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equitable casting at fringe
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15
AUG 2023
Hello friends of the Complex!
Read on for information from our friends at the Los Angeles Conservancy on how we can support the Complex as it faces designation as a Historic-Cultural Monument.
HCM status does not guarantee that the building will be a theater in the future. That is a separate negotiation with the building’s new owner that the Conservancy, Complex advocates and other partners are in conversation with.
Want to know the full scoop? Here is a PDF with the full letter, and details on how to get involved in the HCM vote.
Below is a summarization of this call to action:
On Thursday, August 17th at 10am PT, the Cultural Heritage Commission will vote whether to designate the Complex as a Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM). Please read to learn how to advocate at the Cultural Heritage Commission:
What does HCM status mean?
HCM Status would recognize the Complex’s contributions to the historic Hollywood Theatre Row and make it harder to demolish the building. Designation can help raise awareness about Theatre Row and the importance of preserving small theatres.
How can I support the Complex HCM nomination?
Make public comment via Zoom or in person, or email a letter to [email protected]. Public comment is limited to 1-2 minutes. In your comment, state your name, relationship to the Complex, why it is important to you and why it is a historic part of Hollywood Theatre Row. The Complex’s future use is not a consideration at this hearing and may detract from your comment.
Will the Complex continue to be a theater?
HCM status does not guarantee that the building will be a theater in the future. That is a separate negotiation that has started. There will be updates on how to support that effort as they develop.
31
JUL 2023
The Edinburgh Fringe’s 76th-anniversary festival begins next week! Running August 4-28, EdFringe has thousands of shows taking place in Scotland, with DOZENS of performers and shows from Hollywood Fringe that have taken the leap across the pond. Check out the Edinburgh Fringe website to learn more about the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!
Shows and performers from Hollywood Fringe performing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe:
A Shark Ate My Penis: A History of Boys Like Me
A Terrible Show for Terrible People
Attack of the 36 Triple-G Woman
Avital Ash Workshops Her Suicide Note
Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson
Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musical
Pablo Escobar Doesn’t Need a Second Job
Shagadelic: The Origins of Slang Words for Doing It
Did we miss any? If you have a show at EdFringe that you have performed at HFF, let us know, and we will add you to the list! Email [email protected]
Are you looking to take your show on the road? There are so many different Fringey opportunities. Fringe Festivals come in all different shapes and sizes; some are open access (anyone can take part by registering), first come, first served, created by lottery, juried, part programmed, or a mix of them all.
Check out the World Fringe Network and their helpful database of Fringe Festivals worldwide.
Fringe On!
25
JUN 2023
HFF23 Community Awards (“The Freaks”)
voted on by Fringe patrons and community
Cabaret and Variety Winner:
The Ramón Show & Friends: Collective Healing
Cabaret and Variety Nominees:
The Best-Of the Pack Theater
Get Naughty ! The Krampus Musical
Karma in a Fishbowl
School for Love
Comedy Winner:
Comedy Nominees:
Oh, Lorraine!
Homeless Romantic
Nick Pupo: Addicted
Little Stars Youth Theatre Presents: MACBETH (a solo show)
Raise Your Hand… From the DEAD!!
Dance and Physical Theatre Winner:
Palmares
Dance and Physical Theatre Nominees:
Ode to La Pachuca
The Month Long Ham Festival
Flamencodanza
Rhythm Delivered
Drama Winner:
YONI KI KAHANIYA (#YKK): Vagina Stories
Drama Nominees:
Arizona Rain
Hedda Gabler
Nocturne
Big Money
Immersive and Games Winners:
Immersive and Games Nominees:
The Collective: A 1920s Mafia Immersive Experience
DISROBED – Live on Stage!
Thank You So Much For Coming
No fucks given. None taken. All done.
Musicals and Operas Winner:
Musicals and Operas Nominees:
Prince Harry: Live! At Coachella
Les Millénniables
Truly Outrageous: A Jem & The Holograms Parody Musical
Cherries, Rare & Fair: A Quest for Orgasmic Rainbows
Solo Performance Winner:
Getting There! Rebecca O’Brien
Solo Performance Nominees:
5 years or 5 minutes
Iphigenia in Splott
A Shark Ate My Penis: a History of Boys Like Me
I Can’t Indian Good
Mark Pleases You
This Was Never Supposed To Be A One Woman Show
Missionary Positions
A Retrospection
Two Person Show Winner:
If I’m Good
Two Person Show Nominees:
Wounded, by Jiggs Burgess
Jolly Playtime
The Sentence
Winona
International Winner:
Take Me As I Am: A Joni Mitchell Tribute
International Nominees:
Winona
Birds and the Curiosity
Cherry
We Are Nothing Without Hantu-Hantu
World Premiere Winner:
A Shark Ate My Penis: a History of Boys Like Me
World Premiere Nominees:
Flayed
Coffee, Tea, and Gin
SMOTE THIS, A Comedy About God…and other Serious $h*t
Little Stars Youth Theatre Presents: MACBETH (a solo show)
Top of the Fringe Winner:
Top of the Fringe Nominees:
Getting There! Rebecca O’Brien
Iphigenia in Splott
Missionary Positions
If I’m Good
Discover Fringe Awards
selected by the presenting company
2Cents’ Immersive Worlds Award, presented by 2Cents Theatre’s Loose Change:
Winner:
Little Stars Youth Theatre Presents: MACBETH (a solo show)
Nominees:
The Collective: A 1920s Mafia Immersive Experience
Fishbowl Sonata
Flayed
fuckin loud
Infierno
MS 499: Advertising and the Social Construction of Gender
SoundTrip: Fringe Edition
Ella Turenne Award, presented by the Hollywood Fringe Access Advisory Board:
Winner:
Nominees:
fuckin loud
Love List
SMOTE THIS, A Comedy About God…and other Serious $h*t
Wild Hand
International Fringe Encore Series, presented by Soho Playhouse:
Winner:
Nominees:
The Movement You Need (a work in progress)
If I’m Good
fuckin loud
SoundTrip: Fringe Edition
Jaxx’s Cultural Arts Envoy Award, presented by Jaxx Theatricals:
Winner:
Nominees:
The Allure of Thug Life
Love is a Battlefield
Missionary Positions
Ric Iverson is Alive and Well and Living in Milpitas
Rotten Apple
A Shark Ate My Penis: A History of Boys Like Me
This Was Never Supposed To Be A One Woman Show
Wounded, by Jiggs Burgess
Yoni Ki Kahaniya (#YKK): Vagina Stories
No Room in the Green Room Award, presented by Make Believe Stage Productions, LLC:
Winner:
Nominees:
Cadenza | Sci-Fi Thriller
Love is a Battlefield
Fatal Loins
Big Money
The Month Long Ham Festival
Runaway Rue
O Face Award for Most Orgasmic Production, presented by Orgasmico Theatre Company:
Winner:
Take Me As I Am: A Joni Mitchell Tribute
Nominees:
If I’m Good
The Movement You Need (a work in progress)
Sinatra: Raw
Wounded, by Jiggs Burgess
Soaring Solo Social Impact Award, presented by Soaring Solo LLC:
Winner:
Nominees:
Getting There! Rebecca O’Brien
WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT HANTU-HANTU
fuckin loud
Impatient
SMOTE THIS, A Comedy About God…and other Serious $h*t
Splash Award, presented by Namba Performing Arts Space Inc.:
Winner:
Nominees:
Missionary Positions
The Allure of Thug Life
Is Krishna There? A Begum Akhtar Story
5 Years or 5 Minutes
I Feel The Need
Springboard Award, presented by Fringe Management LLC:
Winner:
Take Me As I Am: A Joni Mitchell Tribute
Nominees:
Lebanese Debutante
Runaway Rue
SMOTE THIS, A Comedy About God…and other Serious $h*t
Wounded, by Jiggs Burgess
The Catania Off Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by Catania Off Fringe Festival:
Winner:
Take Me As I Am: A Joni Mitchell Tribute
Nominees:
fuckin loud
SMOTE THIS, A Comedy About God…and other Serious $h*t
The Loud Karma Emerging Women and Nonbinary Playwright’s Award, presented by Loud Karma Productions, LLC:
SECOND PLACE: Two Cats on a Date
THIRD PLACE: Birds and the Curiosity
Nominees:
Arizona Rain
fuckin loud
Ghosts Can’t Pay Rent
The Sentence
The San Diego International Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by the San Diego International Fringe Festival:
WINNER: Infierno
WINNER: Haunting Rights
Nominees:
The Sydney Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by the Sydney Fringe Festival:
Winner:
A Shark Ate My Penis: a History of Boys Like Me
Nominees:
Lebanese Debutante
The Allure of Thug Life
The Theatre Theater Playwright Award, presented by the Theatre Theater Podcast:
Winner:
Nominations:
The Lemming Effect
Restoration
Arizona Rain
Under the Influence
Extension Awards
HOLLYWOOD ENCORE PRODUCERS’ AWARD
ASYLUM @ MCCADDEN THEATRE
Soirées Fantastique – An Hour Of Victorian Enchantment
ASYLUM @ STEPHANIE FEURY STUDIO THEATRE
A Definitive Ranking Of My Closest Friends
A Flight Of Comedy From Andy Wasif
Attack Of The 36ggg Woman (From 3 Clubs)
Chips (From Art Of Acting Studio)
Do Any Of You Know Who This Is?
Grown Up Orphan Annie (From The Broadwater)
Haunting Rights (From The Broadwater)
Heart Of Golden Tar (From The Broadwater)
Jolly Playtime (From The Broadwater)
Mark Pleases You (From The Broadwater)
Patient 13 (From The Broadwater )
Shagadelic: The Origins Of Slang Words For Doing It (From The Broadwater)
Smote This, A Comedy About God…And Other Serious $H*T (From The Broadwater)
The Allure Of Thug Life (From 905 Cole)
The Queen Of Bitcoin: The Rise And Fall
Things To Avoid In A Eulogy (The Broadwater)
Under The Influence (From The Broadwater)
Wild Hand (From 905 Cole)
Will The Real Me Please Stand Up
Wounded (From The Broadwater)
Yoni Ki Kahaniya (From The Broadwater)
ASYLUM @ THYMELE ARTS
Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson
Down To Earth
Homeless Romantic
JAXX
Cherries, Rare & Fair: A Quest For Orgasmic Rainbows (From 3 Clubs)
Missionary Positions (From Zephyr)
Monkeys (From 905 Cole)
Monsters (From Broadwater)
Ric Iverson Is Alive & Well & Living In Milpitas (From Broadwater)
Rotten Apple (From Broadwater)
A Shark Ate My Penis: A History Of Boys Like Me (From Broadwater)
Something Like…musical (From Asylum @ Thymele)
This Was Never Supposed To Be A One Woman Show (From Broadwater)
Trust Me, I’m From Essex (From Broadwater)
LIMBIC ARTHOUSE
THE ZEPHYR
STUDIO/STAGE
Messianic Moments and Cosmic Conversations
Prince Harry: LIVE At Coachella
THE MADNANI THEATER
HUDSON
Ms 499: Advertising And The Social Construction Of Gender
Homegrown Collective: Coming Home To The Soul
Penny Stinkers Improv Presents: The Living Room Special
No Fucks Given. None Taken. All Done.
Black When I Was A Boy: Part Ii Blacked Out
ACTORS COMPANY
90’s Hip-Hop Raised Me: A One Woman Show
A Normal Comedy Show. Nothing Evil Will Happen, We Presume.
Boom, Headshot!: A Geek Tragedy
The Importance Of Being Anxious
The Year That Carrie Fisher Died
Tv Land: The Live Immersive Show
THREE CLUBS
The Collective: A 1920s Mafia Immersive Experience
Take Me As I Am: A Joni Mitchell Tribute
BEST OF BROADWATER
Smote This, A Comedy About God…And Other Serious $H*T
A Shark Ate My Penis: A History Of Boys Like Me
Avital Ash Workshops Her Suicide Note (Work In Progress)
Little Stars Youth Theater Presents: Macbeth (A Solo Show)
Yoni Ki Kahaniya: Vagina Stories
The Movement You Need (A Work In Progress)
Raise Your Hand…from The Dead!
29
MAY 2023
Connect with our Access Advisory Board this week at Office Hours!
Wednesday, May 31st 7-10pm at Saint Felix Hollywood.
What is the Hollywood Fringe Access Advisory Board? (Formerly known as the Access Committee)
The Hollywood Fringe Festival Access Advisory Board is comprised of experienced fringe producers, community members, and access focused professionals in the theatre industry. They meet on a regular basis to assess our organizational practices and processes, document successful approaches to equity, and identify areas of inequity that need to be addressed.
CURRENT MEMBERS
Dan Lovato, AKA Pastiche Queen (They/Them) is a non-binary latindigenous, interdisciplinary performance artist from Denver, CO currently based in Hollywood, CA. Their work as an actor and slam poet has been featured on AppleTV’s “Dear: Viola Davis”, Facebook’s “Queer Community Leaders of Color Initiative”, and The REDCAT Theater Artist-In-Residency Program. Pastiche’s most recent one-person show at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, “Level One Gygax”, won The 2022 Theatricum Botanicum Wordsmith Award for advancing the artform of storytelling as well as being an Access Scholarship recipient. You can see them most Tuesday’s at Da Poetry Lounge.
Diana Elizabeth Jordan is an Award-Winning Actor, Solo Artist, Theater & Filmmaker, Disability & IDEA Influencer and founder & Chief Creative Artivist Of The Rainbow Butterfly Café. She has been cast in over 60 theater productions, film and television including CBS’s S.W.A.T. She was one of 20 actors selected from over 7,000 applicants for the inaugural Warner Media Discovery Access Talent Showcase. She performed her solo show Happily Ever After (One Woman’s Journey To Find A True Love) at the 2021 Hollywood Fringe where she received a diversity scholarship, Pick of The Fringe and an Encore Producers Award honors. She is an award nominated director, a producer, the founder of two production companies Dreaming Big On A Swing Entertainment and The Rainbow Butterfly Café. Diana is a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity Association and one of the disabled advocates for Women of Color Unite and serves on The Hollywood Fringe Diversity Committee. Whether portraying a character, sharing a personal story, directing, or producing a project, Diana is committed to celebrating the power of resiliency and disability intersectionality through the transformative power of storytelling. www.dianaelizabethjordan.com @fromtheheartdej on twitter, tiktok and instagram
Matthew S. Robinson* is a playwright and director who has made several Fringe shows including “Olivia Wilde Does Not Survive The Apocalypse”, “BlackBalled” and “Mary’s Medicine.” A member of the Fringe Access Committee and Scholarship Panel, he is committed to fostering more inclusion and access to the performing arts throughout the Los Angeles area. www.matthewsrobinson.com
Michelle Roshanzamir* is the Executive Director of Donna Sternberg & Dancers and Founder/Consultant at MVR Creative. Receiving her BFA from CalArts, and MBA (and minor in Theatre/Arts Management) from CSULB. The work she does centers around helping creators, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders bridge the gap between the vision of what they want to do with the business side to actually make it happen. She helps leaders develop the business strategy; develop and run programs and events; develop systems and operations; and create a plan of action so you can remove the stress, increase revenue, and bring your vision to life.
Natasha Lewin* is a HFF Mentor, part of the ACCESS Advisory Board, as well as the Diversity Scholarship Board. Her 2017 HFF Diversity Scholarship-winning play was adapted into an Oscar-qualifying short film as well as a YA graphic novel memoir. She can’t wait to see your show!
Peerada Meemalayath* is a first generation Asian American and as an actor, activist, and overall artist, she one day strives to open up her own theater company that focuses on pressing societal issues. Recently, she graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a Theater B.F.A. degree. Though she is mostly trained in the Stanislavski method and Contemporary works, she has also studied classical work such as Shakespeare and Chekhov. She has also studied other performative skills like dance, mask work, movement, voice, stage combat, accents, musical theater, clowning, commedia dell’arte and film acting. These various tools ultimately allow Peerada to create her own work on what she is most passionate about. Peerada strongly believes in adopting theater as a catalyst for social change. Whether she devises new work individually or by collaborating with other artists on narratives that focus on a voice for the voiceless, she ultimately gives back to the world with her art. Overall, as a human being and as an artist, Peerada wants to leave the world knowing that she left a positive impact. She wishes to affect people and to share ideas of equality and love with others.
Royce Shockley* is an award-winning producer, writer and comedian originally from the great state of New Jersey. He’s a founding team member of Pack Sketch Night, and has produced shows such as Black Magic Live!, The Color Collective, The Night Cap with Stacy Rumaker and more! In addition, he’s helped others win awards by consulting or mentoring on their projects for live theater and comedy performances for festivals around the country. Believing that diversity, inclusion, and equality should be the backbone of any organization; he also is a board member for The Ledge Theater, on the Scholarship and ACCESS Committees for the Hollywood Fringe Festival, and is a co-founder of the Blacktoberfest international beer festival. He has a background in political campaigns and working for “The Man” in corporate America, but now is content teaching kids when he’s not on the never ending search for the best burger in LA and being the Managing Director for The Pack Theater. You can follow him on IG @royceshockley.
Ruby Marez is not just a triple threat, but a quintuple threat as a comedian, drag performer, actor, writer, and first-generation Latina! Her solo show “The Ramón Show: Spiritual Cheerleading 101” featuring her drag king Ramón has garnered critical acclaim and won multiple awards at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2022, including “Best Immersive and Games Show,” “Pick of The Fringe,” and a “Producers Encore Award.” Ruby currently tours this award-winning show to colleges, theaters, and various venues across the United States. And when she’s not entertaining audiences with her solo show, she’s bringing her drag king Ramón, to festivals, comedy shows, and immersive, interactive events. Ruby is also a multi-talented writer, co-writing the original comedic pilot “Year Zero,” which was an I.F.P. finalist, (now known as The Gotham Awards) and went into development in 2018. Ruby’s acting skills have not gone unnoticed either, winning Best Actress for the short film “Corações em Fogo” at the Culture and Diversity Film Festival in 2019. Her sketch comedy duo, Arroz Con Pho, has performed at Second City L.A., in the Los Angeles Diversity in Comedy Fest, and most recently to a sold-out house at S.F.’s Sketchfest in 2023!
Ruby’s creative endeavors span beyond the entertainment industry. She’s also a published writer, with her essay on growing up as both Puerto Rican and Jewish in the Midwest featured in the book “What We Brought Back: Jewish Life After Birthright-Reflections by Alumni of Taglit-Birthright Israel Trips.” Check out Ruby’s and Ramón’s upcoming shows and videos on their websites: www.theramonshow.com, www.rubymarez.com And Follow Ruby and Ramón on IG: @ramonlovesyou & @queenrubes
Spencer Frankeberger* is an award-winning producer, director, and actor and a graduate of iO West, Second City Hollywood, and ComedySportz LA. He has an MFA in Film Production from Florida State University and is a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC). He is also a tour guide on the World-Famous Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood and hosts his own theme park podcast @theoreticalthrills. www.spencerfrankeberger.com IG/TikTok: @spencer101f
TL Forsberg is a critically acclaimed award-winning solo artist (“The Book That Won’t Close”); International touring artist in the Deaf Culture; Speaker on Diversity & Inclusion; American Ambassador for Disability, and an EIPA Certified Interpreter in ASL.
Her life story is featured in the award-winning documentary, “See What I’m Saying:The Deaf Entertainers Documentary,” she plays Olivia on ABC’s “Switched at Birth,” and the Band’s Sytlist in VH1’s reality TV Series ‘SuperGroup.”
As a Diversity Advocate, TL is passionate about accessibility and works as an ASL Theatrical Interpreter. Some credits include: NBC’s “ The Voice,” ABC’s “American Idol,” Theatre West, CSUF Theatre Program, USC Drama Dept, Agape International Spiritual Center and The Hollywood Fringe.
Terrell M. Green (MSDMM) is an artist, advocate, and educator based in Los Angeles, CA. Hailing from Philadelphia, PA, Terrell has attended: University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism (M.S. in Digital Media Management); Marymount Manhattan College in NYC (B.A in Theatre Performance); The British American Drama Academy at Oxford University’s Magdalen Campus in Oxfordshire, England (Professional Certificate in Shakespeare Performance); and marionette puppetry training in Cork and Dublin, Ireland. For the past 10+ years, Terrell has created arts-integrated youth programming in literacy enrichment, social and emotional learning, sexual and reproductive health, and conflict resolution. Terrell believes that art access is a tool to combat public health issues and uses media and storytelling as data collection metrics. Terrell’s work and advocacy have been featured in American Theatre Magazine, Philly Mag, Philly Gay News, Shoutout LA, Voyage LA, LA Sentinel, Annenberg Media, The Philadelphia Inquirer, WHYY, and Philly’s KYW news radio.
*Founding members of our Access Committee: Ella Turenne, Matthew Robinson, Michelle Roshanzamir, Natasha Lewin, Peerada Meemalayath, Royce Shockley, Rufino Romero, Spencer Frankeberger
To apply for the Access Advisory Board, fill out this application: https://forms.gle/7ezHj1ctUgBZVJMA6
29
MAY 2023
In advance of HFF23, we’re here with everything Hollywood Fringe artists and participants need to know about our new arts industry program, Discover Fringe! The Discover Fringe program seeks to connect participating artists with members of the international theatre, film and television industries to take their shows beyond the Hollywood Fringe Festival stages.
Arts industry professionals from various organizations have signed up to attend HFF23, network with artists, and in some cases, present a Discover Fringe Award!
There are three types of Discover Fringe arts industry members at HFF23:
1. Discover Fringe Arts Industry: Members from various arts and entertainment organizations who are interested in networking with Hollywood Fringe artists and seeing various shows at the festival.
2. Discover Fringe Awards Presenter: Members from various arts and entertainment organizations who are interested in networking with Hollywood Fringe artists AND are presenting a Discover Fringe Award at HFF23.
3. Discover Fringe Awards Judge: Members from various arts and entertainment organizations who are a part of a Discover Fringe Award committee, and will be evaluating shows that will be considered for Discover Fringe Awards.
All three of these categories will have the ability to request comp tickets for your HFF23 shows, similar to the way press can. It is entirely up to you if you’d like to accept their comp ticket request, but we do highly recommend providing comp tickets for arts industry folks, as many of them are interested in offering opportunities to artists beyond the festival.
When a comp is requested, the primary producer will receive an email! SO CHECK YOUR EMAILS DURING THE FESTIVAL. In that email, there will be a handy link that will take you directly to a comp approval page. Super easy!
