IndyFringe Festival

Over the years, the Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, or the IndyFringe as it is now popularly known, has brought a diverse mix of local art and theatre to the city. IndyFringe is now considered to be among the most provocative and exciting arts festivals of independent theatre in the United States.

Since 2002, IndyFringe have produced consistently high-quality theatre with cutting-edge performances and displays from more than 300 shows, not to mention drawing huge audiences counting more than 20,000. This August festival takes place over 10 days -- Aug. 19-29 in 2010 -- and includes local, national and international acts of every description.

IndyFringe is interested in promoting all artistic mediums, including traditional and non-traditional theatre, dance, music, improvisation and a wide range of other performance and visual arts. Past performers include Indyprov, Heartland Actors' Repertory Theatre, New Vaudeville Performers and the Blue Monkey Side Show.

After performing in various venues around Indianapolis, IndyFringe finally took up permanent residence close to the historic Massachusetts Avenue corridor in 2008. Having its own performance space, the IndyFringe theatre is now kept busy all year long and is able to host performances and fundraisers outside of the main festival.

The 2010 Open Call for Artists invites local artists to create the look and feel of the 2010 festival. With a winning prize of $1,500, the victorious artist will his/her their work stamped across the front cover of IndyFringe programs, on posters, postcards, fliers and all related media.

As a not-for-profit organization, IndyFringe’s mission is “to provide an accessible, affordable outlet that draws diverse elements of the community together and inspires creative experiences through the arts.” All of the revenue generated from IndyFringe ticket sales is given back to the artists.

HelloIndianapolis Tip: In addition to the August festival, a number of events take place at IndyFringe throughout the year. Check the IndyFringe website for more information.

- by Jim Brown , Indianapolis Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)