The two-week nonstop theatrical event known as the 22nd Annual Orlando International Fringe Festival broke records again this year for number of tickets sold.
More than 31,000 tickets were printed during the 14-day cultural experience, held May 15-28 at Loch Haven Park. The event featured local, national and international theater, art and dance acts. There were 101 individual shows this year with encore performances, more than any previous year.
“We are very proud of the artistic excellence of the shows we bring to Fringe,” Fringe General Manager George Wallace said. “It was fantastic to see so much support from the community.”
This year’s Festival included artists from as far away as Australia, Japan, Europe and Canada and national artists from New York, California, Oregon, Illinois, Minnesota, Mississippi and Louisiana. Of the groups chosen to perform at Fringe, half are local and the other half are national or international.
Artists determine their own ticket prices ranging from free to $11 and receive 100% of their box office revenue. The artist payout came to about $242,000. Festival Producer Michael Marinaccio said 1,500 artist passes were distributed this year, up from 1,000 in 2012.
A grant from the Universal Orlando Foundation paid Kids Fringe performers for the first time. Last year, Kids Fringe expanded to the The Mennello Museum of American Art, which drew significant attendance. In 2013, more than 10,800 people attended the free weekend mainstay of the Festival, up about 800 from last year.
Visual Fringe, which features an art show, moved off-site this year to a warehouse. Though fewer pieces were sold, receipts topped $5,500. Like the theatrical component, artists set their own prices and keep 100% of sales.
Wallace credits a powerful social media campaign and billboards to the continued success of Fringe. Attendees could buy tickets online for the first time, rather than having to go to the box office, which allowed for flexibility. A total of 66 shows played to sold out crowds.
At the beginning of the Festival, The Barry L. Miller Foundation for Arts and Education gave Orlando Fringe a challenge to raise $10,000 for the creation of a new endowment. David F. Baldree, President of Orlando Fringe, said the goal was exceeded and Miller will match the money raised. Orlando Fringe is a registered 501C3 non-profit and is the oldest continuous Fringe Festival in the United States.
