6th Annual PortFringe Theater Festival to Feature 125 Genre-Defying Performances

The sixth annual PortFringe theater festival will take place June 17-24, 2017, featuring roughly 125 genre-defying performances at venues across Portland's Arts District.

The festival, a high-energy celebration of performing arts run entirely by volunteers, was founded in 2012 and has grown steadily since its inception. PortFringe 2016 generated $30,000 in ticket sales, all of which was funneled directly back to PortFringe artists.

The PortFringe 2017 lineup includes original plays, experimental works, multimedia performances, dance, comedy, and musical theater. More than 40 individuals and companies will present more than 125 shows during the week. PortFringe shows are all one hour or less, and start times are staggered, encouraging attendees to take in as much of the fun as they can!

"PortFringe is Portland's best kept secret - but those are the famous last words of any city's secrets," said Mariah Bergeron, a founding PortFringe committee member. "The festival showcases an enormous number of local and national performances, hidden in rock clubs, tiny stages, and historic buildings. Plus, all the proceeds go back to the artists, which is relatively unheard of. At a time when it's harder and harder for artists to afford to create experimental work, PortFringe provides an accessible platform specifically for challenging or non-mainstream performance. We encourage grit, risk, and sweat - because this isn't theater; it's Fringe."

PortFringe artists hail from around Maine and the United States. Several are involved in the "fringe circuit," having taken their shows to fringe festivals around the country. PortFringe is a member of the U.S. and Canadian Associations of Fringe Festivals.

PortFringe 2017 venues are Portland Stage Studio and Storefront (25A Forest Ave); Geno's Rock Club (625 Congress St); Empire (575 Congress St); Bright Star World Dance (108 High St); and Mechanics Hall (519 Congress St). PortFringe Central is located on street level at Portland Stage.

For more information, visit www.portfringe.com.

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