For those who are unaware, Fringe Festival is the Theater Strand’s senior performance where they write, direct, and produce plays that are put on stage for an audience. This process takes almost the whole year, and the seniors are proud of what they were able to create.
“I thought that this year’s fringe festival was one of the most successful that I’ve been a part of in technical, performance, and preparation aspects, despite our class being given less time [than other classes],” said director Caleigh Howell, who has been an actor in Fringe for the past two years.
This year’s seniors were given a whole month less time than previous years due to scheduling conflicts, something that proved to be a small stressor for all parties involved. However, the directors were still able to provide a comforting and nurturing environment for their actors to grow into their characters and feel comfortable with what they put on stage.
“They did provide a good environment. We did a lot of these sheets to help build our characters, and a lot of Pinterest boards to help with the characters and the world [of our plays],” said junior Kendall Warlick, who was cast twice for this Fringe Festival.
However, there are always things to learn for the future. Some difficulties arose during the process. These challenges provide a guidebook for the future of Fringe, where the next class in the theater strand can focus their attention the next year.
“Collaborating with other directors in an environment where a majority of the actors participating in Fringe were double cast was challenging. If one director moved a rehearsal, then nine other plays would have to bend around that schedule,” said Howell. “Next year, I suggest starting as early as [the class of 2025] can.”
Other seniors have some advice for the following classes as well.
“Make sure your needs are taken care of,” said Technical Director Phaedra Diacopoulos. “Don’t be afraid to be annoying. Everything is fixable.”
The theater seniors are proud that their year finished on a high note, and cannot wait to see the class of 2025 continue the strand’s legacy. If you missed the performances, they were recorded and uploaded online. They are split between the two nights that Fringe took place and can be found on the youtube channel @prometheangroup2525.
Break a leg class of 2025!
