Apply for the 2012 FringeNext Program!

Know Theatre and The Cincinnati Fringe Festival are excited to continue the second year of FringeNext. This program was created to engage high school students as a part of the Fringe community. Each of five groups this year will present shows that we created by, produced by, directed by, and feature some of the regions up-and-coming young artists. We're fortunate to have an amazing new partnership with the School for the Creative and Performing Arts, who serves as our host for FringeNext performances.

Click here to download the application

The 2012 FringeNext Deadline (RECEIVED BY DATE)
Friday January 20, 2012 (Application Fee $35)
Applications not received by January 20, 2012 will not be considered.

Guidelines & Information

What is a Fringe Festival?

Fringe Festivals typically feature independent theatrical endeavors that wouldn’t normally get produced at mainstream theaters due to their experimental style or boundary-pushing themes. The adoption of “lottery drawings” for performance spots at the majority of Festivals has allowed more mainstream productions to have the spotlight as well but Fringes are still primarily an opportunity to try out and/or gain feedback on innovative new works, with many of the shows receiving their first ever public performance. Fringe originated in 1947 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival remains the largest in the world, with over 2,700 performances over the course of four weeks. North American festivals began appearing in early ‘80s Canada and made their way across the border when Orlando opened their Festival in 1991. Since then, Fringes have been popping up all over the U.S., including New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and San Francisco – among many others. The large number and staggered scheduling of current Festivals allows some artists to travel the road with their shows, giving them the opportunity to live the perpetually Fringe-y life.

The Cincy Fringe (“Kinda weird. Like you.”) is produced by Know Theatre of Cincinnati, making it one of the only festivals to exist as a production of a theatre company’s regular season. The festival is spread throughout the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, just north of downtown, with all venues in walking distance and Know Theatre serving as Fringe Festival headquarters.

What is FringeNext?

Started in 2010, FringeNext is designed to offer high school-aged artists the opportunity to produce a show alongside professional theatre artists from all over the world. Our festival community has grown to include a large number of local, regional, and national theatre artists and now we want to expand that community to include the next generation of actors, writers, technicians, and producers. The Cincinnati Fringe Festival has helped build Cincinnati’s vibrant arts community and we want you to be a part of that.

The primary difference between the rest of the Performance Fringe and FringeNext productions is that high school-ages artists must work on every component of a FringeNext show. With the exception of a Production Advisor, who must be a minimum of 21 years of age, your entire show should be created by you and your peers. (Note: Groups need not be comprised of students from the same school. We encourage you to team up with friends and fellow artists from anywhere you can grab them.) Your Production Advisor should be someone who can work with you throughout your production process. It can be an older sister, a parent, a teacher or any adult who can actively help produce your project. The Production Advisor must be present at all Fringe related functions for your production, including technical rehearsals, load-in/load-out, performances, etc.

What else happens at the Fringe Festival?

I’m glad you asked! The answer is: a lot. The Performance Fringe is the largest part of the Festival with over 150 performances of 35 productions in a dozen venues, but we don’t stop there, mister! Over the years we’ve added numerous layers to the Festival - including FringeNext (hey, there you are again!) and Fringe Development, which features special workshops and one-night-only performances. On top of all that, the party continues each night after performances with the Fringe Bar Series, which features the nightly Channel Fringe Hard-Hitting Action News Update and events like Fringe Olympics, Fringe Prom, and everyone’s favorite, Fringe-a-oke, as well as a lot of other fun stuff - some of which we may not have even thought of yet! Throw in the gentlemen from Higher Level Art (www.higherlevelart.com), who will once again be coating a side of our theater with one of their magnificent murals, and you start to wonder how you might find the time to take in all that the Cincinnati Fringe has to offer!

How do we choose productions?

The Cincinnati Fringe is a juried festival. The selection committee is composed of local artistic directors, actors, writers, and producers. After devouring your sample material, they make recommendations based on a few key factors:

• Is this work that will be unique to our region?
• Is the proposed project able to be produced within the Fringe structure? (more about this a little later)
• How does the proposed project fulfill the goal of the Cincinnati Fringe Festival to present diversity, creativity, innovation, inspiration, and passion?
• How will your production benefit by being included in the Cincinnati Fringe Festival?

We realize that some of these questions may be somewhat abstract, but it is Fringe after all. Roll with it, yo.

There is no specific type of production that we’re looking for. In the past we’ve presented puppet and mask shows, improv, melodrama, comedy, musicals, street performances, aerial dance, and on and on. There is no specific formula for a Fringe show and we love to be surprised.

What does the festival provide?

The festival provides a number of things to help you both produce and promote your production. But we can’t do it alone, so we rely upon the whole Fringe community to make the Festival a success. We provide the following basics:

Three Performances – These will be spread over 5 days – May 30^th through June 3^rd. Less availability during this time period may result in fewer performances.

Box Office Services – The Festival sells all performance tickets, without exception. The production team receives 50% of the box office revenue. That check will be sent to the Production Advisor after the festival. It might be a good idea for the producer to create a budget before the festival begins to decide how to compensate your staff members/pay for your production costs.

Marketing – We market the festival as a whole. As much as we’d love to market individual productions, that would be impossible, but we will provide you with information on the best ways to target Cincinnatians.

Venue – FringeNext productions are housed solely at SCPA, the School for the Creative and Performing Arts. You’ll have use of their Black Box space for your production and will share the theater with all other FringeNext shows.

Basic tech – Your venue will be equipped with a simple light plot with a two color wash and couple of specials. They will also have a sound board and one playback device, like a CD player.

Technical Supervisor – Each production will have a technician assigned to it. This person is there to assist you with all of your technical needs. They are not stage managers (you’ll need to provide that on your own).

House Staff – These amazing volunteers will tear your tickets, distribute your programs, and help your patrons navigate the Festival…and they’ll do it all for a “thank you”.

Volunteering and House Staff - As a part of being in FringeNext, we ask each member of your production to volunteer for 2 House Staff shifts throughout the Festival. During those shifts, you will tear tickets, pass out programs, help us prepare the space for the festival, and be a part of the greater Fringe community.

Artist Passes – Each member of your production team will receive artist passes, which allows you walk-up entry into all festival performances that don’t sell out. Passes are only for those who are directly involved with each performance.

Workshops and Training – As a FringeNext participant, you’ll be required to attend the FringeNext Workshop, tentatively scheduled for April 15, 2012 , at which you’ll get advice from the wisest of the Fringe staff on what to expect on every level of production for the Festival. Additionally, Fringe offers special workshops and classes during the Festival which you are encouraged to attend.

Reviews – We are teaming up with the Cappies (www.cappies.com), an organization geared toward recognizing local high school theatre productions and providing reviews FringeNext shows.

Our Love– Self-explanatory. ♥!

What are the dates I need to know about?

The deadline for the FringeNext application is January 20^th, 2012. This is a “received by” deadline, not a “postmarked by” deadline. There will be no extensions. Applications not received by 8pm on January 20^th will not be accepted. Seriously. Hand delivery at any time before 8pm on January 20^th is also acceptable. You will be notified via e-mail when we receive your application.

• All producers will be notified of acceptance (or non-acceptance) in February, 2012 via email. If accepted, your email will also contain a digital copy of your Fringe contract.

• Printed and signed contracts must be mailed in by the first week of March, 2012.

• March, 2012 – Marketing Survey completed, Technical Survey completed

• April, 2012 – Performance Fringe schedule announced to artists

• May 16th, 2012 – Fringe Guide published in CityBeat (our awesome weekly free paper)

• May 29, 2012 – CityBeat Fringe Kick-Off Party

• May 30 – June 9, 2012 – The 9^th Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival!

A few other things you should know

Production Advisor – We’ve already talked about this but it’s a crucial requirement for your FringeNext production, so we’ll remind you again. Each production will be required to have a production advisor. Your advisor can be a teacher (any teacher, regardless of subject taught), parent, or mentor in the theatre industry. The advisor must be over the age of 21, and will be responsible for your team whenever they are working on their Fringe production. They are also there to ensure the quality of your work. The Production Advisor must sign off on all correspondence with the Fringe Festival, and must be present at all FringeNext-related functions, including load-in, performances, and strike.

Producer – Each production needs to have one high school-aged producer. The Producer will be in charge of all the paperwork and correspondence with the Fringe Festival, and work directly with the Production Advisor. The Producer may be the playwright and/or director, but it is recommended a separate person produces the show. The Producer and Production Advisor are the only members of the production team that may contact the Fringe Festival staff.

Cast/Production Team – Every member of your cast/production team must be a current high school student or a 2011 high school graduate. Students in a production do not have to go to the same high school.

Length of the show – The minimum run time for a show is 45 minutes. The maximum run time for a show is 90 minutes. Also, you will not be allowed to go over the runtime you give us on your technical survey (due in March).

Spaces are shared – You’ll be sharing the SCPA Black Box with all other FringeNext shows. Please be respectful of your peers and their belongings, especially since...

Storage space is limited– While SCPA does provide FringeNext shows with storage space, you  may not be able to keep everything you need on site. Please be prepared for that.

Load in/Load out – Half an hour before your show begins you will have 15 minutes to load in and set up your show, and then the house opens. Likewise, you will have 15 minutes to load out your show. There are no exceptions to this policy, because...

Simplicity is key – Unfortunately, Fringe is not the correct place to produce your Hippodrome-influenced spectacle with wire-work, live animals, a two-hundred person cast, and an electrified, metal SPHERE OF DOOM! Haven’t we all learned a lesson from Spider-Man?

Think of it this way: in a typical production situation, you’re the only show in the venue and the technical process is all about your production. In the Fringe Festival, you’re part of a bigger community of artists who are dependent upon you as you are upon them. Adherence to the basic rules of the Festival and to the idea of simplicity will make everyone’s experience the best it can be.

Venue Information

As we’ve said, FringeNext shows will be housed at the School for the Creative and Performing Arts Black Box theater. Here are a couple more pieces of information regarding that.

Do not contact your venue – You are a producer of a show in the Fringe Festival – your name is not on the venue lease, so please do not call them. We will handle all of the details of your use of the space, so you will direct all inquiries to the Fringe Staff. SCPA is not familiar with the policies of the Festival and may give you incorrect information. Additionally, we request that SCPA make us immediately aware of any attempt to contact them directly and doing so may result in your removal from the Festival. We are always listening, we are always watching. We’re like Santa Claus, so don’t make us give you coal for Fringemas.

Pianos – Unfortunately, we are not able to provide a piano or a keyboard for any venue. Please be prepared to make arrangements to supply your own.

Fire, flame, smoking, fog, etc. – Generally, most venues do not permit any of these items to be used. If your show calls for any of these, we can ask the SCPA for permission, but be prepared to figure out a creative way to do without.

I've just gotta apply. What do I do now?

So you’ve made it this far and you’re ready to say, “I want to be a part of FringeNext!” Who can blame you? I know I can’t. It’s wonderful. Life isn’t complete without it. On the pages that follow is the application. It’s comprised of five sections.

Section I: The Check List

This is provided for your assistance. Please make sure that all items on the list are included in your application package. You do not need to include this when you mail your application.  

Section II: Contact Information

Fill in the contact information requested. A valid email address that is frequently checked is required. Email is the primary means of communication for the festival, so please make sure this information is correct. We will notify you via e-mail as soon as we receive your application. Please note that we request a secondary contact for each project as well. This secondary contact will only be used in the event of an emergency. This contact will not be in regular communication with the Festival Staff and cannot speak for the production. If any contact information changes at any point in the application/acceptance process, please notify the Associate Producer, Chris Wesselman, immediately by email (fringesubmissions@knowtheatre.com) or by phone (513.300.5669). 

Section III: Project Information

This section provides us with some general information about your project. This information is essential in determining tech needs, marketing hooks, etc. Please fill this in as clearly and completely as possible.

Section IV: The Proposal

This is the meat of the application (or the portabella mushroom, if you’re a vegetarian...). This used to be a series of questions asking for a project description, group history, etc. But that seems constraining to a group of wonderful creative artists such as yourselves. Now it’s a bit more free form. Have fun, but make sure you give the jury enough information to make an informed selection.

Section V: Technical Requirements

This will provide us with some preliminary information about your technical needs, like stage dimensions and whether or not you need offstage space. Please be thorough, but pithy. The section on technical requirements is especially important in determining venue assignment. More detailed technical requirements will be requested once the selection process has been completed.

Other Application Requirements:

In addition to the application, we ask that you provide some samples of your work. Choose samples that will help us understand your vision and your ability to accomplish what you intend. The following samples are REQUIRED:

• Up to 20 pages of a script sample, script outline, and/or script samples from previous works (to demonstrate quality of writing)
• For musicals: CD of songs from your project

The following samples are not required but never hurt to provide:

• Video of a prior production of the show you’re submitting
• Video of a different show that features the same creative team or group (please don’t send us a DVD of you dancing in the living room for your mom when you were seven; I’m sure you look adorable but it won’t help us make a decision.

If you submit a DVD, please indicate which chapter(s) you would like viewed. NOTE: we will only guarantee viewing 10 minutes of your DVD. In the event you are not able to use chapter markers, please indicate what section (by time) of the DVD you would like considered. VHS tapes, 8-track, reel-to-reel, and Betamax are not permitted – unless you are a time traveler. Applications for musicals must submit recordings on CD. Please cue to or indicate any songs you consider priority listening. We will not download material from a website or accept music samples via email. Application materials will not be returned. If you are applying with more than one project, please submit one completed application (including proposal, samples, and yes, the FEE) for each project.

QUESTIONS?

If you have questions about the festival or your application, please e-mail Chris Wesselman at fringesubmissions@knowtheatre.com. You can also call the theatre at 513-300-KNOW(5669).

HAPPY FRINGING!