Among the attractions will be God finally talking with that famous Judy Blume character, Margaret; Karl Marx returning to defend his position; a StorySlam; and a look back at the Falklands War.
Thursday, April 05, 2018
Pittsburgh Fringe Festival goes out on the cultural edge
Among the attractions will be God finally talking with that famous Judy Blume character, Margaret; Karl Marx returning to defend his position; a StorySlam; and a look back at the Falklands War.
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5 comments:
I think I have said it before, but I love the fringe festival. I am from the city with one of the largest fringe festivals in the united states. In Orlando Fl, its is a complete cohesive community that takes part in the Orlando Fringe festive. Our last almost 3 weeks of getting to really know everyone in the community. Being a theatre person who group up in this community its like a he family reunion at times. Of course you have your rivals or mean uncle or what not. I would be excited to join that type of community here and seeing what its like. I thing the Fringe Festival can really tell how a lot about the theatre community as a whole, and what they are all about. I hope I get a chance to visit it while Im here. Ive always wanted to produce my own show at a fringe festival, maybe Ill get my chance while I am here.
I am also from Orlando, FL and completely love the Fringe Festival. Its such an interesting and unique experience to experience theatre that was created for the masses and not the elite. I think that the selection process and randomness of the shows encapsulate the true meaning of exploration through theatre. In Orlando, high schools are able to perform at the Fringe if they are the three finalists at the district thespian festival. I have been able to go with my school two times in while I was there and I loved the atmosphere of it, both as someone bringing a show and an audience member. Coming from a place where theatre has a very rigid and defined competitive tier, it was nice to take a step back and remember that the show we were performing is meant to entertain and broaden perspectives, not to win a prize and high score. The chill-ness of the Fringe festival allowed us all to relax and just enjoy putting on theatre. I didn't know that Pittsburgh had a fringe festival as well and look forward to visiting it the next time it comes around.
Having worked several events in Pittsburgh this summer with Flyspace Productions, this seems like a cool and very Pittsburgh kind of festival. Some of these pieces seem pretty tempting like the Judy Bloom character finally talking to God, an hour of comedy just about existence, and a live stage show about the random orders and logic in dreams. I kinda wish they had student prices because this is definitely an event I would attend if it weren’t 100 dollars for the whole thing, but I do understand most of the ticket prices probably go to the startups themselves and the event is really to help the works move forward in production. This festival definitely seems worth the time to check out since you get to go to different places and see different types of art all in one weekend. I kind of wish I had thought to go in previous years.
I have never been to a fringe festival, but it is definitely something I would want to do. Fringe theater is always interesting because it has a freedom that other venues don’t have.That freedom allows the theaters to produce more exciting and engaging. I feel like I got a taste of this during Playground where I got to see theatrical work unlike anything I have seen before. Since different theaters serve different purposes, I think Fringe offers a unique window for pieces that don’t fit anywhere else. That's what makes Fringe so exciting is the idea that it isn’t for the regional theater audience or the mass that actually, it embraces its niche status. That freedom allows the most interesting works because the work exists solely for itself. The combination of small shows and intimate settings can emphasize their effects. There is a power in small theater that I have come to appreciate.
I find the idea of fringe festivals really exciting. It is such a welcoming venue that encourages artists to put themselves and their ideas out there. It provides an incredible opportunity for the theatre community to step away from what is mainstream and remind ourselves that things that are new and experimental can have a future beyond the dusty corners of our minds. The fringe festival provides a frame that adapts to be the platform that each of these pieces need to attract an audience and to be seen by a group that will likely appreciate it. The lineup itself sounds really interesting to me. Having read Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret as a kid, that piece sounds really interesting, and something I would like to see. So many of these pieces are created to authentically connect to an audience of every day people, and that is why I feel this event has so much success. The point is to find art that speaks to you, not get lost in the idea of what is or isn’t popular at the moment, and fringe festivals are built for exactly that.
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