About four months ago, we did an informal poll amongst Fringizens seeking their favorite media outlets, and exercise to determine the best means to reach arts lovers, makers, and supporters.

As it so happens, you guys love NPR: A hub for intelligent, thoughtful opinion, news and entertainment. The next day, Stacy Jones and I approached our favorite Los Angeles NPR affiliate about a potential relationship for Fringe 2011.

It was an inspired moment and for every moment that followed our relationship has been positive, cooperative, and mutually beneficial.

And so today, on the eve of Fringe Festival 2011, we are proud to formally announce KPCC as our Venue Sign sponsor.

With a little artistic magic from Fringe Art Director Gavin Worth, we have created these stunning signs to grace the doors of every venue in the Fringiverse.

We love NPR, we love KPCC, and we look forward to a wonderful future!

Ben

Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) is a member-supported public radio network that operates 89.3 KPCC-FM in Los Angeles and Orange County, 89.1 KUOR-FM in the Inland Empire and 90.3 KPCV in the Coachella Valley. Reaching more than 600,000 listeners every week, SCPR is the most listened to public radio news service of any kind in Southern California and serves the diverse communities of Southern California with award winning local news coverage as well as the most NPR (National Public Radio) content available anywhere in the region.

SCPR’s flagship station, KPCC, has garnered over 200 journalistic honors including 3 Distinguished Radio Journalist awards (from the Greater LA Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists) and the 2008 top honor for Breaking News from the LA Press Club. SCPR also features signature public radio programs from American Public Media, the BBC and Public Radio International. Listeners around the globe can access news, join blogs, download podcasts, as well as hear a live web stream at www.scpr.org.

We are proud to announce the 2011 Hollywood Fringe Guide.

This 112 page monster is the key piece of printed marketing material for the Fringe. It includes listings of every show, a day-by-day schedule, a venue list and a map of the known Fringiverse. Reference the guide for information on getting around, Fringe programs, sponsors, hotspots, and buttons.

You can view an online version of the guide by following this link.

Many thanks to Fringe Art Director Gavin Worth for all his wonderful illustrations.

Want to pick one up for yourself? Stop by Fringe Central. The grand process of distributing around Los Angeles is happening right now.

Ben

As part of our efforts to increase the Hollywood Fringe Festival’s community outreach, we are very excited to announce this year’s work with the Los Angeles Unified School District to bring Fringey programming to the students of Hollywood. Bancroft Middle School, located just around the corner from Fringe Central, will be hosting the very first Hollywood Fringe Assembly – 300 students will fill the auditorium to see “How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse”, a UK-based show that has toured Fringe Festivals since 2008.

When it comes to surviving the zombie apocalypse it’s never to early to start learning, which is why Dr. Dale and his experts from the School of Survival are visiting Bancroft Middle on 17th June to ensure that the youth of today will become the saviors of tomorrow and be able to battle through those dark days ahead to thrive and survive when the undead revive. The unique seminar in zombology not only teaches you how to survive by covering such important topics as hand to hand combat, mental aptitude and zombie recognition, but it also tests the audiences skills to see if they actually would survive when the time comes. With multiple stars, awards and a best selling book under their belts this show is not only essential viewing but brain destruction is guaranteed.

We’re excited that this “wonderfully weird” show, which had sold out shows during the 2009 and 2010 Edinburgh Fringe, will be coming to Bancroft Middle School’s students. It’s new, different, fun… and very Fringey!

Reference:

• How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
• Bancroft Middle School

We are pleased to announce another visibility opportunity for participant productions at the Fringe. Read more below about Engine28…

Engine28 is a pop-up newsroom that is thinking theater thoughts. A pop-up newsroom brings together journalists who would not otherwise naturally be in the same venue, publishing on the same site — www.engine28.com — and having common aspirations, for a limited time, (June15-20).

That’s right. For six days, a reporting staff from 28 media outlets across America will produce reviews, analysis, forums, podcasts and videos. Material will include coverage of several coinciding theater festivals and conferences: the RADAR L.A. Festival, the 2011 Theatre Communications Group (TCG) National Conference and the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Engine28 reporters and critics are part of USC Annenberg’s seventh NEA Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater. They are affiliated with The New York Times, NPR, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, New York Magazine, Los Angeles Times, KCRW, The Salt Lake Tribune, LA Weekly, St. Louis Beacon, PRI and WNYC, among other publications and public radio stations (see complete list below).

Whereas most publications are driven by deadline, Engine28 is more about process. In concept, it actually started out as an idea to build “the ideal editor” experience. The goal is not to cover everything or to beat other publications to the punch. Engine28’s focus is on collaboration, editing and having compelling multimedia stories evolve out of the L.A. theater and performance scene.

Engine28 will be led by editor Jeff Weinstein, former arts editor and columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Village Voice and its digital editor, Douglas McLennan, editor and founder of ArtsJournal.com, and its publisher Sasha Anawalt, director of Arts Journalism Programs at USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism.

They have assembled a national team of editors to work with the USC/NEA Fellows: Susan Brenneman of the Los Angeles Times, Rebecca Haithcoat of LA Weekly, Edward Lifson, formerly of NPR, Steven Leigh Morris, critic-at-large for the LA Weekly, Laurie Ochoa, co-founder of Slake and former editor-in-chief of the LA Weekly, Dominic Papatola, lead theater critic for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Michael Phillips, film critic for the Chicago Tribune, Howard Shapiro, theater critic and editor for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Suzi Steffen of Stage Directions and MyEugene.org, and independent PBS producer/director Jennifer Maytorena Taylor.

The USC/NEA Fellows and Engine28 reporters are: Christopher Arnott The New Haven Advocate and New Mass Media, Inc., Martin Brady Nashville Scene, Anthony Byrnes KCRW, Linda Fowler nj.com and Advance Publications Inc., Nancy Fowler St. Louis Beacon, Ben Fulton The Salt Lake Tribune, Rachel Lee Harris The New York Times, Lou Harry Indianapolis Business Journal, Gerry Christopher Johnson Philadelphia Weekly and Philadelphia Tribune, Maura Judkis TBD.com, Jenny Lawton PRI and WNYC, Kerry Lengel The Arizona Republic, Rebecca Milzoff New York Magazine, Jesse North Stage Rush, Kathryn Osenlund CurtainUp.com, Julie Potter San Francisco Bay Guardian and In Dance, Walter Ryce Monterey County Weekly, Laura Spencer NPR and KCUR, Grace Suh The Pitch and The Flickcast, David Timberline Style Weekly, Benjamin Waterhouse Willamette Week.

Attention Participants!

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is very excited and PROUD to announce we will be participating in the Los Angeles PRIDE Parade.

The theme of this year’s Los Angeles Pride Festival, which draws over 500,000 people every year, is “Pride 365: Power. Passion. Purpose.” What better organization to represent those themes than the Hollywood Fringe?

We are gathering a group of 50 Fringers – staff, participants, volunteers, all are welcome! There will be opportunity to pass out flyers, meet other Fringers, and talk about the Hollywood Fringe Festival at a pivotal point in the timeline – right before Fringe opens.

This is a half-day time commitment on Sunday June 12th that will begin with everyone gathering around 10 AM. All marchers should be done by early afternoon.

Interested? Email Meghan at [email protected] and reserve your spots for this awesome outreach visibility opportunity. First come first served!

Hope to see many of you there!

~ The Fringe Team