the blog

Melancholics Anonymous has become an established theater company that is fiscally sponsored, produces full seasons of theater, which include an annual new play workshop series, and has gotten some serious buzz. And yet all of our growth and incredible experience trace back to that first Minnesota Fringe opportunity, which started as a simple dream.

A few weeks ago, I got to be a fly on the wall at the World Fringe Congress, a gathering of fringe festival directors from around the world. Like, WTF?! who gets to do that?! I was one of a few delegates not directly working with a festival. We all had a blast spending the week geeking out about fringe, and seeing a few good fringe shows. While I can’t divulge all the juicy details (what happens at Congress, stays at Congress), I’d love to share a few things every fringe arti

Accessibility in fringe theatre is not just a matter of compliance—it is a commitment to inclusion. New tools like SlideTeller help ensure that the full experience of a performance is available to all, regardless of how someone receives it.

For many Fringe artists, the focus is on script, staging, and performance. But there is another tool that can elevate your show and surprise your audience: sound. Foley artistry, the live creation of sound effects using everyday objects, can transform a performance, adding dimension and energy in ways that lighting or props alone cannot achieve.

“The best work is being done on Fringe stages. You can’t get more inventive, you can’t get more raw, and it’s everything that pushes my theatrical buttons,” Britt Lafied, SoHo Playhouse Managing Director.

Bringing a show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is not just about showcasing creativity; it also involves detailed planning and teamwork. For independent artists used to managing everything themselves, Edinburgh can feel quite challenging.