proud to have done this and for that we offer no apology.

“Fringe 2009 - Experience Long Island”

It's Sort of like a Fringe Fest Alert! Uno Fest:

It’s a Sort of Fringe Baby Alert!

Uno Fest

About Uno Fest

This isn’t officially a fringe, but it is run by the same people who run the Victoria Fringe Fest – hence the Fringe Baby Alert!. Mr. Fringey applied this year with his show that isn’t very edgy, but has become a PBS special, and he didn't get in – so he’s assuming they are looking for edgy over credentials. They know best what they can sell up there. I have a friend who performed in the festival a few years ago – a show called, “Babylove,” - so I’m assuming they’re looking for something that is a little left of center. Still, it’s the best solo gig around. With performers getting $400 bucks a show and all travel and accommodations paid for it’s the best kept secret in the solo performing universe.

Save the Date

When: May 21- 31, 2009

Where: Victoria BC, Canada – Intrepid Theatre

What: An annual international festival of solo theatrical performance.

Info for Performers

You get: 3 performances, a technician, box office service, and promotional assistance in a 50-150 seat theatre, hotel accommodations and travel expense.

Performer Split: You generally get $400 per show.

Shows: 45-90 minutes in length. Solo shows only

Fringe Info

Selection process: Jury

Application Deadline: December 1, 2008

Cost: $35 Application Fee

Additional Costs: None

Questions: Janet Munsil, Producer (250)383-2663 at info@intrepidtheatre.com

Apply

- Download application from www.intrepidtheatre.com

- Send snail mail application.

Fringe Dud! San Francisco Fringe Festival

Fringe Duds: Not Nice But True Reviews from Fringe Performers.....
You will Not make money, perhaps not even break-even at the SF Fringe. Sadly, the Fringe hangout, Original Joes, burned down and there is no Fringe Hangout Central or Opening Party, thus, community and making friends is difficult. The theaters are run by wonderful people, in the worst section of town.

The Best of the SF Fringe awardees are generally Not the Best, but the most marketable or the favorite of the Artistic Director, as in “her taste”. Most of the local SF –based shows are amateur, college-ee stuff, which get huge crowds, as they are local shows. The really great shows are generally the out-of-towners (usually Canadians), who’s shows are poorly-attended because the only people seeing theater in SF, are friends of performers.

SF is a huge small-theater town and is over-saturated with cultural events. The SF Fringe is not on most people’s radar or agenda. Out-of-Towners can expect small audiences, scenic junkie-alley and possible contempt for bad Best of Fringe recipients. Great tech crew, great theater folks, but a huge challenge in marketing, socializing, and disappointing award-choices.

Mr. Fringey's New Features in 2009

1) All New Fringe Duds
Mr. Fringey finally got wise to what was going on here at Fringe or Die Central. After a year's worth of glowing reviews of nearly all the US fringe fests he learned that most performers are, to put it bluntly, afraid to have nocturnal emissions in the same pair of underwear that they have to share with the rest of their performance family.

In other words, no one really will come forward and tell Mr. fringey how bad a fringe sucks because they're afraid of the ramifcations. And so, Mr. Fringey has created Fringe Dud enrties, a completely anonymous way for fringe or die fans to tell others how bad a festval is without revelaing your identity. Hate one? Lay it on us in 200 words or less and we will erect an effigy in your honor.




2) Full Frontal Fringe Advice
Life is too short for you to wait any longer! It's time to grab your career by the matzoballs and start making your living as the performer you've always wanted to become. And so, Mr. Fringey has deemed Fridays - Full Frontal Fridays. Once a week, Mr. Fringey will be offering you Full Frontal advice on how to take your fringe career to the next level. Expect help in identifying your barriers to success - get your artistic life in order and take charge of your creative career. Don't miss Full Frontal Fridays......

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.