It's not every day that more than 100 arts groups from all over the world converge in Philadelphia to showcase their talent. In fact, it's only once a year, and comes in the form of the Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe. Inspired by Edinburgh, Scotland's annual Festival Time, which promotes creative risk-taking, the Festival includes many different types of arts groups, which fall into the categories of theater, dance, performance art, music, poetry and puppetry.
The Festival's two parts, the Live Arts Festival and the Philly Fringe, are differentiated based on selection criteria. The Live Arts Festival presents cutting-edge performance arts groups who were specifically invited to perform by the Festival's programmers, whereas the Philly Fringe lineup simply includes all artists who signed up with self-produced work, unrestricted by any selection process.
This year's 10th anniversary Festival features both local and international artists, some hailing from as far away as Norway. Hometown acts, however, are definite favorites. One of the goals of the Festival is to provide Philadelphia-based artists with support for all aspects of production and to help promote them to a national level by connecting them with presenters from all over the country.
For those of us 21 and over, the Live Arts/Fringe Festival promises a special treat: Late Night Cabaret. Every night of the Festival, these free Cabaret shows give Festival-goers a chance to come together and socialize, often with the artists themselves, while enjoying live music performances. The Cabaret thus exemplifies one of the principal objectives of the Festival: to allow the public to experience thought-provoking art in a lively, fun setting.
No two shows are alike among this disparate array of performances. You can even find a great range within one group's show. For example, The Theater Cooperative presents two one-act plays. The first, The Shrink, is an eccentric sex comedy that breaks all traditional norms for dramas, with on-stage humping and both female and male stripping. The second play of the Cooperative's show starkly contrasts with the first, though they both share the same author. Who Killed Jimmy Hoffa? consists entirely of a one-man monologue discussing the socio-political context of the famous labor unionist's mysterious death.
Other shows that are notable for their artistic ingenuity include dramatic plays, elaborate dances and edgy spoken word performances. The Pig Iron Theatre Company's Love Unpunished evokes the horror of 9/11 in its symbolic reenactment of that memorable day. Miro Dance Theatre's Lie to Me mixes art, ballet and modern dance in a magic-realist style. H.R. Birtton's From Madison to Madurai: 134 Days in Mother India uses spoken word to critically address the narrator's pilgrimage to India.
The Festival takes place in more than 85 venues throughout the city, from Northern Liberties to Old City to even West Philadelphia, inhabiting cathedrals, row houses, a former brewery, and more. Adventurous Penn students should enjoy the chance to explore new parts of the city, while the lazier among us will appreciate the on-campus events. The Cinema (formerly Cinemagic), the Rotunda, and International House are all hosting shows.
In a festival with such diverse acts, there's bound to be something for everyone. Even those who don't like traditional "artsy" shows should enjoy the unusual performances the Festival presents, be it a sex comedy, improv theater, or a youth dance group. Just one reminder: There are only three days left in this year's Festival, so you better act quickly if you don't want to miss out on this rare opportunity.
