Scranton: A City on the Fringe
‘Round the fringe of official Festival drama, there seems to be more private enterprise than before … I am afraid some of us are not going to be at home during the evening!” — Robert Kemp (Scottish Playwright/Journalist)
The above quote comes from an article by Robert Kemp entitled More that is Fresh in Drama, which was published in the Edinburgh Evening News on August 14th , 1948. It was in reference to the growing annual collective of unique and alternative theatre in Edinburgh Scotland, an event which we now know (thanks to Mr. Kemp) as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. What began in 1947, — when eight theatre companies arrived in the city uninvited and presented original/”alternative” works of theatre at the same time of the International Edinburgh Festival (in an attempt to piggy-back on the large crowds) has now become the worlds largest performing arts festival (as confirmed by The Guinness Book of World Records). This article is not truly about the Edinburgh Fringe — however it is vital to understand the basics of fringe festivals and their history to appreciate this assortment of thoughts and theory. For a more detailed insight into the history of the original fringe, I encourage you to click here!
Since those eight bold original artistic companies united for their own fledgling presentation of performance over sixty years ago — fringe festivals (being owned or trademarked by no one entity) have developed and begun popping up across the world. The first fringe festival held in the USA was in Orlando in 1992. All fringe festivals structure/policies vary from city to city — but nearly all worldwide are based upon the same fundamental elements (summary provided by the US Association on Fringe Festivals):
- Focused on the performing arts: Theater, dance, puppetry, spoken word and the like make up the Fringe core, but festivals often may include film and visual arts elements. Fringes don’t have a focus on a single discipline or genre, but are a performing-arts smörgåsbord
- Uncensored: No one gets too fussy about swears or nudity but squeaky-clean content isn’t marginal or discouraged, either
- Easy to participate in: Ticket prices are low for audiences and production fees are low for artists. Show selection varies from festival to festival but is generally quite open to participation by the gamut of amateurs to professionals
- Festivals: They last from just a few days to a few weeks and involve lots of people — generally at multiple venues
- Original: Fringes feature a huge array of original material — sometimes by design, but usually because that’s what Fringes naturally do well
- Rapid-fire: Typically, tech is minimal and time is a factor at our festivals. Shows are often kept brief (Fringes most frequently have shows right around 60 minutes in length) and technical requirements kept simple (minor sets, streamlined cues, nothing elaborate)
I have been so fortunate as to have my own work represented in two fringe festivals — Pittsburgh PA, 2014 (The Darling Core, co written by Simone Daniel) and Kansas City MO, 2014 (Prophecy of The Teen Sleuth). Each festival was a dynamic, engaging and creatively refreshing experience. It was these experiences that planted the seeds of determination in regards to developing a new fringe festival in my hometown — the City of Scranton, Pennsylvania. For those of you out there in the digital ether, Scranton is a small city — population of 75,806 as of 2013 with its greater Metropolitan region (suburbs,smaller connecting towns/cities,etc) having a population of 570,000. Scranton is located in the northeast corner of the state of Pennsylvania. While it posses a rich history of theatre and the performing arts— its modern day cultural note is serving as the real life inspiration/setting for the Emmy Award winning NBC comedy, The Office. At the turn of the 20th century Scranton was one of the fastest growing US cities — primarily due in part to the economic boom that comes with being the anthracite coal capital of the world. Scranton literally fueled a greater part of the world — however this was not to last. Following World War II the world began to shift towards oil and natural gas versus coal. The heart — the very flame of the city that once fueled the world began to fade to a spark, struggling to stay alive.
In modern times, one does not have to look far to see the negative press and perspective of Scranton, a prime example can be found in this 2012 article from Gawker. While I am fully aware of my home cities shortcomings and struggles (and will often be the first to make a joke about it) I think it is an electrifying locale — one of great culture and even greater potential. That is why I feel so strongly about a Scranton Fringe Festival — which thanks to the hard work that I and a dedicated core team of volunteers have already performed — will hold its inaugural event on October 1–4 2015 at various venues in downtown Scranton. There are many detractors (haters gonna hate) from within the greater Scranton and those who reside else where who have questioned the potential and efficiency that such a performing arts based festival could have within a “depressed” city as Scranton. That is why I have written this — my personal top four reasons why I feel…why I KNOW Scranton (a city which truly thrives on the “fringe’ of glory) is going to make an excellent host to the worlds newest fringe festival!
1. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
Scranton, nestled in the Northeast corner of the state of PA is nearly the same distance from New York City and Philadelphia (120–125 miles, approx 2 hours travel time). This ideal point of convergence was heavily utilized in the early 20th century, as the proximity to Manhattan and Scranton’s diverse audiences made it the ideal locale for Broadway bound productions to preview and test run new work. While still a regular stop for many world renowned performers/acts as well as more independent/emerging artists, I feel the Scranton Fringe will only further promote the appeal to potential shows/artists. As the festival will be providing all out of town participating artists (at no cost to them) housing for the duration of the 2015 festival — how simple and low cost would it be for an artist/team from New York, Philadelphia or Harrisburg to participate in the Scranton Fringe! Even such cities as Boston, Chicago or D.C are not so far as to discourage the road savvy performer!
2. LOCAL TALENT!
Scranton posses an incredible amount of talent! Those who have relocated / primarily work in other regions often still maintain strong ties with Scranton — performing/displaying their work often and quite frequently cite Scranton as the laboratory in which they were able to experiment and find their unique artistic voice. There are COUNTLESS incredibly talented artists (of all mediums/genres/styles/career levels) that still call Scranton their home. Solo musicians, bands, theatre troupes (ranging from the classics to musical standards to original/alternative works), poets, visual artists, filmmakers, etc. — there is a plethora of artists who make up the diverse talent-pool of this region. Many have already expressed their interest and dedication to participating in the initial fringe festival — and more join the potential fold every day! While I could not begin to list all the amazing artists/groups, here are a few select examples of troupes/projects and networking channels to give you a broader idea of this regions artistic population: NEPA Performing Arts Group, Scranton Shakespeare Festival, Gaslight Theatre, The Vintage Ensemble, Ghostlight Productions, NEPA DIY (original music networking)
3. IT TAKES A (DOWNTOWN) VILLAGE
The 2015 Scranton Fringe Festival will take place in multiple venues in downtown Scranton across four days (October 1–4 2015). Downtown Scranton is home to so many incredible restaurants, shops, bars, art galleries and cultural venues - that the only challenge we at the fringe are facing are which venues to utilize for our first year (this will come down greatly to cost, needs of those who applied and availability)! Regardless if a spot winds up being a featured/main venue or a presenting partner (offering discounts/specials to all fringe ticket holders) the community of downtown Scranton is guaranteed to be a fantastic environment in which to grow the fringe! The aesthetics of some of downtown Scranton’s historical architecture are of great appeal to the keen eye! Some of the great downtown venues/establishments I encourage you to check out (just to name a few) include (click on each to be directed to their own sites):
The Keys, The AFA Gallery, The Leonard Theater, The Bog, Ale Mary’s, Freed Love, The Colonade, Embassy Vinyl, Duffy Accessories, The Lackawanna Children's Library, St. Lukes, Terra Petra, Scranton Cultural Center, POSH, Northern Light, Mission Yoga, Steamtown National Historic Site, Osaka Sushi & Hibachi, City Cafe, Whiskey Dicks, Comics on The Green, Elm Park Methodist Church, The Theatre at Lackawanna College and many MANY others!
The fringe festival will also coincide with another artistic celebration — the First Friday Art Walk! Scranton First Friday has become an incredibly popular monthly event, connecting large audiences with new artistic work throughout downtown Scranton. It is only fitting that the Fringe and First Friday partner to coordinate a dynamic weekend of the visual and performing arts!
4. ALL PRESS IS…USEFUL!
Scranton has been the focal point of much national and international attention from traditional media to dedicated blog/video sites. Some has NOT been so positive (see Gawker link posted earlier in this article) while others have been an interesting study into the resilience and very nature of this storm of “negative” press (see this article from BBC News which also features a video by BBC Pop Up Team Member Matt Danzico, a son of Scranton: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30204654)
This potential “negative” attention has created a topical platform, giving the fringe an opportunity to showcase its forthcoming talent — all while taking full advantage of the fact the world has suddenly taken a re-interest in Scranton. Scranton has a powerful local media force — with its main newspaper and TV stations some of the most popular of their kind in the country (prorated for population of course). In addition there are several arts/culture based weekly journals as well as many popular blogs, podcasts and digital based publications — such as NEPA Scene!
The Fringe is hitting the ground in 2015 running — having secured a very generous and beneficial partnership with WAX Creative Marketing serving as the 2015 Fringe PR agency. WAX and its incredible staff have already begun serving the fringe and have even more buzz worthy work rolling out throughout 2015.
Scranton is a city that understands what it means to be under pressure. It has had its skeletons displayed in powerful florescent lighting and its veins cut many, many times. It is however a city that not only survives, but (one way or another) will find a way to proudly thrive. Where as a phoenix rises from the ashes of its own destruction, the creature known as Scranton emerges from century old coal dust — always one step closer to proving itself as the jewel in the rough it truly is.
If you are a Scrantonian, a former resident of the Electric City, a potential fringe artist (applications open February 9th 2015) OR simply a lover of the underdog — I encourage to reflect and share this entry. Below you will find contact information for the festival should you wish to continue this dialog. I thank you for reading.
FRINGE WEBSITE / FRINGE FACEBOOK / FRINGE TWITTER
Email: ScrantonFringe@gmail.com
Additional Links / News Coverage of The Fringe:
