Every aspiring writer and actress needs that elusive break to get established. As the late, great Jack Lemmon once said, “Yes, you need to walk through the door once it’s opened, but someone has to open the door in the first place.”
And rather like off-Broadway is a base for new talent to flaunt itself – rather similar to the Edinburgh festival in the UK – NOLA’s Fringe Festival, due this year between November 20-24, showcases the works of previously unproduced playwrights. Other American cities also stage similar “fringe” events, most notably New York and Minneapolis. But in NOLA the concept has really taken off, accompanied by the usual pyrotechnics for which the city is renowned, and a crowd of ambitious and talented youngsters hoping to get their big break.
- opacity / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND
Performances include drama, comedy, dance, improvisational, pantomime, musical theater, puppetry, storytelling and more besides. Productions are staged in small neighborhood theatres and even on the stages of local bars. Many performances are open to the public and reasonably priced. The festival lasts for a whole weekend and individual show admissions are usually around $8 each.
Perhaps you’d like to visit the Free-For-All Tent at the heart of the festival, located next to the Central Box Office at the corner of Press and Dauphine in the Marigny (Plessy Park, next to the railroad tracks). You can relax on the sofa, grab a beer and a bite to eat, take in a free show, browse the Fringe Market and learn more about the shows and activities happening throughout the Fringe. All shows at the Free-For-All tent are, as the name implies, free!
Children can also come to the Free-for-all tent on Saturday, November 17th, 2012 1-3pm at Plessy Park (corner of Press and Dauphine). Young musicians, actors, comedians, rappers, storytellers, puppeteers and all other types of young artists and performers take to the stage.
To submit works for consideration, become a sponsor, volunteer to work at the festival or for information about attending the Fringe Festival and purchasing tickets go the following link: www.nofringe.org or call 504-941-3640.
The city looks forward to extending you a warm welcome. November is a great time to be in Louisiana once the humidity of summer has died down. If you would like to attend NOLA’s Beyond the Fringe festival and need a ride around New Orleans, want to reach one of the events or need to get to a restaurant or hotel – we can help you. Simply give us a call at (877) 592-2226 and we will take care of the rest.