Get “Down and Dirty” with SOLOW FESTIVAL Philadelphia, Now thru 6/24

From elevators to peep shows, the 3rd annual SOLOW FESTIVAL is experimenting with the theme of "Down and Dirty." A little over one month away, SOLOW FESTIVAL is an inexpensive artistic event dedicated to presenting new and experimental work in a collective manner. Bringing together over a dozen performing artists today, June 14th to June 24th, SOLOW focuses on the artistic creation and growth of solo artists with conceiving new work with low or no-cost risk. The productions will be presented at a variety of non-traditional venues throughout the city. SOLOW FESTIVAL seeks to invite audiences and other artists to experience these original, unique, and experimental performances for affordably low prices.

Tickets: Pay What You Can to $15. Contact solowfestival@gmail.com for more details.

SOLOW FESTIVAL is developed from the inspirations of local performing artists Thomas Choinacky and Amanda Grove. Seeking a way to present their own solo work with minimal expense, they developed the idea to get other people involved. Now in its third year, SoLow features original work, solo performance, dance, and performance art among others. Too often artists' work is stifled from development and creation by simply: cost. The festival offers the opportunity for performance to be affordable for both artists and audiences. Exploring non-traditional locations and venues, we are interested in changing the norm inspiring individuals to make and produce art that would otherwise never be created.

In the spirit of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, SOLOW offers a grass-roots, raw feel with focus on original and solo performances. There is no umbrella organization producing the festival; the festival's coordinators consider SoLow a compilation. There are no application or marketing fees, and no screening process. The most important component is that 100% of revenue goes immediately back to the artists. This year's festival will feature work including artists Austen Brown, Bright Light Theatre Company, Thomas Choinacky, Chris Davis, Amanda Grove, David Lawson, Sara Madden, Gigi Naglak, Hillary Rea, MeghAnn Williams, and Ilse Zoerb. These artists have proudly worked in array of ways around Philadelphia's theatre community including works with Applied Mechanics, Flashpoint Theatre, Headlong Performance Institute, Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, to name a few. SOLOW FESTIVAL lifts the constraint and risk of financial responsibility, giving artists the freedom to experiment, explore, and take bigger risks. Stay up to date with the festival online at solowfestival.blogspot.com. We should not let stress or fear hold us back from trying and crafting. We are reclaiming fun, low-stress, no-cost creation.

Introducing a handful of SOLOW FESTIVAL producions:
(full listings and details coming soon)

Show: The 5th Floor
Artist: Bright Light Theatre Company
Location: Elevator at 525 S. 4th Street
Dates: June 15-17, 2012

Show: Tell Me A Story
Artist: Hillary Rea (Tell Me A Story)
Location: Shot Tower Coffee (6th and Christian Streets)
Dates: Wednesday, June 20th at 7pm

Show: VCR Love
Artist: David Lawson
Location: Trestle Inn (11th and Callowhill Streets)
Dates: Sunday, June 17th at 7pm

Show: Peep Show
Artist: MeghAnn Williams
Location/Dates: TBA

Show: The Drunk Mexican Lion
Artist: Chris Davis
Location/Dates: TBA