First thing's first: We like to know who comes to Fringe. So if you weren't able to fill in one of those cute little paper surveys we had at the venues, please fill it out online. It's just 13 questions that shouldn't take you more than 5 minutes. And it helps us out a lot. Like, a ridiculous lot. Thanks! Now then! 2008 was a good year for the Fringe. In all, we issued nearly 41,000 tickets for 806 performances to more than 15,000 people. Exactly 1,080 artists participated in the Fringe this year. And everyone earned just over $300,000. Numbers are fun! We've already started planning the 2009 festival—so stay tuned for all sorts of fun new things from the Fringe. In the meantime, the regular Fringe email newsletter (the one that you'll get with all the spiffy discounts you can get with your '08 button) resumes next week. Thanks again for a great year. Email or call us any time if you have feedback, ideas or just want to chat. Our door is always open. Your pals, Roma Di Luna, Romantica, The Minnesota Opera, Haley Bonar, Davina and the Vagabonds, Mystery Palace, Little Man, M.anifest, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, The Melismatics, Chris Koza, Spaghetti Western String Co., The Schubert Club, Dan Israel and the Cultivators, Vicious Vicious, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Dosh and others. 3 Days FREE Music, Rain or Shine The final coffee winners were: Kayla Hertel, Susan Campion, Eric Wuntling, Chelsea Gartner, Dennis Davidson and Klee Burke. The winner of the Rush Prize—a delightful Equal Exchange gift basket filled with all sorts of fairly traded goodies—goes to Betsy Rosen. Congrats, Betsy! And the winner for the Ultra Prize—two Ultra Passes to the 2009 Minnesota Fringe and two season tickets to the Guthrie—is Jim Brennan. Jim, you're all set for theater for a whole year! Gremlin Theatre is hosting four favorite Fringe shows at their new locale (2400 University Av., St. Paul), Aug. 14-23. by Joshua & Lauren Iley by Curt Lund & Laura Bidgood Thur., Aug. 21, Fri., Aug. 22 & Sat., Aug. 23 All seats are $12. For tickets and reservations, please call Gremlin at 651-228-7008. P.S. Here's your Easter egg for the day. You have to watch the videos to get the full effect.
Robin, Mark, Matt, Jeff, Craig, Allegra
and everyone else at Minnesota Fringe
Food and beer by Great Waters Brewing Co.
Mears Park Saint Paul, MN | concreteandgrass.com
Drawing winners
More Fringe at the brand spankin' new Gremlin
Thursday, August 14,
Friday, August 15
and Saturday, August 16Meet the Macbeths @ 7 p.m.
Mac and Betty are a charming "Better Homes and Garden" couple who plot murder plans over pot roast. Shakespeare visits a 1950s suburban utopia to unfold how far an ambitious duo will go for the American Dream.Boys Don't Make Passes at Girls Who Wear Glasses @ 8:30 p.m.
Embrace your inner dork as Laura and Curt (the geeks behind "Take a Left at the Giant Cow") fog up your glasses with torrid tales of nerd romance. Did we say torrid? We meant awkward, embarrassing and unrequited.
Second weekend shows will be announced shortly—stay tuned!
Entries categorized as ‘Daily Fringe’
The Daily Fringe #Last
August 13, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Categories: Daily Fringe
Daily Fringe #9
August 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Got five minutes to answer 13 questions about yourself? Mornin'! Here's the Fringe Encore lineup! Get you tickets now. Congrats to all the Fringe Encore folks. Each venue's top-selling show is awarded a sixth performance in the last slot in the festival—8:30 for most venues, 8 o'clock for Bryant-Lake Bowl. Note: Sara Scrimshaw's "Dance of the Whisky Faerie" was the top-selling show at the Southern; she opted out of the Encore program. Thanks to everyone for a ridiculously great Fringe. We'll send out "The Daily Fringe #10" with final attendance numbers and other wrap-up delights later this week. And join Fringe staff, volunteers and artists at First Ave. tonight to close out the festival with extreme style. See you today at the shows, tonight at the party and in 2009 for Minnesota's 16th annual Fringe. Your pals, P.S. Don't forget the drawing! Check out the Fringe staff blog for the final coffee winners and tonight's winners of the Rush Prize (an Equal Exchange gift basket) and the Ultra Prize (two '09 Ultra Passes and two season tickets to the Guthrie). Stop by Fringe Central at Bedlam to throw your name in. P.S. We repeated an Easter egg yesterday. So here are one Easter egg and two Easter eggs for the day.
Take our '08 audience survey!
Bill and Matt
Categories: Daily Fringe
Daily Fringe #8
August 8, 2008 · Leave a Comment
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Got five minutes to answer 13 questions about yourself?
Okay, teen gang, this is it: the three last days of Fringe 2008. As we told you yesterday, there's no need to panic, because there's still tons of time to see great shows, and this weekend is actually the easiest time to find 'em! In addition to over 1600 audience reviews, there are media and blog mentions, word of mouth from people in line or at Fringe Central, plus plus plus! On Sunday at 8:30 (8 at Bryant-Lake Bowl), the most top-selling shows get the final festival slot for Fringe Encore! Watch for the announcement on Sunday. Now let's travel over to Sad News Town, where we reveal that even though the Fringe has the whole weekend ahead of it, Fringe Central has just (gasp!) two days left! That's right, Saturday night is the last party night at Bedlam. So raise a glass tonight and tomorrow for their great food, wonderful service and kick-butt view of Minneapolis from the comfy patio. But then catch the Magical Rainbow Trolly to Happytown because the reason there's no Sunday night party at Bedlam is because of the Fringe Closing Night Party at First Avenue! Your pals, P.S. If you're driving, you might want to read this. Vikings game! Street closures! NOTE: There won't be a daily tomorrow. This is a double edition. |
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Photo du jour
"Hey, I'm Talking Murder Here!" presented by Rhino Productions. Trevor Hartman as Marlow and Sam Ahern as Dr. Gagney. (Photo: Alex Wohlhueter) |
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Fringe Central
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The big onesThe top-selling shows venue by venue for Thursday:
Drawing winners!On Sunday, we're announcing the last three days' worth of coffee winners and—AND!!!—drawing the winners of our Grand and Rush Prizes. (And keep in mind that if you win a pound of coffee in the daily drawing, you're still eligible for the other prizes on Sunday. Yay!) Stop by Fringe Central to put your name in the hat (or the, uh, box) to win coffee, the Rush Prize of an Equal Exchange gift basket or the Ultra Prize: Two '09 Ultra Passes and two season tickets to the Guthrie! (Drawing's on Sun., Aug. 10. Stop by Fringe Central to sign up and check out the rules.) |
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P.S. Here's your Easter egg for the day. |
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Categories: Daily Fringe
Daily Fringe #7
August 7, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Okay, the second Fringe weekend starts tomorrow—but before the big finale, there's tonight to catch shows before the all-day crushes of Saturday or Sunday. And speaking of crushes, have you found your Fringe crush yet? While most develop a crush on a performer, you can also develop a crush on a show as well. But if you haven't found a crush yet, tonight would be a perfect time, so that you can have your squee on for Friday night. Just sayin'. Need a boost to help you get your social on? Don't forget that tonight at Fringe Central at Bedlam, we have delicious beats from a live DJ! Shake it! Your pals, Malia Burkhart in "The Survival Pages" at Intermedia Arts. (Photo: Jeff Larson) TONIGHT @ midnight: Late-night DJ (dancey!) $3 Summit pints during Bedlam Social happy hour (4-7 p.m. and 11 p.m.-2 a.m.) with six yummy Summits on tap and food service 'til close Today: 82° and sunny. Some patchy fog tonight with a low at 59°. Tomorrow: Patchy fog before 8 a.m., high 83°. Low: 63°. Saturday: Mostly sunny, 83°. Then partly cloudy and 62°. So far, these are the top-selling shows in the following venues (we'll release the other half of the list in tomorrow's daily):
Are you thinking "My goodness gracious me, Betty, how in heaven's name are we going to see all this awesomeness?" Why, the magical Fringe Encore, of course! Remember that the final performance slot of the festival—8:30 at each venue (8 p.m. if you're Bryant-Lake Bowl)—is awarded to the top-sellingest show in each venue. The announcement of the Encore slots will be made Sun., Aug. 10 no later than 9 a.m. Stay tuned to fringefestival.org for all the info. Days 6 + 7 winners: Coffee for you, Sara Scrimshaw. And for you, George McConnell! And you and you and you, Julie Hill, Allison Posner and Shelbie Farness. And did you think we forgot you, Barb Hill? We didn't! Congrats, winners! (And keep in mind that if you win a pound of coffee in the daily drawing, you're still eligible for the other prizes on Sunday. Yay!) Stop by Fringe Central to put your name in the hat (or the, uh, box) to win coffee, an Equal Exchange gift basket or the Ultra Prize: Two '09 Ultra Passes and two season tickets to the Guthrie! (Drawing's on Sun., Aug. 10. Stop by Fringe Central to sign up and check out the rules.) P.S. Here's your Easter Egg for the day. Okay, fine, they're turning it into a book. But still...
Bill and Matt
Photo du jour
Fringe Central
at Bedlam
Weather
The big ones
Drawing winners!
Categories: Daily Fringe
Tagged: squee
Daily Fringe #6
August 6, 2008 · 1 Comment
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You see it at museums, theme parks and fairs. After a long day of fun, eventually kids (and occasionally husbands) have had so much sensory overload that they just can't handle it anymore. It's the Three O'Clock Meltdown and you can recognize it by:
Since most Fringe days start after three, it's not a daily problem (especially since the time it would occur is prime time at Fringe Central, with its tasty selection of Summit Beers). But after six days of theater, with five big days to go, your brain may be so full of awesomeness that you'll feel like you're on your fifth bowl of Saturday Morning Sugar Bombs. After all, you're hearing about all these great shows, but it's impossible to see them all! Aaaaaaaaaargh! Relax. You've got five more days to catch the shows you need to see. Talk to your friends, check out the nearly 1,300 audience reviews, get news from our Fringe blog and find out what you really want to see, not what you "need" to see. But the main thing to remember is to have fun at the Fringe. Because otherwise we are marching right back to the car and going home right now, mister! Your pals, |
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Photo du jour
"EMISSARY'S N.O.W." presented by Emissary. (Photo: Dave Stagner) |
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Fringe Central
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Fringe in the news
Drawing winners!Day 6 winners: Okay, so we've been really fancy about putting the names in the daily... And they were drawn last night. It's just that... we forgot to write them down and take them home after trivia at Fringe Central. Which was an utter success, by the way. So totally a new tradition. We'll announce last night's winners (and tonight's winners) tomorrow. Promise. Stop by Fringe Central to put your name in the hat (or the, uh, box) to win coffee, an Equal Exchange gift basket or the Ultra Prize: Two '09 Ultra Passes and two season tickets to the Guthrie! (Drawing's on Sun., Aug. 10. Stop by Fringe Central to sign up and check out the rules.) |
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P.S. Here's your Easter Egg for the day. |
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Categories: Daily Fringe
Daily Fringe #5
August 5, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Take note: Live Action Set, presenting "Deviants," has cancelled tonight's 7 p.m. performance due to injury. So far the remaining shows will run as scheduled. From what we saw Monday, things are hopping! Of course, that fits with the 10 percent ticket increase we saw on opening weekend. And the now nearly 1,100+ audience reviews. Yay! This year, the venues are grouped close together, many within walking distance. Heck, the Rarig has four theaters in the same building! So, consider the idea of walking, biking, or taking Mass Transit to the Fringe. Some tools to help: Get walking directions on Google Maps: For example, Rarig to the Southern is just ten little minutes. MetroTransit's NexTrip gives you up to the minute info on where the next bus is, in addition to a search function that will help you plan your route. Biking! The Fringe program has suggested bike routes. MetroTransit buses and trains have bike racks that allow you to get to more distant venues and bring your bike along. So very Fringe green! Your pals, A special request: On Saturday, an artists at Rarig misplaced a MiniDV videotape of her performance. The tape is small, in a clear plastic case and clearly labeled "Fringe 08." If you happen upon it, just drop it off to at a box office. Thanks! "(life seed)" presented by Nic Hager at the Lab Theater. (Photo: Brad Dahlgaard) TONIGHT @ 11 p.m.: Fringe-themed pub-style trivia TOMORROW @ 9:30 p.m.: Dreamland Faces $3 Summit pints during Bedlam Social happy hour (4-7 p.m. and 11 p.m.-2 a.m.) with six yummy Summits on tap and food service 'til close Today: Mostly sunny, 86°. Night: Mostly clear, 61°. Tomorrow: Ditto. Thursday: Ditto. Local artist, Visible Fringe alumnus and friend of us all John Largaespada has graciously donated four digital prints to Fringe. John specializes in photoillustrations that are a little strange, a little haunting and entirely fascinating. And he's interpreted the now-famous Fringe kitty: Their names are (from the left in the larger print): Pumpkin Seed, Bobo and Boo. Day 5 winners: Alex Franzen, Melissa Markes and Karen Goneau. (Even if you win a pound of coffee in the daily drawing, you're still eligible for the other prizes on Sunday. Yay!) Stop by Fringe Central to put your name in the hat (or the, uh, box) to win coffee, an Equal Exchange gift basket or the Ultra Prize: Two '09 Ultra Passes and two season tickets to the Guthrie! (Drawing's on Sun., Aug. 10. Stop by Fringe Central to sign up and check out the rules.) P.S. Here's your Easter Egg for the day. Just in case you need a Fringe date. P.P.S. Here's another one you've probably seen. We've had it stuck in our heads for a few days. Need to get it out.
Bill and Matt
Photo du jour
Fringe Central
at Bedlam
Weather
"Three Muses (Fringe)"
Drawing winners!
Categories: Daily Fringe · Schedule changes
Tagged: money money money it's a rich man's world
Daily Fringe #4
August 4, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Whew, that was intense! Four days of theater, some 22 hours of actual shows you could see, out of 320 hours of potential performance, plus(!) the nights at Fringe Central* and the Fringe Opening Night Party! And we're not even half-way done yet! That's right, you have ample opportunity to catch the show you heard everyone talking about. Or if you need more help, there's a staggering 800+ audience reviews online to point you in the right direction. 'Cause as we say at the Fringe Online Services Dept.: They all can't be Mom! What's more, tonight at Fringe Central we're doing a special screening: 48 Hour Film Project: Best of Minneapolis, a bevvy of short films shot, chopped and screened over a 48 hour period earlier this summer! Screenings are at 7 and 10 p.m. And there's Fringe-themed pub trivia tomorrow night starting at 11 p.m. Prizes! All right, rest up for today, unless you're talking a Fringecation***, because while the pace may ease for the next few days, the Fringe doesn't stop! Your pals, *"Fringe Central: Taste the Kitties"** "Meet the MacBeths" presented by Lauren and Joshua Iley at TONIGHT @ 7 and 10 p.m.: 48 Hour Film Project 2008: Best of Minneapolis; with Ira Livingston (the producer) at 7 TOMORROW @ 11 p.m.: Fringe-themed pub-style trivia $3 Summit pints during Bedlam Social happy hour (4-7 p.m. and 11 p.m.-2 a.m.) with six yummy Summits on tap and food service 'til close Today: Sprinkly, 84°. 40% chance of storms tonight—and believe us, NOAA knows what they're talking about. That thunderstorm last night? Yeah, Matt was on the Greenway when it hit even though NOAA was all, like, "Dude, don't get on your bike, there's gonna be rain after 10" and then Matt goes, "Whatever, NOAA, you're just government scientists!" and then NOAA's all, like, "Harsh, dude! TAKE IT BACK," and Matt goes, "I'm leaving. Write on my Facebook Wall when you're ready to admit that you're not my mom, okay?" Low 67°. Tuesday: Partly sunny with a 100% of gnarly. High: 85°. Partly cloudy at night, low 63°. Wednesday: Mostly sunny and cooling off, 83°. Low: 61°. Thanks for your patience over the weekend with the Web site—we were getting slammed and service was spotty, but everything's better now. And if you think we had tech problems, don't go to Edinburgh... Yiiiikes. Local artist, Visible Fringe alumnus and friend of us all John Largaespada has graciously donated four prints to the Minnesota Fringe. (The eBay auction starts tomorrow, so get your credit cards ready.) John specializes in photoillustrations that are a little strange, a little haunting and entirely fascinating. And he's interpreted the now-famous Fringe kitty: And the proceeds benefit the Fringe! Thanks, John! (Details on the auction will be available tomorrow morning.) Days 3 + 4 winners: Julie Holmen, Allison Broeren and Amy Mork won a pound each of Equal Exchange coffee in Saturday's drawing. And Mark Bullock, Sean Wagner and Courtney Roche won the coffee for Sunday. Congrats! (And keep in mind that if you win a pound of coffee in the daily drawing, you're still eligible for the other prizes on Sunday. Yay!) Stop by Fringe Central to put your name in the hat (or the, uh, box) to win coffee, an Equal Exchange gift basket or the Ultra Prize: Two '09 Ultra Passes and two season tickets to the Guthrie! (Drawing's on Sun., Aug. 10. Stop by Fringe Central to sign up and check out the rules.) P.S. Here's your Easter Egg for the day. RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!
Bill and Matt
** Created by Matthew J. G. Foster (American, 1975-). Released under a Creative Commons license.
*** Fringecation, as defined by our own Deputy Audience Services Director Zoe Benston: "Taking a paid vacation to work 12 hour days at Fringe."
Photo du jour
the Lab Theater. Joshua Iley as Mac and Lauren Iley as Betty. (Photo: Brad Dahlgaard)
Fringe Central
at Bedlam
Weather
Today's links
Own your very own Largaespada!
Drawing winners!
Categories: Daily Fringe
Daily Fringe #3: Weekend edition
August 2, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Two quick things: We just passed 200 audience reviews this morning. Keep up the good work, everyone. If that's any indication of traffic (and it is), our servers have been getting slammed. We know the site's sometimes down and other times slow, but we're working like little IT woodchucks to solve the problem. Thanks for your patience. Fringe Weekend! Over the next two days, you could see up to 14 shows. Do you realize how much theatre that is? Fourteen! Not everyone can pull off a Big Day at the Fringe, and fewer still can do it two days in a row. Manage it, and you'll earn the respect and admiration of all those around you at Fringe Central. Especially if you're buying. Some tips on seeing every show this weekend: 1. Have a plan. Plot out the shows you want to see (online or in the Fringe program), but also have a backup plan in case the show you want is sold out. Better yet, reserve your tickets at UptownTix.com and make sure you have a seat. 2. Food and drink. No time for a sit-down meal, bring along something tasty and nutritious that won't make you loagy as you stand in line for your next show. Hey! There are quick-serve sammiches at Fringe Central! Poifect. If you're going to be walking or biking outside, make sure that you're replacing not just the water you're losing, but the nutrients as well. And have a hat. You always need a good hat. And call your mother, she misses you. 3. Don't be afraid to eavesdrop on conversations about shows. Word of Mouth is still the best Fringe buzz there is (though our online audience reviews are helpful, too). 4. Review what you've seen! Talk it up at Fringe Central* and post a review online. 5. Come to the Kids' Ice Cream Social (today from noon to 3 p.m.) and/or the Fringe Opening Night party (starting at 10 tonight)! Wear your ticket stubs with pride, enter our giveaway drawings and soak it all in! Your pals, * "Fringe Central: The Great Watering Hole of the Fringe, Only Without Any Crocodiles or Dysentary."** "Numbers Up" presented by John Leo at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage (Photo: Kevin McLaughlin) TODAY @ Noon-3 p.m.: Kids' Fringe ice cream social TODAY @ 10 p.m.: Opening weekend party—our very own quinceañera! Monday 8/4 @ 7 and 10 p.m.: 48 Hour Film Project special screening: The Best of Minneapolis 2008 $3 Summit pints during Bedlam Social happy hour (4-7 p.m. and 11 p.m.-2 a.m.) with six yummy Summits on tap and food service 'til close Days 1 + 2 winners: How's this for metropolitan harmony? Three winners from St. Paul, three from Minneapolis: Catherine Campion, Keith Hardy, Jasmine Rust, Cheryl Hulting, Katie Hartman and Tracy Nordby all won one pound of yummy Equal Exchange coffee. Mmmm! Stop by Fringe Central to put your name in the hat (or the, uh, box) to win coffee, an Equal Exchange gift basket or the Ultra Prize: Two '09 Ultra Passes and two season tickets to the Guthrie! (Drawing's on Sun., Aug. 10. Stop by Fringe Central to sign up and check out the rules.) Today: Sunny and warm, 87°. 30% chance of storms tonight; low 68°. Balmy! Sunday: 30% chance of storms. High: 89°. At night, a 40% chance of storms; low: 70°. Monday: 40% chance of storms (c'mon, rain! beat those odds!). High: 88°. Low: 65°. P.S. Here's your Easter Egg for the day. (Many of us on the staff have angry, angry kitties at home. "Where have you been?" they say. "You smell like the theatre!" Cats always use British spellings.)
Bill and Matt
** Robin: "(Sigh) That one was just... wow..."
Photo du jour
Fringe Central
at Bedlam
Drawing winners!
Weather
Categories: Daily Fringe
Tagged: apologies for the web site being down, Daily Fringe
Daily Fringe #2
August 1, 2008 · Leave a Comment
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Hey everyone—
Well, did you find it? Did you go to opening night, took a chance on a show you knew nothing about (other than the show descriptions in our handy Fringe program)? Did you find Your Secret Surprise of the Fringe, the one you get to tell everyone about over drinks at Fringe Central?* Yay! But even if you didn't find it last night, you've got the first Fringe Weekend ahead of you to find it. There's a whole buncha shows that have their opening performances, so pick out a handful, write an online review, then scurry over afterwards and talk them up at Fringe Central. You, yes, you have a chance to become the greatest authority at Fringe '08: Somebody I Heard Talking About This! Your pals, * "Fringe Central: It's Like Putting the Fringe in Your Mouth!"** |
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Stop at Fringe Central and win!Every day at Fringe Central, we're holding three drawings for a delicious pound of Equal Exchange coffee. Yum! But that's not all... On Sunday, August 11 (the closing day of the festival), we're holding a drawing for two great prizes.
Yuh-huh. A drawing that'll take care of lots of your 2009 theater-going needs in one handy swoop. Stop by Fringe Central and toss your name in! Winners will be announced daily and—if you win a daily coffee prize—you're still eligible for the Rush and Ultra Prizes. (Although if you work for the Fringe or are on our board or are related to any of them, you're not eligible. And you don't have to buy anything in order to win.) |
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Fringe Central
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Photo du jour
"Ophelia" presented by Studio Zero at Interact (Photo: Jeff Larson)
Fringe in the newsvita.mn: Tons of coverage... Start here. Twin Cities Daily Planet: The Fringe is here!: Meet the bloggers The Rake: Fringe Me Baby, 156 More Times! The Rake: Fozzie Bear Giving It to Miss Piggy (photo may not be entirely safe for work): A round-up from the out-of-towners' showcase Star Tribune: Dancing their way to the Fringe Minneapolis Metblog: Fringe report: July 31: Erica's roundup o' Fringe For the latest updates, visit the Fringe staff blog, updated multiple times throughout the day. |
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P.S. Here's your Easter Egg for the day. Our favorite local non-arts-related blog. |
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Categories: Daily Fringe
Daily Fringe #1: Fringestrology
July 31, 2008 · Leave a Comment
On your marks, get set... Fringe '08 kicks off today at 5:30 p.m. at all our venues. Except—of course—Bryant Lake Bowl, who in classic Jan Brady fashion expresses her individuality by showing up at 6 p.m. wearing a stylish black wig. But you know what, you go, BLB! Wave your freak flag highly! Then you're set! Go, go, GO! Your pals, *Ask about our "Robin Shakes Her Head And Insists We Come Up With A New Motto" contest! Saturday 8/2 @ Noon-3 p.m.: Kids' Fringe ice cream social Saturday 8/2 @ 10 p.m.: Opening weekend party—our very own quinceañera! Monday 8/4 @ 7 and 10 p.m.: 48 Hour Film Project special screening: The Best of Minneapolis 2008 $3 Summit pints during Bedlam Social happy hour (4-7 p.m. and 11 p.m.-2 a.m.) with six yummy Summits on tap and food service 'til close Thursday: Severe thunderfringe (which is a joke we used a few years ago, but we're recycling it because there're storms and the synapses aren't firing very fast because Matt et al. had to get up at 5 o'clock because Fringe was on Fox 9—did you see it?). Otherwise hot. High: 85°. Low: 66°. Friday: Mostly sunny with clouds approaching after dark. Because clouds have a flair for drama. High: 89°. Low: 67°. Saturday: Slight chance of t'storms at night. High: 92°. Low: 72°. Minnesota Public Radio: Minnesota Fringe turns 15, which you can read or listen to! MinnPost.com went nuts yesterday! So much love! For the latest updates, visit the Fringe staff blog, updated multiple times throughout the day. Our favorite New Jersey-based attorney/astrologer/actor/food columnist (seriously), Kathy Biehl, graciously provided us with Fringe 2008's astrological forecast. Thanks, Kathy! Fasten your astro-belts: The 2008 Minnesota Fringe Festival will blast out of the norm—well, its norm, anyway—and into unprecedented spectacle and visibility. Because of its run dates, Fringe always takes place under the fun-loving sign of Leo, which has a flair for the dramatic, not to mention a penchant for going over the top, on stage and off. Those qualities are about to get amplified a hundredfold. And then some. This year's Fringe is an eclipse baby, born on the eve of a powerhouse solar eclipse (and a total one, at that) and taking its bows while a lunar eclipse is waiting in the wings. "Memorable" hardly begins to describe the personality that's about to be unleashed. This festival will come roaring into existence, a veritable drama queen that doesn't merely enjoy attention, but radiates something that demands it. There'll be inspired creativity, moments of transcendence, lots of laughter, acts of spectacular generosity, more than occasional indulgence, scads of gossip and shadings of the truth and endless, endless chatter. The talk will not stop when the final curtain falls. Continued talk, fine-tuning and structuring, both artistic and financial, are all over the chart for the Fringe's end time. The cover's about to be blown. The festival is stepping out of the, uh, fringes and into widespread notice. This is one for the history books, a milestone year that creates a lasting line of demarcation between the way things were and the grander version that is about to take shape and become lionized. If it sounds like the Fringe is about to be discovered by the big boys, well, it's possible. Some aspect of this festival will certainly live on after August 10, perhaps a show that goes on to great prominence elsewhere and focuses a spotlight on its spawning ground. Or maybe this Fringe will just be one big long self-indulgent, media-hogging extravaganza. Regardless, whatever happens this year will have a greater than usual effect on next year's Fringe. Some of the impact will surface next February, courtesy of another lunar eclipse, with more to come next August, too—just in time for the 2009 Fringe. What a coincidence! Not. P.S. Here's your Easter Egg for the day. Peppermint kisses!
Bill and Matt
Fringe Central
at Bedlam
Weather
Fringe in the news
Fringestrology
Categories: Daily Fringe
Tagged: astrology, leo, woot
