3rd Annual New Jersey Fringe Festival Kicks Off Today!
Today is the official kickoff to the 3rd Annual New Jersey Fringe Festival, known to many as "Jersey Fringe." By sunset the entire Downtown of Hammonton will transform into a 3-day street fair and theatrical marathon, filled with live music, interactive pop-up art, food vendors and a craft beer and wine garden.
Access to the outdoor festival area is open and free to the public. Festivalgoers can purchase wristbands for the specialty indoor theatrical performances.
Jersey Fringe presents artists with an opportunity to present their work and festivalgoers to attend a myriad of eclectic specialty performances. Performances, ranging from 20-90 minutes, are performed inside multiple venues, several times a day, each within walking distance of the festival's hub, Eagle Theatre.
"One of my favorite things about Jersey Fringe is the element of surprise. You may be watching one performance in the backroom of a restaurant one day [at Jersey Fringe] and a year later it is a beloved blockbuster. This year we have added a family friendly venue and an indoor music venue featuring national recording artist, Brian Bortnick", claims Ed Corsi, Co-Founder of The New Jersey Fringe Festival.
In 2015, Artistic Director Ted Wioncek III founded the Innovations Factory, a core of themeing artists dedicated to experimental storytelling through medium advancing technology. This collective includes many of the same artists and designers responsible for Eagle Theatre's special effects featured in their mainstage productions, including; motorized mechanical walls, rotating stages, scent-sensory experiences, immersive walk-through exhibits, and mechanical winches.
"IFologists work together to form an assembly line of endless possibility," states Wioncek.
In 2015, Innovations Factory set out to create a film noir satire that would seamlessly blend live-action with three-dimensional cinematography, using theatrical techniques to immerse the audience.
Wioncek states, "Our original truncated "Proof of Concept" version debuted at the 1st Official Jersey Fringe Festival. In a matter of one month we developed a narrative, completed filming, and loaded all the special effects equipment we could fit into the backroom of a local art studio."
NOIR: The 3D/4D Semi-Cinematic Satirical Thriller, as it was named, received immediate praise and attention for creatives and critics alike.
"Lines formed outside the venue and wrapped around the block, while additional performance were added. It was clear to see this "Proof of Concept" was proof enough," states Corsi.
In a little over a month, NOIR: The 3D/4D Semi-Cinematic Satirical Thriller will receive a World-Premiere production at Eagle Theatre. This live production, performed on-stage and on-screen, features 3D projection and 4D effects, including; wind, mist, scent, bubbles, and sensors. The premiere has been dubbed by many as the beginning of a new brand of entertainment, Theme Park Theatre.
Wioncek conclude, "Jersey Fringe is what you make it. Some see it as an outdoor music festival with pop-up art, others view it as a celebration and theatrical binge fest. We see it as a modern-day World's Fair. A chance to present a piece of the future... today. You never know where Jersey Fringe may take you."
Hammonton has strategically partnered with local businesses to provide a unique social experience. The New Jersey Fringe Festival is produced by Eagle Theatre and sponsored by The Noyes Museum of Art, Spellcaster Productions, GrandAire Booking, Verizon, Kathedral Event Center, Spellcaster Productions, and MainStreet Hammonton.
For info, visit www.jerseyfringe.com or call 609-704-5012.