FRINGE UPDATE 06-09-2014

HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL UPDATE 06-09-2014



WELL, we made it to the opening of the preview show on June 5th 2014 and… we got great reviews and were only 6 tickets shy of a complete sell out!  This is a good thing!  I can honestly say that I felt very happy that night and the next morning because… FRINGE AIN’T EASY.  I say that not because of the festival and everyone connected to it, but because of LOGISTICS!

Planning your Fringe production means you have to take a lot into consideration.  
First, unless you live in the same area that your Fringe Festival is in, then you never have a permanent space.  You have to rent rehearsal space and rent theater space.  That means you never get to leave all your things in one spot!  I knew this would be the case because that’s the case with all festivals, so I made sure that my script had no props, costumes or set pieces, but that only makes one aspect of the production easier.  I still have to lug in 2 bags of promotional material, a box of programs, box office change and other things needed for assisting ticket buyers and another bag (Because I know to be ready for anything) with 2 copies of the script, pens, back up CD for show music and my shows postcards (for promoting after the curtain is down over cocktails)!



You get 15 mins to get into your theater, set up front of the house and backstage, then run the show and you get 15 mins to get people out of the theater and take all you stuff with you!  You can’t store anything in the theater (unless you’re very lucky) because the theater is usually rented and another show will be coming right behind you and yours!  Schlepping back to the car is a nightly occurrence!
This lack of permanent space affects your actors too!  They don’t get to rehearse in the space regularly.  In the case of the theater we’re in, you don’t get to settle into the backstage Dressing Rooms at all!  So your actors have to be up on their A game as soon as they walk in the door!  If they’re good actors this shouldn’t affect them really, but despite them being pros… this change of space… does throw them off…. and affects everything if you’re not careful!
NOW… there’s something else I learned when my show wasn’t running…. Just learned this from going to other shows on a Sunday afternoon…. Those early time slots that everyone avoids… are wealth of ticket buyers you need to pay attention to!
All my shows are evening shows because when I set it all up months ago my job was more limiting than it turned out to be! I thought I was going to be at work when some of my shows were running and my 2 associate producers were going to make it all happen for me in my absence, but my co-worker cancelled all his vaca time… and I scooped it up because they were Fringe dates!  Had I known that then… I would have dropped some night shows and added on weekend day shows… cause the streets are packed with Fringers during the day that can be marketed to!
I also learned to reserve the last 2 rows of theatre seating for LATE COMERS…. Parking is rough and L.A. has traffic… a lot of it…. And people will be coming in late… so instead of ushering with a flashlight while the show is in project… all I have to do in the future is to block the last 2 rows with some masking tape and when later comers arrive… just lift the tape and offer them a seat!

 

 

So those were my learning points… it’s been interesting.
The show is almost where I want it to be creatively!  There are some acting issues that have to be tweaked and we have a 2 hour rehearsal on the 11th to master that.  We’re set to open up for the run on 12th and well… here’s what the audience had to say about The Last Remnants of Cops, Robbers & Hollywood Cowboys!

“Tom Cavanaugh has taken real life stories and presented them without judgment as each actor portrays how choices affect not only the person’s life but those around them.  Not being an actor, I am always amazed at the amount of work and effort actors take to create their roles.  A special thanks for Tom’s generosity…. a nice touch handing out the gifts.”

“This was a set of monologues. Some of them were very good and very well acted.  This show started right on time and finished on time. Great job—this makes it easy to go to multiple shows.”

“Tom Cavanaugh has crafted a wonderful piece about his experiences in Los Angeles. The real life people the actors speak about are a fascinating look into just a few of the folks who have crossed Tom’s life.  The actors were all wonderful and brought Tom’s world to life. It ran about 45 minutes and I enjoyed it so much I would have liked it to be longer. How often do you hear that?  In short… Eloquent, funny and moving with marvelous performances. I would highly recommend this piece.”

Thanks for reading!  ONWARD & UPWARDS!
Tom