Tips for CFF 2012 Applications!

Applications for the 2012 Chicago Fringe Festival go live on December 12! To successfully complete it:

You WILL NOT need a No. 2 pencil, because the application is not a standardized test! While you DO have to meet the basic requirements for participation to take part in the Festival, you will NOT be scored or otherwise judged on the contents of the application, because the Fringe is an unjuried festival. This ensures the Festival is truly diverse, not just a reflection of a selection committee’s tastes!

You WILL NOT need a copy of your tax returns, because the Fringe does not care how much money you have to sink into your show! All you have to pony up is the application fee and, if chosen, the participation fee. This ensures the Festival is accessible to all sorts of artists!

You WILL NOT need to furnish your references or resume, because the Fringe does not care what you’ve done in the past! Our productions are a mix of established and award-winning troupes, up-and-coming artists and performers just starting out. This makes the Festival a great opportunity for artists to reach new audiences and for audiences (including critics! producers!) to discover new talent.

You WILL need to provide some basic information about who you are. This might not be as easy as it seems. For example, last year’s production The Night of the Living Dead: The Puppet Show might have questioned whether a brown skinned zombie puppet counts as a minority cast member. (Hint: it doesn't.)

Answer honestly and do your best, and if you find yourself pondering something like the zombie puppet question, congratulate yourself on finding the perfect festival to demonstrate your madcap, anything but standardized theatrical sensibility. So get ready to break your pencils, tear up your resumes and fill out the application!