View the full guide at www.hollywoodfringe.org/guide or pick up a guide at Fringe Central during the festival at the Theater of Arts Arena Stage, 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood. All Fringe venues should have guides available during the festival. You can also browse shows at hollywoodfringe.org/browse
The first annual Hollywood Fringe Festival kicks off Wed., June 16 with an opening night bash. “It envisions a model in which Los Angeles theatre succeeds without having to be a feeding ground for New York,” says Steve Julian in his LAStageBlog.com report.
Other comments include: “Hollywood… might prove to be the Eliza Doolittle of an American theatrical renaissance” -LATheaterReview.com.
“Fringe festivals, wherever they are in the world, are important to local, national and international communities for different reasons. Venue staff will meet producers, producers will search for artists, artists will attract audiences, and audiences will get to know their neighborhood better which in turn will benefit local businesses. If there is a Fringe Festival in your community, everyone is a winner!”- Holly Payton, Founder of the World Festival Network.
“I’m excited that Hollywood has been selected as the site of Southern California’s Fringe Festival which will bring artists from around the world to share their works in this creative environment” -LA City Council President Eric Garcetti.
Hollywood launches a Fringe Festival for Southern California
This 11-day event unites hundreds of performers and producers of over 180 exhibitions of dance, theater, comedy, cabaret, music, visual art, circus and more. Over 30 venues are co-hosting the festival, including unorthodox spaces like parks and chuches as well as a number of Hollywood’s premiere theaters and clubs. In the spirit of most Fringes, participation is open and uncensored, meaning any artist can join if they find a venue and pay the registration fee. As an uncurated festival (already the largest in California in its first year), Hollywood Fringe presents a cross-section of modern artistic achievement unique to any other arts festival in California. The first annual festival is meant to be accessible not only to artists but to audiences as well: tickets range from free to $25 (average $12).
Buy tickets to over 800 performances now at www.hollywoodfringe.org or by calling 866.811.4111 (most shows will also provide tickets at the door). Many productions offer fellow participants, seniors, students and/or veterans a discounted rate. Tickets and the Official 2010 Festival Guide are also available at Fringe Central, 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood, which will serve as a hub for the festival, providing participant services, a central box office, an information booth and visibility stages. The Visibility Stages on the Egyptian Courtyard, sponsored by American Cinematheque, are both a place for artists to promote their shows and a place for audience members to stop by and see snippets of shows if they don’t know where to start.
Additional Listings
There are more shows to see since those we listed in Steve Julian’s article. A few of them are featured below:
Daniele Manzin, Lizzie Adelman and Mike Ciriaco -- Photo by Brandon Baruch
Deicide: A Sorta Muscial with book by Michael Ciriaco and Brandon Baruch, music, lyrics and direction by Baruch, presented by needtheater, “the most Godless musical comedy event,” opens Thur., June 17 at 8:30 pm; plays Sun., June 20 at 6 pm; Tues.-Wed., June 22-23 at 9 pm; Fri., June 25 at 8:30 pm; closes Sat., June 26 at 5 pm. Paul G. Gleason Theater, 6529 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Tickets: $12 for all performances. Visit deicidemusical.com or ovationtix.com.
Love Has No Gender, written and performed by youth in the City of LA’s GRYD program. Plays Sat., June 19 at 10 am. Theatre of NOTE, 1517 N. Cahenga Blvd, Hollywood. Call 213.488.8488, x201 or email [email protected].
ASAP Fables, a free, family-friendly event presented by Moving Arts, features the performance of five, absurdly impossible and original fables, all of which were created two days prior to the show when teams of actors, writers and directors will receive a handful of instructions and a “Modern Moral,” submitted in advance via the web. With no money, and only 48 hours, each team must overcome merciless production challenges and bring to life a new and original fable. Plays Sat., June 19 at 5 pm. Around the Grounds of the Hollywood United Methodist Church, 6817 Franklin Ave (at Highland) in Hollywood. For more information call 323.666.3259.or movingarts.org.
Can You Hear Me Now? is a 55-minute solo show originally created by Phoebe Neidhardt for a 2009 production at Brown University, in Providence and New York City. Plays June 19 at 9:30 pm and June 26 at 8 pm. Hudson Guild Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. For further information, email [email protected].
Therese Diekhans as Mother Mary Harris Jones
The Most Dangerous Woman in America: Machine Guns, Coal Dust and the Making of the American Dream draws upon the words of America’s woman labor agitator Mary Harris Jones, told through the eyes of Maria Baumgartner, who accompanies her to a meeting where she speaks to striking coal mine workers in West Virginia. Characters come to life to tell their stories, all portrayed by Therese Diekhans. Plays June 17 at 8 pm; June 19 at 4:30 pm; June 21 at 10 pm; June 22 at 6 pm. Theatre of NOTE, 1517 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Advance tickets for $15 at ovationtix.com. Also plays June 18 at 2 pm at Fringe Central @ Theatre of Arts, 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood. Advance Tickets for $10 are available at ovationtix.com
Shiny White Diamonds, a new Australian play written and directed by Sarah Doyle, produced by Bryce Pinkos for Honest Theives Productions, with Russell Sams, Kym Jackson, Natalie Miston and Katerina Schreiner. All that glitters is not gold. Things are not what they seem. There’s a dark secret lurking in Trav’s past that’s kept him separated from his twin sister Jem for 10 years. Some things are best left behind. Plays Sun., June 20 at 6:30 pm; Mon., June 21 at 9:30 pm; Wed., June 23 at 10 pm; Fri., June 25 at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $8. Fringe Central - Theatre of Arts, 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood. For tickets come to box office 30 minutes prior to showtime.
Lily Spottiswoode
The Meanest Guy That Ever Lived, West Coast premiere of a one-woman show written and performed by Lily Spottiswoode. This 55-minute show depicts the final days of her grandfather Jack Palance’s life as he lies dying at home in California. She plays the six members of her family who are coping with the eminent death of their patriarch, each in his or her own doting and dysfunctional way. She also plays her grandfather, Hollywood’s iconic bad guy, who still has a lot to say about how life should be lived — from dining at Denny’s and raising ostriches to the power of silence and the importance of a good left hook. Plays June 19 at 8 pm and June 26 at 9:30 pm. Hudson Guild Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. For further information, email [email protected].
The Opening Night Party
The Fringe will start this Wednesday, June 16, with The Opening Night Party at King King, featuring performances by aerialists, burlesquers, dancers and more. The Fringe has already developed a strong grassroots community in Los Angeles through a series of mixers and events but the June 16 bash will serve as the first opportunity for out-of-town Fringers and Angelenos alike to meet and celebrate their creative endeavors. Developing a community of artists and producers dedicated to preserving and uplifting the arts is a main goal of the Hollywood Fringe. This event will mark the beginning of what is hoped to be a long run of Fringes for years to come. Tickets are $10 for Fringe participants and $15 for general admission.
Key Festival Facts
Dates: June 17 - June 27, 2010 (approx. 11am-12:30am daily)
Opening Night Party: June 16 @ King King, 6553 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; 21+ only. Doors open at 8:00 pm, $10 for participants, $15 non-participants.
Closing Night Party: TBA
Artistic Companies: 184
Number of Performances: 800+
Venues: 31 (full list here)
Location: Hollywood, CA
Price: Tickets for individual performances range from Free to $25 (average $12)
Tickets: Can be purchased at www.hollywoodfringe.org or by calling 866.811.4111
Hollywood Fringe is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. For more information please visit www.hollywoodfringe.org or email [email protected].
