This issue has…

• MN Fringe Festival Info
  what is it and why is it coming to the Phipps

• A Look at First Look
  a rundown on our new First Look series

• Organ Tweaks
  we check in on how the theater organ is doing

UPCOMING

What is the MN Fringe Festival?

You’re a Phipps smarty, so you’re probably aware that the Minnesota Fringe Festival is coming to the Phipps this August. But you might not be a Minnesota Fringe Festival smarty, in which case you might be asking yourself “what the heck is the Minnesota Fringe Festival and why is it coming to the Phipps.”

The MN Fringe Festival is a performing arts festival held every August all over the Twin Cities. It’s non-juried, meaning there’s no group that selects which productions are included. Instead, it’s left to luck, as artists are entered into a lottery. In February, each production is assigned a number, that number is written on a ping pong ball, and the Fringe holds a big party where the balls are pulled from a bingo cage. If your ball is pulled, your show is in the festival. If not, it’s the Wait List for you.

Literally anyone can apply for a spot in the festival — you don’t need a lick of performing experience — and you can do pretty much whatever you want with your slot. There’s dance, stand-up, original plays, musicals, improv, poetry, storytelling…one year I saw a live chicken play “Hamlet.” Not even kidding. If you can name it, it’s probably a part of the festival.

This year, there were 329 unique applications from 22 states and even 4 international applications. Of that, about 100 acts are selected and then performed during the first two weeks in August (yes, the festival is happening RIGHT NOW).

So how does the Phipps fit into this? 
We’re hand-selecting our 5 favorite productions from this year’s festival and bringing them to the Black Box for an encore performance. None of the productions will be longer than 60 minutes (that’s a Fringe rule), and each day will showcase a different event. It’ll be like our own mini–MN Fringe Festival right here in Hudson. 😁 

If you decide to attend the festival before it comes to the Phipps (I HIGHLY recommend you do cuz it’s fun), make sure you check out the festival website first. It’ll give you tons of info on how to do the Fringe, where to do the Fringe, and which productions might be best for you (not all of them will be).

If you see something you love, let me know so I can check it out, too!

Happy fringing!

SPECIAL EVENTS

The first look at First Look

We’re trying something new this season called First Look. It’s an inside peek into the first rehearsal of a Phipps theatrical production, where theatre fans can hear from the director about her concept for the show, see and hear design presentations, and meet the cast/crew.

The Drowsy Chaperone’s First Look was on Aug 22nd, and it was very fun. First Look is a season subscriber perk, so if you’re a subscriber, keep an eye on your email for an invite to the First Look for Prancer. You won’t want to miss it.

👆
my favorite gallery piece of the week
Shari says: “The Widow Series grew from essays I wrote while meandering through grief.” I can feel it.
The galleries are closed this week in prep for a new exhibition opening Aug 9.

SAUSAGE-MAKING

Theatre organ business

The theater organ technicians were working on The Mighty Wurlitzer this week in preparation for the upcoming Hooray for Hollywood concert (Aug 18th).

Full disclosure: I have absolutely no idea what these technicians do. I could fill the Grand Canyon with what I don’t understand about theater organs. That being said, it sure is neat to watch them work.

Below is a very short video I took during some organ testing. This POV is inside a closet where many (all?) of the pipes are located. If you attend this year’s Phipps Community Day in April, you can get a tour of all this organ craziness from our very own Tom Dahle. 🙂

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Talk to you next week!