Fringe Encore Series to Celebrate 10th Anniversary This Fall

With over 200 shows presented at FringeNYC Festival and 900 at Edinburgh Fringe, it's hard to be in the know about what's worth seeing. Even worse is having missed the show everyone is talking about post festival. Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, the Fringe Encore Series will present some of the most critically-acclaimed and crowd-pleasing shows from both festivals. But more importantly, pinpoints and cultivates the theater talent of tomorrow.

From September 10th to October 26th, the Fringe Encore Series and SoHo Playhouse will present roughly fifteen productions from the FringeNYC Festival and five from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The 20 productions are hand-selected by seasoned professionals in the NYC theater community including Britt Lafield (Founder and Producer of the Fringe Encore Series), Darren Lee Cole (Producer Fringe Encore Series, Artistic Director SoHo Playhouse), Scott Morfee (Producer of the Barrow Street Theatre), Michael Sgouros (Owner and Producer of The Players Theatre), and Brenda Bell (Artistic Director of Literally Alive Theatre).

The series is particularly important to Lafield and Cole, who see it as more than just an opportunity to showcase the best of both festivals, but an opportunity to foster and develop emerging talent. Lafield explains:

"This city is full of amazing young theatrical talent. Unfortunately there are not a lot of resources for those individuals to access when it comes to the practical aspect of producing, moving and growing a show for a larger audience... We provide them with the theater and framework to discover more about their show, more performances to invite audience and industry and expert feedback on every aspect of the production process from our industry advisers... and by doing so, cultivate the next generation of professional theatrical talent in this city."

Cole concurs, "The series serves as a unique and needed development stage for emerging artists and ideas. It has become one of the finest ways to discover future hits. My involvement with the Encore Series has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career."

The Encore Series' mission of creating a platform for sustainable theatre is evident in the amount of shows that have seen commercial viability after successful runs in the Encore Series. "Jamaica Farewell" was a selection in 2007, and is still performed internationally, with praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post, Miami Herald, Chicago Sun Times, The Edinburgh Times, among others. Others have earned Drama Desk Nominations including "Krapp 39" and "Rap Guide to Religion."

A full schedule of shows will be announced at the closing of both NYCFringe and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. All shows selected from NYCFringe will be $18, and those selected from Edinburgh Fringe will be $25. A three-show package will be available $45. Tickets will be available at: www.sohoplayhouse.com.

Fringe Encore Series (Britt Lafield- Founder and Producer) was created as a learning center and stepping stone for the young talent and amazing productions that are a part of The New York International Fringe Festival every August in New York City. Now having expanded to include the Edinburgh Fringe, Fringe Encore Series presents, promotes and educates the "best of" productions from each festival and allows more time for theater going public to catch the fresh new voices of today's theater.

SoHo Playhouse (Darren Lee Cole, Artistic Director) has been one of Off Broadway's primary venues for new plays for the past 70 years. Formerly "Vandam Playhouse" the theatre has been home to countless dreams and movements. Many actors, directors, choreographers, production designers, theatre managers, technicians, and producers all received their start at SoHo Playhouse. Several of America's leading writers have premiered their work at 15 Vandam Street including; Sam Shepard, Edward Albee, Tracy Letts, Charles Buch, Leroi Jones and Lanford Wilson. Award winning shows have included: "The Boys in the Band", "Killer Joe", "The Divine Sister", "Mindgame", "Krapp, 39", "Piaf", "Room Service", "Jamaica Farewell", "Belly of a Drunken Piano", "Bukowski From Beyond", "Simon Lovell's Strange & Unusual Hobbies", "The Emperor Jones", "Triassic Parq", "The Canterbury Tales Remixed", "The Other Josh Cohen", "Bill W and Dr Bob", and "Rap Guide to Religion". Mr. Cole has served as Artistic Director since 2004.