Location(s) Rochester, New York Date(s) September 15–24, 2016 | Foundation 2012 | |
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Type of play(s) Theatre, comedy, music, dance, spoken word | ||
Streb rochester fringe festival 9 16 16
The Rochester Fringe Festival, held annually in Rochester, NY since 2012., is one of the three most-attended fringe festivals in the United States. In 2015, the festival attracted over 63,000 attendees. Held for 10 days in September, the festival features over 500 performances in established venues – including theatres, art galleries and cafes – as well as pop-up, site specific shows in streets, parking lots, and tents throughout Rochester's East End and Neighborhood of the Arts districts in Downtown Rochester.
Contents
- Streb rochester fringe festival 9 16 16
- Flash mobbing at the rochester fringe festival
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- Governance
- Participation
- References
Rochester Fringe is a member of the United States Association of Fringe Festivals.
Since its first year, the festival's title sponsor has been First Niagara Bank.
Flash mobbing at the rochester fringe festival
2012
In its first year - held September 19–23 - the festival featured over 180 performances, and attracted more than 33,000 attendees during the course of its five-day run. Headliners included comedian Patton Oswalt, the Harlem Gospel Choir, and aerial dance troupe Bandaloop who danced on the side of One HSBC Plaza at Manhattan Square Park. Bandaloop's performance was viewed by over 10,000 people.
2013
Rochester Fringe expanded to 10 days in 2013 - held September 19–28 - and drew more than 50,000 attendees to 360 performances at more than 20 venues. Headliners included comedians Marc Maron, Dave Barry, and "Cirque du Fringe", a Cirque du Soleil-type show created for the festival. "Friday on the Fringe" - a free, outdoor, public event - again featured a free performance by Bandaloop and was seen by over 13,000 people. The festival also added a new pop-up venue—a spiegeltent—and curated shows within it, including "Cirque du Fringe" and a headphone-based nightly dance party called "Silent Disco".
2014
The 2014 Fringe - held September 18–27 - grew to 60,000 attendees and more than 380 performances. Spiegeltent performances included comedian Jay Pharoah, comedy clowns 20 Penny Circus, a newly created circus show ("Mardi Gras! Cirque du Fringe"), and the return of the popular "Silent Disco." The annual outdoor "Friday on the Fringe" event was held at the newly-renamed Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, and featured a performance by Circus Orange entitled "Tricycle", specifically tailored for the Rochester park's layout and architecture. The festival also included a free outdoor performance of "Spoon River Rochester" - based on Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology poems - which featured nearly 250 actors in costume throughout Gibbs Street (closed to traffic for the occasion) and an adjoining park.
2015
In 2015 the 10-day festival - September 17–26 - increased attendance to 63,000, ticket sales by 20%, and featured more than 500 performances. Featured acts included comedian Jamie Lissow (of the sitcom Real Rob), circus show "Cabinet of Wonders" in the Spiegeltent, and a site-specific, live-art theater experience called "Remote Rochester" created specifically for Rochester by artists Rimini Protokoll. The free "Friday on the Fringe" event featured a performance by aerial dance troupe Grounded Aerial.
Governance
Rochester Fringe Festival, a non-profit organization, is run by a board of directors made up of representatives from Rochester arts and cultural institutions, universities and businesses. Its chairman is Rochester attorney Justin Vigdor, and its producer is Erica Fee, a Rochester native who produced, directed and performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as well as in London’s West End.
Participation
The bifurcated (divided into two branches) festival is partially curated by the Fringe – several headliners and free outdoor events – but the vast majority of the shows are curated by the venues themselves from submissions made by artists. The submission process takes place via the Fringe website (www.rochesterfringe.com) in March and April, and the venues work with the artists directly to create their Fringe lineups in May and June
Rochester’s Fringe is an unjuried festival with no selection committee, and therefore any type of performance may participate. Shows usually run an hour or less, technical aspects are kept to a minimum, and ticket prices are low (usually ranging from free to $20).