Twitter/Facebook

As I was on Twitter and Facebook today, surveying all as Oxymandias in Watchmen, I am seeing topics about Fringe brewing...people asking why, why don't we have one? To which I just say, we're working on it! :) I have commented and direct tweeted as applicable. By the way, if you haven't yet, check out The New Colony's blog. They are currently publishing a wish for Chicago theater each day, and it's fascinating: http://www.thenewcolony.org/wordpress/

August Already

A bit of an update on the last post - we ended up having to re-file the incorporation, so our official official incorporation date is 7/24/2009. Since then things have been coming along nicely. We have invited some new folks to attend our upcoming board meeting; pretty thrilled about that. It's really something how folks are starting to contact us. People all over the country are excited about this! Stay tuned here for news of upcoming events. I hope to start blogging much more frequently. I think I've been taking the blog too seriously and probably need to let loose and view each post as less precious and just blog more often.

Fringe is in high season right now! It's great to hear little snippets from the fringes as they roll out across the country.

Last weekend I participated and attended the Abbie Hoffman Festival here in Chicago. As usual, it was fun and wonderfully bizarre.

Happy Birthday ChiFringe!

We have officially filed the paperwork to become a real life business. May 19, 2009 will always reflect the date of incorporation.

We had a productive board meeting Saturday morning - got everything all pretty and signed, and started some lucrative discussions on fundraising, the website, and the selection process. I find that we are becoming more sure, more confident; really more arrow like. I suppose now with our filing of the incorporation, we've gone ahead and loosed that arrow from our bow.

Rhino Fest, Around the Coyote, Abbie Hoffman

Props are due. It needs saying that I recognize the long standing Chicago Festivals, The Rhinoceros Festival (www.rhinofest.com), the Around the Coyote Festival (www.aroundthecoyote.org), and the Abbie Hoffmann Died for Our Sins Festival (http://www.maryarrchie.com/abbie.html) are important for our theatre community. These are the original Fringes of Chicago. The Chicago Fringe Festival will be another chapter, a companion to these awesome long standing fests. Each event has it's own skill set if you will. Rhino is thoughtfully curated and represents some of the most exciting work in the city. ATC brings together artists from many genres into one festival; Abbie Hoffman is fast-paced, quick, and intense.

What will be the Fringe M.O. in this context? I think there are two key components for distinguishing this festival. The first is the lottery system. We invite a completely open selection. Secondly, I hope that this grows into a space where we invite artists from around the country and the world to participate.

There are other ways that Fringe will grow to distinguish itself...but we can't divulge all our secrets at once!

Pilsen

Oh my oh my. We had our field trip in Pilsen this past weekend to scout it out as a possible location for Fringe. I for one am head over heels in love. A few selling points: I saw a risky and exhilarating show at the Dream Theatre called SEQUESTERED. They produce all originals, and I assure you that I will be back for more. Check them out at www.dreamtheatrecompany.com. I also saw another theater that I was henceforth not aware was located around there: EP Theater. I plan on catching their next show, COYDOG, opening April 29th. (www.eptheater.com) In addition to that, I passed so many drop dead gorgeous empty galleries that just scream to have all original fringe theatre happen in them that my head was spinning. Topping even that: there is this sweet hollowed out church that has been transformed into a community park. I don't know the whole story there, but having a performance happen in there would be just...just...exhilarating. There was also inspiring visit to the National Museum of Mexican Art (http://www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/visit.html). There's also a performance space in there.

Let me qualify all with willy-nilly dreaming with the fact that I have not yet had any contact with any of the aforementioned organizations. Time will tell of any of this pans out. One thing remains clear in the afterglow of yesterday afternoon: this project approaches, terrifying and exciting, necessary and impossible.

Taipei Fringe

I got this in an email today - interesting!

March Announcements

A couple of quick (and happy) announcements.

We have officially been listed on the combined U.S. Fringe Festival site. Check it out at http://fringefestivals.us/where.php

We also have our first board meeting this weekend, having skillfully finessed our calendars into unison.