If you’re a theater enthusiast, Baltimore has a big surprise for you: Charm City Fringe is hosting a two-night gala event, Nights on the Fringe, on November 9th and 10th. Be prepared to get a taste of Baltimore-area theater flavor as a half-dozen performers and theater groups put on performances at the Autograph Playhouse in Charles Village.
If you’ve been following the development of the Charm City Fringe project, you probably realize this event is a big deal for the group. Nights on the Fringe is an important step in the growth of Charm City Fringe, as well as a giant leap closer to making a fringe festival in Baltimore a reality. For those who haven’t heard of fringe festivals before, Charm City Fringe co-founder Michael Brush defines them as “a place for up-and-coming artists—traditional, non-traditional, or non-traditionally traditional—to present their work to a larger audience.” While there is certainly a large variety of performance art in Baltimore, finding out about smaller performance groups can be challenging. The vast majority of theater-goers have probably only heard of the major local players (think Center Stage or Everyman Theatre). Fringe festivals offer the unique opportunity for local performance artists and groups to reach audiences that they may have otherwise never reached.
Sticky Buns Burlesque – Back: Paco Fish, Shortstaxx, Sunny Sighed; Front : Marla Meringue, Nicolette Le Faye – Photo Credit: Jim O’Connor
“Presenting something on your own, while admirable, doesn’t necessarily get you the audience that presenting something within a festival can get you,” Brush said. “We have the ability to reach a large number of people. Every single company that performs under the auspices of Charm City Fringe is basically helping to promote every other company in the city.” Ultimately, making the Baltimore arts and culture scene more well-known to locals is the main goal of any fringe festival.
So, why bring fringe festivals to Baltimore? Brush and his childhood friend, Zachary Michel, got the idea to bring fringe festivals to their city after watching a large number of their mutual friends—who mostly decided to make careers out of performance art—move away for better opportunities. “It was a catalyst for us,” reflects Michel. “It made us think, ‘What do other cities have that Baltimore doesn’t?'” Interested in performance art themselves, Brush and Michel realized after attending several fringe festivals in other cities, like Washington D.C., that this could be the big thing Baltimore theater needed. “We realized there was an enormous amount of [performance art] going on. It’s just hard to find unless you know where to look,” says Michel, adding, “We hoped that, over time, we could create a culture change.”
Flying V Theatre – Katie Nigsch-Fairfax, Edward Daniels, Aaron Bliden, Michael Saltzman, Blair Bowers – Photo Credit: Brian S. Allard.
Building on this idea from the ground-up, Brush and Michel have worked diligently to meet their goals, making lists of local theater companies and actively reaching out to make their voices heard in the arts community. Through social media and making the right connections, Charm City Fringe is finally becoming a tangible reality. But, for its founders, it’s been a challenging process. “We met with dozens of people, from venue owners to artists to developers, to get their two-cents on this venture. We’ve been working non-stop to make this happen,” says Michel.
Websites like Kickstarter have also been a tremendous benefit to making Charm City Fringe happen. This website has been a game-changer for businesses and organizations seeking funding for projects. By presenting ideas to the general public, Kickstarter allows interested individuals to contribute their own money toward making a business model come to life. “We did an immense amount of research on Kickstarter campaigns: ones that were successful and ones that weren’t,” says Brush. From there, it seems to have been a combination of hard work and good fortune that brought Brush and Michel’s idea this far.
Baltimore Improv Group‘s “Gus” Troupe – Heather Moyer, Josh Kuderna, Bridget Cavaiola, Kathryn Carlsen – Photo credit: Megan Wills
Nights on the Fringe shouldn’t be thought of as a fringe festival in its purest form, but rather as “a preview of what the Charm City Fringe Festival is ultimately going to be.” Normally, fringe festivals are stretched over a week or more, with multiple performances held at various locations throughout a neighborhood or city—yet all promoted as one festival event. Nights on the Fringe, on the other hand, will only be over the course of two nights, with performances held at one location and on a smaller scale.
Both nights, however, are filled with incredible performances by three different performers or theater groups—a bargain for the ticket price.
On November 9th, the night will be kicked off by the Baltimore Improv Group, with three troupes—Gus, Training for Prom, and the Bully Union: Local 128—setting the scene. Audiences will next get a glimpse of local magic when David London, shares his unique blend of illusion, storytelling, puppetry and comedy. Rounding out the night will be three short plays by the Flying V Theatre, ranging from the story of a little girl with a set of rebellious stuffed animals to the tale of an amateur pornographer caught in a never-ending talk show. The night will be hosted by Alex & Dan of Chucklestorm, and performances will be accompanied by house band The New Retro.
The following night, November 10th will be just as enthralling, with magician David London taking the role of host. Literary fans should enjoy the first performance, a “collage play” by the Single Carrot Theatre journeying through Edgar Allan Poe’s works. Audience members will also enjoy a “weird, gritty, thoughtful” burlesque show by Sticky Buns Burlesque, followed by a performance by the Never Bird Theater. Again, The New Retro will be playing, and both nights will mimic a variety show-style setup.
Magician David London – Photo credit: Philip Laubner
All those participating in Nights on the Fringe are extremely excited at the prospect of bringing their unique styles to a wider audience. Most groups and performers got involved through word-of-mouth, and have been nothing short of enthusiastic about reaching out to diverse audiences through this opportunity. Genevieve de Mahy, director of Poe Project, compared “the young frenetic energy” of Charm City Fringe to the early years of the Single Carrot Theatre. Michael Harris, the executive/artistic director of the Baltimore Improv Group, views Nights on the Fringe—and Charm City Fringe as a whole—as a fantastic new addition to the Baltimore theater scene: “The fringe festival model is perfect for Baltimore…Anything that can allow the cross pollination of our audiences is great.”
Tickets for both nights are priced at only $15 ($6 for students), and both shows begin at 7pm. Free dessert will also generously be provided to all standard ticket-holders by local bakery, Mike & Cookies. Pretty sweet deal, huh?
Whether you’re a local theater connoisseur or simply someone with an interest in local arts, Nights on the Fringe is a diverse taste of Baltimore’s current cultural scene not to be missed. And it doesn’t stop there. Brush and Michel are already planning to debut Charm City Fringe in its entirety next year. If you’re a local actor, director, writer, theater-goer or volunteer enthusiast who wants to get involved, no need to wait until then; be sure to follow the evolvement of Charm City Fringe on Facebook or Twitter to get all the latest updates.
