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Preview Fri Aug 31 2012
More, More, More at the Chicago Fringe Festival
With all the theater offerings that Chicago has year-round, a fringe festival doesn't exactly seem necessary. And yet, the Chicago Fringe Festival, an 11-day festival that runs through September 9 in Pilsen, charges on for a third year. Yes, 24 acts hail from the Chicagoland area, which seems a few too many and a byproduct of selecting by lottery instead of jury, but the presence of 22 acts from elsewhere in the US, as well as The Interpreters from South Korea and Le Petite Famille from France and Canada, should provide plenty of opportunities to catch a glimpse at what theater folk are doing away from the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. All told, a slate of more than 200 performances by about 180 performers, and the ability for patrons to show up just one day and get to see 5 or 6 groups, should serve to satiate even the heartiest of theater-going appetites.
Geographic diversity is neither Chicago Fringe's prime nor only goal as a Festival. It also maintains a commitment to help struggling groups catch a buzz, to have amateurs and professionals interact in a fun, immersive environment, and to force patrons to move outside their comfort zones, and interact with boundary-pushing groups, works, and spaces. Highlights of this years festival will include several performers from previous years, such as Kate Healy, who stars in Lie Light, and two performers who have been seen in every festival since the Fringe began three years ago: Rebecca Kling in Storms Under Her Skin and League of Miscreants in Roast of Cinderella.
Tickets for the Chicago Fringe Festival are on sale now, for very affordable prices. Entrance to the Festival is a one-time button purchase of $5, and after that all individual performances are $10. Passes with a discounted ticket price are available when attending multiple performances: a five-show pass is $45, a ten-show pass is $80, and an unlimited pass is $175. Each venue will have a box office for day-of purchase, and the Festival box office is located at 600 W. Cermak. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling 866-441-9962.
