Performances

Apply for the 2012 Performance Fringe

Click here to download the PDF application for Performance Fringe

The 2012 Performance Fringe Deadlines (ALL ARE RECEIVED BY DATES)
EARLY BIRD: Friday December 2, 2011 (Application Fee $35)
FINAL DEADLINE: Friday December 16, 2011 (Application Fee $50)
Applications not received by December 16, 2011 will not be considered.

Guidelines & Information

What happens at the Cincinnati 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, which gives high school students an opportunity to produce their own new works alongside professional artists from around the world, 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:

Five Performances – Every production that is available for the entirety of the festival will receive five performances. (Warning! Math ahead!) So that means less availability = fewer performances.

Box Office Services – The Festival sells all performance tickets, without exception. You, the artist, will receive 50% of the box office revenue. Hooray, you! Hooray, money!

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 – We’ll match your production with the most suitable venue we have access to. If you have special requests, please make those known very early on to allow us the maximum time to find a suitable space.

Basic tech needs – Each venue will be equipped with a light plot covering all of the performance space with a two color wash and two specials. They will also have a sound board and one playback device, like a CD player.

Venue Tech – 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).

Technical Rehearsal – Each production will receive one three-hour technical rehearsal. All shows receive exactly the same amount of time. No more, no less, no exceptions.

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” – and maybe a beer.

Housing – Out of town artists will have access to housing, if requested. It may not be the Ritz-Carlton, but it will be free of charge to you. We will only house members of the production team (no spouses, children, pets, etc).

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.

Our Love – Self-explanatory. ♥!

What are the dates I need to know about?

The “early bird” deadline for the Performance Fringe application is Friday, December 2, 2011. If your application is received by December 2^nd, the fee is only $35. We will continue to accept applications until Friday, December 16^th, 2011, but please note that applications received after December 2^nd will have the application fee increased to $50. Those are “received by”, not “postmarked by” deadlines, by the way, and there will be no extensions. Applications not received by December 16^th will not be accepted. Seriously. Hand delivery at any time before 8pm on December 16^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 (that are important enough to mention even before you are accepted)

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 – Each venue will hold up to five productions. This means that resources are shared between all of these groups. So...

Storage space is limited – Most venues have little to no storage space. Please be prepared for that, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised if it turns out there is some on-site storage.

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

Venues range from theatres like Know’s main stage to empty storefronts, to sound studios to coffee shops. You name it; we’ve probably used it as a venue. Venue assignments will not be announced until April, 2012, along with the performance schedule.

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. The venues are not familiar with the policies of the Festival and may give you incorrect information. Additionally, we request that the venues 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 venue 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 the Cincinnati Fringe Festival!” 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 composed 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 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 venue suitability, 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 your high school performance in Annie. I’m sure you were great, 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 Betmax 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. You can also call the theatre at 513-300-KNOW(5669).

HAPPY FRINGING!