Testing the Boundaries at the Atlanta Fringe Festival

The 2022 Atlanta Fringe Festival was hardly choreographer Hannah Myers’ first rodeo. “When I experienced my first Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland I was absolutely delighted to see the explosion of creative energy. Everywhere I looked people were performing, without any hesitation, in the most Avant Garde style.”

Soon she was bringing her own Avant Garde style to the Atlanta Fringe, in the form of a new mutli-media collaborative dance showcase entitled A Quiet Reflection Vol. 2. Employing a wide range of dance techniques, spoken word, and film, the show swung from whisper-quiet performances in full stage light to frenetic movement pieces under enormous projections and throbbing electronic music. In short, it showcased what makes a Fringe so… fringe-y. According to Hannah, “Fringe Festivals generate a non-judgmental, organic, open space for artists where we burst through the seams of the conventional world, whether we are invited or not.”

Fortunately, that invitation is extended annually to the local arts community and beyond, as the Atlanta Fringe Festival, now in its eleventh year, brings artists from around the world to East Atlanta for one jam-packed week of live performances.

Founded in 2011, the festival uses traditional and converted performance spaces to showcase live dance, comedy, theatre, storytelling and more, using a randomized lottery to select the lineup. This ensures that artists of all disciplines and skill levels have an equal opportunity to perform, a cornerstone of the open-armed philosophy of community and art that guides the Atlanta Fringe.

The 2023 festival, taking place June 5-11, will follow in that tradition, featuring a diverse mix of first-time producers and seasoned road warriors performing everything from heart-wrenching dramas to magic shows in venues in and around Little Five Points.

This includes Hope Lafferty of CrashMat Productions and her “physical memoir”

INHIBITIONIST(!), utilizing clowning, dance, and physical theatre to tell the story of her childhood. It’s the kind of show that, as she tells it, can only thrive in the festival environment. “That’s why I really dig fringe festivals. Great emerging artists. Tons of it all at once, with something for everybody.”

For information visit atlantafringe.org.

The Legend of

The Irish Giant

by Rob Shaw-Smith

A Thrilling and Inspiring Season is Unfolding for Atlanta Master Chorale

The sky’s the limit for Atlanta Master Chorale’s 2023-24 Season!

Audiences expect the unexpected from this sixty voice choral group, known nationally and worldwide for its versatility, confident artistry, and diverse programming. Next season’s lineup promises to delight performers and listeners alike.

Our season opens on October 13 and 14 with “The Sky’s the Limit,” a concert featuring music of endless possibilities. Join us for a program focused on looking up, stretching boundaries, and striving for more.

What are your holiday traditions? Many have incorporated our Christmas concerts into their annual celebrations with family and friends. Join us the second weekend in December as we celebrate the season. While some pieces will be familiar, there are always surprises, and the audience sing-along never fails to disappoint. Plus, tickets make welcome holiday gifts.

Next year’s spring concert performances on March 15 and 16 will bring to the stage This Love Between Us: A Prayer for Unity by the young Indian-

American composer Reena Esmail. Artistic Director Eric Nelson will conduct this complex choral work accompanied by sitar and tabla. Texts drawn from seven major religious traditions center themes of brotherhood and kindness. Ms. Esmail composed this piece on unity and light during the dark days of the pandemic. It ends with Rumi’s advice: “Concentrate on the Essence. Concentrate on the Light.”

We will round out the year with a return to simplicity for our season final concerts on May 3 and 4, featuring an entirely a cappella program: “A Capella Soundscapes.” This concert without instrumental accompaniment will showcase the chorale’s extraordinary vocal resonance and tone.

All performances are at Emory University’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. For concert dates/times, ticketing, and other information, please visit www.atlantamasterchorale.org Discounts are available for groups, seniors and students. And teachers can attend Friday night performances for free through our Tickets for Teachers program!