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Indianapolis Star
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
IndyFringe is celebrating 20 years this month. Here's a guide to the festivities
When IndyFringe launched in 2005, organizers intended for the theater festival to grow the city's economy and champion Massachusetts Avenue's creativity. In the 20 years since, the event has brought more than 217,000 people to the district to see more than 7,200 artists perform cutting-edge theater, magic, puppetry and other experimental shows. Now the festival is the state's largest performing arts experience, said Paul Daily, executive director of IF Theatre. The festival returns from Aug. 14 to 24, and it's celebrating its anniversary by paying homage to its roots. All of the show venues are within walking distance of each other in the Mass Ave area. Buskers will perform for the first time since before the pandemic, extending the festivities. The street entertainment will include hand-pan music, breakdancing and performer Sarah Beth Nelson, who will create custom blessings and curses on handmade paper for patrons, Daily said. "It creates that festival feel," he said. "Whenever you're in one of the venues, you feel like you're at a festival. And then you step out on the street, and if there's not reminders of that feel around you, it quickly disappears. So we want the whole avenue to feel like a festival the whole time." The event will continue to highlight stories by artists who are Black, Indigenous and of color with the new Flanner Fringe Lab, a collaboration between Flanner House and IF Theatre. The former promotes quality of life on the northwest side by offering educational, economic and social resources to residents. The latter runs IndyFringe and provides separate year-round programming. The lab, which was developed over the past year, began when Daily and Austin Dean Ashford, director of the Flanner House Arts Stage Academy, discussed how IndyFringe's opportunities could spread to more areas of Indianapolis. "What would happen if we took (Fringe) to other parts and helped drive the economy of other communities in the city?" Daily said. "So in that conversation, it seemed like all the pieces fit together to do everything we wanted to do." So far, 12 artists have gone through the lab and developed plays, he said. Six of the students and Ashford will appear in this year's IndyFringe. Their shows are marked in the program. Fair food recommendations: We tried 12 wild Indiana State Fair dishes and ranked them from worst to best This year's festival comprises 69 shows and 245 performances. Of the 515 artists 61% are from Indiana, 36% are national acts and 3% are international acts, according to IndyFringe's news release. Here are a few highlights below. Additionally, "Fringe-a-palooza!", which celebrates the festival's 20th anniversary, will run from noon to 6 p.m. Aug. 17. Find the full schedule and showtimes at Shows will take place in the venues listed below. This year, the festival is returning to the Athenaeum's Basile Theatre and adding VisionLoft Events, where IndyFringe has built a custom stage. Find listings by venue at Tickets are $22 for adults and $16 for children, students and ages 65 and up. Some shows have a pay-what-you-can option, which has a $10 minimum and will add $2 in fees. Six-ticket flex passes are $99, and those who buy one will be given an additional flex pass to give to someone who hasn't received one before. To buy tickets, visit or call 317-210-4639. This Indy newsletter has the best shows, art and eats
Axios
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
IndyFringe returns for year 20
The IndyFringe Festival returns this week to celebrate 20 years of daring to be different. Why it matters: The homegrown theater fest that has helped bring niche art forms and marginalized creators to a wider audience since the mid-aughts is flipping the script in 2025 with fresh efforts focused on sustainability and equity. This summer's festival is also the first since a fall rebrand to IF Theatre. Driving the news: IndyFringe 2025 begins Thursday with 69 unique acts and 245 performances across six stages. 515 artists are contributing to the event, with 61% from Indiana, 36% national artists and 3% international acts. The 10-day festival features performance genres like puppetry, ballet, immersive theatre, stand-up comedy, Bollywood dance, clowning, magic and more. What they're saying:"As the state's largest performing arts event, the festival can feel daunting for new audience members, but the heart of the experience is all about shrugging off expectations and daring to try something new," IF Theatre executive director Paul Daily said. "Our staff, volunteers, and artists are all dedicated to making sure that everyone who comes to the festival has an excellent time, no matter what shows they see." Fun fact: Support from Everwise Credit Union allows IndyFringe to return 70% of all box office revenue to the creators. Since the first festival in 2005, IndyFringe has brought more than 217,000 guests to the Mass Ave Cultural Arts Distrct and returned more than $2.5 million to over 7,200 participating artists. By the numbers: Daily said presenting a festival that better represents the Indy community was a priority this year. 48% of the acts at IndyFringe 2025 are produced by women, compared to a local population that is 51% women. 18% are produced by artists 30 and younger. Indy's percentage of people aged 20-29 is 15%. 37% are produced by artists who are Black, Indigenous Americans or people of color. The latest census data puts the nonwhite population in Marion County at about 39%. Between the lines: This is also the greenest festival in IndyFringe history. Working with the city's Office of Sustainability, organizers have made a number of changes to reduce waste and increase energy efficiency. The festival will serve as a case study for ecologically responsible festival practices in Indy. Upgrades include recycling bins at all venues, free coolers to refill water bottles and reusing programs or marketing materials to cut down on paper waste. LED stage lighting donated from the Phoenix Cultural Center will also replace energy-hungry incandescent lighting fixtures. If you go: IndyFringe 2025 runs through Aug. 24.
Axios
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Best Day Ever: IF Theatre executive director Paul Daily
Paul Daily spends his time working shoulder to shoulder with some of Indy's most daring artists putting on shows you need to see to believe as executive director of IF Theatre. Why it matters: This year is an important one for the organization that rebranded last fall because it marks the 20th anniversary of the IndyFringe Festival. Daily said his team is going big with a year of programming aimed at expanding the local fringe theater footprint. The latest: Next on the celebration docket is the free " unknown forces" event at the Factory Arts District on April 4. Zoom in: As he prepares for the unpredictable performance, we asked Daily to imagine he had complete control of the calendar and the weather conditions to craft his best day ever in Indianapolis. 🎵 Music to start your day: Rage Against the Machine or Cake. ☕ Morning activity: Coffee and sudoku, both of which are needed to get my brain going. 🍳 Breakfast: I've just been introduced to Oulala, a spicy peanut butter. It makes the most amazing fried egg and peanut butter sandwich. And if my children are lucky, I'll make them waffles. 🌮 Lunch: Mexican food is my go-to for every meal, really. A friend of mine told me about La Parada, a great Mexican restaurant nearby.
Axios
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
20 years of performing on the fringe in Indianapolis
IF Theatre isn't waiting for the summer to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the annual IndyFringe Festival. The big picture: Following a fall 2024 rebrand to IF Theatre that represents a new chapter, the 20th anniversary is an important page to turn for the entity that has helped shape the Mass Ave Cultural Arts District. Zoom in: IF Theatre's executive director Paul Daily told Axios the celebration isn't just about reflecting on the past but introducing fringe theater to a wide swath of Indianapolis residents. The Jan. 9 premiere of award-winning playwright Tori Keenan-Zelt's "The JonBenét Game" doubled as a kickoff of the 20th anniversary campaign. State of play: This week, IF's focus is furthering a partnership forged last year with local nonprofit Flanner House to break down barriers for marginalized Hoosiers who want to pursue arts education, and to create free and low-cost theatrical experiences for residents on Indy's Northwest side. The Flanner Fringe Laboratory opens Friday and Saturday to present the work of 11 first-time or early-career playwrights who learned under the tutelage of Austin Dean Ashford. Three of these plays will be adapted into full productions for the 20th Fringe Festival in August, Daily said. If you go: 4pm-8pm Friday, 11am-8pm Saturday. A $5 festival pass gets you access to every Flanner Lab reading, but each reading may only be able to seat 30 guests. What we're watching: Other plans for the 20th anniversary celebration include partnering with the city and going green for the 2025 festival to serve as a blueprint for other festivals that want to do the same; having performers visit children's hospitals to bring joy to patients; and an early April show that Daily couldn't find the words to describe. What they're saying: "We are going to involve nearly 100 artists in a pop-up performance at Factory Arts District, and it will be unlike any performance that most people in Indianapolis have ever experienced," Daily said. "I can say that, having participated in one way or another in hundreds of performances, I've never seen a performance like what we're going to do on April 4." What's next: Applications for the 2025 IndyFringe Festival are due by Feb. 16. Interested creators can apply at this link. The 2025 IndyFringe Festival is Aug. 14-24.
