When the Fringe Festival returns to Elgin Sept. 3-12, expect the city to go alternative artsy in a big way with live performances, music, film and visual art presented all over downtown.
“Last year (because of the pandemic) we were fully prerecorded on-demand video,” Elgin Fringe Fest artistic director Nick Mataragas said. “This year we have the Martini Room, Elgin Art Showcase, the exhibition hall at the Hemmens, the theater at Side Street Studio Arts and the Blue Box Cafe as well as virtual video-on-demand work.”
There will be 24 acts offering a collective 54 live performances during the eighth annual fest.
“The festival has a wonderful variety of acts that range from one-person narratives to plays to improv to belly dance to a mentalist and so much more,” Matagaras said.
Mataragas will be performing too. He’s part of Memoriam Development’s “The Bichon Frise and Shetland Variety Show” production.
“It’s an improvised variety show where the hosts play all the other acts,” he said.
Returning for another year is Melanie Moseley, whose “Sexology: The Musical!” was a draw in the 2019 Fringe Fest.
She describes her “Polyamory: The Musical!” as “a powerful, funny, musical journey” that follows her as she “explores the benefits of community and many loves through COVID times.”
“I met so many wonderful people (in Elgin in 2019) that I have continued to connect with and that I am looking forward to seeing this year,” Moseley said. “There is such great energy and creativity there.”
Fellow performer Dan Biemer agrees. He’s been bringing his alter ego, the satirical songwriting superhero Captain Ambivalent, to the fest since 2014.
“I love the uninhibited nerdiness of Elgin, as exemplified by (the Doctor Who-themed) Blue Box Cafe. And I love the variety of other acts in the festival,” Biemer said.
“This year’s show, ‘Captain Ambivalent Tries To Make A Solo Rom Com,’ will be a selection of my original comedy songs with some storytelling and multimedia organized around that theme,” he said.
While some acts are intended for adult audiences, there will be free Family Fringe from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, at Civic Center Plaza. It feature family-friendly performances, art-making and “lots of fun activities,” Matagaras said.
With COVID-19 remaining a public health issue, all audience and staff members will be required to wear masks, he said. Face coverings for performers will be optional.
“We are also following CDC guidelines as to audience size in each venue,” Matagaras said. “We also have at least half an hour between every show at each venue, allowing our staff time to prepare the space for our next audience.”
As for what Fringe newcomers can expect, Matagaras described it as “performances for the misfits. Fringe has its roots in those who did things considered outside the normal bounds. And because of that, fringe festivals can be some of the most exciting, unique experiences you can have in the performing arts.”
According to the Edinburgh Festival City website, fringe fests date back to 1947, when eight performance groups crashed the Scottish city’s first International Festival and offered shows of their own alongside what had been planned.
Mataragaras said there now are 250 fringe festivals all over the world, with 32 belonging to an association in Canada and 28 in an association in the United States.
“We have regular virtual meetings with all of the associations,” he said. “These meetings have been especially helpful in figuring out how to run a festival during a pandemic.”
What he loves about putting the Elgin Fringe Festival together, Matagaras said, “is helping artists put their work out for people to see in an environment without traditional boundaries.”
“That environment not only showcases their work, but gives audience members of all types the opportunity to experience not just one unique show, but a whole weekend’s worth. That’s pretty special.”
For Elgin Fringe Festival tickets, a full schedule of performances and other information, go to www.elginfringefestival.com.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
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Elgin Fringe Fest showcases 'some of the most exciting, unique experiences you can have in the performing arts,' director says - Chicago Tribune
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