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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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200-plus shows, 23 locations, the largest nonjuried arts festival in America
Thursday 03 August @ 15:24:54 |
  Attending the Fringe Festival is a logistical challenge of mind-boggling complexity. Never fear, intrepid theatergoers. Pulse is on hand to suggest ways to make the most of the 2006 Minnesota Fringe Festival.
See also:
The Visible Fringe by Max Sparber
A Preview of the Festival by Dwight Hobbes
Fringe Must-Sees: a Pulse guide
Your guide to effective Fringing
1. Make your plans: Pick up a copy of the Fringe Festival’s program or head on over to the Fringe webpage (FringeFestival.org). Both sources have every single Fringe event listed, with capsule descriptions of all Fringe shows and some helpful additional information, such as the various genres of performance represented at the Festival (dance, musical theater, etc.) and useful warnings (adult subject matter, nudity). Have a pen and paper handy and simply mark off the shows that look interesting—I find it helpful to make one list of shows I absolutely want to see and another of shows that I might potentially like to see. This is a highly idiosyncratic process, based in the unique taste of each Fringegoer (I know of one fellow who always puts shows with nudity or drug use on his “must see” list), and, unless you’re already quite familiar with the local theater scene, you’re probably going to wind up with a much larger list of possibilities than certainties. That’s all right—we’ll detail later how to decide whether an uncertain show is worth checking out.
2. Get your tickets early: There are a few options here, depending on
your level of Fringe commitment. You can, of course, buy tickets to individual
shows — they’re available at any Fringe box office (again, check
the webpage or printed Fringe Guide), and cost $12 per show ($10 if you’re
a student, senior or MPR member with valid ID). Tickets can be bought right
up until a show starts, although there is a risk of shows selling out. Paying
for each show individually is the costliest and least-efficient way to see the
Fringe, but, for patrons who are only planning on seeing a show or two, it’s
probably the easiest approach.
For more serious Fringegoers, the festival offers a $45 five-show punch card,
which will save you a total of $15 on the cost of the tickets. But the really
dedicated Fringe attendee will often just purchase an Ultra Pass for $135, which
will gain them entrance to as many shows as they can get to.
3. Plan your schedule and route: If you’re planning to see a large
number of shows, it is going to require careful preplanning. Set your schedule
based on proximity —if you’re going to be seeing one show after
another, make sure that they are within walking distance of each other (better
still, if several of your shows share a venue, try and schedule it so that you’re
seeing them one after the other). Fringe venues are spread throughout Minneapolis,
and parking is typically tricky.
 4.
Show up early: The more popular Fringe shows sell out with alarming speed,
so it is a good idea to head out to a venue with plenty of time to spare. Tickets
go on sale a half-hour before showtime, so try to be at least 30 minutes early.
If you’re rushing from show to show, this might not be possible. It is
possible to make reservations in advance through the Fringe website, through
UptownTix.com or by calling UptownTix at 651-209-6799, but this will cost you
an additional $2.50 per show and should not be necessary for any but the most
popular shows.
5. Check the reviews: The local papers run reviews of Fringe shows, and
several of them try to attend as many shows as possible. Perhaps the most useful
resource for show reviews is the Fringe website itself. Aside from offering
a half-dozen bloggers (including myself) who will be sharing their responses
to Fringe shows, the website also offers a place for attendee feedback, and
this is an excellent resource for discerning whether shows on your “maybe”
list should get moved up to “must see” or not. The best resource,
however, is generally fellow Fringegoers. Feel free to chat with strangers while
waiting for shows to start, or just eavesdrop on nearby conversations—you’ll
get some great feedback about Fringe shows that must be attended, or should
be missed.
6. Dress appropriately: Check the day’s weather before you head
out—there have been some past Fringe Festivals that have fallen on days
of absolutely murderous heat and humidity. The Fringe is typically a casual
event, so dress for comfort. It’s generally wise to bring water with you;
longtime Fringergoers will sometimes prepare a little bag with assorted items,
such as trail mix and rain ponchos, as though they were going on a camping trip
rather than heading out to a day of theater. It’s certainly wise to bring
along a backpack or bookbag— you’re going to be getting a lot of
paper, in the form of programs and postcards for other Fringe shows, and you’re
going to want to have someplace to keep them.
7. Head out to Fringe nightcaps and parties: Each Fringe day will end
with a gathering at a local bar or restaurant, with discounts offered to Fringe
attendees (you will have a Fringe button to mark your status). It’s the
perfect opportunity to hobnob with the actors and fellow Fringegoers, unwind,
and start making plans for your next day. Check the Fringe website for details.
|| (Max
Sparber)
See also:
The Visible Fringe by Max Sparber
A Preview of the Festival by Dwight Hobbes
Fringe Must-Sees: a Pulse guide
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