With the added moniker of its new title sponsor, the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival announced its 2025 lineup this morning at the Memorial Art Gallery. Fringe producer and CEO Erica Fee opened her remarks to the packed ballroom with a simple question: “How do you Fringe?”
“Fringe is something you have to experience,” said Fee, who was recently appointed to the New York State Council on the Arts. “You get the freedom to choose.”
This year’s Fringe runs September 9-20 and features more than 250 shows at 30 sites around the city. Highlights include a much-anticipated return of free programming to Parcel 5 with Italian-based eVenti Verticali’s “SPHERE.” The performance of aerial acrobatics will take place on Sept. 19 and 20.
In Dawn’s Spiegelgarden at One Fringe Place — renamed for arts donor Dr. Dawn Lipson — the 12-minute, immersive “Submergence” provides a walkable sight and sound experience outdoors using thousands of individual points of suspended light to create feelings of presence and movement within physical space. “Bushwhacked,” “Dashboard Dramas,” Kids Day, Gospel Sunday and the nightly Pedestrian Drive-In will all take place at One Fringe Place as well.
Returning to the Spiegeltent are favorites Silent Disco and two world premieres from Fringe faves Matt and Heidi Morgan: “Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out,” and a brand new “Shotspeare” adaptation of “Titus Andronicus.” The ever-popular “Street Beat” break dancing competition will once again take place at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans and Monroe County Executive Adam Bello were present to deliver remarks, with Evans paying special respect to longtime non-profit champion and founding Fringe board chairman Justin Vigdor, who died late last year at age 95.
Evans also announced “TRACES,” part of the U.S. premiere tour from the internationally acclaimed Théâtre de L’Entrouvert, which will feature 25 Rochesterians (not actors) of different ages, cultures and backgrounds led by world renowned French ice artist and puppeteer Elise Vigneron.
Fringe welcomes more than 100,000 guests each year, and Bello said Monroe County is committed to supporting accessible arts for the community.
“The arts is economic development,” said Evans. “And if you cannot find one thing you like at Rochester Fringe Fest, you are absolutely miserable.”
Lastly, the festival announced a Fringe Comprehensive Campaign with a goal of raising $1.575 million in the next five years. Honorary campaign committee co-chairs Jennifer Leonard, former president and CEO of the Rochester Area Community Foundation, and Daniel Meyers, president emeritus of Al Sigl Community of Agencies, said part of that campaign includes the purchase of a Spiegeltent.
“Acquiring this tent has been a Fringe labor of love for nearly a decade,” said Leonard. “It will create a new revenue stream through our ability to rent it to others.”
Fringe has also released a brand new ESL Rochester Fringe Festival App, which allows attendees to build a customized daily schedule.
Tickets for all events are currently on sale at rochesterfringe.com as well as the app, which is available for download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Leah Stacy is the editor of CITY. She can be reached at leah@rochester-citynews.com.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
