2018 Chicago Fringe Festival Lottery Party 3/11/18 Free and Open to the Public

CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 9TH ANNUAL LOTTERY PARTY, SUNDAY, MARCH 11, AT WESTON’S COFFEE & TAP CO.

The 2018 Chicago Fringe Performers and Kids Fringe Participants Are Chosen Randomly At This Event Which Also Includes Live Music, Food and Drink Specials

The 2018 Chicago Fringe Festival, August 30 - September 3, is proud to announce the 9th Annual Lottery Party, Sunday, March 11, 1 – 3 p.m., at Weston’s Coffee & Tap Co., 4872 N. Milwaukee Ave. The Lottery Party is the gathering where individuals and organizations learn if they will perform in the 2018 Fringe Festival. The Lottery Party is free and open to the public. The random drawing of participants includes bingo, drinks and food from Weston’s Coffee & Tap Co., a European-inspired coffee shop in Jefferson Park also serving wine, beer and sandwiches. The party is broadcast live at Chicago Fringe’s facebook page.



A total of 24 shows will be accepted into the 2018 Chicago Fringe Festival, held again in Jefferson Park, half local artists and half non-local artists. The lottery ensures diversity in the Fringe’s line-up and family-friendly programming that includes comedies, dramas, dance pieces, musicals, performance art and the unclassifiable. The Chicago Fringe Festival is an uncensored, unjuried, no-holds barred performance event that returns 100% of ticket sales to the artists. In their first eight years, Chicago Fringe has returned more than $200,000 to artists.



ABOUT CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL
The Chicago Fringe Festival, now in its ninth year, is a member of the Fringe Festival movement and is one of many festivals held throughout the world. The Chicago Fringe Festival is devoted to celebrating an inclusive community of adventurous artists, volunteers and patrons.

New York's Rebel Playhouse’s World Premiere Musical EDNA THE STOMPER 9/2-9/4

Chi, IL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List:

Rebel Playhouse’s 

EDNA THE STOMPER, 

a family musical with puppets, stomps, and songs, makes world premiere at the Chicago Fringe Festival

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Rebel Playhouse is thrilled to present the world premiere of the musical EDNA THE STOMPER, with a book by Laura Toffenetti, and music by Janet Jungden. Directed and choreographed by Sarah Sutliff, with musical direction by Christina Bottley, EDNA THE STOMPER begins performances on Saturday, September 2nd as a part of the Chicago Fringe Festival’s Kid’s Fringe. 

The performance schedule is 9/2 at 4:00PM, 9/3 at 1:00PM, and 9/4 at 2:30PM. Performances are at Jefferson Playhouse (4766 N Milwaukee Avenue Chicago, IL 60630). Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for children. To purchase tickets visit www.chicagofringe.org

Rebel Playhouse’s production gets audiences moving and grooving along with Edna as she sets off to find out just what makes her unique.

In EDNA THE STOMPER, seven year old Edna stomps everywhere and stomps a lot. It is driving her very talented family crazy! EDNA THE STOMPER is a musical for all ages complete with songs, stomps, and some punny monster puppets! This heartfelt tale deals with the issues of self worth, creative expression, and finding one’s place in the family. (Recommended for ages 4 and up.)



The cast features Dax Dupuy (Frosty, TheatreWorksUSA national tour); Alaina Fragoso (Once On This Island, Blue Spruce Theatre); Julia Karis (Seussical, Once Upon a Time Players); Clara Kundin (Pedro Reyes’ Doomocracy); Jessica Rogers (Play Me a Story, Portland Stage Company); Greer Samuels (Saint Joan, The Secret Theater).

Sarah Sutliff (director/choreographer) is a director, choreographer, and performer. She has directed and choreographed over a dozen Jr. and full-length productions with Saratoga Children’s Theatre, the Shenendehowa Summer Adventure theater program, and the Galli Theater NY among others. Sarah is a resident performer with How We GLOW, a play exploring gender identities of LGBTQ+ teenagers in NYC. She co-founded Rebel Playhouse in 2016 and is proud to serve as artistic director. The last production she directed/choreographed with Rebel Playhouse, Old Turtle and the Broken Truth, was nominated for Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Musical at the 2017 New York Innovative Theatre Awards.

Janet Jungden (composer) composer, began her musical career at the age of 9 by learning to play the accordion. During high school she added flute and keyboards.  After graduating from the University of Connecticut with high honors in education, she went on to study jazz at the University of Bridgeport. For over 35 years Jan has performed throughout the northeast with various groups playing jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n roll. She currently heads the jazz group, the Jan Jungden Trio and has released a jazz CD of primarily original music, Smooth Ride. She was a quarter finalist in the American Songwriters Festival. For ten years she was musical director for shows at the Mansfield Middle School in Connecticut. This is where she met and began collaborating with Laura Toffenetti on her original musical, Tailor!, and later Edna the Stomper and Transylvania Bed and Breakfast, Miami.

Laura Toffenetti (playwright) is a playwright, book writer and lyricist. In 1985 she collaborated with five women creating the play Going to see the Elephant, published by Dramatists. It won best play for that year by Drama Logue, LA Reader, and the International PEN award. It was also nominated for LA Drama Critic’s Circle Award and was listed in LA TIMES Best Bets for the entire year. Without a Parachute was produced by Pasta Fazule Players, 2009, Des Plaines, IL, and was chosen for South Camden Reading Festival 2013. Other plays include Blue Heron, 1945 (semi-finalist Greenhouse Project, Strange Sun, NYC) and Sinkhole (semi-finalist Route 66, Chicago). She has three teenage one acts published by Heure. She has also written the book and lyrics for Tailor!, Edna the Stomper, and Transylvania Bed and Breakfast, Miami with her collaborator Jan Jungden.

Rebel Playhouse (producing company) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, educational theater company based out of Brooklyn, New York. Founded in the fall of 2016 by Executive Director Clara Kundin, Artistic Director Sarah Sutliff, and Educational Director Greer Samuels, the Rebel Playhouse is a children's theater company committed to empowering, educating, and entertaining NYC audiences. The Rebel Playhouse produces works for children and families based on stories that break traditions and challenge normative thinking, and offers classes designed to foster creative development. In May 2017, Rebel Playhouse presented their inaugural production Old Turtle and the Broken Truth in NYC to critical acclaim, and the production will be enjoying an encore run in Troy, NY this September.

FEST ALERT: 8TH ANNUAL CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL BACK AUG 30-SEPT 10

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

THE CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL 

CELEBRATES ITS 8TH YEAR IN JEFFERSON PARK, 

AUGUST 30 – SEPTEMBER 10  

**TICKETS NOW ON SALE!**

The 2017 Chicago Fringe Festival and Kids Fringe, August 30 - September 10, announce the slate of performances and venues and all tickets go on sale to the public on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 12 p.m. The eighth annual Chicago Fringe Festival takes place in five venues in Jefferson Park. Entrance to the Chicago Fringe Festival, called Chicago’s “Best Performing Arts Festival” by the Chicago Reader, is a one-time button purchase of $5, after that all individual performances are $10. 

Kids Fringe features free workshops along with ticketed shows that are appropriate for all ages. Tickets for Kids Fringe are $10 for adults, plus the one-time $5 button, and $5 for children ages 12 years and younger, no button required. Passes with a discounted ticket price are available when attending multiple performances: a four-show pass is $36, a ten-show pass is $80 and an unlimited pass is $175. Each venue will have a box office for day-of purchase and the box office for the entire festival is located at Fringe Central, located at Weston’s, 4872 N Milwaukee Ave.  

Schedule of performances, special events and venues are available at ChicagoFringe.org.

The Chicago Fringe Festival 2017 returns to Jefferson Park after its seventh presenting year. The festival features 50 groups in about 200 performances selected by lottery. The shows include comedies, dramas, dance theater, musicals, performance art and the unclassifiable. This is an uncensored, unjuried, no-holds barred performance event that returns 100% of ticket sales to the artists. In their first seven years, they have returned over $200,000 to artists.

The 2017 Chicago Fringe Festival includes performance groups from around Chicago, the United States and the world, including the return of Mark Toland, Rally Theatre Company, Spartan Theatre Company, Iris Sowlat, Shut Up!, Kelly Haramis, Transcendent Ensemble Theatre,  Science Comedian Brian Malow, Howard Petrick, Wishbone Theatre Collective, Rebel Playhouse and Thom J. Cauley. Other performers hail from: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania as well as Canada, Greece, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Some of the performance groups in Chicago Fringe Festival have participated in other prominent Fringe Festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival, Indy Fringe and the FringeNYC.

8th Annual Chicago Fringe Festival
August 30 – September 10
Fringe Central: Weston’s, 4872 N Milwaukee Ave. 
Performance venues:
The Playhouse at Jefferson Park, 4766 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Windy City Performs - Studio A, 5340 W. Lawrence Ave.
The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Congregational Church of Jefferson Park Meeting Hall, 5320 W. Giddings St. and
Congregational Church of Jefferson Park Gym, 5320 W. Giddings St.
Performance schedule and performer’s information are available at ChicagoFringe.org starting August 1. 

Kids Fringe 
September 3 – 10 
The Chicago Fringe Festival Kids Fringe is for audience members 5 – 12 years old. It features five shows along with free crafts, workshops and more.
Artists scheduled to perform*:  Barrel of Monkeys, Tiffany Lawson Dance and Stephanie Chavara from Chicago and Hit the Lights! Theatre Co and Jackie Schiffer from New York City. 



ABOUT CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL
The Chicago Fringe Festival, now in its eighth year, produces an annual performing arts festival devoted to celebrating an inclusive community of adventurous artists, volunteers and patrons. The Chicago Fringe Festival is a member of the Fringe Festival movement and is one of many festivals held throughout the world. The Chicago Fringe Festival unites daring theatergoers with emerging and boundary-pushing local, national and international performing artists while seeking to engage nontraditional audiences through a commitment to low ticket prices and outreach into artistically underserved communities. 

*Artists and programs subject to change. 


The Chicago Fringe Festival is a member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals.

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events sponsor the 2017 Chicago Fringe Festival. The 2017 partners include Weston’s, Filament Theatre, Windy City Music Theatre, and the Copernicus Center. 

INCOMING: 7th Annual CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL Returns With Adult and Family Friendly Offerings

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL, CELEBRATES ITS SEVENTH YEAR AND ANNOUNCES 2016 SCHEDULE AND VENUES

Over Twelve Days, 47 Companies Gather in Jefferson Park Including  the Return of Kids Fringe and Special Events, 

August 31 – September 11, Tickets Go On Sale Monday, Aug. 1

The Chicago Fringe Festival is proud to announce the schedule for its seventh festival. Performances in the seventh annual Chicago Fringe Festival take place in five venues in Jefferson Park, August 31 – September 11. Tickets go on sale Monday, Aug. 1 at 12 p.m. 

Entrance to the Chicago Fringe Festival, called Chicago’s “Best Performing Arts Festival,” by the Chicago Reader, is a one-time button purchase of $5, after that all individual performances are $10. Kids Fringe is a one-time button purchase of $5 plus each show ticket admission of $10 for adults and children ages 12 years and younger are $5 for each Kids Fringe performance, no button required. 

Passes with a discounted ticket price are available when attending multiple performances: a four-show pass is $36, a ten-show pass is $80 and an unlimited pass is $175. Each venue will have a box office for day-of purchase and the box office for the entire festival is located at Fringe Central, Location TBA. Tickets may be purchased at chicagofringe.org.

ChicagoFringe2016-1- "Hip Hop is Alive" from Chicago Fringe 2013 (Photo by Ashley Dean)

The Chicago Fringe Festival 2016 returns to Jefferson Park featuring 47 groups in about 200 performances selected by lottery Saturday, Feb. 27. The shows include comedies, dramas, dance pieces, musicals, performance art and the unclassifiable. This is an uncensored, unjuried, no-holds barred performance event that returns 100% of ticket sales to the artists. In its first six years, Chicago Fringe has returned more than $172,000 to artists. This year also marks the return of Kids Fringe with family-friendly performances dedicated to audience members  5 - 12 years old with free workshops and activities.

The 2016 Chicago Fringe Festival includes performance groups from around Chicago, the United States and the world, including local performers, Nick DiMaso, Loft Productions, Johnny Garcia, Coffee & Whiskey Productions, Larry Todd Cousineau, Hellbent Productions and Azusa Productions. Kids Fringe artists include Shut Up, Barrel of Monkeys (also participated in the inaugural Kids Fringe 2015), Smarty Pants, FEMelanin and Karen Yatsko. 

Other performers hail from: California, Colorado, East Sussex, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, New York, Tennessee and Canada. Some of the performance groups in Chicago Fringe Festival 2016 have participated in other prominent Fringe Festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival, Indy Fringe and the FringeNYC.

The main box office, information and activity center for the Chicago Fringe Festival is Fringe Central (Location: TBA). Fringe Central has a party atmosphere and houses activities throughout the Festival, including after-parties, music and more. 

ChicagoFringe2016-2  Misfits All Around (Photo by Bob Taylor)

A Preview Party on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at the Copernicus Center offers a sneak peek of the lineup with three-minute previews by the participating artists. The party is free and open to the public.

The Congregational Church of Jefferson Park is hosting the Chicago Fringe Festival at two venues: 

· Congregational Church of Jefferson Park Gymnasium, 5320 W. Giddings St and

· Congregational Church of Jefferson Park Meeting Hall, 5320 W. Giddings St.

The additional three Jefferson Park performance venues are:

· The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave.

· Windy City Music Theatre Black Box Studio, 5340 W. Lawrence Ave. and

· Jefferson Playhouse, Home of Windy City Music Theatre, 5340 W. Lawrence Ave.

CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL 2016 PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

The complete list of performances and times, company and performance descriptions and venues are available at chicagofringe.org.

Preview Party

Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.

Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave.

FREE

In addition to refreshments, the Chicago Fringe Festival kicks off this year’s Festival with a Preview Party. Performers in the 7th Annual Fringe Festival each have three minutes to preview their show to the audience.

7th Annual Chicago Fringe Festival

August 31 – September 11

Five venues in Jefferson Park

Performance schedule and locations are announced August 1 at ChicagoFringe.org. Performers are currently listed on the site and include 47 acts from around Chicago and the globe.

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List:

Kids Fringe 

September 3 – 11 

Participants: Barrel of Monkeys, Cafe Antarisa, FEMelanin, Shut Up Productions and Smarty Pants 

Jefferson Playhouse, 4766 N Milwaukee Ave.

Kids (5 – 12 years old) $5, Adults $10 with 2016 Fringe Festival button 

The Chicago Fringe Festival Kids Fringe is for audience members 5 – 12 years old. It features five shows along with free crafts, workshops and more! 

ChicagoFringe2016-3 - That’s Weird Grandma - Kids Fringe 2015 (Photo by Lydia Hoover)

ABOUT CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL

The Chicago Fringe Festival, now in its seventh year, annually presents performances over the course of two weeks. The Chicago Fringe Festival is a member of the Fringe Festival movement and is one of many festivals held throughout the world. Chicago Fringe produces an annual performing arts festival devoted to celebrating an inclusive community of adventurous artists, volunteers and patrons.