Five Reasons To Attend a Fringe Festival

"The arts are not a way of making a living.

They are a very human way of making life more bearable."

Kurt Vonnegut.

The New York Fringe Festival opens today, bringing more than 200 performing companies and 1600 performances to local venues. Affordable tickets to interesting and innovative work is just one reason to support this fringe or one of the others soon to open in cities across the country. Here are some more:

They foster independent artists;

They stimulate economic growth - restuarants, hotels, the travel industry and every small business in the neighborhood of a fringe event benefit with new customers and opportunities for promotion;

They support the creative community;

The promote under-developed neighborhoods;

By making performing arts visible, available and affordable, the festival supports local arts year-round.

Full disclosure: I will be performing CrAzYToWn: my first psychopath in two upcoming Fringe festivals and am already realizing the benefits not only as an artist, but as a person passionate about the arts. The outreach from organizers, energy from supporters and excitement about the creative process are a much-needed lifeline and motivating force for independent artists.

CrAzYtOwN: my first psychopath will be presented at:

Black Cloud Gallery

1900 S. Halsted

Chicago, IL 60608

Friday August 31 at 7 p.m.

Saturday Sept. 1 at 5:30 p.m.

Sunday Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.

Buy Tickets

EXIT on Taylor Theater

277 Taylor Street

San Francisco, CA

Saturday Sept. 8 @ 9:00 PM
Sunday Sept 9 @ 7:30 PM
Monday Sept 10 @ 10:30 PM
Friday Sept 14 @ 7:00 PM
Saturday Sept 15 @ 6:00 PM
Sunday Sept 16 @ 4:30 PM

BUY TICKETS

Find out more about Fringe festival dates and schedules around the country at the United States Association of Fringe Festivals website.

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