The reviews will soon be in.
After the Elgin Fringe Festival went all virtual last year, it returns with live performances Sept. 3-12, which means audience members will once again have a chance to immediately share their thoughts on the performances.
“One of my favorite things is seeing all the show reviews written on the back of ticket stubs afterward at Fringe Central. I’m looking forward to seeing that wall of reviews again,” Artistic Director Nick Mataragas said.
More Top Picks Tents Family
The review-filled ticket stubs are all displayed on The Gallery window at Side Street Studio Arts, aka Fringe Central, creating a wall of reviews that passersby can read.
“They are beautiful, honest reviews that I think have so much love and passion in them,” Mataragas said. “It’s such a great thing to see.”
Now in its eighth year, the Elgin Fringe Festival is a celebration of visual and performing arts. This year’s festival includes both live and virtual performances.
“We’re so happy to be able to have live performances this year after last year,” Mataragas said.
The festival kicks off with an opening reception for the visual art exhibit from 3 to 7 p.m. Sept. 3 at The Gallery at Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court, Elgin. The popular Family Fringe celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 4 in the newly opened Civic Center Plaza, located between City Hall and the Hemmens Cultural Center, 100 Symphony Way. The free family event features performances, live art making, games, a bounce house and more.
“We’re encouraging masks for families to make sure that everyone is still safe,” Mataragas said.
Between Sept 9 and 12, more than 50 live performances will be held indoors at various venues in downtown Elgin including Blue Box Café, 176 E. Chicago St.; The Hemmens Cultural Center Exhibition Hall, 45 Symphony Way; Martini Room, 161 E. Chicago St.; Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St.; and the theater at Side Street Studio Arts, 15 1/2 Ziegler Court. Check the Fringe website for parking and accessibility information for each location.
A wide range of performances is offered, including dance, theater, improvisation, one-person shows, mind reading, storytelling, podcast recordings and more. The full schedule of performances, including show descriptions, will be put on the Fringe website closer to the event. Along with the live shows, virtual performances will be offered online as well. The virtual shows will be available online for the entire month via Vimeo.
As in years past, to attend any of the Fringe shows, the purchase of a $3 Fringe button is required. Individual performances than cost either $5 or $10, with a few needing no extra ticket.
“Some shows are free with the button,” Mataragas said.
A festival pass can also be purchased for $70, which includes the Fringe button and allows the pass-holder to attend all of the shows. Fringe buttons and show tickets can be purchased in advance, or during the festival at Fringe Central.
“If they know for sure what shows they want to go see, they should get their tickets now because there’s no guarantee they’ll be available at Fringe Central,” Mataragas said.
After the pandemic forced the cancellation of in-person performances, the 2020 festival went virtual. The move to online shows was successful, “which is why we’re still doing virtual stuff even today,” he said. “Plus we wanted to make sure that artists were comfortable being able to perform in whatever level of comfort they were in.”
Festival planners asked artists on their applications if they preferred in-person, indoor, outdoor or virtual performances.
“We built this year’s festival based on what artists were looking for performance-wise. That’s why we have this beautiful thing happening where we have back to in-person stuff but we also still have virtual shows,” Mataragas said. “There was an overwhelming response of ‘we want to perform in-person,’ which was great because we wanted to get back to in-person as much as we could.”
Due to the pandemic, several safety measures have been put in place for all venues.
“All audience members and staff members will be required to wear masks indoors,” Mataragas said. “The performers will have the option of not wearing a mask during the performances. Other than that, everyone in the building needs to be wearing a mask.”
The Festival is seating at a reduced capacity this year, he said.
“We’re keeping an eye on the CDC numbers and the recommendations, but as of right now we are limiting capacity,” Mataragas said. “We’re not going to have full rooms because it’s just not safe at this point.”
In addition, there is a half-hour window between each performance at the venues, allowing time for the area to be cleaned.
Mataragas said people are happy to have the chance to experience “what is such fun festival” in person again.
“I just love the format that you can walk around downtown Elgin in such a short space and see so many shows in one day or weekend,” he said. “And at an affordable price. I think people are just excited to be back to that.”
2021 Elgin Fringe Festival
More Top Picks Reading Comprehension Strategies For Kids Who Decode Well
When: Sept. 3-12
Where: Fringe Central is located at Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court, Elgin. Fringe performances/events held at various downtown venues or online
Tickets: $3 Fringe button required for access to all events. Additional $5 or $10 ticket required for some performances. $70 festival pass
Information: elginfringefestival.com
Kathy Cichon is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News.