A couple Saturdays ago, I joined some LA theatre folk for a discussion on the future of theatre in our society. The final discussion is required (or at least strongly suggested) listening for those that care about the relevance of theatre in society and this particular city.

Panel participants included Matt Wells of NeedTheater, Gedaley Guberek of Coeurage Theatre, Paul Millet of the The Nom de Guerre Theatre Guild, Michael Michetti of Boston Court Theater, Terence McFarland of LA Stage Alliance, Evan Henerson a theater critic, and Frank Manano of the Inland Valley Repertory Theater

It aired over the weekend on KPCC’s Off-Ramp; if you missed it, you can listen to the discussion on KPCC’s website.

Thanks to Steve Julian and the good folks in the beautiful, new Pasadena, CA studios.

Ben

There is exactly one month left to register for the inaugural Hollywood Fringe Festival. Registration officially closes on April 1.

Still haven’t created your project? There is still time to get everything sorted, we strongly recommend not waiting until the last minute. As our festival is effectively 100% find-your-own-venue, you will need several days if not weeks to apply to venues, sort through contracts, and book performances. Only after having secured a venue can you register for the Fringe itself – so time is of the essence.

There are several venues already fully-booked; the good news is that we will be announcing new venues this week and there are still many seeking projects.

Have a project but haven’t booked your venue? Check out our list of venues and find the ones that appeal to you. Make sure to apply online, if you haven’t. Some venues have not started booking yet, which may explain the lack of response to-date.

Need help finding a home? Email us at [email protected] and we can help you.

Remember, you needn’t limit yourself to the venues available online. If you book any venue within the 2010 festival boundaries, you can fringe. If you are local (or visiting) hit the pavement and find any space fitting for your project.

With 160+ projects seeking homes to perform/exhibit, our first year is shaping up to be fantastic, exhilarating, chaotic, and fun. Don’t delay, start working through the registration process today. Check out this article for a step-by-step primer on how the whole thing works.

Looking forward to festival-launch on June 17! Keep your eyes on that April 1 date, though, only one month left to register.

Ben

With just a month and a half left in the registration period for the inaugural Hollywood Fringe Festival, we have over one hundred project submissions and hundreds upon hundred of artists eager to participate.

Venues are starting to fill up, don’t delay another day! if you have a show/band/exhibition/film you’d like to present, make sure to create your project now.

Registration closes on April 1 by which time you need a venue to host your work. The Fringe Festival itself debuts on stages across Hollywood on June 17.

Have a project built and have yet to secure a venue? Contact us and our support team will help you find the perfect match. 

Thanks to all our supporters and everyone who showed up to the Town Hall with your questions and words of encouragement, it was a wonderful experience meeting everyone in-person.

Stay Fringey!

Ben

FRINGE CENTRAL ANNOUNCED

After months of planning, we have officially announced our central hub for the Fringe in June. From Fringe Central you will witness slices of the Fringe, socialize and network, and buy tickets to shows produced in venues throughout Hollywood. Read the announcement in full. Thanks to our friends at Theatre of Arts for providing the venue.  We are accepting applications now on Fringe Central’s venue page.

TOWN HALL & MIXER

Thanks to all who attended the first Fringe Town Hall and Mixer, we very much enjoyed meeting all of you. Check out our reflections on the event. Read all about the Town Hall in LA Theatre Review and Bitter Lemons - two brilliant resources for arts lovers in LA.

Couldn’t make it this time? Don’t you worry: You can listen to the Town Hall and view some pictures we took of the events. If you posed for a photo with our mascots, we have posted your images, as well. 

We are announcing another mixing event in the coming week or so – keep your eyes peeled!

FRINGE on NPR

This previous Saturday, our executive director Ben Hill and a panel of luminaries discussed the future of theatre with KPCC’s Steve Julian. The show is airing on KPCC’s Off-Ramp one week from this coming Saturday from 12-1 p.m and the following Sunday 7-8 p.m (February 27/28). Don’t miss it, it was a riveting discussion. Steve has posted an article about the round table and several pictures snapped in KPCC’s new studios in Pasadena.

SPONSORS

We are producing a pretty impressive list of sponsors for the Fringe. Do you own/work for/associate with an organization interested in sponsoring the Fringe? Brand visibility opportunities abound, so make sure to contact us with your ideas.

What is Fringe Central, you ask?

Fringe Central is your launching point for everything Fringe:

• The home of the central box office selling tickets to all the venues and projects participating in Fringe.
• A theatrical space open to Fringe participants needing an extra performance or two.
• A host for workshops on all subjects.
• An outlet for visual artists to promote and sell their work.
• A place to socialize, relax, imbibe, and network.
• A hub for your Fringe adventure, guiding you to all the venues in the festival.

The facility itself includes the Theatre of Arts Arena Stage, a 99-seat theatrical space. Check out our venue tour of the space featuring Nick Hill (Fringe Central Manager) and James Warwick (President of Theatre of Arts).

We are planning a whole host of activities for Fringe Central come June; expect even more exciting announcements in the coming weeks.

Interested in applying to Fringe Central? We are booking hour slots while space is available and our rates are very reasonable. You must have a venue booking somewhere else in the Fringe to qualify, as well as registration with the festival. You can apply right now by visiting our venue page.

This announcement has been a long time in the coming and we are so happy to provide another promotional opportunity to our Fringe community.

Ben

Check out our slideshow of pictures from the Town Hall & Mixer – including your pictures with our mascots, the freaks. These are just a selection, to see all the photos from photographer Nick Cimiluca, visit our flickr stream.

Special thanks to Julisa Smith and J.P. Wohl for their amazing mascot modeling.

Ben