20 years of performing on the fringe in Indianapolis
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IF Theatre director of audience engagement Max McCreary (left) and executive director Paul Daily. Photo: Justin L. Mack/Axios
IF Theatre isn't waiting for the summer to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the annual IndyFringe Festival.
The big picture: Following a fall 2024 rebrand to IF Theatre that represents a new chapter, the 20th anniversary is an important page to turn for the entity that has helped shape the Mass Ave Cultural Arts District.
Zoom in: IF Theatre's executive director Paul Daily told Axios the celebration isn't just about reflecting on the past but introducing fringe theater to a wide swath of Indianapolis residents.
- The Jan. 9 premiere of award-winning playwright Tori Keenan-Zelt's "The JonBenét Game" doubled as a kickoff of the 20th anniversary campaign.
State of play: This week, IF's focus is furthering a partnership forged last year with local nonprofit Flanner House to break down barriers for marginalized Hoosiers who want to pursue arts education, and to create free and low-cost theatrical experiences for residents on Indy's Northwest side.
- The Flanner Fringe Laboratory opens Friday and Saturday to present the work of 11 first-time or early-career playwrights who learned under the tutelage of Austin Dean Ashford.
- Three of these plays will be adapted into full productions for the 20th Fringe Festival in August, Daily said.
If you go: 4pm-8pm Friday, 11am-8pm Saturday.
- A $5 festival pass gets you access to every Flanner Lab reading, but each reading may only be able to seat 30 guests.
What we're watching: Other plans for the 20th anniversary celebration include partnering with the city and going green for the 2025 festival to serve as a blueprint for other festivals that want to do the same; having performers visit children's hospitals to bring joy to patients; and an early April show that Daily couldn't find the words to describe.
What they're saying: "We are going to involve nearly 100 artists in a pop-up performance at Factory Arts District, and it will be unlike any performance that most people in Indianapolis have ever experienced," Daily said. "I can say that, having participated in one way or another in hundreds of performances, I've never seen a performance like what we're going to do on April 4."
What's next: Applications for the 2025 IndyFringe Festival are due by Feb. 16.
- Interested creators can apply at this link.
- The 2025 IndyFringe Festival is Aug. 14-24.