Bloomberg Signs Mayoral Proclamation Making 8/14 -30 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL DAYS

New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC), the largest multi-arts festival in North America, will present the 13th annual festival August 14 - 30, 2009. This year, the festival will offer performances by 201 of the world's best emerging theatre troupes and dance companies. Invited performers represent 7 countries (including Spain, Italy, China, Japan, and Australia) and 20 U.S. states (including Iowa, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Washington, Texas, Wisconsin, Nevada and Missouri). The festival presents works covering a wide range of disciplines including drama, comedy, dance, performance art, children's theater (FringeJr), outdoor theater (FringeAlFrecso), spoken word, puppetry, improv, and multimedia.

In November 2007, Michael Bloomberg presented FringeNYC with the prestigious Mayor's Award for Arts and Culture. Today, Bloomberg signed this official Mayoral Proclamation:

WHEREAS: AS THE CULTURAL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, NEW YORK CITY IS COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING AND ADVANCING THE ARTS. AND FROM BROADWAY TO OFF-OFF-OFF BROADWAY, WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE DIVERSE RANGE OF VENUES THAT ARE DEVOTED TO PRESENTING AND DEVELOPING UP-AND-COMING PERFORMING ARTISTS. THAT'S WHY WE ARE PROUD TO JOIN WITH THE PRESENT COMPANY IN WELCOMING THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL (FRINGENYC) TO OUR GREAT CITY YEAR AFTER YEAR.

WHEREAS: AS THE LARGEST MULTI-ARTS FESTIVAL IN NORTH AMERICA, FRINGENYC CONTAINS THE WORK OF MORE THAN 200 EMERGING THEATER TROUPES AND DANCE COMPANIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD, REPRESENTING 7 COUNTRIES AND 20 US STATES. THE PERFORMANCES VARY AS GREATLY AS THE PERFORMERS, WITH PRESENTATIONS IN SEVERAL DISCIPLINES INCLUDING THEATER, DANCE, PERFORMANCE ART, SPOKEN WORD, PUPPETRY, COMEDY, IMPROV, AND MULTIMEDIA. IN ADDITION, FRINGENYC HAS LAUNCHED FRNGEJR, PROVIDING YOUNG PERFORMING ARTS AFICIONADOS AGES 5 TO 12 WITH A CHANCE TO TAKE PART IN THE SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL AND BE THE FIRST TO SEE THESE NEW WORKS THAT ARE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THEIR INTERESTS.

WHEREAS: THE FUTURE OF NEW YORK CITY'S VIBRANT THEATER COMMUNITY HINGES ON THE PRESENCE OF ORGANIZATIONS LIKE FRINGENYC, WHICH PROVIDE ARTISTS WITH THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO PRESENT THEIR WORKS ON A GLOBAL STAGE. DURING THE FESTIVAL, THEATER LOVERS OF ALL ALL AGES SHOULD MAKE ROOM IN THEIR SCHEDULES TO CHECK OUT SOME OF THESE TERRIFIC PRODUCTIONS. AT ONLY $15 A SHOW THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR NOT MAKING IT OUT FOR AT LEAST ONE OF THIS YEAR'S OFFERINGS. ON BEHALF OF ALL NEW YORKERS, PLEASE ACCEPT MY BEST WISHES FOR AN ENJOYABLE FESTIVAL AND MUCH CONTINUED SUCCESS.

NOW THEREFORE, I, MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, IN RECOGNITION OF THIS IMPORTANT ANNUAL EVENT DO HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 14TH - 30TH, 2009 IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK AS:

"NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL DAYS"

MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG
MAYOR
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I HAVE HEREUNTO SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK TO BE AFFIXED.

In 2009, twenty of New York City's most prominent downtown performance venues will host productions from around the globe as part of FringeNYC. Venues for the festival, ranging in size from 50 to 500 seats, include Minetta Lane Theatre, Actors' Playhouse, The Cherry Lane, HERE, Players Theater, The New School for Drama, The Connelly Theater, CSV Cultural Center, SoHo Playhouse and Manhattan Theatre Source. This year, FringeCentral, the primary ticketing and information hub for the festival, is located at 54 Crosby Street between Spring and Broome; it will be open noon - 8pm daily beginning July 31.

FringeNYC is a production of The Present Company, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Elena K. Holy. In 1997, New York City became the seventh U.S. city to host a fringe festival, joining Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Houston, Orlando and San Francisco. In its first twelve years, FringeNYC has presented over 2000 performing groups from the U.K., Canada, Poland, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Germany, the Czech Republic and every U.S. state, prompting Switzerland's national daily, The New Zurich Zeitung, to declare, "FringeNYC has become the premiere meeting ground for alternative artists." The festival has also been the launching pad for numerous Off-Broadway and Broadway transfers, long-running downtown hits, and regional theater productions including Urinetown, Matt & Ben, Never Swim Alone, Debbie Does Dallas, Dog Sees God, 21 Dog Years, Dixie's Tupperware Party and the recent Off-Broadway hit Krapp 39.

FringeNYC shows run 4pm - midnight weekdays and noon - midnight on weekends. Tickets are $15 each available beginning July 24 at www.fringenyc.org, 212-279-4488 (inside NYC) or 1-888.FRINGENYC (outside NYC). Discount passes for multiple shows ($70 for a Fiver Pass, $120 for a Flex Pass good for 10 shows, and $500 for an all-you-can-see Lunatic Pass) are also available. For more information visit www.FringeNYC.org.

Photo credit Walter McBride