Posted by capitalfringeblog on May 25, 2012
Austin grew up in Boston, MA and has been “building things ever since I was tiny.” Austin first attended the Capital Fringe Festival while he was a freshman at American University, where he later graduated with a degree in Technical Theatre. He has since traveled across the country for work, landing positions at such sites as the Gulf Shore Playhouse in Naples, FL. However, upon learning of an opening at the Capital Fringe Festival, Austin took advantage of the chance to return to Washington, DC and is now working full-time with Fringe as a Master Carpenter. “I have a lot of respect for this organization,” Austin says of Capital Fringe. “They do a lot of really great work for pushing regional performing arts forward.”
Austin is a die-hard fan of the Boston Red Sox (“Oh, the Nationals? They’re cute,” he adds) and his raucous reactions to his team’s games often got him in trouble with his college RA’s. He describes himself an eclectic music fan – “I’ve got fusion, jazz, dubstep, classic metal and show tunes on my iPod,” he explains – and enjoys seeing live shows at DC venues like the 9:30 Club and the Black Cat. He is also “super pumped” for The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man, both of which will be released this July.
Posted in 2012 Capital Fringe Festival, Capital Fringe Staff Person of the Day, DC Music, DC Theatre, Get dirty & Sweaty!, Uncategorized | Tagged: 9:30 Club, American University, Austin Byrd, Black Cat, Boston MA, Boston Red Sox, Carpenter, Gulf Shore Playhouse, Master Carpenter, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises, Washington Nationals | Leave a Comment »
Posted by capitalfringeblog on May 22, 2012
Cory initially intended to pursue a career in education, but ultimately majored in Theatre Design & Technology at SUNY New Paltz. After coming to University of Maryland for graduate school, Cory learned about the Capital Fringe Festival through an online job posting and wound up working in the festival’s inaugural season as a Venue Manager and Assistant Production Manager.
Currently the Director of Artist and Audience Services, Cory’s responsibilities include planning and booking venues, supervising the carpenters and electricians, and dealing with the online ticketing system. “Considering how difficult it is for young companies and artists to find affordable ways to perform in DC, Capital Fringe provides a great outlet for them to find their footing,” he reflects. “The festival brings DC artists and performers to come together in the month of July and work with people they probably wouldn’t have encountered otherwise.”
Cory has also worked as an electrician for Washington Capitals games at Verizon Center, as well as the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival. His “dream concert” would feature the Grateful Dead – a group his whole family loved but which he never got to see perform – onstage together with Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Adele and Cher. If he could be granted a superpower, Cory would opt for the gift of flight, “… only not too high – I have a slight fear of heights!”
Posted in 2012 Capital Fringe Festival, Capital Fringe Staff Person of the Day, Theatre | Tagged: Adele, Capital Fringe Festival, Cher, Cory Ryan Frank, Director of Artist and Audience Services, Justin Timberlake, Kennedy Center, Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival, Michael Jackson, Production Assistant, Staff Person of the Day, SUNY New Paltz, University of Maryland, Venue Manager, Verizon Center | Leave a Comment »
Posted by capitalfringeblog on May 21, 2012
Darby has long been involved in writing and communications. As a student at Friends’ World College- a school which sends its students around the world for outside-the-classroom learning- she documented the history of the labor movement in Central America and also wrote about Palestinian culture, arts and politics for an English-language newspaper in Jerusalem. Darby is now working for the Capital Fringe Festival ( we are so lucky ) as a Communications Associate, which involves “mostly interacting with the performers, getting everything together for our guide and website, and working on our ads.”
Darby has been living in Washington, DC for 11 years now and “loves the city, its neighborhoods and politics… there’s definitely a strong sense of community here.” Darby is involved in a number of community organizations, most notably “Stand for Our Neighbors,” a group which seeks to help DC residents who have been negatively impacted by immigration and welfare reform policies. She has also deejayed in a wide range of major venues in DC, including the 9:30 Club, U Street Music Hall, the Black Cat and the FAB Lounge. Darby is a fan of filmmaker Drew Goddard and looks forward to catching his latest work, The Cabin in the Woods, some time this summer.
Posted in 2012 Capital Fringe Festival, Capital Fringe Staff Person of the Day, Get dirty & Sweaty! | Tagged: 9:30 Club, Capital Fringe Festival, Communications Associate, DC, Drew Goddard, FAB Lounge, Friends' World College, Staff Person of the Day, Stand For Our Neighbors, The Cabin in the Woods, U Street Music Hall | 1 Comment »
Posted by capitalfringeblog on May 17, 2012
Shilpa has long been involved in the performing arts and has even starred in plays such as Les Miserables, Working and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast while attending high school in Portland, OR. As an undergraduate student at American University, Shilpa majored in International Relations and minored in French, while also working to promote environmental activism across campus. This experience allowed her to develop her organizational skills and she decided to further build upon them as a Volunteer Coordinator for this summers Capital Fringe Festival. In turn, this position would allow her to return to working in her beloved area of performing arts.
“Volunteers are what make the festival run,” she stresses. “It’s an amazing opportunity to work with new people and to be involved in the shows. You don’t even have to have a required skill level— you just have to be passionate about theatre and art.”Shilpa is currently busy at recruiting volunteers from colleges and other corners of the city. She will host the a Happy Hour for the volunteers at Nellie’s Sports Bar on June 6th and will help to train and prepare the volunteers for their work by the time the festival opens in July. Shilpa encourages everyone interested in volunteering to submit an online volunteer form, and promises that it will be worthwhile for all.
After seven years of living in Washington, DC, Shilpa has become quite immersed in the city’s live music scene. “This is an awesome city for live music,” she exclaims. “Talent here really has a chance to thrive. There are so many culturally-tuned people in DC… it’s very self-promoting and healthy.” She is also a fan of Bollywood films such as the classic Lagaan, and looks forward to seeing The Avengers in theatres as soon as possible.
Posted in 2012 Capital Fringe Festival, Capital Fringe Festival Events, Capital Fringe Staff Person of the Day, DC Music, DC Theatre, Help Wanted, Job Opportunities | Tagged: American University, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Lagaan, Les Miserables, Nellie's Sports Bar, Portland, Shilpa Joshi, Staff Person of the Day, The Avengers, Volunteer, Volunteer Coordinator, Volunteers, Working | Leave a Comment »
Posted by capitalfringeblog on May 9, 2012
We began pouring paint inside the Fort! Of course we started in the restrooms…
Posted in 2012 Capital Fringe Festival, Color Blocking, Design, Get dirty & Sweaty!, Julianne Brienza, Paint | Leave a Comment »
Posted by capitalfringeblog on May 3, 2012
Okay.. I love this photo of Elizabeth Clewley that Jeff Martin took. The movement, air, freedom… love it! Enrique and I had gone back and forth.. but only a little bit about what image would actually land on the cover.
I got a call from Enrique today – which started with.. ” You would be wrong to not just say yes to what I just sent you.” He was right… I said yes….!!!
Here is our Festival Guide cover for 2012… our cover always cover the front and back of the guide. And yes the back it where all the text is…just cause the image is that awesome.
Posted in 2012 Capital Fringe Festival, Color Blocking, Design, Fringe Theatre, Get dirty & Sweaty!, Independent Theatre, Julianne Brienza | Tagged: Elizabeth Clewley, Enrique Paulin, Jeff Martin | Leave a Comment »
Posted by capitalfringeblog on April 27, 2012
Hello!
The list in more than final. All Fringe Run Venue & Find Your Venue artists and companies are up on our sneak peek list! Take a peak….
For those inclined to be into stats….
2012: total shows 134 vs. 2011: total shows 124. Venues? 2012: 20 vs. 2011: 19
Tickets and show schedule will go live on June 18th!
Posted in 2012 Capital Fringe Festival, DC Dance, DC Music, DC Theatre, Fringe Theatre, Get dirty & Sweaty!, Independent Theatre, Small Theatre, Theatre | Leave a Comment »
Posted by capitalfringeblog on April 25, 2012
Alight.. sent and and done. Here is our Bus Back and Diorama. The Diorama will be at the Columbia Heights Metro Stop and one at the Rosslyn Metro Stop. The Bus Back has Elizabeth Chewley on it… look what I did to her eye lashes and hair. Our Diorama is a photo of Emily Todd. Emily has worked for Fringe is many-many postions and also creates shows for the festival with her theatre company Nu Sass Productions. This photo of Emily came about from our graphic designer Enrique Paulin saying that we needed more movement in the images… Jeff was a little nervous about getting paint on his camera equipment. All worked out fine… but I got paint on my camera… oh, well.
Next up…Festival Guide Cover.
Posted in 2012 Capital Fringe Festival, Color Blocking, DC Dance, DC Music, DC Theatre, Design, Fringe Theatre, Get dirty & Sweaty!, Independent Theatre, Julianne Brienza, Paint | Tagged: CBS Outdoors, Elizabeth Clewley, Emily Todd, Enrique Paulin, Jeff Martin, WMATA | 1 Comment »
Posted by capitalfringeblog on April 25, 2012
Okay… here is our Car Card! The photo ( by Jeff Martin ) is so full with summer hotness and the paint truly does evoke the rush of live performance ( great paint throw by Cory Ryan Frank ).
You will begin seeing these in Metro cars around mid-June. AND… that is Elizabeth Chewley ( ASM at the Shakespeare Theatre ) also one of Fringe’s volunteers.
More… as we get the other two pieces done!
Posted in 2012 Capital Fringe Festival, DC Dance, DC Music, DC Theatre, Design, Fringe Theatre, Get dirty & Sweaty!, Independent Theatre, Julianne Brienza, Paint | Tagged: Enrique Paulin, Jeff Martin | Leave a Comment »
