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… I was asked to write for a local paper. Since not too many local folk come by this site I’m posting it here now before the publication at the end of the month.

FRINGE FESTIVALS LIKE THE ROGUE ARE LEVELING THE PERFORMANCE PLAYING FIELD
by Marcel Nunis

It all began in 1947 at the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland. 8 groups arrive, discover they are left out and decide to perform at venues away from the big public stages. This gives birth to the first Fringe Festival (simply because those performances were taking place on the “fringe” of the main event) which has since eclipsed the main festival. By 2007 the Edinburgh Festival Fringe hosted 31,000 performances of 2,050 different shows in 250 venues and ticket sales amount to around 3 million dollars.

Since then fringe festivals have popped up world wide, of which the Rogue Performance Festival in Fresno is but one of about 70 (and currently the largest on the West Coast). We say “about” because over the last 5 years, 2 to 3 new fringe festivals have joined the growing roster each year. In 2006 even places like Dubai and Shanghai have organized fringe festivals. The Canadian Fringe Circuit alone boasts about 20 festivals which performers can tour over the Summer.

So, why is this fringe phenomenon blazing forward? Simply put… it’s bucking the system and is good business.

WHAT MAKES IT “FRINGE” AND WHY IS IT CATCHING ON?
The very nature of a fringe-styled festival offers the affordable opportunity to showcase new works outside the established institutionalized system to an audience. The thrill and energy of this “organized anarchy” infects both performer and audience member alike.

Most fringe festivals:
• Are unjuried and non-curated.
• Offer brand new works, untried and edgy which are often performed in non-traditional venues.
• Performances usually focus on “substance and execution” over “ glitzy production value”.
• Ticket prices are affordable or downright cheap and 100 percent goes to the performer or companies – mostly (because unlike the Rogue, many American fringe festivals also take a cut at the box-office).

The unjuried and non-curated part simply means that no “so called expert” is going to decide what is good (unjuried) or what you should see or experience (non-curated). Unlike traditional arts festivals that feature critically acclaimed and established companies or artists at their event (and there is nothing wrong with that) a fringe festival turns that power over to the new artist/performer. If you have a show, put your money where your mouth is (by paying the affordable application fees) and mount it. During the festival the audience (given the power of choice) can decide if they like it or not.

For the creator/performer/artist bouncing a piece off an audience is paramount to its creative evolution. Contrary to popular belief a masterpiece does not just tumble out of the brain onto a page and appear in a blaze of glory on stage. Hate to blow that myth but as a playwright I can tell you a (good) piece is usually honed through a series of rewrites, work-shopping and performances. All essential to the process though a fellow playwright friend lately commented on using fringe festivals as a shortcut, “You can workshop the soul out of a play because it (work -shopping) is often just a purely academic masturbatory exercise inflicted upon the work by jealous peers… I’d rather produce it at a fringe, keep its soul intact and still provide myself with an honest (audience) response to help me smooth out the rough edges.”

Some in more established circles may also be critical (and have been) about the inconsistent quality of fringe shows. No doubt the open nature of such a festival can present some clunkers and questionable performances. That being said, the possibility of experiencing the exquisite is also very real and present.

Still others may chide the lack of production value of fringe shows. One should not expect to catch a full blown razzle production of “Le Miz” at an event such as the Rogue but audience members have also walked away just as dazzled after a fringe show. They are often amazed a piece on a bare stage was able to transcend on content, substance and execution alone without the glitzy frills and effects. As a playwright I have always believed this to be a more honest assessment to the quality of a piece.

For the audience, part of the lure is the “funky fun factor” as well as the thrill they may actually catch the next “big thing”. Here are some examples. Tim Hernandez (a valley poet and writer) performed “Skin Tax: Diaries of a Macho” at the 2003 Rogue. It has since evolved into a critically acclaimed book. Singer/songwriter Terra Naomi performed at the 2004 Rogue in Fresno. In 2007 she won the YouTube award for Best Music Video, was signed to a major label and performed at Wembley Stadium for Live Earth. Since the 2007 Rogue, playwright Ross Howard (who currently teaches and resides in Fresno) one act,“The Irresistible Rise Of Arthur Huey” developed into the full length”Arthur & Ester” earning rave notices at the New York Fringe and just completed a successful run in San Francisco. The musical “Urinetown” that will be produced at Fresno State began creative life at the New York Fringe Festival.

Indications are a festival like the Rogue, because of its affordable ticket price and adventurous nature may also be bringing new audiences to theatre and the performing arts. An informal audience poll conducted during the 2005 and 2006 Rogue revealed that for about 30 percent of those attending, it was their first experience at live performance. Many commented that they turned up because “it felt inclusive” and they didn’t feel the need “for a degree in theatre” to be able to enjoy the shows. These comments (interestingly enough) were also mirrored by performers who during the festival caught shows in disciplines outside of their own. So, “conversions” are occurring among the audience as well as within the world of the arts in festivals like the Rogue.

WHAT NEXT?
As it evolves, wouldn’t it be fun if other cities in the valley borrowed the fringe concept, started their own festivals and created a Highway 99 circuit? Not only would it attract more national and international acts here but also encourage local performers to dip their beak into touring. Perhaps the boon will help raise a more vibrant and active arts scene year round that will also be good for business. The only thing that will take away is the (oh so popular) groan that “nothing ever happens here”.