Thursday, April 28, 2011

Design Contest Accepting Submissions!

50 shows booked. 1 design needed.

What Chicago Fringe Festival is: an artistic extravaganza taking place in the Pilsen neighborhood between September 1-11, 2011. 50 shows will be performed by theatricalizers of every stripe, from actors and dancers to performance artists and aerialists.

What Chicago Fringe Festival needs from you: a single design that will be as emblematic of Chicago Fringe 2011 as the S on Superman’s chest. We need a design that is so arresting, dynamic, searing, whimsical, mind-bending or otherwise amazing that it will radiate cartoon-like waves of energy. Some further crucial information to help you create the graphic gold we’re panning for:

 The design should reflect, suggest, embody, convey or otherwise relate, directly or obliquely, to our Festival theme: On the Map, Under the Radar.

 The design should capture (or at least not contradict) some of the other key characteristics of Chicago Fringe theatre.
We value diversity. We feature performers of all ages, ethnicities, nationalities and orientations in shows about everything from Irish dancing to Rambo. And we believe that audiences should reflect the diversity on stage: our tickets are affordable, allowing anyone with a few spare bucks to see theatre. We are homegrown. The Festival was founded by Chicagoans and is infused with Chicago’s spirit of grit and innovation. And the Festival is proudly located in Pilsen, a neighborhood whose vivid murals testify to Chicago’s rich history and tradition of public art. We are guided by the philosophy that small theatre can be great theatre. A show performed in an improvised storefront space can be just as gripping and revelatory as the most lavish production at the fanciest theatre. To learn more about what Chicago Fringe is, visit http://www.chicagofringe.org/.

 You can (but are not required to) include the words “Chicago Fringe Festival 2011” as part of your design, but no other text, please.

Prizes
See your design on CTA ads and Fringe materials distributed all over Chicago! The winner’s design will be the design for the official 2011 Fringe Festival poster and the design will appear in part or in whole on a wide range of Fringe materials, including in our mobile app, on ads, tee-shirts, Festival programs, pins, banners and more. The winner’s name will appear on the poster and all other materials on which it is practicable to include an artist credit. The winner will also receive a commemorative Fringe button granting entry to all eleven days of the Festival. Last year’s Festival drew an audience of over 2,000 people, and this year promises to be even bigger. Three runners-up will have their designs published on chicagofringe.org.

Submitting Entries
All entries must be emailed to design2011@chicagofringe.org. The design size of the file must not exceed 11x17”. The design can be saved at a resolution that will enable us to zoom in to see details during judging, but the file size must not exceed 2MB. Designs may be in any medium. Multiple submissions are acceptable.

Submit PDF files only. Keep in mind that if your design is chosen, you will need to supply a version 12x18” at 300 dpi.

In the body of your email provide:
Your First and Last Name
Phone Number
Email Address

The Deadline
Your submission must be submitted by 8:00 p.m. on May 15, 2011. Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered for the competition.

Other Important Stuff
Winning Entrants agree to assign all rights in their work to the Chicago Fringe Festival. These include but are not limited to the rights to edit, reproduce and distribute on printed and digital materials (including the Chicago Fringe Festival website). All entries must be 100% original work by the artist. No use of a third party's copyrighted material is allowed in any way, even if it is allowable under Fair Use guidelines. Chicago Fringe Festival will notify winners by June 7th, 2011 or after judging is complete.

If you have additional questions, e-mail us at info@chicagofringe.org

Monday, April 25, 2011

PUPPET SLAM!

Attention all puppeteers: PUPPET MELTDOWN primary auditions close May 1!

Attention all puppet show fanatics (and puppet show virgins ready for a rollicking first time): PUPPET MELTDOWN will occur on June 24!

More information from Chicagoland Puppetry Guild:

In case you missed our ad in the Reader, we’re looking for short acts for a June 24 Puppet Slam ("Puppet Meltdown") at Gorilla Tango Theater, and would love to hear from you. New work, something "in the works," or a re-do of something you like in a 3-12 minute format, basic tech provided and (if you need it) a puppet stage on hand. There’s even a house band for the event! Primary auditions close May 1, and you can contact us at chicagolandpuppetyrguild@yahoo.com or go direct to the event Producer, Kat Pleviak at http://www.seabeastpuppetry.com/

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Momentum!


There's a sense of life gaining momentum here in Chicago in the spring, maybe because of all the runners and bikers and unicyclists (well, a Fringster can dream) suddenly whizzing along the streets.

If you're a Chi-based artist inspired by the pace of springtime life to get a jump on planning for your Fringe performances, we want to let you know about the aptly-named Theatre Momentum Studios. These three studios, located in the Cornelia Arts Building, are available at the great daytime rate of $8/hr.

You can find more info about studio rentals and learn about the unique, improvisation-based Theatre Momentum at their website. Or better yet, check out one of their productions, since their new season has just kicked off! Here's the skinny on what's upcoming (and some discount codes):

Theatre Momentum’s new season!

TM presents our newest show, BEFORE AND AFTER

BEFORE AND AFTER explores a single character's development in the aftermath of a life-changing event, played out in parallel with the story that them there in the first place. Life is defined in moments, but no one ever really changes...

Performance dates: Thursdays-Saturdays, April 14-May 7

Tickets: $10 Fridays/Saturdays, $8 Thursdays

DISCOUNT CODES: 2-for-1 tickets: "SCHROEDINGER", or $2 off: "NEWTON"

Also opening:

The Inertia Series, in association with Theatre Momentum, presents EMOTIVES.

EMOTIVES is an improvised three-act play in miniature. The show explores how the expression of feelings through language compels decisions and ultimately influences the lives of characters. What happens when we finally say what we mean?

Performance dates: Wednesdays, April 13-May 4

Tickets: $5

All shows @ Apollo Theater Studio, 2540 North Lincoln Avenue

Reservations may be made through the Apollo Theater box office at (773) 935-6100.

theatremomentum.com

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

HOPE: A Night of Jazz, Blues, World Music and Human Fellowship for the Benefit of the People of Japan

Our friends at HumanThread have organized an evening of music to raise money for tsunami relief in Japan. Chicago Fringe artists, please consider attending to contribute to this important cause and support HumanThread, an organization based in Pilsen whose misson to promote peace and inspire action through art is in beautiful harmony with Fringe values.

The event will take place on Tuesday, April 12, starting at 6PM at Jazz Showcase. Scheduled performers include Neal Alger, The Green Mill Quartet, Steven Hashimoto, Mothra, Suenos-Latin Jazz, Haruko Wada and many more. Suggested donation is $30. 100% of proceeds go to The Japanese Red Cross Society. More info available at HumanThread and The Japan America Society of Chicago.