Fringe Festival extends 2013 show submission deadline

UPDATED 4/11/13 to correct date for “Fringe 101” session.

The First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival announced today
that it will extend the submission deadline for performer applications for the
2013 edition of the festival, running September 19-28 in downtown Rochester.
Interested artists now have until Friday, April 19, at midnight to submit their
proposals to the festival website.

Festival Producer Erica Fee said via the press release that
the extension is in response to last-minute interest in performers, to make
sure that they have time to submit their shows. Earlier in the submission
process Fee told City that the number of submissions this year had already
increased substantially over the festival’s first-year submissions in 2012.

The release also noted that artists with questions about
submitting can attend another “Fringe 101” information session on Tuesday,
April 16, at Writers & Books.

PRESS RELEASE:

FRINGE EXTENDS SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Applicants have one additional week – until Friday, April 19

Rochester, NY – The 2013 First Niagara Rochester Fringe
Festival (September 19-28) has extended the deadline for artists to submit their
productions to venues from this Friday, April 12 to next Friday, April 19 at
midnight. All submissions must be made via the Fringe website at www.rochesterfringe.com.

“We’re seeing so much interest from performers at the last
minute,” explains Fringe Producer Erica Fee. “We want to make sure that
everyone has enough time to submit their shows.”

There is no fee to apply, and the $100 (one performance) or
$150 (multiple performances) registration fee is due only after the contract
with a venue is finalized. That fee goes toward the show’s inclusion in the
program guide and website, a centralized box office and more.

Fee has also scheduled an additional Fringe 101
informational session next Tuesday, April 18 from 7 – 8 p.m. at Writers &
Books (740 University Avenue). It’s FREE to attend, but those interested
should RSVP to info@rochesterfringe.com.

UPDATED INFO: Of this year’s 27 venues, two will
curate their own programming: Christ Church and Rochester Contemporary
(which will now incorporate Memorial Art Gallery’s programming into their own
venue’s offerings). Kodak Hall is the where the Fringe will present its
headline shows, and The Little (both Café and Theatre) and Gallery r are once
more devoted to RIT shows only. That leaves 21 venues to which shows can apply
via http://rochesterfringe.com/ only: Bernunzio Uptown Music; Blackfriars Theatre; Eastman School of
Music’s Room 415, Hatch Recital Hall, Kilbourn Hall and Sproull Atrium (Miller
Center, next to Max of Eastman Place); George Eastman House’s Dryden Theatre, Curtis
Theatre, Terrace Garden, Living Room and Conservatory; Java’s; MuCCC; the
Fielding Nextstage at Geva Theatre Center; RAPA; Rochester Museum & Science
Center’s Planetarium and Eisenhart Auditorium; The Space Gallery and Theatre; TheatreROCS
at Xerox Auditorium; and Writers & Books.

The Bring Your Own Venue (BYOV) option is also being offered
again this year.

“Non-traditional venues have been some of the highlights of
fringe festivals worldwide,” she says. “Shows have taken place in empty
swimming pools, elevators, and even a phone booth. We’d love to see some
of that creativity here in Rochester!”

Anyone with a show idea for a non- traditional space that is
within walking distance of Gibbs Street should email byov@rochesterfringe.com as soon as possible. Please note that the Fringe is not accepting any
additional traditional venues such as theatres or concert halls.

This year’s festival is twice as long as 2012’s – offering
two weekends over ten days – which will enable more artists to participate, as
well as allow venues to book more performances of shows.

Background: The first-ever First Niagara Rochester Fringe
Festival opened Wednesday, September 19, 2012 and ran through Sunday, September
23, 2012 in downtown Rochester, NY, drawing more than 33,000 people over five
days. There were more than 180 performances of 120 productions in 22 venues,
not including the free outdoor entertainment Thursday, Sept. 20 in Manhattan
Square Park and Friday through Sunday on Gibbs Street. A highlight was
world-renowned aerial troupe, Bandaloop, dancing on the side of the 21-story
HSBC Plaza. Other headliners were Harlem Gospel Choir and comedian Patton
Oswalt. Many venues experienced sold-out performances, and there were more than
40 free venue offerings.

Rochester Fringe Festival is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3)
corporation that exists as a means to connect venues, performers, artists,
educational institutions and the audience. It was pioneered by several of
Rochester’s esteemed cultural institutions, including Geva Theatre Center, the
George Eastman House and Garth Fagan Dance, as well as up-and-coming groups
like PUSH Physical Theatre and Method Machine. The Board of Directors
also includes representatives from the University of Rochester, Rochester
Institute of Technology, Boylan Code LLC, Center for Youth, the Eastman School
of Music and Mengel, Metzger, Barr & Co. LLP, and Java’s.

2013 sponsors include: First Niagara Bank, University
of Rochester, RIT, Boylan Code LLC, SUNY Geneseo, City of Rochester, MCC, The
College at Brockport, County of Monroe, Nazareth College, Midtown Athletic Club
and the DiMarco Group.

About First Niagara: Through its wholly-owned
subsidiary, First Niagara Bank, N.A. is a multi-state, community-oriented bank
with nearly 430 branches, approximately $35 billion in assets, $28 billion in
deposits, and approximately 6,000 employees providing financial services to
individuals, families and businesses across Upstate New York, Pennsylvania,
Connecticut and Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.firstniagara.com.