Only One Month Left to Apply for 3RD ANNUAL FIRST NIAGARA ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL; Deadline 4/16

Artists in every genre from all over the world have a little less than one month left to submit their shows to venues for the 2014 First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival (Thursday, September 18 - Saturday, September 27). The application process began a month ago (February 19) and will close on Wednesday, April 16 at midnight. Once again, submissions will be accepted ONLY at rochesterfringe.com, and will go directly to all venues chosen by applicants. Because many venues are making offers to shows immediately, there's an advantage to applying sooner rather than later.

Submissions are being accepted by: Bernunzio Uptown Music, Blackfriars Theatre, Eastman School of Music's Kilbourn Hall, Eastman School of Music's Sproull Atrium (next to Max of Eastman Place), George Eastman House (Curtis and Dryden Theatres), Geva Theatre Center Nextstage, Java's, The Little and Gallery r (RIT-affiliated shows only), MuCCC, RAPA, The TheatreROCS Stage at Xerox Auditorium, and Writers & Books.

There is no fee to apply, and the $100 (one performance) or $150 (multiple performances) registration fee is due only after the contract with a venue is finalized. That fee goes toward the show's inclusion in the program guide and website, a centralized box office and more.

The "bring your own venue" (BYOV) option is available again this year for unique, site-specific work; proposals must be sent to byov@rochesterfringe.com by April 5.

"Non-traditional venues have been some of the highlights of fringe festivals worldwide," explains Fringe ProducerErica Fee. "Shows have taken place in empty swimming pools, elevators, taxi cabs and phone booths. We'd love to see some of that creativity here in Rochester!"

Remaining Fringe 101's (hour-long information sessions with Fee) take place in Rochester at Writers & Books(740 University Avenue) this Saturday, March 22 from 11 a.m. to noon; and on Wednesday, March 26 from 7 to 8 p.m. In addition, Rochester's Blackfriars Theatre will host a special Artist Mash-Up on Sunday, March 30 from 7-8 p.m. for artists and arts groups who may be interested in collaborating on Fringe shows. Attendees should RSVP to any of these free sessions by emailing info@rochesterfringe.com.

And, something that is sure to excite Fringe audiences: Fringe 2014 will bring back last year's incredibly popular Spiegeltent venue to once again anchor the festivities at One Fringe Place (corner of Gibbs and East Main Streets). The 2013 Fringe's world-premiere Cirque du Fringe in the lavish, Belgian Magic Crystal Spiegeltent sold out its entire run of 13 performances and all three Silent Disco shows. The Spiegeltent's outdoor beer and wine lounge, the Spiegelgarden, was also a big hit with festival-goers.

"We are thrilled to present the 2014 First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival," says Suzanne Nasipak Chapman, First Niagara Rochester Market Executive. "This year's festival promises to be the biggest and best yet, attracting performances from around the world. And we will continue to establish Rochester as a destination for quality cultural events."

Last year's second annual First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival ran September 19 - 28, growing from five to ten days in its sophomore year and drawing more than 50,000 attendees to downtown Rochester. A highlight was the return of world-renowned aerial troupe, BANDALOOP, dancing on the side of the 21-story HSBC Plaza, as well as the North American fringe festival debut of the Magic Crystal Spiegeltent, which sold out every performance of its world-premiere Cirque du Fringe. Other headliners were humorist Dave Barry and comedian Marc Maron at Kodak Hall, and there were more than 240 ticketed performances in 25 other downtown venues. Approximately 120 free performances included those at Manhattan Square Park, One Fringe Place and Gibbs Street.

Rochester Fringe Festival is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation that exists as a means to connect venues, performers, artists, educational institutions and the audience. It was pioneered by several of Rochester's esteemed cultural institutions, including Geva Theatre Center, the George Eastman House and Garth Fagan Dance, as well as up-and-coming groups like PUSH Physical Theatre and Method Machine. The Board of Directors also includes representatives from the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, Boylan Code LLC, Center for Youth, the Eastman School of Music and Mengel, Metzger and Barr & Co. LLP.

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