The Second Annual Atlanta Fringe Festival Begins 6/5

The Atlanta Fringe Festival has announced the second annual edition of their locally-produced festival, bringing adventurous local and national artists together for a four-day celebration of live performances from across the theatrical spectrum. Building on a successful inaugural year, 2013's festival will boast 24 productions from 10 states, including 14 from the Atlanta area. In addition to live performance, the Atlanta Fringe will host Fringe Radio, the only audio drama festival on the national Fringe network, with performances available for download or stream on the Festival website. The live festival is set to take place June 5-9, 2013, at locations in downtown and East Atlanta.

The brainchild of members of Atlanta-based Twinhead Theatre, AFF 2013 will boast several new developments in its second year. For starters, new venue sponsor 7 Stages will host performances in its mainstage and black box space, host opening and closing night parties, provide office space and serve as the public headquarters ("Fringe Central"), providing festival-goers with a centrally-located informational hub in the heart of Little Five Points. In addition to 7 Stages, Fringe artists will be performing at the nearby Theatrical Outfit, the Village Theatre (both new for 2013) and in two spaces at The Horizons School on Dekalb Avenue (returning from 2012.)

"The first year was an awesome experience, and we learned a lot in the process," explains Executive Director Diana Brown. "We thought we were a few years away from having the caliber of venues we've got this year, and all centrally-located so close to each other. It's gonna give all of our artists a chance to shine and make it a lot easier for our audiences to find them."

Audiences can expect a wide variety of performances from the uncensored, unjuried festival, with everything from dance, opera, circus performance, puppetry, to traditional ensemble theatre. Artists across the demographic spectrum are well-represented, as well, with many shows produced by artists of color, female artists and LGBT artists. At a mere $10 per ticket (with discounts for multi-show passes) audiences will have the chance to explore to their heart's content without breaking the bank. And, with expanded social media coverage providing interviews, show previews, behind-the-scenes pictures, videos and more, audiences will have a chance to familiarize themselves with the Festival artists before taking the plunge.

On the audio side, Fringe Radio will be offering internet broadcast of thirty radio plays via their podcasting network, the only one of its kind in the Fringe Festival circuit. Those productions, featuring everything from traditional radio drama to storytelling to experimental soundscapes, will be available for free stream or download on the Atlanta Fringe website from May 27th-June 16th, 2013. This aspect of the Festival is presented as an equal partnership with Kansas City's HEAR Now Festival (www.hearnowfestival.org/).

In addition, this year's Fringe will feature a dedicated Android and iPhone app, allowing audience members to easily search for shows and venues, research artists, and purchase tickets from one convenient location. The free app will be available for download at the Atlanta Fringe website.

Those interested are encouraged to follow AFF on Twitter (@AtlantaFringe), Facebook (www.facebook.com/atlantafringe) and Tumblr (http://atlfringebuzz2013.tumblr.com/) where they will find new announcements, volunteer opportunities, and lots of parody rap lyrics.

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