"Fringe" Festival?
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Indianapolis FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE a\i*urr\9~i*aoo<; CONTACTS: Jennifer Hanson, IDI, 317.237.2202 Kate Robbins, IndyFringe Festival, 317.822.4386 Hoosier artist donates creativity to Mass Ave Theater and IndyFringe Festival Renowned Indiana artist James Wille Faust donated his time and talent to create artwork (above left) for the Mass Ave Theater and IndyFringe Festival, This inaugural event will take place Aug. 19 - 28. From advertisements and posters to buttons and t-shirts, the artwork Faust designed can be found on almost anything related to the 10-day event. "I've always loved live theatre; I chose to lend my creative services in honor of my dear friend and patron Karl R. Zimmer, Jr.," Faust said. Zimmer was an early Faust supporter, buying his work when Faust was still in school. Zimmer, now retired from Zimmer Paper Products, is on the board of the Athenaeum Foundation. Faust, a Lapel native, has lived in Indiana almost his entire life. He is a graduate of IU Herron School of Art and Design and received his master's from University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Faust first came to national attention when he was commissioned to depict Indiana for the award-winning ABSOLUT Vodka's "ABSOLUT Statehood" 1992- 1993, $3.5 million campaign. He was also invited to be on the N.A.S.A. Art Team for the Mission to Planet Earth project in which he created the painting "Vigilant Shepard." Faust's work has been exhibited widely in the U.S.A. Over the past decade in Indiana, his vibrant canvases have been displayed in the Richmond Art Museum, the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Snite Museum of Art at Notre Dame. His works, remarkable for their bold, brilliant palette, are taken from the Fauvists and psychedelic colors of the 1960s. Faust said he creates sculptural and some figurative, architectural and environmental forms. "Unconcerned about what classification my work fits into, I am free to explore with no limitations and in any direction, style or medium," said Faust. His paintings are represented in museums, private and corporate collections. "Ever since I was a little kid I've drawn, it's just in me, and it doesn't stop, it keeps coming," said Faust. -more- FAUST-ADD ONE The Mass Ave Theater and IndyFringe Festival is a 10-day event in which Mass Ave's five permanent live theaters (American Cabaret Theatre, Comedy Sportz Indianapolis, Phoenix Theatre, Murat Centre and Theatre on the Square) will feature their one-of-a- kind, scheduled productions at their normal ticket prices. in addition, local, national and international theater groups will converge for the inaugural IndyFringe Festival. Each Fringe Theater group will stage 60 minute performances - "old and new, edgy and not so" - for $10 each (plus a one-time $3 fee). For more information regarding the Mass Ave Theater and IndyFringe Festival, visit www.DiscoverMassAve.com ### indianapoiis FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE au*irtTtvlMa« CONTACTS: Jennifer Hanson, IDI, 317.237.2202 Kate Robbins, IndyFringe Festival, 317.822.4386 What is a "Fringe" Festival? As with other Fringe Festivals worldwide, the roots trace back to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, that began in 1947 when the Edinburgh International Festival was launched. It was seen as a post-war initiative to re-unite Europe through culture and was so successful that it inspired more performers than there was room for. Well aware that there would be a good crowd and focused press interest, six Scottish companies and two English companies decided to turn up uninvited and fend for themselves. They camped out on the edges of the International Festival and performed all day long, attracting a great deal of attention. The next year (1948) more companies showed up, and reporter Robert Kemp of the Evening News unknowingly coined the name that now describes one of the largest and most famous festivals in the world: 'Round the fringe of the official Festival drama there seems to be a more private enterprise than before... I'm afraid some of us are not going to be often at home during the evenings.' Soon the Fringe Festival gained a large and loyal following, outstripping the mainstream festival. The Fringe Festival concept migrated to Canada in the 1980s and today that country boasts Fringe Festivals from coast to coast - including the Edmonton Festival, the largest in North America, which annually draws more than half a million people. In the early 1990s, the Fringe concept was embraced in the United States, and today Fringe Festivals are annual events in Philadelphia, Orlando, San Francisco, Minneapolis and Cincinnati. To date there are more than 20 active Fringe Festivals in North America. How did Indianapolis get Involved? In 2001, Mayor Bart Peterson announced his Cultural Tourism Initiative and created the Indianapolis Cultural Development Commission. Kathleen Robbins, a theatre transplant from New York City, organized a public meeting, "Theatre City Indianapolis 2012," where the Mayor met with a panel of experts and more than 250 Indianapolis citizens. The group, asked to imagine what theatre in Indy might look like in 10 years, brainstormed more than two hours. A few weeks later the same panel met to review the results of the meeting, and the single best idea—the one that met the most needs expressed in the room—was the idea of an Indianapolis Theater Fringe Festival. Some seed money was contributed by Central Indiana Community Foundation to support research and travel for the project and IndyFringe was bom. The mission of IndyFringe is to provide an accessible, affordable outlet that draws diverse elements of the community together and inspires creative experiences through the arts. (Courtesy of the Orlando Fringe) -more- WHAT IS FRINGE - ADD ONE The Mass Ave Theater and IndyFringe Festival is a 10-day event Aug. 19 - 28 in which local, national and international theater groups will converge to offer additional performances - "old and new, edgy and not so." Admission to IndyFringe performances is a one-time $3 fee and $10 (cash only) for each 60-minute show; kids under 12 are free. In addition, Mass Ave's five permanent live theaters (American Cabaret Theatre, Comedy Sportz Indianapolis, Phoenix Theatre, Murat Centre and Theatre on the Square) will feature their one-of-a-kind, scheduled productions at their normal ticket prices. For more information, visit www.DiscoverMassAve.com and www.indyfrinae.org. ### indianapolts FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE IJMuTl9-tfctaft CONTACTS: Jennifer Hanson, IDI, 317.237.2202 Kate Robbins, IndyFringe Festival, 317.822.4386 Mass Ave theater legacy continues Mass Ave is the city's destination for distinguished arts and theater. The cultural district's rich theatrical tradition started back in 1909 with the design of the Murat Shrine, presently called the Murat Centre. Mass Ave was declared Indianapolis' official arts district in 1993 after Theatre on the Square relocated to Mass Ave. Mass Ave became one of Indianapolis' six cultural districts 10 years later in 2003. Mass Ave is the only cultural district that is home to five live theaters: American Cabaret Theatre, ComedySportz Indianapolis, Phoenix Theatre, Murat Centre and Theatre on the Square. Together, these theaters attract one-half million patrons to Mass Ave annually. In addition, the theaters have recently made improvements worth $145,000 collectively. Each of the five theaters has its own unique story to tell. These stories all come together to form a strong theater heritage that has made the Mass Ave Arts & Theater district what it is today - an eclectic mix of theater ranging from Broadway tours to alternative performances. American Cabaret Theatre 401 E. Michigan Si American Cabaret Theatre opened its doors in the historic Athenaeum in 1990 as a means of helping restore the 100-year-old building. As the theater's home, the Athenaeum has since become an attractive and practical location for the theater to showcase Indianapolis' cultural arts. The theater's mission is to provide Indianapolis and central Indiana with high-quality, original theatrical entertainment. It is the fastest-growing theatre in the Midwest and has extended its touring reach to theatres throughout the country. The theater recently underwent management change, with Jeff Owen stepping in as Interim Artistic Director. ComedySportz Indianapolis 721 Massachusetts Ave. ComedySportz came to Indianapolis after originally being founded in Milwaukee, Wis. The Milwaukee location was opened in 1984 by Dick Chudnow, having been based on the competitive Theatresports improv techniques of Keith Johnstone. -more- THEATER LEGACY - ADD ONE The first expansion appeared in 1985 in Madison, Wis. From there, locations popped up in San Jose, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Minneapolis and numerous other locations throughout the United States and even the world. The Indianapolis location opened on Mass Ave in 1993. ComedySportz is fast-paced improvisational comedy played like a sport, with two teams battling for laughs and points as they make up scenes and songs on the spot. The audience makes all the suggestions and votes for the winners, and the referee calls the fouls. The Murat Centre 502 N. New Jersey St Oscar D. Bohien designed the Murat Shrine in 1909, modeling it after an Islamic mosque. By 1984, the Murat had the second largest membership of any Shrine temple in the world. Theater was first brought to the Murat in 1910, making the Murat the oldest surviving Downtown stage house. It officially became the Murat Centre in 1996 after a significant renovation. Today, the Murat hosts touring Broadway performances, such as the upcoming Les Miserables and Miss Saigon. Patrons can also catch performances by popular musicians, including Duran Duran, Carole King and the White Stripes. In addition, nationally recognized comedians, ballets and other performances are showcased at the Murat.