Hollywood Fringe Fest Celebrates Ten Years

Tickets are now on sale for the 10th Annual Hollywood Fringe Festival, taking place June 13th - 30th, with previews June 6th - June 11th. L.A.'s largest celebration of the performing arts continues to grow with nearly 400 shows registered and almost 2,000 performances throughout the festival. The Hollywood Fringe Festival celebrates its amazing tenth year, having doubled its size in only a decade to become the largest performing arts festival in the United States.

The 2019 festival includes diverse offerings from a wide range of performing arts genres. The majority of shows are either ensemble theatre, solo performance, or comedy. However, attendees will also find cabaret, musical theatre, dance, and immersive theatre. Participation in the Hollywood Fringe is completely open and uncensored. This free-for-all approach underlines the festival's mission to be a platform for artists without the barrier of a curative body. By opening the gates to anyone with a vision, the festival is able to exhibit the most diverse and cutting-edge points-of-view the world has to offer. Additionally, by creating an environment where artists must self-produce their work, the Fringe motivates its participants to cultivate a spirit of entrepreneurialism in the arts. Visit www.hollywoodfringe.org for more information.

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is an annual, open-access, community-derived event celebrating freedom of expression and collaboration in the performing arts community. Each June during the Hollywood Fringe, the arts infiltrates the Hollywood neighborhood: Fully equipped theaters, parks, clubs, churches, restaurants and other unexpected places host hundreds of productions by local, national, and international arts companies and independent performers. The Hollywood Fringe Festival has been seen as a boon not only for the businesses in the Hollywood community but also artists of all kinds within Los Angeles. "The Hollywood Fringe Festival is a reminder of how much local talent we have in the Los Angeles area." notes Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell. "Thousands of live theatre enthusiasts will get to experience more original and imaginative productions than ever before. The robust three-week festival also offers a snapshot of how art and culture stimulate the local economy." Between ticket sales, venue rents, restaurants, bars (etc), the festival has pumped millions into Hollywood since its inception. The Hollywood Fringe Festival is also a non-profit company. The festival gives 100% of box office revenue back to participating artists and venues-that's over 2 million dollars since the inaugural festival in 2010.

The company behind the Hollywood Fringe Festival was founded in January 2005 with a singular mission: Produce new and provocative works by undiscovered artists for the benefit of the community. In June 2010, The Hollywood Fringe Festival launched its inaugural festival, filling over 17,000 seats in over 30 different venues throughout central Hollywood. Fringe featured 186 distinct shows with over 800 performances. Approximately 10% of the festival was international with one third of all participants coming from out-of-state. "One of the things that makes theatre so special is the sense of community." says Ben Hill, one of the founders and Festival Director. "People all being in this thing together that's not for profit, that's not for riches and not really even for fame. It's for the beauty of the work and the shared experience- this communion with the audience. We wanted to create a festival that embodied that sense of community." Today, the Hollywood Fringe Festival is not only the largest celebration of the performing arts in Los Angeles but also the largest performing arts festival in the United States.

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is located within one of the most iconic neighborhoods in the world: Hollywood, California, in the heart of Los Angeles. With its central location and dozens of venues all within walking distance, Hollywood is an ideal home for the Fringe. "In our search for a new space back in 2015, being within the Hollywood Fringe Festival footprint was not something we had put a lot of thought into." says Padraic Duffy, Managing Director of Sacred Fools Theatre Company. "After almost four years of residency in what is now The Broadwater located in the heart of Theatre Row, the Fringe is now a critical component of our artistic, financial, and communal growth. I don't know what we would do without it!" A Fringe Festival by its very nature can change in scope from year to year depending on the venues, places, and spaces that become involved. Events can be held anywhere, from a traditional theatre to a coffee shop, a club, or the street. With hundreds of theaters, galleries, and performance spaces, the Festival will continue to expand its programming within its Hollywood footprint.

Many say the festival's lack of a curating body is what makes the Fringe so special. Participation in the Hollywood Fringe is completely open and uncensored. By opening the gates to anyone with a vision, the festival not only reflects the most diverse and cutting-edge points of view but also motivates its participants to produce the best work that they can. The festival is a rallying point for novice and experienced artists alike and provides a critical mass of audience. The Fringe is dedicated to promoting growth, community and collaboration through an expansive mission to champion underground artists and challenge the growth of established performers.

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