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The 2011 Boulder International Fringe Festival has no shortage of theatrical options, with plays ranging from a humorous tale of living with conflicting Jewish Holocaust perspectives to a small-town teacher who tackles the big city.
The Boulder International Fringe Festival, running from August 17-28, is an annual, unjuried collection of over 350 theater, dance, music, film and visual art performances from all over the globe. Since 2005, these performances have been shown across Boulder in venues like the the Lazy Dog Basement, the Dairy Center for the Arts and the University Theatre Building stage.
Travis Kiatoukaysi, a 19-year-old sophomore business major, said he likes the premise of the festival.
“I’m not a huge theater person or anything,” Kiatoukaysi said. “But this seems like a pretty cool thing to have all of these art forms in one event.”
According to their website, the Boulder International Fringe Festival strives to be an entity that is “in service to the community.” This is event aims to connect the community through different but accessible forms of art. Patrons can always expect a variety of shows, perspectives, art and talent.
Local theater and dance groups, such as the Cindy Brandle Dance Company, The Monkey Monks and Aerial Ariels are just some of the talent displayed in the festival. Fringe also featured student groups from Boulder’s New Vista High School and Boulder High School.
With many shows, like the “Hitler’s Li’l Abomination,” and “They Call Me Mister Fry,” the festival displayed it’s usual wide range of diversity. Other performances include “Smite Smote Smitten,” a one-woman show filled with comical stories and “A Piece of Pi”, a physical comedy troupe known for their miming and clown techniques.
The festival also offered workshops in various aspects of theater, such as clown work and using buried emotions to bolster a performance.
Grealing Altheimer, a 19-year-old sophomore environmental design major, said these classes might be a great opportunity for people looking to try a new activity.
“Why wouldn’t you do something like that?” Altheimer said. “Being in college means you get to do things outside your comfort zone and this festival provides a way to do it.”
As a way of making theater accessible to the community, Fringe strives to keep ticket prices low. Tickets for all performances range between $0 to $15. Various acts even provide student discounts.
Mara Rosenthal, a 21-year-old senior advertising major, said she appreciates the low ticket prices.
“It’s a fairly cheap, but a fun day or night out with friends,” said Rosenthal.
The Fringe main box office is located on 1301 Pearl Street and is open from 12-8 p.m. Call them at 303-803-5643 or visit their website here to pick up tickets.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Taylor Evans at Taylor.evans@colorado.edu
