Fourth ________(adj.) Festival Launch (title ad-libs)

It’s springtime at the Charm City Fringe HQ, and we're getting excited! Although the 2015 festival is months away, (block out your calendars for your Fringe Fest binge, November 8-15th) the Fringe team has been busy building up the festival, as well as the March launch of our new project, Fringe Academy: Opening Act.

Applications Open: 2015 Fringe Festival

SUPER IMPORTANT things of note:  Fringe is accepting artist applications for the 2015 festival starting on April 1st (no fools!).  That’s tomorrow folks. The Fringe team will begin eagerly awaiting YOUR application. For more information on the application process please visit the Charm City Fringe Festival Application Page.  If you don’t have all the details of your production ironed out just yet, fret not, the application deadline is June 28th 2015.

Workshop Launch: Fringe Academy

Fringe Academy: Opening Act is a place where Baltimore’s youth and young artists can learn all aspects of theatre – from acting to producing – to breed a new generation of active and involved citizens and artists within Baltimore: future business-people, artists, entertainers, and patrons of the arts alike. CCF began this process in 2013 with the Choice Program, offering volunteer opportunities for youth in the community. Learn more about Fringe Academy: Opening Act and how you can volunteer or participate by emailing info@charmcityfringe.com with the subject line “Opening Act.”

Two workshop participants, including one of our very own Volunteer Coordinators, having what looks to be a fun time, or a terrible time, it's hard to read.

Fringe After Hours

Additionally, the festival is again holding a free sign-up for performers at the festival’s Fringe After Hours events and after parties. The application will be open and available online from May through September, or until all available slots are filled. Bands, comics, and other performers can make inquiries to music@charmcityfringe.com

Get Involved

Last but certainly not least: Fringe is a volunteer based organization and we are always looking for a fresh set of eyes and talent. If you are interested in giving back to the Baltimore arts community we invite you volunteer with us. We promise we don’t bite... 

Please follow the link to learn more about volunteering with Charm City Fringe . If you don’t have time to volunteer, please consider a tax deductible donation.

Stay tuned for more information on our Nights on the Fringe event coming this summer. Enjoy the warm spring weather, but stay cool Fringe Friends!

-Jenna Nicole Salmon, Marketing Manager

Your contribution directly bolsters the ongoing efforts of Charm City Fringe and its year-round services to Baltimore's artists, audiences, and youth.

Thanks & Giving: Awards, Thanks, and Holiday Giving

As we find ourselves venturing into the holiday season, we at Charm City Fringe find ourselves looking back onto the festival that was. We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who made Fringe Fest 2014 the massive success that it was. Actors, directors, writers, tech crews, bands, comics, venue managers, and audiences all made it possible.

As a festival, Charm City Fringe once again nearly doubled in size, with each individual artist also earning 40 percent more than last year. This is a monumental step for the artists and art in Baltimore and a testament to just how much your support matters.

View fullsize

Photo by Laura Gardiner

This year, we built out the festival to include the Hampden neighborhood; utilizing the beautiful, eclectic Church & Company venue as well as the Great Hall Theatre at St. Mary’s and after parties at Golden West.

There was so much energy, creativity, and philanthropy on display at this year’s festival, and we here at Charm City Fringe are so thankful to everyone who made it possible. From our volunteers who put in countless hours, going above and beyond to prepare each venue, to our sponsors and partners who gave us the means to make 2014 our best yet, to the artists, who again showed that there is tons of great, fresh new work to be seen: Thank you.

This year’s Charm City Fringe Festival was a grand experience, and with your support it will continue to evolve, grow, and provide a platform for Fringe art and artists through 2015 and beyond. We’ll see you then, and perhaps sooner than you think.    

Bravo, and have a wonderful, safe, and wonderfully safe holidays.

-The Charm City Fringe Family

Photo credit: Valerie Paulsgrove, Baltimore City Paper

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD

This year we launched an Audience Choice Award for the artist or company that receives the most votes. This year's recipient:

LES(S) CLOWNS: NOTHING.

BEST OF FRINGE

Each year, we choose the artist or company that most embodies the Fringe esthetic. We had countless wonderful productions, but one in particular stood out. This year's recipient:

INTERROBANG THEATRE CO: LEVELING UP

SUPPORT FRINGE

The growth that the festival and our artists were able to achieve in 2014 is a testament to just how much your support matters.

This holiday season, we ask that you take the opportunity to give back to the artists and arts community of Baltimore. Let your friends and followers know that you participated in or support the arts scene and Charm City Fringe with the hashtag #bMoreFringe15.

We hope that you will consider Charm City Fringe in your holiday generosity.

Preview Shows, Happiest of Hours, Take a Free Ride

The Time for Fringe is Almost upon us!

With less than 2 weeks remaining before the 3rd Annual Charm City Fringe Festival kick off, we thought we would reiterate some of the fun and FREE fringe-y details.

First up, please join us at Sweet27 bar on Wednesday, October 29th for an evening with Fringe! We'll be your bartenders for the evening, with proceeds going toward this year's Charm City Fringe Festival! Enjoy great drink specials and fantastic gluten-free food while patronizing Baltimore arts.

After you have donated to the cause (thanks!), come reap some of the benefits at the Charm City Fringe Festival’s kick-off party on Sunday, November 2nd at Liam Flynn's Ale House.  Have a drink and watch our artists present five minute preview performances of their shows for FREE!

If you can't make it on Sunday, or if you want to double-down on your Free Fringe Fun, join us for a FREE happy hour at Gallery 788 in Hampden on Monday, November 3rd from 5-7pm. We'll be serving up free beer, wine, and finger food, including our specially made Fringe Beer by Brewer's Art, food by Joe Squared, and cupcakes by Sweet 27 bakery and Cafe.

Additionally, are you looking for a way to get to or around the Festival without having to deal with parking your car? Well, Fringe is working with Uber Baltimore to hook you up with a free first ride when you sign up for Uber! Enter the code FRINGEFEST into your Uber app to get a free ride worth up to $20. Sign up here: https://uber.com/go/FRINGEFEST

Now that you have taken advantage of the FREE Fringe fun make sure to check out some the great performances at this year’s CFF. Tickets are only $10! 

BIG Laughs                                                                                     Panties UP, Dress DOWN

Stellar Cellar                                                                                                Leveling Up

Eightysix                                                                                                          Nothing.

Lucretia Borgia: A Play                                                                Minty Julep Goes to Foodieland!

A Comedy of Errors                                                 Sacred and Scared get the Same Score in Scrabble

Dreadlocks, Rock ‘n Roll & Human Rights                               A Taste of Ladies Verse: Fearless

55 Minutes of Sex, Drugs, and Audience Participation

To learn more about these performances and to buy tickets please click here!

We look forward to seeing you out there!

-Jenna Nicole Salmon, Marketing Manager

Theatre, and Music, and Beers! Oh My!

We’ve locked down the venues, picked the artists, received more grants and support than ever before, and our educational work is taking off. Oh, and there’s going to be a Fringe Beer.

 First, the artists. We’ve nearly doubled the performing companies this year. There’s a one-woman cooking show comedy and a group of clowns exploring the meaning of life. And if you’re looking for something else, there’s plenty more.

Click here to get the scoop on all of this year's performers

Now, the venues. Returning for their second engagement with the Fringe Fest is the historic Baltimore Theatre Project, a force in Baltimore’s theatre community since opening its Mt. Vernon doors in 1971. New to the Festival is the Chicken Box of Station North and Hampden’s Church & Company. They’re as interesting as their names might suggest: one is housed in a former NY Fried Chicken, the other nestled in an historic church off the Avenue. 

View fullsize

Want the first peak at the 2014 artwork for the Charm City Fringe Fest? Well, you've found it, the wonderful work of Navid Azeez!

Of course, all of this is made possible by the help of our sponsors. We are thrilled to join forces with Brewer’s Art. Not only are they hosting happy hours and late-night gatherings for the festival, but Brewer’s is crafting a special release Charm City Fringe Beer! It will be delicious, we promise, and exclusively available on draught at your favorite Fringe bars and venues, also a promise.

If you're getting as excited as we are then I suggest signing up right here to volunteer at this year's festival. We love our volunteers and, along with all of our love and respect, they will receive free festival passes and cool swag. 

Before the fest hits in full this November, be sure to catch Charm City Fringe at HampdenFest on September 20th and again during Free Fest this October. We’ll have free giveaways, prizes, and discount tickets and buttons for the Festival!

That's all for now. Tune in next week for news on our new educational efforts!

With love, 

Michael Brush, co-founder

Artist Spotlight: A Sit-Down with Siobhan O'Loughlin

Charm City Fringe Fest participant and winner of “Best of Fringe 2013” Siobhan O'Loughlin (Natural Novice) recently sat down with Fringe PR Director Alex Ward to discuss all matters theatre. So what if the interview was conducted online? I’m sure they were both sitting down, maybe drinking some tea? We may never know, but here’s the interview for your reading pleasure.

A - What first drew you into theatre and performing arts?

S - I had amazing parents, honestly, who put me in piano lessons when I was very young. I am a person who is

A. basically not good at anything without a TON of practice; and

B. terrible at math, so piano was incredibly difficult for me.

They encouraged me to continue, and I think it was ultimately just for my personal growth and understanding of music and expression. However, I also had an incredible piano teacher, who believed in me in lots of ways. I learned to play songs I loved, songs I could sing along with, and my performance began to blossom musically first.

A - When writing your performances, what inspires you?

S - A combination of social movements and human power. I've met and seen so many artists and activists whose work completely motivates me to continue to create. Solo performers like Seth Lepore, Al Letson, and Monica Hunken. The activists I work with in the National Organization for Women, Occupy Wall Street, and the Jokers of Theatre of the Oppressed, NYC. These peoples' passion for creative work and their devotion to social justice--that's my drive.

A - What do you enjoy most about doing live theatre?

S - It's an adventure. Every night is different and it only happens once in that room with those specific people. Live theatre lets us live in the present moment--lets us feel things in a room with other people present; gives us a shared experience.

O'Loughlin performing "Natural Novice" in the 2013 Charm CIty Fringe Festival.

A - We were lucky enough to host your show "Natural Novice" last year, which deals heavily with female empowerment over issues of body-image. What other works have you done supporting feminist causes, and how can others show their support?

S - "Natural Novice" is my first full-fledged feminist play. My other solo show, "The Rope in Your Hands", has more of a racial-justice theme.

I do need support with this play, however.* Performing it here in NYC at the Planet Connections Theatre Festival I was reviewed as "repulsive" and a "hairy ape" by the TV show Hi! Drama. They [reviewed my appearance] without looking into the content of the play.

A - Your performance in last year's festival was the winner of "Best of Fringe 2013." What was your favorite thing about the 2013 Charm City Fringe Festival?

S - My one favorite thing? As a touring artist, I have three general objectives with doing festivals: 

1. To meet other artists and network
2. To get reviews
3. To feel the general vibe and artistic climate of the city

I got all three of those at this festival, which was a real triumph for me. I owe a lot of that to working with the festival organizers, who really had the best interest of the artists in mind. I appreciate that so much.

A - If you had to pick one, what was your favorite show at the 2013 Fringe Fest, aside from your own?

S - "The Sound of Smoke," of course!! I'm still obsessed with Nick Horan. His performance was dynamic, powerful, moving, hilarious, spell-binding, beautiful. I went with a group of friends to see him--we all knew we were going to dig it before the show even started. Please, everyone, Google him, stalk him, go to all of his performances. You will thank me.

A - How was your experience in Baltimore?

S - It was just lovely. As a New Yorker, I cannot tell you how hard it is to accomplish things in the city where I live. Feeling like you have the resources, the support, the audience--let's be real. Sometimes NYC does not care that you have a play. Sometimes the festival staff you are working for does not care.

When I arrived in Baltimore, Mike and Zach [the founders of CCF] asked me if I needed a ride to the theatre to do my tech. [They were] available during my ENTIRE tech. The boys even made sure that vegan cupcakes and pizza were available at one of the opening night parties. Because of me. I was just beside myself--that kind of stuff does not happen in NYC.

A - Arts and culture are on the rise in Baltimore, was this evident to you while you were in the city?

S - I'm not sure if you know this, Alex, but I'm no stranger to Baltimore. As a native Marylander, born and raised on the Eastern Shore in Salisbury, I went to undergrad at Towson University, and I'm so proud to see so many Towson students doing amazing work in Baltimore. Glass Mind Theatre Co. and Stillpointe were both started by Towson alum, which is totally fantastic. What is especially great about having a Fringe though, in each and every city with an arts scene, is that it invites other artists from elsewhere to join in the fun. It provided me with a great opportunity to bring my new play to Baltimore--I don't know how I'd have done that otherwise.

A - The next CCF fest is fast approaching, what would you tell the potential artists and audiences about the festival?

S - Artists: Enjoy this opportunity to network and share!! Go to the parties Fringe Staff plans. They are awesome and important. And go see each other’s work! Shake hands with an artist you don't know. Tell them who you are and invite them to come see you. And then you go see them. And utilize the wondrous resources that are Michael, Zach and Alex. They are really there for you.

Audiences: GO TO THE FRINGE. Go to it. Eat a Berger cookie and just get to the box office and buy tickets to at least three shows. It is good for you. Go to something you don't know anyone in. Go to a solo play and sit in the front row. Try it. Bring a friend so if you hate it you can laugh together. And if you love it, you can celebrate together with some Natty Boh or whatever the hell it is you guys drink over there.

A - Would you do it again?

S - Oh you bet. I can't wait to. My next play is a personal vulnerability log across the globe, called "The Coolest Places to Cry." It will be coming to you. Also in the works is my first collaborative/devised piece in a long time, with my half Australian/half American theatre company, Everything is Everywhere.

We are developing our new project (including another Baltimore native, Ira Gamerman) in Manila, The Philippines, next Spring. Look for it. I miss you all. Can't wait to be back, and thanks again for having me as part of your fest, and honoring me with my first award for this show. 

*To show your support for Siobhan and her cause, you can help by spreading the word about her show, "The Rope in Your Hands," celebrating the agency we all have over our bodies. "Like" her on Facebook and share her Tumblr page, which contains her photo-response to the review for her recent play, as well as the specific dates/times for her current tour of "Natural Novice."