ESL Rochester Fringe Festival Calls For Participants For Public Art Performance of TRACES

The 2025 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival in conjunction with Theatre de L'Entrouvert announced it is now accepting applications from local community members to participate in the free, public art performance of TRACES at Fringe on Saturday, September 13 at 4:00 p.m.

The Rochester performance of TRACES is part of the U.S. premiere tour from the internationally acclaimed Théâtre de L'Entrouvert, a puppetry company from France. TRACES will feature 25 people from Rochester of different ages, cultures and backgrounds. The project requires a wide range of individuals from the community and will be led by world renowned French ice artist and puppeteer Elise Vigneron.

This five-day project explores the use of ice as a tool of collective memory. This unique artistic experience combines feet cast molding, ice work, storytelling, photography, movement workshops, and a final public performance.

To be a part of the free, public art performance of TRACES, apply at: https://tinyurl.com/TRACES-Registration.

All participants must:

- Be age 5 or older – children and adults are welcome.

- Be available Tues., Sept. 9 or Wed., Sept. 10 to have their feet cast in a silicone mold that will be used to create an ice sculpture. Day and evening slots available.

- Be available to participate in movement workshops at the University of Rochester Sloan Performing Arts Center on:

• Tues., Sept. 9, 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. (Mandatory)
• Also participate in two of the three workshop slots below:
  • Wed., Sept. 10, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
  • Thurs., Sept. 11, 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.
  • Fri., Sept. 12, 3:30 – 6:30 p.m.

- Be available on Saturday, September 13 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. for a dress rehearsal and public performance in Dawn's Spiegelgarden at One Fringe Place.

- Have access to reliable transportation.

Ten participants will also be asked to participate in a photoshoot aspect of TRACES on Wednesday, September 10, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.  The company does not have any artistic prerequisite and applications from people of all fitness levels are encouraged.

Elise Vigneron's work with ice has been featured in performances from the Seoul Performing Art Festival to the World Festival of Puppet Theatres in Charleville-Mézières, France, Mime London Festival in London, and the Chicago Puppet Festival. TRACES is a spellbinding public conversation of sculpture, sound, and movement used to tell a unique story of the beauty and pain in our individual journeys and collective humanity. In TRACES, Vigneron will bring a poetic sensibility to the interdependence of humans with one another and the environment. TRACES will be performed during the first weekend of Fringe and is made possible by funding from Institut Francais, Villa Albertine, and the Joint Trust Agreement Fund. This is a free, non-ticketed event.