Today we were happy to announce that the next Hollywood Fringe Festival will be a week longer than the three previous events. The fourth annual festival will take place June 13th-30th after a week of Previews taking place June 6th-11th. The festival is already one of the largest uncensored performing arts festivals in the country, and we hope that extending the length will expand opportunities for both artists and audience members. Together, we sold 25,000 tickets in 2012, giving back all $200,000 to participating artists and venues. We want to make those numbers even bigger.

Today we also announced the first of a series of Town Halls meant to assist venues, participants and other community members prepare for Hollywood Fringe 2013. The first Town Hall will focus on the Registration process and will be held on January 17th at 7:00pm at Theatre Asylum. Don’t worry, if you can’t attend, you can still learn all sorts of stuff by listening to recordings that will be posted here on the Hollywood Fringe blog.

Feel like Fringe is a long lost memory? It’s not! Registration opens on Feb. 1st, which means this is the perfect time to start whipping up your production ideas for the 2013 festival. Take the first step toward registration and create a project! Read more about the registration process here.

Ben Hill, Festival Director, on the extended festival dates:
“Since 2010, we’ve made it our mission to include all types of artists and arts supporters, adopting a ‘come-one-come-all’ mentality meant to unite us in our endeavors to create. A very special community has emerged, one that encourages and cherishes the work of others. This supportive community is part of the reason our attendance has increased dramatically from year to year. By adding an additional week for Fringe 2013, we hope that we can provide a wider range of entertainment for audiences while also welcoming more producing groups into our already-diverse pool of performing artists.”

Key Dates for 2013:
February 1st- Registration Open
April 1st- Registration Deadline for Guide Inclusion
June 6th-11th- Fringe Previews
June 12th- Fringe Opening Night Gala
June 13th-30th- 4th Annual Hollywood Fringe Festival
June 30th- Fringe Award Ceremony & Closing Night Party

Want more information? Contact the festival at [email protected].

Follow @hollywoodfringe on Twitter (or use the #hff13 hashtag), become a fan of our facebook page, or check us out on tumblr.

Looking for more to artistic opportunities as this summer draws to a close? Our friends at REDCAT are calling for artists to participate in ARTmageddon, an event showcasing our city’s cultural offerings as well as diverting our attention from the upcoming “Carmageddon II” the weekend of September 29.

Here’s the notice we received from REDCAT:

Calling all artists, arts organizations, and venues… Join ARTmageddon!

Are you planning an arts event for Carmageddon weekend? Thinking of holding one? Already have something running or on view September 29 and/or 30?

Very soon the media, city officials, metro, and pretty much everyone else in Los Angeles will all be talking about one thing: Carmageddon II. Let’s unite in response and offer Los Angeles residents an alternative view of what to do on Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, September 30… ARTMAGEDDON.

Running parallel to Carmageddon II, this two-day citywide celebration of the arts encourages Angelenos to stay out of their cars and, instead, walk-bike-metro to their local galleries, theaters, music venues, museums and more. Via www.ARTmageddonLA.com, we are telling your neighbors to experience your art.

Already, we have the support Metro, the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, ForYourArt, LA Stage Alliance, and a growing consortium of community partners; but what we really need now is you. Please contact Camille Schenkkan and Lyn Cowan, artist & organization liaisons, at [email protected] to join this collaborative effort. Participation is free and open to all.

Together we can get everyone talking about “ARTmageddon weekend,” and exploring the great exhibitions, screenings, performances and concerts happening in their neighborhoods. Most recently, the Los Angeles Times joined our effort running this feature about ARTmageddon.

With Carmageddon II only three weeks aways, we hope you’ll get involved and join ARTmageddon today.

- The ARTmageddon Team

Greetings, Fringers-

Thanks to all who joined us at the Post-Mortem Town Hall! A big thanks goes out to all those at the Theatre Asylum for hosting us.

In this Town Hall, we discussed a wide range of topics surrounding the 2012 Festival.

For those of you who missed it, we recorded the proceedings.

Enjoy!

Ben

Still have questions? Email us at [email protected].

Here’s a list of the Award Winners from Sunday’s Closing Night Event. Thank you all for coming and congratulations to the winners!

Fringe Freaks (Community-Voted Awards):

• Top of the Fringe: Lost Moon Radio
• Fringe First (Best World Premiere): RISE
• Best International Show: Richard Parker
• Best One-Person Show: Texas Loves Lyla!
• Best in Theatre: Red Bastard
• Best in Comedy: Lost Moon Radio
• Best in Cabaret & Variety: Carpe Noctem
• Best in Musicals & Opera: Doomsday Cabaret
• Best in Dance & Physical Theatre: Four Clowns: That Beautiful Laugh

Sponsored Awards:

• Footlights: Fool & The Red Queen, Red Bastard
• Theatre Unleashed: Reconstruction
• The LAFPI: Art of Acting Studio, Complex Theatres, Arena Stage at Theatre of Arts, ComedySportz, Celebration Theatre, Renberg Theatre, Underground Theatre, Hudson Theatre, Fringe Blackbox at Theatre of NOTE.
• Bitter Lemons: Button Wagon, Red Bastard.