Here’s the Short Version

Performing in my first cross-country Fringe Festival was the most challenging thing I’ve done in my artistic career to date…and ultimately it was totally worth it.

Not in the ways I was hoping for (audience turnout, reviews, fame (jk), etc), but in more surprising ways…

I feel so much stronger and more confident, I learned about touring through experience, and I SO enjoyed my time away from daily life and 100% immersion in the arts community.

Skip ahead to the bottom for My Takeaways, or keep reading and enjoy the whole ride 🙂

The Longer Version – The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.

Ok, so here is the longer version of the story…

I decided to pursue the Denver Fringe Festival, not because I knew what I was doing, but BECAUSE I did not know how to travel, market and perform in a faraway, unknown city!

Like many artists, the Edinburgh Fringe has been dangled in front of me like a gold-standard of independently-produced theatre. Before I continued to daydream about performing there, I wanted to get into an experiment to see – would I even like an experience like that??

Here I’m sharing some of the more raw and real aspects of my first cross-country performances. I hope it’s helpful to other emerging artists…

The Ugly

Managing Time – There was so much to do and so little time when I arrived in CO. Between flying, unpacking, flyering and marketing, the opening ceremony and the after party – I was awake for almost 24 hours straight my first day. After leaving my home at 2AM EST and finally collapsing on my Denver bed at midnight MT, I ate my first full meal (pizza in bed) totally exhausted.

Having a 1 Person Audience – Yup. This was one of my fears going far from home. I did have one show with only 1 person in the audience. Lucky for me, they were super kind and were even the first person to leave a review!

Traveling Solo – Don’t get me wrong – I am so lucky and I had a great time at Denver Fringe. But I think you should know I found this very hard. I felt lonely at times. Insecure with no one to turn to. I felt exhausted most of the time being solely responsible for myself and my show.

The Bad (or my bads)

Learning to Flyer – After I got to Denver, I learned that there were several other arts events going on that would have been awesome opportunities to hand out flyers had I thought of that in advance.

Asking for Reviews – This is always a little awkward but necessary. I was lucky that my local tech assistant had access to a printer – which made it easy for me to print off QR codes to the review site.

Spending Money – I don’t know how else to say it – traveling is expensive. There are ways cut spending but at the end of the day, it costs money to travel with your art. And especially in a festival setting, you’re not in control of how much money you make back.

The Good

Meeting Other Artists – One of the best things about a Fringe Festival setting was getting to meet other artists from all over the country! I loved getting to steep in the artist community (especially away from home responsibilities).

Being Prepared – All the prep work I did really paid off, especially…

• Pre-hiring a local great tech assistant
• Printing a spare script (came in handy!)
• Bringing my own everything – while my venue had some things, I didn’t have to spend time looking for tech or props.

Always Having Flyers – I carried a set of flyers with my EVERYWHERE I went! Even hiking. And guess what? My hiking guide and I knew an artist in common! He came to my show the next day and brought his partner and was so kind.

Tending Well-Being – I felt guilty taking a morning off promoting, flyering, etc., but it was the best thing I did for my mental state. Inside all the emotions of doing something new – it felt so nice to take a moment to do something unrelated to the work and completely enjoyable.

The Takeaways

Doing a faraway festival like this really put into perspective for me that Fringe Festivals aren’t everything.

They are a fun way to travel, a GREAT way to meet other artists, and an opportunity to get your name out into the world beyond your normal spheres…

…but I’ve come home with a renewed enthusiasm for my communities! I feel energized about performing more often, wherever I can, expanding my community from the center -> out.

I’m still dreaming of attending the big festivals, but I no longer have them on a pedestal. For me, at the end of the day, people seeing and engaging with the work is what matters most.