ISOLATION AFTER CLOSE CONTACT WITH COVID-19: FESTIVAL POLICY

The Hollywood Fringe has over 1,700 cast, crew members + venue team members that rely on community safety to keep them safe from illness. We ask that you follow these guidelines when you get sick, regardless of it being related to COVID-19, so that you may not spread your illness across the Fringe.

IF YOU, A CAST MEMBER, CREW MEMBER, OR VENUE TEAM MEMBER TEST POSITIVE… 

- You must report infection to Fringe staff ([email protected]) and your venue rep – neglecting to report this directly violates our Code of Conduct.

- Consider all team members you’ve been in contact with over the past 5 days a possible exposure (see below for recommendations).

- Email [email protected] right away so we can begin the process of rescheduling or moving tickets if it is deemed necessary under your circumstances.

If your show can go on without that team member, you can perform your show if:

- You procure a negative test from all exposed team members within 24 hours of each time you’ll be on site for a total of 7 days.

- Your cast/crew wear a mask while not on stage.

- We strongly encourage you to require masks in your audience – if you would like some to have on hand, please pick up from Fringe Central.

You may end your isolation

- After 5 days if you test negative on a COVID-19 test (one taken at home is fine) AND are symptom free.

- After 10 days if you are no longer symptomatic but still test positive

You may enforce stricter guidelines if your venue, cast and/or crew agree that is the right thing to do.

IF YOU, A CAST MEMBER, CREW MEMBER, OR VENUE TEAM MEMBER ARE EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WITH COVID-19

We consider contact/exposure as being around a positive individual for 15 minutes, masked or unmasked, indoors or outdoors.  We encourage you to report exposure to Fringe staff ([email protected]) and your venue rep to see what next steps should be taken.

After an exposure we ask that you:

- Do not come to Fringe events outside your performance times for the first 3-days post exposure

- Test daily and wear a well-fitting mask for the first 7 days after exposure when you do have to come to the Fringe site outside of your performance times.

- You can perform your show without a mask if you have tested negative and have no symptoms

You do not need to stay home unless you develop symptoms. If you develop symptoms, you should follow the “tested positive” protocols.

Symptoms include but are not limited to: 

- Fever or chills

- Cough

- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

- Fatigue

- Muscle or body aches

- Headache

- New loss of taste or smell

- Sore throat

- Congestion or runny nose

- Nausea or vomiting

- Diarrhea

Are you struggling with selling tickets?

Please see below for all the resources Hollywood Fringe has to offer plus some awesome advice we’ve gathered over the last decade from producers who have found success under our platform!

FRINGE RESOURCES

1. If you haven’t watched our workshops + town halls from last year, catch them all here! There are unbelievable gems of information from Fringe staff and award winning past participants.
2. If you haven’t seen the Fringe marketing opportunities blog, catch them here!

TIPS, TRICKS + BEST PRACTICES

Get organized! People want to help you, but they are SUPER busy. But, if you had a really easy way (i.e. a media kit with already built social posts, good images, pull quotes) for them to pull marketing, they’ll usually help you repost (but you might have to help them later)! These media kits don’t have to be fancy – sometimes a single Google Doc or PDF with all the info (like a press release and links to images they may share) is more than enough.

Delegate to your friends + family. You’re overwhelmed, but you are not alone! Who are you close to that you can bring in? They don’t even have to be familiar with Fringe. It could be your niece who is obsessed with making tik toks (social media), your neighbor who is a huge social butterfly (word of mouth) or even just someone to help you keep organized.

Know your show is good, but don’t know anyone in LA? Paper your house (that means give out a ton of comps) for your first two shows! Invite your fellow artists to come (and ask them to leave you a review). After the show, send them all a message via the Fringe site with an easy way for them to promote your show. For example, you could include in your thank you email a link to a social media post and ask them to repost with a specific promo code for lower priced tickets.

Have some friends doing Fringe? Cross promote! You shout out their show at the curtain call, they shout out yours. Add them to your program and ask if they can do the same. Flyer together at a place you feel comfortable (or, if your audience is the tourist crowd, on Hollywood Blvd!)

Find your people. The Fringe is all about GRASSROOTS marketing- that means word of mouth, meeting people and getting out of your comfort zone. Find local groups that match your show content and invite them to your performances! For example, if your show is about motherhood, you could go to your local mom Facebook group + become active on the site. Post a link to your show in the group and see if you can have a moms night out organized with your team. Maybe there is a huge mom meet up? Go to it and talk about your show. You are selling yourself as much as you are selling your show—believe in yourself! 

Feel like you’re doing it all, but having no luck? Phone a friend you trust (the type of person you could market your show to) and send them your copy, your images and see if there’s something they think is missing. Simple pivots like a clearer marketing message sometimes make all the difference.

STILL HAVING TROUBLE?

Come talk to us in person at Fringe Central- we are here to help! Hours and more at www.hollywoodfringe.org/central

And, as always, email [email protected] if you’re out of time and need some quick advice.

It’s almost tech time; let’s talk pre-show speeches for Hollywood Fringe! 

Remember, your show is part of a larger festival community, so it is essential to make audiences aware of this so that your collective audiences grow. We have also included a land acknowledgment as part of a county-wide cultural policy development. You can learn more about the Hollywood Fringe Festival land acknowledgment here. 

Your venue may already have your pre-show speech covered – if unsure, please contact your venue directly. 

If you would like to use the standard Hollywood Fringe pre-show speech. Download HHF’s Pre-Show Speech here in mp3 or wav here! 

If you would like to make your own, you are more than welcome to. We ask that you include the following bullet points (you are brilliant creatives; we trust you to make these points your own while keeping the integrity of the message intact). Here is a link to free audio software – it’s super user-friendly (& not a sponsor)! 

- A land acknowledgment (feel free to use ours if you don’t already have one: The Hollywood Fringe acknowledges that we are on the unceded lands of the Tongva, Kizh, Gabrielinos, and Gabrieleños. Our statement serves as a practice as we commit to furthering our connection to the Indigenous communities past, present, and emerging.)

- Welcome to the 2024 Hollywood Fringe Festival! We are excited to be part of the 14th annual festival in the heart of Hollywood; we are one of hundreds of shows playing now through June 30th! After this performance, discover more shows and buy tickets at www.hollywoodfringe.org for more info!

- Visit Fringe Central – open every Wednesday-Sunday at the Ovation Center on Hollywood + Highland to connect with artists, check out a free cabaret, or get help navigating the festival at the Fringe Box Office.

- Don’t forget to leave a review! 

- When the show is over, please make a swift exit – lots of shows play back-to-back at Fringe! 

- Don’t forget to turn off those cell phones and clock that you see where your emergency exits are (your venue might require you to use specific language here). 

If you already have a pre-show speech recorded that also includes a land acknowledgment, here is a post-show speech you can include to make your show part of the great Fringe ecosystem. Help each other build larger audiences! Download HFF’s optional Post-Show Speech in mp3 or wav here! 

If you have any issues or questions with the above, please contact [email protected], and we will gladly discuss any specific issues and allow for alterations when appropriate on a show-by-show basis. 

Each year at Hollywood Fringe, we celebrate the end of the festival with our Awards Ceremony and Closing Night Party (this year, it’s the evening of July 1st at Los Angeles LGBT Center!) Two types of awards are given out: Community Awards (“The Freaks”) & Discover Fringe Awards (formerly Sponsored Awards). Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about each type of award!

COMMUNITY AWARDS: 

The Community Awards, lovingly known as “The Freaks”, are determined by the Fringe community via a voting process. Fringe community members receive ballots in the last days of the festival via email. The productions with the most votes in a given category are announced as nominees hours prior to the ceremony via an email newsletter and website post, and the ultimate winners are revealed at the awards ceremony.

Who gets to vote on Community Awards? You will receive a ballot via email at the end of the festival to vote on Community Awards if you (1) are an HFF24 participant or venue manager added to a specific HFF24 project OR (2) reserve tickets for 3 or more shows on the Hollywood Fringe website OR (3) write 3 or more reviews for HFF24 shows.

Categories for HFF24 Community Awards:

Top of the Fringe Award

Fringe International Award

Fringe First for World Premiere

Fringe Award for Cabaret & Variety

Fringe Award for Comedy

Fringe Award for Dance & Physical Theatre

Fringe Award for Drama

Fringe Award for Immersive & Games

Fringe Award for Musicals and Operas

Fringe Award for Solo Performance

Fringe Award for Two-Person Show

DISCOVER FRINGE AWARDS (formerly known as Sponsored Awards): 

Discover Fringe Awards are presented by outside organizations to commend excellence in a number of categories. These awards tend to be more specific than the community awards and may include monetary gifts or an extension to a show’s run. Hollywood Fringe participants must submit themselves for consideration, and winners are announced at the awards ceremony along with the community awards.

How to apply for Discover Fringe Awards: Each Discover Fringe Award presenter will have different qualifications and requirements to be considered for their awards (which can be found on their individual award pages, located HERE). Some awards will have a form to fill out, and others will require that you contact them directly through the Hollywood Fringe website to submit yourself for consideration. Be thoughtful when you submit your show to be considered for an award, and remember not to overwhelm award presenters with messages or emails – they will do their very best to see as many shows as possible. 

Sample message:

“Hi <NAME>, my name is <NAME> and I’d love to be considered for <NAME OF AWARD> for my show <NAME OF SHOW>. <add information about why your show is qualified and should be considered for the award>. Thank you for your consideration! <NAME>”

*Make sure to include the award name in the subject line of the message so that they know what you are messaging about!

You are welcome (but not required) to comp tickets for award presenters/judges. They will request comp tickets through the Hollywood Fringe website, and their title (award presenter, judge, etc.) will be specified with the comp request. 

2024 Discover Fringe Awards: (view them all and apply here)

Best of Asylum Award, presented by Theater Asylum / Combined Artform

Best of the Broadwater Award, presented by The Broadwater

Ella Turenne Award, presented by Hollywood Fringe Access Advisory Committee

International Fringe Encore Series, presented by SoHo Playhouse

Jaxx’s Cultural Arts Envoy Award, presented by Jaxx Theatricals

No Room in the Green Room Award, presented by Make Believe Stage Productions, LLC

Soaring Solo SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD, presented by Soaring Solo LLC

Splash Award, presented by Namba Performing Arts Space, Inc

StageCrafts Select Award, presented by The StageCrafts

The Loud Karma Emerging Women and Nonbinary Playwright’s Award, presented by Loud Karma Productions, LLC

The Theatre Theater Playwright Award, presented by Theatre Theater Podcast

The Screamiest, presented by Midsummer Scream

Three Clubs Production Award, presented by Three Clubs

This year, we are thrilled to help share art across the globe and create opportunities for artists to expand their reach. Through exciting collaborations with partnering Fringe Festivals, we are providing opportunity for their artists and ours. Each of these awards will include a performance opportunity in person at the following partner festivals:

Adelaide Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by Adelaide Fringe Festival in Adelaide, Australia

Denver Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by Denver Fringe Festival in Denver, CO

Fringe Italia Off Exchange Award, presented by Fringe Italia Off in Italy

Sydney Fringe Festival Exchange Award, presented by Sydney Fringe Festival in Sydney, Australia

VIEW ALL DISCOVER FRINGE AWARDS AND APPLY HERE!

The Hollywood Fringe’s Handy Guide to Choosing Your Category

The Hollywood Fringe would never try to put a label on you, the artist. You are free to be. But your show? You’ve gotta categorize that, and we’re here to help. You can register your show in any category you wish, but try to match what area best represents your show! 

Solo Show- Yep, we are starting with an easy one. Its a show… with one person. It can be comedy, tragedy, a Ted talk, thirty-five minutes of whistling the entire HMS Pinafore… the point is there is ONE PERSON. If your show is a one person show that is also a comedy or musical consider choosing another category! 

Two Person Show- Same as above, only with a friend!

Comedy- So say you have more than one or two people. Like a group of people. And y’all are funny. Really funny. And the script is too! People are laughing their dang ol’ heads off. This is where you go!

Drama- Sure, there are some funny elements in your show, because life is funny, and theatre is life. This is your general category for ensemble theatre (three or more actors) that does not fall into any more niche box. 

Musicals and Operas- You are in any of the above BUT sometime just saying the words isn’t enough. You just gotta sing! (a lot) And maybe play an instrument or two! This is the moment… you can register for the Fringe!

Dance and Physical Theatre- Your show is movement based! Whether you are tango-ing, tap dancing or tumbling, the storytelling performance is all about getting physical. This category is not all just dance-based but also includes any storytelling done primarily through movement based work.

Cabaret and Variety-  Maybe you have all these cool elements like music, songs, dances, poetry readings, puppets, etc. and you are putting all of them together in some sort of review. And you maybe have a dope ass master of ceremonies or MC running the whole thing. And maybe you’re in a different kind of space like a bar or restaurant. Well, old chum, this is the category for you!

Immersive and Games- Go ahead! Break that fourth wall! You love the outdoors so go perform a murder mystery in the outdoors! Or Pinter at your old high school. Or Shakespeare in the back of a van. Or maybe you want to use a traditional theater but you want to remove the “stage” and immerse the audience within the performance itself. 

Events and Workshops- Want to give a lecture on climate change? Or teach a class on directing for the stage? Or throw a dance party? This is also where you will find many of the Fringe-sponsored activities! Note these events are not on the awards ballot.