There’s a ‘Bohemian feel’ to 2010 Fringe Festival

Organizers of the sixth annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival hope to build on the

IndyKlez of Indianapolis will mix a wide variety of music in their performance of “IndyKlez and Friends.”

success of last year’s event, one which saw record-breaking attendance 16 percent above the previous year’s.

“Our goal is to increate attendance by two thousand tickets,” said IndyFringe Executive Director Pauline Moffat as time wound down for the event which runs from Friday, Aug. 20, through Sunday, Aug. 29, at six venues in the Mass Ave Art and Theater District.

“This year has a real bohemian feel to it,” said Moffat. “We are thrilled with the artwork by Lydia Burris (previewed in last month’s issue of Urban Times). Her connection to the festival is reflected in her bright, colorful and whimsical painting.” The work will not only be the basis of the Fringe’s annual poster, but will also become public art on the wall of the Survive Alive building at the corner of Mass Ave and St. Clair Street.

Five of last year’s 10 most popular theater groups are returning to this year’s festival, while Moffat is most enthusiastic about the four new groups coming as part of the new Midwest Fringe Circuit. “The mix of Midwest touring artists and four international performers will bring a lot of new influences and new faces to Indianapolis,” she said. Last year’s festival was the first without any international entries, mostly due to the depressed global economy.

The International Theatre Laboratorium-USA, hailing from New Orleans, will perform “The Tale of Mephisto.”

The 2010 festival has three significant differences from last year’s, however:

No VisualFringe, the month-long tribute to visual artists. Moffat said IndyFringe is working on a collaboration with the Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Association to bring the feature back in 2011.
No separate FringeNext, the corollary festival for student-age groups. This year, the student groups are part of the main festival. “Folded into the overall program are the young playwrights and performers who feel ready to present their work on center stage and go head-to-head for audience share,” Moffat said.
A new venue – the Marian Underground – replacing the Earth House. The Marian Underground is a new space on the lower level of the Marian Center, located at 317 N. New Jersey St. just south of St. Mary Catholic Church.

Moffat added that word of mouth about how great Indy audiences are have resulted in attracting some great shows. She said audiences will have some outstanding shows from which to choose, although she advises the theater-goers to check out the show warnings

featured in the program, in the listings featured in this edition of Urban Times, and at the box office. “We encourage audiences to make informed decisions,” Moffat said.

THE VENUES

– The Phoenix Theatre (Frank and Katrina Basile Theatre), 749 Park Ave.

– Theatre on the Square (Mainstage and Stage II), 627 Mass Ave.

– ComedySportz, 721 Mass Ave.

– Marian Underground, 317 N. New Jersey St.

Daniel Forlano will perform “Unbearable,” a comedic take on beauty and illusion.

– IndyFringe Theatre, 619 E. St. Clair St.

– ClubFringe (The Outdoor Tent), 748 Mass Ave.

(For descriptions of the shows and a schedule, go to www.indyfringe.org.)

TICKETS: A “Backer Button” is required before any tickets can be purchased. The buttons, available at all of the IndyFringe theater box offices, are $5 each and need only be purchased once. “Backer Buttons” are now on sale at several Mass Ave businesses, as well. The buttons are the only source of revenue for the festival, with all ticket sales going directly to the performers.

Tickets to each show are $10 for adults, $7 for students and $5 for children under 12. Also available is a $40 “Fiver Pass,” good for attendance to any five shows.

Tickets can be purchased 30 minutes before each show. Cash payments only are accepted, with a limit of four tickets per person.

PREVIEW NIGHT: AUG. 19: Fast-paced two-minute previews of most of the 2010 IndyFringe shows will be featured at the annual preview party, a perennially popular event set for Thursday, Aug. 19, at the Club Fringe Outdoor Stage, located at the Survive Alive House lawn at the corner of Mass Ave and St. Clair Street.

The free event will run from 6 to 10 p.m. After the previews, which begin at 6 p.m., the audience will vote for the “2010 Must-See Fringe Show. Live music and interactive performances begin at 7 p.m. by Know No Stranger, Juggle Fun Co, and Indy Hoopers.

Outdoor Stage continues to grow: With a new partnership between IndyFringe and IndyPride, the “ClubFringe” Outdoor Stage promises to be an even more prominent part of this year’s Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival.

“The outdoor tent has grown substantially over the past two years,” said IndyFringe Executive Director Pauline Moffat. “We hope to bring a new look and feel to ClubFringe – a gathering place for the brave, curious, comic, joyful, shocking, entertaining, enlightening, and growing Fringe performers and followers,” she said. “Be prepared for anything.”

After the preview party on Aug. 19, ClubFringe will be open from 6 to 11 p.m. on five nights:

– Friday and Saturday, Aug. 20-21.

– Thursday, Aug. 26, through Saturday, Aug. 28.

There is free entry with a backer button or $1 wristband.

Performers being scheduled by IndyPride, NUVO and IndyFringe include Walk the Moon, DJs Kyle Long and Artur Silva, Motus Dance Theatre, The Bag Ladies, ForReal Art Breakdance Battle, and Brandon Whyde. Hispanic entertainment will be featured on Aug. 21.

A complete schedule can be found at www. indyfringe.org.

The Longest Dinner to see record crowd: The first preview of the 2010 Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival will take place on Thursday, July 29, in the alley alongside the IndyFringe Building at 619 E. St. Clair St.

The Longest Dinner is a three-course meal featuring live music and Fringe entertainment, including street performers. Proceeds from the event support Slow Food Indiana and the IndyFringe Building.

The first Longest Dinner drew 200 people in 2008, followed by 225 diners last year. This year’s event will host 250 guests followed by a “sneak preview” of IndyFringe shows and other entertainment in the 2010 festival. n

Art unveiling set for Friday, Aug. 6: The work of local artist Lydia Burris, “Twilight Revelers,” will be unveiled at a free showing starting at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6, as part of the Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Association First Friday activities.

In addition to being the theme of this year’s IndyFringe poster and buttons, “Twilight Revelers” will serve as public art on the wall of the Survive Alive House at the corner of Mass Ave and St. Clair Street. The Aug. 6 party will take place in the former Scholar’s Inn parking lot on an opposite corner of that intersection.