The Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival Returns This Month

The Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival is back, and it begins in less than three weeks' time. This year's festival, from July 28 to Aug. 6, will be all in-person, with a total of 20 shows in downtown Salt Lake City. 

This year's event is moving from the Gateway to the Alliance Theater at Trolley Square. 

The Fringe plays a vital role in providing a space and opportunity for local theater artists to produce their work in an inclusive, supportive, and accessible environment, and serves as a launching pad for the next generation of original theater to come out of Utah. Tickets are available individually, as a three-pack or a ten-pack from https://tickets.greatsaltlakefringe.org/

This year companies range from seasoned Fringe veterans like the Interdisciplinary Arts Collective and Kallisti Theatre Company to those who are totally new to the Fringe. 

Festival Director Jay Perry described what he believes Fringe adds to the SLC theater scene.

"One Fringe fan called it, 'Disneyland for theater lovers,'" he said. "As the forge for independent theater in Utah, we are very proud to foster opportunities for independent artists to engage with local audiences without the same barriers they normally face when trying to get their work out there. Fringe is an unadjudicated, unrestricted, and accessible way for artists to share their work, while supporting each other and making new connections."

Perry also shared some tips for people who want to come to the festival. 

"If there's something you don't want to miss, try to catch it on the first weekend before the buzz," he said. "Also, Fringe is about making new discoveries, so try to see as much as you can. Your chance to witness this concentration of Utah's cutting-Edge Theater, dance and avant garde only comes once a year, so plan a day or whole weekend of it, and come enjoy the atmosphere."

One of the groups who is presenting a show for the first time this year is the Classical Greek Theatre Festival. 

"CGTF turned 50 years old in 2021, and keeping this pillar of the Utah theater community vibrant and relevant for another 50 years will take ingenuity and adaptation," said artistic director of the company Emilio Casillas."Recent months have seen some of the country's largest and oldest theatrical institutions face crisis or closure, but CGTF will adapt and survive thanks to opportunities like the one provided by the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival. We are debuting the CGTF Lab at this year's fringe, a project that will produce smaller, experimental programming inspired by classical drama. While CGTF will still present full productions of ancient plays, albeit less frequently than in the past, the Lab will incubate avant-garde theatre pieces to fill the gap."

He also described what he feels Fringe adds to the local theater scene. 

"I have been involved with GSLF since the first year, starting as the technical director, then as festival director, now as an artist and, through it all, an audience member," he said. "Fringe provides an accessible space for performing artists to experiment in their medium with complete freedom while bringing audiences together to explore and experience with open minds. It introduces patrons to artists, artists to eachother, and the performing arts to the community in a uniquely fringey way."

Casillas also spoke about how he feels an audience member can best experience the festival. "I like to get to know the shows before I get to the festival," he said. "The offerings can be overwhelming, so take a look at the program and do a little research on titles that pique your interest; and prioritize what you most want to see and make a schedule. But once you get to the festival, be prepared to throw that all away! Talk to other patrons, what have they loved? See a performance that is standing room only? Squeeze in! Take chances, explore something new, and never hesitate to get fringey!"

More information about the festival is available at greatsaltlakefringe.org. 

Fringe attendees should also look for discounts and special offers within Trolley Square that will be presented in conjuction with the festival. 

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