WHAT IS A FRINGE FESTIVAL?
In simple terms: Fringe Festivals are multi-day, multi-venue performing arts festivals! Every form of performance is welcome On The Fringe, from original plays to Shakespeare, one person shows to ensemble pieces, experimental theater to children’s shows, magic, puppetry, comedy, dance and much more. It all started in 1947 in Edinburgh, Scotland, as an alternative festival that played concurrently with the Edinburgh International Festival. In 1948, Robert Kemp, a local journalist, gave it the name Fringe: “Round the fringe of official Festival drama, there seems to be more private enterprise than before…” Fringes have taken off across the world – and now Scranton is to join the ranks of dozens of US based festivals! Though exact models for festivals vary from city to city, common core values include being uncensored, easy to participate in (both as artist and patron), performing arts focused and rapid fire/low tech!