Find fantastic feats and fabulous fabulists at Know Theatre’s funky, fabled flagship
THE 15TH ANNUAL CINCINNATI FRINGE FESTIVAL!
May 29 – June 10, 2018
Has it been 15 years already? Wow… (Well, technically, it’s only been 14 because you don’t count the first Festival as a calendar year, and then you have to divide by the square root of — you know what? It doesn’t matter!) Know Theatre is once again patently hysterical to offer something for everyone at the region’s largest and longest annual theatre and arts festival — that’s renowned for being “kinda WEIRD. like YOU!”
Hundreds of indie artists, musicians, and performance groups from near and far will converge for 13 jubilant days to present over 45 live theatre, music, and dance productions with a Cincy Fringe record 250+ performances, as well as visual art experiences, free Family Friendly offerings, film screenings, unique special events, nightly after-parties, and everything between. All of which takes place at over a dozen venues in the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, with Know Theatre serving as Fringe HQ. This year’s 15th Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival has more of what you (didn’t know you already) love than ever before, including Anniversary celebrations and reminiscences as icing on the cake! (Mmm…Fringe cake…)
“While the first Cincy Fringe still feels like it was yesterday,” says Fringe Producer Chris Wesselman [Ed. Note: It definitely wasn’t yesterday. It was in 2004. Chris is in denial that he’s getting older.] “Preparations to celebrate the big 1-5 took us on a journey into Fringe history that highlighted the staggering number of artists, audience members, sponsors, volunteers, and staff we’ve pARTied with over the years. Fringe has had such a monumental impact on Cincinnati arts and entertainment, and I — along with the rest of the team at Know Theatre —absolutely cannot wait to welcome everyone to the boldest and BIGGEST Cincy Fringe yet!”
Read on to discover a little more about each of this year’s programming components and follow provided links for additional information and available marketing materials. While some Cincy Fringe programming and details won’t be finalized until 5/16 — when the Official Fringe Guide is distributed by our Media Partner, Cincinnati CityBeat — there’s still pah-lenty for you to pour over now, so let’s get crackin’!
PRIMARY LINEUP
35 productions by artists and performance groups from near and far create this core component of Cincy Fringe programming, accounting for over 200 of this year’s record 250+ performances. Curated by over 40 of Cincinnati’s most passionate theatre professionals, journalists, and educators — along with some historical Fringe folk — the Primary Lineup features a gobsmacking variety of genres, styles, subject matters, and skill sets, ensuring that anyone and everyone — including families — can find their perfect cup of tea.
These are also the productions that vie for one of our 6 Pick of the Fringe Awards, which grant recipients an additional Encore performance on the final day of Fringe (6/10)!
OF SPECIAL NOTE: This year we’ve increased the number of performances assigned to shows in venues under 60 seats, meaning there are more chances to see everything you want and an increased number of paths to See-It-All!
For more information on this year’s Primary Lineup, including complete
production information and associated marketing materials, please visit
https://tinyurl.com/2018-Primary-Lineup
FRINGE NEXT
For the past 8 Festivals, Cincy Fringe has offered slots to local high school-aged artists to create, direct, design, perform in, produce, and otherwise entirely control their very own productions. Technically part of the Primary Lineup, we think these up-and-comers deserve special recognition and encouragement; they are the voices of the future, after all!
For more information on this year’s Fringe Next programming, including complete
production information and associates marketing materials, please visit
https://tinyurl.com/2018-Fringe-Next
FRINGE DEVELOPMENT
From workshops of brand new productions to artist-led Master Classes, Fringe Development is all about using the critical mass of creativity at the Festival to fuel the growth and evolution of shows and individuals.
OF SPECIAL NOTE: This year we’re helping a group of students from CCM (led by Richard Hess) prepare for a trip to the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, the mother of all Fringes!
For more information on this year’s Fringe Development programming, including complete
production and class information, and associates marketing materials, please visit
https://tinyurl.com/2018-Fringe-Development
VISUAL FRINGE
Fringe isn’t just about live performance, it’s about ALL artistic endeavors, including visual art. From galleries to interactive installations, from painting to photography, Visual Fringe is a feast for the eyes across all corners of the Festival!
For more information on this year’s Visual Fringe programming
and associated marketing materials, please visit
https://tinyurl.com/2018-Visual-Fringe
FILM FRINGE
From 2005-2012 Cincy Fringe included film offerings to celebrate the “kinda WEIRD” in the world of celluloid, and this year it’s back! We’re presenting 5 nights of original, independent programming (shorts and feature-lengths), all thanks to an amazing partnership with Main Street’s award-winning Mini Microcinema!
OF SPECIAL NOTE: Film Fringe includes the world premiere of a new feature-length work from Cincy Fringe favorite Kevin Thornton!
For more information on Film Fringe programming,
Mini Microcinema, and associated marketing materials, please visit
https://tinyurl.com/2018-Film-Fringe
FAMILY FRIENDLY FRINGE
While we pride the wide variety of offerings at the Festival for containing something for everyone, including Family Friendly productions in our Primary Lineup, we want to ensure that plentiful opportunities exist for parents and children to Fringe with us, so this year we have special, free offerings that give families a chance to get kinda weird, too!
For more information on Family Friendly Fringe
and associated marketing materials, please visit
https://tinyurl.com/2018-Family-Fringe
FRINGE ON THE STREETS
In 2017, Cincy Fringe teamed up with Art on the Streets to encourage any and all artists to take their creativity out of our venues and straight to the general public by street performing and busking during the Festival. Our partnership continues this year to help bathe Cincinnati in even more arts and entertainment during Fringe.
For more information on Fringe on the Streets,
along with details on how artists can participate, please visit
https://tinyurl.com/Fringe-On-The-Streets
SPECIAL EVENTS
Paint with Vincent Van Gogh, get surrounded by sound in a giant inflatable igloo, re-live a Fringe favorite from the past, AND MORE with our lineup of Special Event presentations that round out performance offerings and finally break you, causing puzzled exclamations like, “OMG, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SEE EVERYTHING AT FRINGE IN JUST 13 DAYS?!”
For more information on this year’s Special Event programming
and associated marketing materials, please visit
https://tinyurl.com/2018-Fringe-Special-Events
FRINGE BAR SERIES
As if it all wasn’t enough, after shows are over each night we invite everyone back to Fringe HQ (Know Theatre) to wet their whistle, converse about experiences, and otherwise continue the merriment at our Fringe Bar Series. Featuring special themes, events, and concerts, the party keeps rolling until 1am every single evening!
OF SPECIAL NOTE: Fringe Bar Series involves more local bands and musicians this year than ever before! Heck YEAH, live music belongs at Fringe!
For more information on this year’s Fringe Bar Series programming
and associated marketing materials, please visit
https://tinyurl.com/2018-Bar-Series
TICKETING and BOX OFFICE INFORMATION
Cincy Fringe shares 50% of all box office revenue with individual productions, meaning your attendance supports not only the Festival and Know Theatre but hundreds of independent artists, as well!
Ticket and Pass sales/reservations are now live at www.cincyfringe.com or by calling the Know Theatre Box Office at 513-300-5669. The Know Theatre/Fringe Box Office is open between the hours of 11:00am and 6:00pm, Monday-Friday during regular operations (until 5/28/18) and 11:00am to 9:30pm everyday during the Festival (5/29-6/10).
Ticket and pass purchases, along with pass reservations, can also be made at individual venues during Fringe starting 30 minutes prior to showtimes, but we STRONGLY recommend purchasing/reserving in advance to avoid the painful sting of regret that comes with sellouts, which are common at Fringe, especially in smaller venues.
See the following page for details on all admission options.
Single Tickets ($15)
Single tickets are $15 and are good for (surprise!) single admission to a single performance.
Full Frontal All-Access Pass ($250)
Want to take in as much Fringe as humanly possible? The Full Frontal All-Access Pass gives a patron the ability to reserve a single ticket for 99.63%* of all productions at the Festival. After 17 shows, you’re basically seeing things for free!
Full Frontal Passholders also receive sweet perks, like discounts on Fringe swag and artist price drinks at the Fringe HQ bar. Plus, they get to vote for their very own Pick of the Fringe award!
*Certain Special Events and all Encore performances have unique ticket prices or passes
Voyeur Pass ($75)
The Voyeur is a 6-tickets-for-the-price-of-5 flex pass that can be used in any combination of patrons and performances, and also allows advanced reservations or walk-up admission* (don’t dooo iiit…reserve in advance!) Voyeur Passes are great for groups, or if you can only commit to seeing a lot of shows but not ALL OF THEM.
*Certain Special Events and all Encore performances have unique ticket prices or passes.
Encore Pass ($75)
New this year and only available for purchase during the Festival, the Encore Pass is good only for the 6 Encore performances on 6/10. Purchase of this pass automatically reserves patrons a single ticket to each of the 6 Encore performances, for the price of 5 tickets.
Patrons are not permitted to move, combine, or otherwise reallocate tickets. Other than Single Ticket purchases (beginning the evening of 6/9), the Encore Pass is the only way to guarantee seats at Encore performances.
Free Walk-Up Tickets for Volunteers
If you’re tight on cash but still want to Fringe, Volunteer at the Festival! By donating your time to help us run this behemoth of an event, you get free tickets good for walk-up admission to shows! For more info on volunteering, visit http://www.cincyfringe.com/get-involved/volunteer/.
For more information on tickets and passes, or to make a purchase, visit https://www.cincyfringe.com!
Know Theatre is Cincinnati’s Theatrical Playground. The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience. Know Theatre seeks to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible.
Know Theatre’s work is made possible, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.
The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Know Theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
Know Theatre is also supported by The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, helping to change our communities for the better through collaboration and innovation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.
Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate Member of the National New Play Network.
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THE BLACKFACE PROJECT, a new play written by young playwright Isaiah Reaves, is based on the offensively true story of Broadway’s first black star, Bert Williams.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 