In its seventeenth year, the New York International Fringe Festival will take place August 9 – August 25 in venues across Manhattan. FringeNYC is the largest multi-arts festival in North America, with more than 200 companies from all over the world performing for 16 days in more than 20 venues.
A production of The Present Theatre Company, Inc., The Fringe Festival unites roughly 75,000 audience members, 200 shows in 20 venues, over 2,000 volunteers, 5,000 artists, and somewhere around 1,200 performances. To help navigate 16 days of “the world’s best and brightest indie theatre artists, extraordinary playwrights, composers, choreographers, directors and performers” you can find a map and complete program guide online.
The mission of FringeNYC is to “Shift [Your] Focus.” The 187+ shows at this year’s festival will not be streamed, digitized, or available for download, rather shared live on stage with the viewers that attend – shifting focus away from the digital age and towards a real cultural experience. Tickets will go on sale online and over the phone July 19.
Unlike other International Fringe Festivals, FringeNYC uses a jury-based selection process. It was founded in 1997 by Aaron Beall, John Clancy, Jonathan Harris, and (current Artistic Director) Elena K. Holy, and is produced by The Present Company. Some notable shows that first premiered at Fringe in past years include Urinetown, Dog Sees God, Debbie Does Dallas (the musical adaptation), and The Black Rider. At the conclusion of the festival, around 20 shows are selected to participate again in an encore series that takes place in September.
