Toronto Fringe Festival
Encyclopedia
The Toronto Fringe Festival is an annual theatre festival
, featuring uncensored plays by unknown or well-known artists, taking place in the theatres of Toronto
. Several productions originally mounted at the Fringe have later been remounted for larger audiences, including the Tony Award
-winning musical
The Drowsy Chaperone
.
In 2008 "The Fringe of Toronto" launched a second festival called "The Next Stage Festival" (NSTF) which takes place annually in January. Unlike the summer festival, NSTF is juried and presents both new and remounted projects by "Fringe Artists". Also, unlike the summer Fringe Festival NSTF only showcases 8 productions.
NSTF was the first major step in the organization branching out to a year-round support organization that brings many opportunities to artists and arts-lovers. Since the launch of NSTF "The Toronto Fringe" has also introduced a number of artists outreach programs including The Fringe Evolution Fund to help independent producers remount their shows outside of the festival, and youth outreach programs including 10x10x10 which distributes 1,000 rush passes to priority youth in and around Toronto.
In 2010 the Toronto Fringe launched a new and expanded Fringe Club featuring free nightly entertainment, an expanded beer tent, a public stage called "The Art Wank", art installations called Fringe-Pretty-Things, and food service provided by local restaurants.
It seems nearly all members of Toronto's professional theatre scene have performed in, or written a Fringe show at some point in their careers. Some notable productions include Da Kink in My Hair
, which was later developed into a TV show by GlobalTV; and The Drowsy Chaperone
, which went on to Broadway and several world tours. In 2009, My Mother's Lesbian Jewish-Wiccan Wedding was picked up by Mirvish Productions from the festival and opened only 3 months later at Toronto's Panasonic Theatre
.
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
, featuring uncensored plays by unknown or well-known artists, taking place in the theatres of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Several productions originally mounted at the Fringe have later been remounted for larger audiences, including the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
The Drowsy Chaperone
The Drowsy Chaperone
The Drowsy Chaperone is a musical with book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. It debuted in 1998 at The Rivoli in Toronto and opened on Broadway on 1 May 2006. The show won the Tony Award for Best Book and Best Score. It started as a spoof of old...
.
Features
The Toronto Fringe Festival started in 1989. Today the festival presents over 150 individual productions from Canada and around the world. It is well known for not having a jury to judge which plays will be presented. Instead it uses a lottery system which gives each play an equal chance. It depends mostly on volunteers, donors/sponsors, and government grants. One notable feature is the 24 hour playwriting contest in which contestants write a play in one day based on items selected by the Fringe and the winning play is performed on the last day of the festival.In 2008 "The Fringe of Toronto" launched a second festival called "The Next Stage Festival" (NSTF) which takes place annually in January. Unlike the summer festival, NSTF is juried and presents both new and remounted projects by "Fringe Artists". Also, unlike the summer Fringe Festival NSTF only showcases 8 productions.
NSTF was the first major step in the organization branching out to a year-round support organization that brings many opportunities to artists and arts-lovers. Since the launch of NSTF "The Toronto Fringe" has also introduced a number of artists outreach programs including The Fringe Evolution Fund to help independent producers remount their shows outside of the festival, and youth outreach programs including 10x10x10 which distributes 1,000 rush passes to priority youth in and around Toronto.
In 2010 the Toronto Fringe launched a new and expanded Fringe Club featuring free nightly entertainment, an expanded beer tent, a public stage called "The Art Wank", art installations called Fringe-Pretty-Things, and food service provided by local restaurants.
It seems nearly all members of Toronto's professional theatre scene have performed in, or written a Fringe show at some point in their careers. Some notable productions include Da Kink in My Hair
Da Kink in My Hair
Da Kink in My Hair is a play by Trey Anthony, which debuted at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2001.The play's central character is Novelette, the Caribbean Canadian owner of Letty's, a Toronto hair salon...
, which was later developed into a TV show by GlobalTV; and The Drowsy Chaperone
The Drowsy Chaperone
The Drowsy Chaperone is a musical with book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. It debuted in 1998 at The Rivoli in Toronto and opened on Broadway on 1 May 2006. The show won the Tony Award for Best Book and Best Score. It started as a spoof of old...
, which went on to Broadway and several world tours. In 2009, My Mother's Lesbian Jewish-Wiccan Wedding was picked up by Mirvish Productions from the festival and opened only 3 months later at Toronto's Panasonic Theatre
Panasonic Theatre
Panasonic Theatre is a live theatre owned and operated by Mirvish Productions in Toronto, Canada.-Early years:The theatre was built in 1911 as a private residence and then converted as a movie theatre in 1919 known as The Victory...
.