A letter from Ben Hill

Greetings, Fringers-

For over ten years it has been my honor to witness the genesis and evolution of the Hollywood Fringe Festival; a community like none other that has sparked inspiration, inspired creation and created joy for thousands and thousands and thousands.

And so with a heart full of the fringeships and memories that have nurtured me these many years, I pass the torch to the next generation of leaders to continue this tradition into the many years that follow.

It’s a bittersweet thing to say goodbye to something you’ve loved (and feared) so very hard that your identity is hardly recognizable in its absence. All the same, this movement was created to outlast, outlive (and sometimes outfox) its founders.  It was a gift to generations yet to breathe, yet to act, yet to be inspired by the brilliant light cascading down from its participants.

Sitting in a parking lot outside a theater in June 2010, I recall tearfully thanking that first class of Fringers, knowing that past this premiere year, things would never, ever be the same.

To my own joyful discovery, I felt the same every year after the curtains fell, for the Fringe will never be finished; its journey will never be complete. Every year brings forth the new and I am forever surprised by the happy surprises we encountered as each year passed.

There are simply too many to thank in this simple note, so I will simply thank you – the Fringer reading this right now. Thank you for your support, your confidence, your willingness to explore, to challenge, to believe in something greater than yourself. Thank you for being with us on this journey, it’s been all for you all along.

Let’s always celebrate the spirit of 2010 and endeavor to keep this warm community in our hearts; especially when we are miles apart.

I love you all. And I love the Fringe.

Fringe On.

Ben Hill