Someone left a comment asking if Orlando Fringe should consider jurying because they were unhappy with the outcome of this year's lottery. I don't think we should ask the current Orlando Fringe to change. In so many ways, it works absolutely perfectly, bringing a wonderful blend of the good and bad, the commercial and experimental.
But, there's always room for more. There's nothing stopping a theatre company or an adventurous group of creatives from starting their own juried theatre and arts festival here in Orlando.
In New York City, they have two fringe festivals: a juried and a non-juried. Why couldn't Orlando do the same? Just asking.
In the end, if a juried festival were to get started, it would only serve to benefit the residents and artists of Orlando. The residents would get more performances to attend and the artists would have one more venue to create and produce.
I don't see a downside.
3 Comments:
A revision: “In New York City, they have two fringe festivals: a juried and a non-juried. And the juried one was first of the scene; by ten years! When will Orlando do the same? Just asking.”
Check out how the (new in 2008, and you just missed it!) New Orleans Fringe Festival works it:
Selection Process
The selection process is a combination of jury and lottery. This is how it works: 15 juried spots are selected by the Fringe Festival selection committee. The committee will select these shows based on several criteria, the most important being quality of work. They will also try to ensure a cross-section of shows.
The remaining slots will be selected by lottery. In other words they will be pulled out of a hat -- or a big box -- at random.
The results will be posted on the Fringe Web site on August 15th. Whether a show was selected by jury or lottery will not be revealed.
Because there are likely to be more applicants than performance spots, we won't be able to provide a spot for every group that applies. But don't let that stop you. We still want you to be a part of Fringe. If you don't get a spot at one of our venues, consider lining up your own and getting on the Fringe program with the Bring Your Own Venue option.
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The most interesting part of their process, to me? “Whether a show was selected by jury or lottery will not be revealed.” Of course, this would never fly with CAFF.
Start doing the research now, I say. Kind of a crappy time for it economically, but with the groundwork the Fringe has laid, the time might be ripe in a couple years.
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