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ARTS & CULTURE
FRINGE FROM PAGE 10
AARON GROENE/KANSAN
Things get intense during "Bird in the Hand" as Janie Turner, portrayed by Melody Butler, interrogates Sasha, played by Nicole Santorella. The Fringe Festival took place July 16 through July 26 and featured visual arts at venues across Kansas City.
never know what's going to happen, but it's always something good."
Despite the reappearance of the "Bad Auditions" group from Whim Productions, the Fringe Festival had anything but reruns. Last year, the show was home to 400 performances; this year there were 85 more shows with 15 new producers. Shows from the Fringe Festival can go on to perform in the Fringe Around the World tour where their performances are produced for the world to see, including at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival.
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The Oscar award-winning film "The King's Speech" originated at this festival, which may explain why the festival is growing and why artists vie for a spot to perform.
There's no limit to how provocative, intense or emotional a performance can be, which can be seen in two successful shows: "The Penis Monologues," a performance devised of several documented conversations between men and women about sexuality, and "Never Ever After," in which Huckleberry Finn and Peter Pan find themselves falling in love.
"There's never a lack of theatrical performances," Duplessie said. "But we've seen a growth in opera and jazz as well over the past couple of years. There have been some wonderful performances including a completely unscripted musical called 'Presto! An Improvised Musical.'"
In order to become part of the Fringe, all an artist need do is pay the $300 entrance fee and produce a piece that lasts a little under an hour. Every artist involved with the festival gets a cut at the door, making signing up a great opportunity for new names.
"Fringe is often described as unjuried, uncensored and unpredictable," Kimmi said.
"The proceeds are split three ways: part of it goes to the Fringe to keep it going, part of it goes to the venues to pay their bills, but the bulk of it goes to the artist," Duplessie said. "So the artist not only has the chance to
get their show out there and recoup the money but to really make some money as a producer."
"The wonderful thing about the festival is that it's always evolving," Duplessie said. "This is a completely volunteer-run organization so every year there's a change within, which makes for a slightly different show. Plus, with the growth, there's no telling who we're going to get to perform, and there such a variety here. It's really gratifying work to be here."
In order to join the festivities, art lovers first purchased a Fringe Festival button, which let ushers know they could see any of the shows. The button could be purchased at any one of the venues and acts as an advertisement and overhead for the festival at $5. From there, each performance was an additional $10. That means someone could see three plays for $35 whereas one professional play could cost double that.
The Fringe Festival has its advantages for those who dream of making it big in the world with his or her own freshly written ideas, but how does it offer something of value to the audience? Duplessie said for those with any sort of appreciation for the arts, the festival's value is "immeasurable."
Saturday, the shows were voted on to see which among them can be called "the best of." These few performances will be featured in the Fringe Around the World in August, where Kansas talents will be put on display for the world to see.
"It's only $10 a show so it's more acceptable to take a risk on the shows that haven't proven themselves yet," Duplessie said. "You can be more adventurous with shows than you normally would be."
AARON GROENE/KANSAN
A flower-admiring man made of metal sits on display during the Fringe Festival. James Catron created the piece, entitled "Victor"