Anthony Myers, Performer
In a world inundated with pop-culture, Fringe Festivals provide a venue for
creative individuals who don’t “flow in the mainstream.” In the world of the
arts, it’s easy to seek the known, the comfortable, the familiar. It’s much
harder to find outlets highlighting unique perspectives from voices that don’t
often get legitimate opportunities. Fringe not only provides that outlet, but
actually celebrates the unique diversity of various artistic viewpoints and
approaches. In a world of standardization and mass-produced
entertainment, Fringe is a breath of fresh air in an often stagnant
environment. Creatively open and wildly diverse, Fringe literally has
something for everyone, while presenting the product in a welcoming and
sincere package. Denver Fringe did an outstanding job of this. After often
being viewed as an outlier of performing art, it feels like Fringe might be
having its moment; and rightly so.
Grace Olinski and Amelia Corrada, Performers
Participating in Denver Fringe was one of the best decisions we made for the
development of our show. Even before we arrived, there was a sense of
community, enthusiasm, and support from the organizers and participants.
People reached out to us, we were able to ask questions; we felt like we were
a part of something! We made friends, connections, were able to share our
work in a positive environment, and get inspired by the amazing artists
around us. It can be really difficult as early career artists to have faith in the
work we do, so the opportunity to present work that is in progress and
receive support and feedback is vital. The feedback we received at Denver
Fringe has motivated us to continue developing our piece!
George McConnell, Director
The Denver Fringe Festival is great. I have presented performances in a
couple of different Fringe festivals across the US and the Denver Fringe is by
far my favorite. I enjoyed my first experience in 2022 so much that I applied
and was accepted to return in 2023, and I plan to apply again in the future.
The passion and commitment to supporting new performance work is
palpable in every aspect of the festival. The Denver Fringe is very
community driven and artist centered. I teach at Adams State University in
Alamosa, CO and the two shows that I’ve brought to the Denver Fringe have
been created with my undergraduate theatre students. It is an invaluable
experience for my students to have the opportunity to present their original
and experimental work on a national performance platform. In addition to
presenting their own work, my students get the chance to see work from
other performance artists from not only Colorado, but across the US. Their
education has been enriched by this hands-on opportunity offered by the
Denver Fringe.
Melanated Ménagerie, Performers
Melanated Ménagerie getting to join on what the Denver Fringe Community brought forth this year was an experience for the books. When we initially pitched our concept for a show to the Fringe committee, we did not anticipate being accepted into the festival. Being an all Black Burlesque Troupe based here in Denver, CO there have been very few venues that have given us a real chance to showcase our talents. And if we are given the opportunity we're expected to "tone down" our message. So not only were we facing new territory with applying for Denver Fringe on the level of a festival show, but we were taking a gamble on what venue would accept our Art. The acceptance into Denver Fringe 2023 came with so many feelings. But the primary one being the ACCEPTANCE. We were welcomed with open arms by all of the Fringe Staff, our show concept was fully embraced and that allowed for us as Artists to bring raw emotion and talent to the stage. Taking part in Denver Fringe also allowed us to provide a show for audiences that usually wouldn't have the chance to take in Radical BIPOC Art. Overall this was an experience we are grateful to have taken part in.
Phoenix Tears Productions, Performers
Phoenix Tears Productions has been creating immersive and interactive theatre in Florida since 2015, but Denver Fringe 2023 was our first opportunity to take these shows to a brand new audience. The type of shows we create aren’t typical. They’re site specific, they’re outside, they require the audience to talk back and make choices, and many of them have storylines that can change performance to performance. When we set out to bring Infected to Denver Fringe we weren’t sure what to expect. Denver Fringe, with Ann at the helm, was instantly welcoming and the entire team went above and beyond to ensure our shows were a success. From connecting us to other artists that would help with promotion and setup, to finding us storage space between shows, to attending our performances and being cheerleaders every step of the way. We couldn’t have wished for a better experience. As independent producers of experimental theater it can be a challenge for us to find performance spaces and connect with audiences. Denver Fringe made all of that easy and we can’t wait to do it all again.
Anthony Myers, Performer
In a world inundated with pop-culture, Fringe Festivals provide a venue for
creative individuals who don’t “flow in the mainstream.” In the world of the
arts, it’s easy to seek the known, the comfortable, the familiar. It’s much
harder to find outlets highlighting unique perspectives from voices that don’t
often get legitimate opportunities. Fringe not only provides that outlet, but
actually celebrates the unique diversity of various artistic viewpoints and
approaches. In a world of standardization and mass-produced
entertainment, Fringe is a breath of fresh air in an often stagnant
environment. Creatively open and wildly diverse, Fringe literally has
something for everyone, while presenting the product in a welcoming and
sincere package. Denver Fringe did an outstanding job of this. After often
being viewed as an outlier of performing art, it feels like Fringe might be
having its moment; and rightly so.
Grace Olinski and Amelia Corranda, Performers
Participating in Denver Fringe was one of the best decisions we made for the
development of our show. Even before we arrived, there was a sense of
community, enthusiasm, and support from the organizers and participants.
People reached out to us, we were able to ask questions; we felt like we were
a part of something! We made friends, connections, were able to share our
work in a positive environment, and get inspired by the amazing artists
around us. It can be really difficult as early career artists to have faith in the
work we do, so the opportunity to present work that is in progress and
receive support and feedback is vital. The feedback we received at Denver
Fringe has motivated us to continue developing our piece!
George McConnell, Director
The Denver Fringe Festival is great. I have presented performances in a
couple of different Fringe festivals across the US and the Denver Fringe is by
far my favorite. I enjoyed my first experience in 2022 so much that I applied
and was accepted to return in 2023, and I plan to apply again in the future.
The passion and commitment to supporting new performance work is
palpable in every aspect of the festival. The Denver Fringe is very
community driven and artist centered. I teach at Adams State University in
Alamosa, CO and the two shows that I’ve brought to the Denver Fringe have
been created with my undergraduate theatre students. It is an invaluable
experience for my students to have the opportunity to present their original
and experimental work on a national performance platform. In addition to
presenting their own work, my students get the chance to see work from
other performance artists from not only Colorado, but across the US. Their
education has been enriched by this hands-on opportunity offered by the
Denver Fringe.
Melanated Ménagerie, Performers
Melanated Ménagerie getting to join on what the Denver Fringe Community brought forth this year was an experience for the books. When we initially pitched our concept for a show to the Fringe committee, we did not anticipate being accepted into the festival. Being an all Black Burlesque Troupe based here in Denver, CO there have been very few venues that have given us a real chance to showcase our talents. And if we are given the opportunity we're expected to "tone down" our message. So not only were we facing new territory with applying for Denver Fringe on the level of a festival show, but we were taking a gamble on what venue would accept our Art. The acceptance into Denver Fringe 2023 came with so many feelings. But the primary one being the ACCEPTANCE. We were welcomed with open arms by all of the Fringe Staff, our show concept was fully embraced and that allowed for us as Artists to bring raw emotion and talent to the stage. Taking part in Denver Fringe also allowed us to provide a show for audiences that usually wouldn't have the chance to take in Radical BIPOC Art. Overall this was an experience we are grateful to have taken part in.
Phoenix Tears Productions, Performers
Phoenix Tears Productions has been creating immersive and interactive theatre in Florida since 2015, but Denver Fringe 2023 was our first opportunity to take these shows to a brand new audience. The type of shows we create aren’t typical. They’re site specific, they’re outside, they require the audience to talk back and make choices, and many of them have storylines that can change performance to performance. When we set out to bring Infected to Denver Fringe we weren’t sure what to expect. Denver Fringe, with Ann at the helm, was instantly welcoming and the entire team went above and beyond to ensure our shows were a success. From connecting us to other artists that would help with promotion and setup, to finding us storage space between shows, to attending our performances and being cheerleaders every step of the way. We couldn’t have wished for a better experience. As independent producers of experimental theater it can be a challenge for us to find performance spaces and connect with audiences. Denver Fringe made all of that easy and we can’t wait to do it all again.
