By Leah Cohen
This article was originally published in DC Theater Arts here.
After nearly two decades of spotlighting local theater, the Capital Fringe Festival went dark, just when the arts needed it most. District Fringe is picking up where Capital Fringe left off.
“There’s a vibrant community of artists. They deserve a place where they can afford to do it. They deserve a chance to get on stage,” said Karen Lange (artistic director, Pinky Swear Productions), one of District Fringe’s leaders.
Not unlike Capital Fringe, District Fringe will work to unite the DC theater collective but with a stronger emphasis on community and collaboration. Led by three artistic directors and longtime Capital Fringe supporters, Tracey Erbacher (artistic director, Theater Prometheus), Aubri O’Connor (artistic director, Nu Sass Productions), and Lange, District Fringe is on a mission to “promote and propel the strong independent theater tradition in the DC area.”
When the news broke in December that Capital Fringe would not be returning, the now leaders went to work to begin production of District Fringe — recruiting applications, fundraising, and searching for spaces to hold the festival, which will take place in July.
District Fringe is coming at a time when the Trump administration is targeting performing arts and diversity initiatives, particularly in once-vibrant cultural spaces like The Kennedy Center.
“Part of what fuels me is they wouldn’t be bothering with the arts if the arts weren’t important,” Erbacher said. “This is an opportunity to expand outward and support those voices.”
Because of the original festival’s finances and space availability, Capital Fringe accepted applications from artists on a first-come, first-served basis. Being in its first year, District Fringe will limit the number of shows to about 10 to 20, depending on space, following an application process. After receiving over 40 applications, the festival’s leaders and team of readers ultimately made decisions based on what excites them most and reflects DC’s diverse artistic collective.
While the team is still working to secure a venue or venues to host the festival, no matter where they choose, there will be a community space for festival goers and artists to gather. Lange recalled having a similar space during the early years of Capital Fringe.
“Most of us met each other there. We actually got to hang out and have a drink and party late into the night, dancing together. That was really special and one of the things we really want to bring back,” Lange said.
District Fringe will be an opportunity to celebrate not only the artists but also the volunteers and donors who have helped with the festival’s production.
“I’ve been running a company for 11 years and I’ve never had this level of community support where people are coming out of the woodwork to be like, ‘Hi, I care about this, this is important, how can we help?’ Which is really moving,” Lange said.
The District Fringe team is looking for volunteers with experiences doing artistic producing, media and press outreach, technical support, and on-the-ground support when the festival begins. And, donations big and small.
“Donations have such a direct impact. A little bit of money goes so far given how low our fundraising goal is compared to other big theater efforts, and that’s going straight to making art possible for more artists,” said Erbacher.
With one of the main goals of the festival being to make local art as accessible as possible, the team has set admission at $15 per show (including fees), with additional options like discounted ticket bundles, buy-one-get-one offers, and an all-access festival pass.
“Everybody’s art makes everyone else’s stronger because you might not hear about one individual company making one small show, but you hear about Fringe and everyone’s working together,” Erbacher said. “It’s about the power of the community there banding together and making a festival.”
For those looking to get involved and volunteer with District Fringe, reach out to info@districtfringe.com for more information.
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