Latest news with #PaulDaily
Axios
3 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.
