Download So you want to do a Minnesota Fringe show…

So you want to do a Minnesota Fringe show…
Hurrah! We’re here to help make that possible – whether this is your first time producing a show or if
this is what you’ve been doing for years. If you’ve never done it before, we’ve got all sorts of help to
offer, and if you know what you’re doing, we’ll stand back and watch you go!
Applying to Fringe
It’s very simple – just read this info, then fill out the online application. You don’t even have to know
what show you want to do. However, take note that WE DO NOT ACCEPT LATE APPLICATIONS FOR
ANY REASON. By no later than 5 p.m. Central on Thursday, January 31, 2013, you’ll need to have
submitted our online application and paid a nonrefundable $25 application fee.
This is not a pay-to-play system or a raffle. We’ll take one application per project and one application
per producer/company. Multiple submissions will be rejected with no refunds.
The basics: Time and money
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Minnesota Fringe 2013 runs Thursday, August 1 through Sunday, August 11. Plan on being
available to perform for the entire festival’s duration, as well as at least one day between July
28-31 for a required 3-hour technical rehearsal.
The application fee is $25. This is due when you submit your application and is not refundable.
Production fees are $350 for a small (up to 110 seats) venue and $450 for a regular (over 110
seats) venue. Production fees are due either the day after the lottery if you win a slot, or
immediately upon entering the festival off the wait list.
You’ll receive a minimum of 65% of your gross box office receipts (less any outstanding debts to
Fringe, of course).
Can't afford to pay the production fee up front? Minnesota Fringe offers a limited number of fee
deferments - if you're accepted into this program, you'll pay your application fee when you
apply and we'll take your production fee out of your box office payment. Contact Mark Franko,
our Office Manager/Producer Liaison, at [email protected] for more information.
What you get
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Five scheduled performances at the 2013 Minnesota Fringe
Guaranteed 65 percent pay-out of your box office receipts (and 70% if you sell more than
half of your available tickets!)
A professional-grade, well-equipped venue
Professional technicians, including one who works as a lighting designer, to set levels and
cues and to run the boards for your show
Ticket sales (advance and walk-up), box office staff and front-of-house services
Fringe Producers’ Handbook—comprehensive guide to producing and marketing your show
Access to workshops and one-on-one help sessions with Fringe staff
Drawings and photos of your venue
Customizable page for your show on our website
Listings in official schedules and festival catalog
Distribution of your show’s information to the press and regional producers/presenters
Up to six artist passes for you and your cast to see other Fringe shows for free
What you’re responsible for
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You find (or create) your own script and arrange for your own actors and director, and any
payment arrangements you make are your responsibility. You’ll also be responsible for
acquiring any necessary rights or permissions.
It’s up to you to provide any necessary costumes, props, sound cues and set pieces. Leave the
lighting design to us.
Marketing your own show. We do a good job at getting a lot of people to come to Fringe, but
it’s up to you to grab the audience’s and press’s attention once they’ve arrived.
Abiding by the Fringe rules and deadlines.
Please remember that Fringe is a different producing environment than “normal” theater. This isn’t just
another kind of venue rental – you’re part of a bigger picture here, which is part of the fun. The Fringe
pace is faster, the timeline is more compressed, and you have less control over venue choice, tech,
ticketing and schedule. Requests that might be reasonable in a single-show venue might be a logistical
nightmare in Fringe, with so many shows in so many venues. We need you to trust that our guidelines
and rules are in place to keep everything running smoothly.
Producers who fail to follow the rules will be removed from the festival, which may result in the
forfeiture of production fee, performance slots and box office receipts, and may impact their eligibility
to participate in future festivals.
Coming from outside the United States? You'll be responsible for arranging all necessary visas and work
permits. Contact Robin Gillette at [email protected] if you have questions.
Is Fringe right for your production?
We believe there’s a place for everyone in Fringe and we welcome participation from anyone who wants
to come play. But experience has taught us that Fringe isn’t the right place for every kind of production
or producer.
Out of necessity, Minnesota Fringe’s production framework is rather rigid, and we won’t negotiate
individual exceptions to the rules, no matter how experienced you are or how convinced you are that
you can make it work. We don’t want to discourage you from dreaming big, but there are some real
limitations you’ll have to take into account for your show:
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All shows must be between 45 and 60 minutes long. This time limit includes any curtain calls
or audience discussions. Shorter shows often leave audiences feeling ripped off for their ticket
purchase, and longer shows will be cut off by the house lights coming on. Nothing starts late
and nothing runs long at Fringe.
No elaborate tech. You must be able to load in and set up your show in ten minutes flat, and
you get the same ten minutes to strike after your show. Don’t count on storage space in your
venue - you may need to haul your set and costumes in and out for every performance, so plan
accordingly and minimize your gear.
Projection equipment (video or still) is available in only one of our venues, and you may not
bring in your own equipment. If your show can happen without video, that’s ideal – you’ll
make your technical rehearsal much faster and smoother and you’ll eliminate a potential failure
point in your show. If having video is imperative, please note that you’ll have to apply in the
regular-venue category and there’s a limit to how many projection shows we can
accommodate.
No merchandise sales in the lobby or theaters before, during or after performances, and no
distribution of food or alcohol to the audience.
How the lottery works
To keep the playing field level for all applicants, we select our line-up by lottery. Each applicant is
assigned a number, we put the numbers on ping-pong balls, then draw the balls out of a bingo cage in
an event that’s open to the public. This makes for the perfect Fringe combo of fun and fair.
On your application, you will choose to apply in one of two separate lotteries, each for a pool of
production slots based on venue seating capacity.
Ultimately, the decision of which lottery to apply in will come down to two factors:
1. Your show. Think about the scope of your show and consider what size space would suit it best.
Intimate one-person shows might drown in a large house whereas a 15-person musical will be
tricky to stage in a tiny black-box theater.
2. Your budget. How much of an initial financial investment can you make, and how many tickets
do you think you might sell? The average box office payout last year was just under $1,500, but,
since it’s an average, there's tremendous variation. No one gets rich doing Fringe, but more
seats in your house increase the odds that a good show and strong marketing efforts will pay
off in ticket sales.
IMPORTANT: Since we won’t know how many applicants each tier will have until all the applications are
in, we won’t know what the odds are in each tier—so please don’t spend any time worrying over
probability. Just pick the category that feels right for you.
If you’re a dance company: please contact Jeff Larson, our Associate Director, at
[email protected] with more information about dance style and company size before you decide
which tier to apply in, so we can provide more specific advice about appropriate floor surface, stage
shape and lighting capabilities.
If you’re considering using any sort of projection in your show, you must select the Regular tier. (see
Is Fringe Right for Your Production, above).
Small venue tier – audience capacity up to 110 seats
• $350 production fee
• Best for small casts and intimate shows.
• Due to limited seating, big payouts are unlikely
• Approximately 40 slots available in this category
Regular venue tier – audience capacity over 110 seats
• $450 production fee
• The majority of Fringe venues fall into this category and they come in a wide range of stage
shapes (proscenium, thrust and arena). If you need a mid- to large-size stage area and/or if
you’re confident in your abilities to draw a large audience, this is the place for you.
• Approximately 115 slots available in this category
This year we’re reserving four slots for a sub-lottery for an experimental new program called Fringe
Exchange. We’re working with other U.S. Fringes to encourage successful shows from other festivals to
consider coming to our festival for the first time. This sub-lottery is invitation-only.
Ready to apply?
You'll find the form on our website – www.fringefestival.org/apply. If you've got questions, contact
Mark Franko at [email protected]. Good luck!