Fringe 2012
This year I am only doing one fringe festival and it's the Winnipeg Fringe and I am in the middle of it right now. I had my 4th show yesterday afternoon. I've had an odd schedule, or at least it seems odd to me. I opened on opening day of the festival and then had a day and a half off and then after second show I had over 2 days off. 3 and 4 were back to back but now I have another day and a half off till my last four shows.
The shows have been pretty consistent for attendance and that is low. I've been averaging around 12-15 people each show. I've also had some really early times and not a lot of people know who I am. I've been flyering more than I ever have and so far it doesn't seem to be paying off. HOWEVER 3 of the last 4 shows have killer times so I'm hoping that boosts attendance including Friday night at 7 and Saturday afternoon at 3:30.
Other than the first show which essentially was a dress rehearsal where I was a little rushed and we missed some of the tech cues, I think the shows have gone well. Even with the smaller audiences they have generally been quite responsive so that helps. Meaning that they laugh at the right spots.
It is weird though doing a show one night and getting a big laugh and then doing the same line the same way the next night and barely a chuckle till the next line after. It's really interesting to me when that happens. I just roll with it to the next spot and hope that goes over well.
In Winnipeg at least and during the day for sure the audience is mostly comprised of what people call "grey hairs" older folks in their late 50s and 60s who have enough time to attend fringe festival shows during the day. In a general sense this is not my audience. Not to say there haven't been older folks who've come to the show and dug it but they have found it on their own. The hippies and alternative living folks usually.
Regardless of all that I am having fun and enjoying myself. My billet, Kaleigh is lovely and her house is air conditioned and far away from the fringe site that I can get away from all the fringe talk of attendance and blah, blah, blah, and sleep. I've been sleeping a lot hear. I think I have been exhausted in Vancouver and never quite new it.
I'm not sure what is next other than I am going to see Iron Maiden tonight and Steve Locke's birthday party.
The shows have been pretty consistent for attendance and that is low. I've been averaging around 12-15 people each show. I've also had some really early times and not a lot of people know who I am. I've been flyering more than I ever have and so far it doesn't seem to be paying off. HOWEVER 3 of the last 4 shows have killer times so I'm hoping that boosts attendance including Friday night at 7 and Saturday afternoon at 3:30.
Other than the first show which essentially was a dress rehearsal where I was a little rushed and we missed some of the tech cues, I think the shows have gone well. Even with the smaller audiences they have generally been quite responsive so that helps. Meaning that they laugh at the right spots.
It is weird though doing a show one night and getting a big laugh and then doing the same line the same way the next night and barely a chuckle till the next line after. It's really interesting to me when that happens. I just roll with it to the next spot and hope that goes over well.
In Winnipeg at least and during the day for sure the audience is mostly comprised of what people call "grey hairs" older folks in their late 50s and 60s who have enough time to attend fringe festival shows during the day. In a general sense this is not my audience. Not to say there haven't been older folks who've come to the show and dug it but they have found it on their own. The hippies and alternative living folks usually.
Regardless of all that I am having fun and enjoying myself. My billet, Kaleigh is lovely and her house is air conditioned and far away from the fringe site that I can get away from all the fringe talk of attendance and blah, blah, blah, and sleep. I've been sleeping a lot hear. I think I have been exhausted in Vancouver and never quite new it.
I'm not sure what is next other than I am going to see Iron Maiden tonight and Steve Locke's birthday party.