Today we learned that the editor of our long-time media partner Bitter Lemons posted an article in reaction to the recent story of long-term abuse at the Chicago Profiles Theatre. The article has incited a serious response from and conversation within the Fringe community that requires us to re-evaluate our relationship with Bitter Lemons.

Providing a safe space is essential to our job. We do not condone abuse.

We believe that abuse is given an extended life when victims are told they are to blame. In solidarity with all individuals who have been victims of abuse, the Hollywood Fringe Festival will no longer work with or endorse Bitter Lemons.  

If you have questions or concerns about this issue, please contact us directly at [email protected].

Fringe shouldn’t be about competition. In fact, here at the Hollywood Fringe we’ve become known for having a welcoming and constructive community. However, awards can have an extremely valuable impact on a production. And so we have the Fringe Award Ceremony on the last day of the festival (June 26), with a Closing Night Party afterward. 

We give out two kinds of awards: Community Awards & Sponsored Awards.

Sponsored Awards are presented by outside organizations to commend like-minded artists. Here’s a list of all the sponsored awards being presented this year.

The Community Awards, also lovingly known as “The Freaks”, are determined by the Fringe community. These highly-coveted awards are given out to the best shows in each category (“Best in Ensemble Theatre”, “Best in Comedy”, etc.). The highest honor, the Top of the Fringe Award is given to the show most adored by the Fringe community. 

Fringe community members will receive ballots during the last days of the festival via email. This includes participants, venue managers, audience members who see a certain amount of shows and those who leave a certain number of reviews on hollywoodfringe.org. 

Check out last year’s award winners here.

• Disrupted
• Las Garcia
• Odilia
• Uterine Affairs
• Yuri Speaks Out 

Please come celebrate this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival at the following special events!

Opening Night Party at Fringe Central (6510 Santa Monica Blvd.)

June 8th at 7pm

The biggest event of the Fringe season. Entrance requires a $5 Fringe Button ($3 for participants). Skip the line by buying a button online. Buttons will also be available for purchase at the door. http://hff16.org/3692

Fringe Runway at Fringe Central (6510 Santa Monica Blvd.)

June 15th at 9pm

This showcase for Fringe fashion will feature costumes from this year’s festival. To apply, email [email protected] before 5pm on Monday, June 13. Please include “CATWALK” in the subject line and the following in the body: contact name, contact phone number, name of designer, show title and number of costumes you’d like to showcase. http://hff16.org/3905

Fringe Prom: Purple Rain at Fringe Central (6510 Santa Monica Blvd.) 

June 22nd at 8pm

This year’s Fringe prom theme, chosen by the #hff16 community, is Purple Rain. Adorn yourself in your finest purple, lavender, violet, and indigo shades for a night inspired by the artist Prince. Purple not your favorite color? The iconic film was released in 1984, when New Wave 80s fashion was at its most ruffled glory. Watch this space (and the tag #hffprom on Twitter and Instagram) for costume ideas! http://hff16.org/3904

Fringe Rocks at Fringe Central (6510 Santa Monica Blvd.)

June 24th at 10pm

Fringe Rocks is back! Don your wickedest threads or dress up as your favorite rock star for this Live-Band Karaoke night, featuring The Moon Units. Karaoke will be first-come, first-served, with more than 200 songs to choose from. Come punk, come metal, come as you are… just come ready to rock! http://hff16.org/3908

Award Ceremony at The Ricardo Montalban Theatre (1615 Vine St.)

June 26th at 6:30pm

Join us for a celebration of all that’s excelled in the festival as the nominees march down the red carpet on a path to Fringe glory. Doors at 6pm. All ages welcome. http://hff16.org/3906

Closing Night Party at Fringe Central (6510 Santa Monica Blvd.)

June 26th at 8pm

Join us at Fringe Central to toast the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival at the official #hff16 Closing Night Party. This celebration will begin directly after the Awards Ceremony and will last well into the night, until all our tears are dry and our cups are empty. This event is open to Fringe participants, festival friends, family, audience, and supporters! http://hff16.org/3907

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is proud to announce that it has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Art Works grant of $10,000 to support the Fringe Scholarships program. This grant stems from more than $82 million approved by NEA Chairman Jane Chu to fund local arts projects and partnerships. The Art Works category supports the creation of work and presentation of both new and existing work, lifelong learning in the arts, and public engagement with the arts through 13 arts disciplines or fields. 
 
“Hollywood Fringe began only seven years ago and has grown into a festival reaching tens of thousands of people,” says Festival Director Ben Hill. “This funding allows us to sustain that growth by supporting artists and programming that is diverse, inclusive, and relevant to the local community. We are truly honored to have been selected as a recipient." 
 
The Fringe Scholarships program strives to provide a platform for artists to exhibit the most diverse and cutting-edge points-of-view, by offering unique and underserved artists scholarships to participate in the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival. Scholarships will be awarded to artists whose festival participation will increase festival attendance and participation by local Hollywood residents, increase arts participation of ethnically diverse and/or low-income artists, and enrich audience experience through the presentation of unique, underrepresented themes and/or narratives. 
 
“The arts are all around us, enhancing our lives in ways both subtle and obvious, expected and unexpected,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Supporting projects like the one from Hollywood Fringe Festival offers more opportunities to engage in the arts every day.”