2 0 1 7 A N N UA L R E P O R T
Without a doubt, Fringe challenges us all. It challenges our artists to be daring, inventive, creative, and unpredictable. It challenges our audiences to forge their own experience amidst a panoply of options and to discover something new. It challenges our staff to problem solve and make it work when the unexpected happens. We are all growing together through this shared experience of Fringe. And as we begin to plan for 2018, we learn from those challenges. As a result, our festival improves, and we grow alongside it. Thank you for being a part of our Fringe Family.
Anne Cauley Executive Director
Photo by Kristi Keorkunian-Rivers
Photo by Kristi Keorkunian-Rivers
W H AT I S FRINGE?
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F R I N G E H I S T O RY The Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) began in 1947 as a post-war initiative to reunite Europe. Attracted by the crowds and press, six Scottish and two English companies turned up uninvited to perform on the edges of the EIF. The next year more companies showed up and a reporter coined the name.
“Round the fringe of the official Festival drama there seems to be a more private enterprise than before... I’m afraid some of us are not going to be often at home during the evenings.” - Robert Kemp, Edinburgh Evening News
Soon the Fringe gained a large and loyal following, outstripping the mainstream EIF and becoming the largest arts festival in the world and the biggest tourist draw in the UK. Fringe migrated to Canada in the 1980s. Today, Canada boasts festivals from coast to coast - including the Edmonton Festival, the largest in North America. In the 1990s, the United States embraced Fringe. According to the United Association of Fringe Festivals, there are currently more than 50 active U.S. Fringe Festivals. The first Chicago Fringe Festival took place in 2010. We believe that Chicago needs an uncensored and un-juried Fringe Festival designed to meet the needs of our city: • Creating a fun, immersive place where local artists can interact with both professional and amateur performers from around the world • Encouraging performers and patrons to travel outside their comfort zone • Enabling patrons to see up to seven shows in one day • Helping lesser-known groups to find their audience • Furthering Chicago’s place on the map as a major theatrical center
5 | WHAT IS FRI NG E ?
FRINGE BASICS Mission: Chicago Fringe produces an annual performing arts festival devoted to celebrating an inclusive community of adventurous artists, volunteers and patrons. Tickets: Our ticket prices are reasonable in order to encourage non-traditional audiences to take a risk, try something new and see several shows in one day. Patrons pay a one-time festival admittance fee in the form of a $5 button. Then all shows are $10 or Pay-What-You-Can. Kids tickets are just $5, no button required. Our Shows: Our shows are uncensored and un-juried. 25% are accepted on a first come, first served basis. The remaining 75% are selected through a lottery. We select 50 performing groups total, 25 local and 25 nonlocal. We employ a diversity sub-lottery to ensure that a variety of voices are represented at each festival. Participants pay a $25 lottery fee upfront. Then, if selected, they pay a participation fee of $250 - $650 depending on the size of the venue and whether they opt to perform three, five, or seven times. In exchange, the artists receive: • Box office service • Festival marketing support • A low-risk opportunity to test material • Access to a vibrant community of artists and patrons • 100% of their net ticket sales
Photo by Kristi Keorkunian-Rivers
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188
$651.02
PERFORMANCES
AVERAGE PAYOUT
$29,946.81 TOTAL TICKET PAYOUT
24
NON-LOCAL GROUPS
$2371
HIGHEST PAYOUT
22
LOCAL GROUPS
Based On 2017 Chicago Fringe Festival
Our second annual madcap fundraiser featured unforgettable performances by: Citizen Robot Jessica Landis and Co-Conspirators Rally Theater Company Solo Crowd Underscore Theatre Company
Photos by Kristi Keorkunian-Rivers
Photo by Margaret Rejnowska Lamar Lockett
KIDS FRINGE The Kids Fringe lineup featured phenomenal artists: Tiffany Lawson Dance, Stephanie Chavara, Rebel Playhouse, and a return from Barrel of Monkeys! Not only that, Kids Fringe Central welcomed Elsa and Spiderman to the delight of audiences both young and old and also boasted free performances, workshops, and a plethora of crafts and hands on activities for the kids.
Photo by Kristi Keorkunian-Rivers
OUR AU D I E N C E
11 | OUR AUDI ENCE
AG E Under 18
3%
18-25 7% 26-32 17% 33-40 17% 41-48 28% 49-56 21% 57+ 7%
R AC E / E T H N I C I T Y Caucasian 74% Asian 2% More than one 3% Black 4% Undisclosed 17%
GENDER Male 36% Female 56% Non-binary 1% Undisclosed 7%
3, 8 7 9
TOTA L AT T E N DA N C E
20.60
AV E R AG E S H O W AT T E N DA N C E
“I love the uniqueness of each of the shows.”
“Convenient to see multiple shows in a row and great quality!”
“Loved all the performances; loved the locations.”
“Always fun!”
“The best! Enjoyed ever y moment.”
“Having a lot of fun!”
H E ARD FROM TH E AUDIE NCE
Photo by Kristi Keorkunian-Rivers
FRINGE BY TH E NUMBERS
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INCOME Festival Driven
$41,605.94
Corporate & Foundation
30,633.77
Individual Support
18,873.40
Artist Driven
17,373.57
Total $108,486.68
EXPENSES Festival Expenses
$35,563.38
Artist Payout
27,315.75
Marketing
16,242.91
Staff Stipends
13,000.00
Administrative Overhead
12,698.76
Fundraising Payments to Cash Reserves
Total
2,888.05 777.83
$108,486.68
Photo by Kristi Keorkunian-Rivers
OUR P E O P LE
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S TA F F Anne Cauley Executive Director Adrienne Guldin Managing Director Hannah Baker Volunteer Coordinator Zach Barr Publicity Manager Sarah Mikayla Brown Artist Relations Manager Ari Craven Marketing Manager Shellie Disalvo Fringe Central Event Manager Bree De Souza Daytime Fringe Central Manager Brian Foster Technical Director Emily Hitmar Associate Production Manager Kristi Keorkunian-Rivers Billeting & Photography Coordinator
Stephanie Niro Kids Fringe Coordinator Katie Prince Education Coordinator Stacey Schriber Box Office and Database Manager Amber Southall HR Manager Rachel Staelens Project Manager
SEASONAL S TA F F Rob Cortes Andrew Diehl Joseph Palermo David Trudeau
Special Thanks to: Shout Media Charles Riffenburg and Grab Bag Media
17 | OUR PEOPLE
B OA R D O F DIREC TORS Bridget Hennessy President Amanda Dodge Secretary Emily Brouilette Treasurer Sarah Mikayla Brown Marisa Goldberg Leigh Anna Sodac
A DV I S O RY B OA R D Diana Ewert Avra Fainer Todd and Marrakesh Frugia Justin Fyala Deborah Granite Vincent Lacey Howard Lieberman Brian Loevner Holly Payton Tracy Wray
Photo by Kristi Keorkunian-Rivers
INTERNS Magdalena Conway Kids Fringe Natara Easter Publicity Anna Roemer Social Media Charlotte Ramplin Stage Management Moriah Southall Stage Management Sean Kelly Technical Melanie Williams Technical Ethan Nevidomsky Technical
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VO LU N T E E R S FRONT OF HOUSE Lena Aubrey Milena Berbenkova Nathan Blane Bruce Bogart Dwayne Borel Sarah Mikayla Brown David Caracheo Angelene Cicero Pamela Conroy Luke Davis Mariah Eastman Rebecca Ehrmann Cecilia Falter Beau Feeny Kaycee Filson Julie Fishbach Zack Galvin Kelly Haramis Kevin Hogan Juman Kekhia Ashlyn Kershner Cedar Larson Shannon Lauzier
Carrie Lawlor
Grace Walker
Mandy Leavell
Gail Weber
Lamar Lockett
Daniel Wightkin
Elizabeth Lyle
Melanie Williams
Marie Macdonald
Russell Williams
Nicole Marquardt
Jing Yuan
Donald McNair
Heather Zink
Caitlin Meeter
PRODUCTION
Karen Murphy Brenden Nevidomsky Ethan Nevidomsky Tina-Kim Nguyen Tracy O’Dowd Ray Peruyera Maryellen Rieck Andrew Schriber Cindy Schriber Tyler Schumacher Paula Skaggs Elizabeth Sokol Becky St Clair Marketa Stefanova Pamela Stutzman Magdalena Szumlakowska Cristy Troia
Noah Baskes Kaycee Filson Victoria Fox Samay Gheewala Jessica Humke Cedar Larson Shannon Lauzier Cristy Troia Christopher Sylvie Joseph Wesolowski
19 | OUR PEOPLE
DONORS
Cathy Lorber & Philip Crittenden
Rebecca Kling
LUMINARIES
DONORS
Cara & Martin Moran
Katherine Baudouin
Susie Ernst & Frank Suerth
Sharbel Shamoon
Stephanie Chu
Diana Ewert
Geraldine Velarde
Anneke Higgins
Patricia Conroy
INNOVATORS
Robert Kevin Hogan
Allen Kodish
Daniel Madden & Tuny Mokrauer
Anne Idsal
Donald Mokrauer
Amanda Dodge
Robert J. Schaefer Lois Stedl
SUPPORTERS
Chris & Leigh Anna Sodac
Tom & Suzy Jackson Timothy J. Lyman
Robert Van Hook & Rolando Rodriguez
Elaine Thomure
Jim Wrzala
DESIGNERS Bridget Hennessy Joshua Markou PATRONS Danielle Boyke Emily Brouilette Dean Everett Marisa Goldberg Adrienne Guldin & Daryl Hogg
Thomas Lang Alice Madden Babette Novak Meg Ross FRIENDS Eileen Cauley Schoen Smith David DIckson Robyn Flakne Amy Ganser
Amir Syed
Douglas Grom
Beth Spreen
Sara Hester
Emily Martell
Patricia Curtis Lian Cheramie Nicholle Dombrowski Michael Hennessy Matthew Hoffmann Gordon Myers Ana Rivera Julie Soroko Rachel Staelens Jeremy Stoller Ashley Tysh Kelli Wefenstette Danielle West Patrick McCarthy
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S P O N S O R S & PA R T N E R S
Windy City Performs formerly Windy City Music Theatre
VO LU N T E E R AWA R D S
RUSS WILLIAMS
B I L L PA C K Fringe Spirit Award, Artist
M A R K E TA S T E FA N O VA
Fringe Spirit Award, Volunteer
The Bruce Award
NEW
MELANIE WILLIAMS
The Will Staelens Award
R AY
The Ray Award for Excellence in Venue Management
!
A R T I S T I C AWA R D S JEFFREY ROBERT The Gay Uncle Explains It All To You
PAT O ’ B R I E N Underneath the Lintel Artists’ Pick
Volunteer Pick
K E L LY HARAMIS Hard Core CORN
PAT O ’ B R I E N Underneath the Lintel Unlimited Passers’ Pick
# D I VA H S
Doctors Make the Worst Patients Award
Most ExplicitLeast Explicit Show Title
THOM CAULE Y
Most Electrifying Performer, for tripping the church fuse the most times
DANNY DUBIN
The Mystical Heartthrob Award
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T O P S E AT- F I L L E R S B Y V E N U E Meeting Hall: Mark Toland , Mark Toland: Mind Reader Gym: Semi-Circus, Murmurations Gift: #Divahs, Evil Women Kids Fringe: Rebel Playhouse, Edna the Stomper Jefferson Playhouse: Spartan Theatre Company, Work To Be Done Windy City Blackbox: Kelly Haramis, Hard-Core CORN
PHOTO CRE DITS Clockwise from top left Evil Women, Photo by Margaret Rejnowska Lamar Lockett; Edna the Stomper, Photo by Margaret Rejnowska Lamar Lockett; MarkToland: MindReader, Photo by Sarah Larson; Fight for 52C, Photo by Margaret Rejnowska Lamar Lockett; If I Were Me, Photo by Margaret Rejnowska Lamar Lockett; Anxiety Demonstrations, Photo by Margaret Rejnowska Lamar Lockett; Murmurations, Photo by Sarah Larson.
Photo by Kristi Keorkunian-Rivers
W H AT ’ S NEXT?
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ENVISIONING #CFF2018 We are always looking at ways to improve the Chicago Fringe Festival experience for performers, patrons and volunteers. As we prepare for our 10th Anniversary in 2019, we want to focus on building a more sustainable festival structure. We will return as a one-weekend festival in 2018. This contraction of dates will allow us to refocus on building our community, to enhance the festival atmosphere, and to explore exciting new ideas that our team has never had the capacity to take on. We look forward to sharing this new take on a Chicago-style fringe this fall.
Designed by Klaire Brezinski www.klaire.studio Cover Design by Grab Bag Media