Detroit Fringe Festival Returns Next Month

The Detroit Fringe Festival will return to The Motor City next month. Local artists, including the festival's original producer, 26 year-old Emilio Rodriguez, and Carrie Morris of Carrie Morris Arts Production (CMAP) are bringing the festival back to the city for the second time since 2008.

This year's festival seeks to build upon the work that is already being done in the city by providing a free space to develop or remount original work and collaborations.

"By providing a space and an audience for our local artists, we can support the further develop the artistic and theatrical talent in the city. Our local artists are creating some truly amazing works, but producing them presents a variety of challenges," said Rodriguez.

Morris will host the festival at her CMAP Detroit location; 2221 Carpenter Street in Detroit.

"I was very excited to be able to provide a venue for Detroit Fringe. It means I have a chance to help remove one of the largest hurdles to the development and refinement of new works: finding a performance space," Morris said.

"This is why this festival is so important. By helping our performers and artists to overcome basic obstacles like capital and space, we can help foster creativity and encourage an expansion of what the theatrical experience means to Detroit," said Rodriguez. "It's our goal to enrich the artistic environment through support, rather than competition, for the development and collaborations inspired by or stemming from other festivals and productions that have had great success in Detroit."

The fringe festival will be performed September 17 - 20 and will include a range of categories such as Pop Culture, Experimental, Drama, Musical, Comedy, Family Friendly, and Satire. The festival will produce performances in a variety of styles including staged plays, poetry/spoken word, play readings, music and more.

"If you and your friends have always wanted to do a Lady Gaga musical puppet version of Hamlet, we are also the venue for you," said Rodriguez.

Performances will be held at the CMAP Detroit space (Carrie Morris Arts Production), 2221 Carpenter Street. Festival line-up and schedule can be found at www.Facebook.com/DetroitFringe and at www.detroitfringe.wordpress.com.