It’s hard to imagine what Washington theatre would be like today had Capital Fringe not arrived in DC to open up the scene to self producing artists. Since 2006, Capital Fringe has premiered 250 new works, earned $1.2 million dollars for its participants and become the second largest, unjuried Fringe Festival in the United States. Last year’s Capital Fringe, its biggest ever, sold 290,000 tickets to 130 productions.
In recognition of their work, Capital Fringe will be awarded the 27th annual Washington Post Award for Innovative Leadership in the Washington Theatre Community at the Helen Hayes Awards on Monday, April 8, 2013.
“The Capital Fringe Festival has brought new foot traffic, new theatergoers and new economic vitality into the city,” said Steve Hills, President and General Manager of The Washington Post. “With affordable ticket prices and exciting new work, they have made Washington theatre even more exhilarating, relevant, and accessible in the city.”
theatreWashington President and CEO Linda Levy Grossman agrees: “Capital Fringe makes it possible for artists of all experience levels to learn, grow, and hone their abilities onstage– an invaluable opportunity that is rarely available to emerging artists.”
Julianne Brienza, Executive Director/Founding Member of Capital Fringe, on learning of the Award, responded: “For eight years we have been creating space for adventurous audiences to connect with adventurous artists. Our work, our movement, has been filled with sweat and tears, pitfalls and success. To receive this recognition is not just extremely meaningfully for Capital Fringe but also for our thousands of artists and audiences.”
Previous recipients of The Washington Post Award include Jane Lang and Paul Sprenger for their stewardship and development of the Atlas Theatre, the Ford’s Theatre Society, arts activist Andy Shallal, Helen Hayes Awards Founder Bonnie Nelson Schwartz, and the alliance of Arena Stage, Crystal City BID, Vornado/Charles E. Smith, Marriott and Arlington County Economic Development.
The 29th Helen Hayes Awards will be held on Monday, April 8th at the Warner Theatre and JW Marriott Hotel. For more information and tickets, go to theatreWashington.org or call 202-337-4572.
The 8th Annual Capital Fringe Festival will be held July 11-28, 2013 and will reportedly be its last from its Penn Quarter headquarters, Fort Fringe, 607 New York Ave, NW. which will also be the site of this year’s Fringe GALA GALA on April 4, 2013.
