Elgin celebrates art on the fringe

Art can happen anywhere.

One thing co-founder Sean Hargadon hopes artists and audiences take away from the first Elgin Fringe Festival is that art doesn't just happen in a concert hall, gallery or theater. It can happen in a cafe, a nightclub or a public park.

And art happens quite frequently in Elgin, where a cultural scene anchored by the celebrated Elgin Symphony Orchestra has expanded to include theater companies, dance ensembles and art galleries.

“Twenty years ago it was a desert. Ten years ago there was some green. Now there's a lot of activity,” said longtime resident Hargadon of Elgin's cultural boom. “Elgin is reinventing itself, partly through the arts.”

With that in mind, Hargadon, founder and artistic director of Janus Theater Company, and Erin Rehberg, founding artistic director of Core Project dance ensemble, proposed the city's first fringe festival taking place next week downtown.

Rehberg, owner of the Side Street Studio Arts gallery and performance space, floated the idea of a fringe fest to Hargadon about a year ago.

“I've seen some of the best, weirdest and most wonderful performances of my life at fringe festivals,” said Rehberg, who, like Hargadon, is a fringe veteran.

With support from city officials and the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission and help from a volunteer committee, they began raising money. They set a goal of $3,000, Hargadon said, and ended up with about $4,000 thanks in part to Kickstarter, the cultural arts commission and a Palmer Foundation grant.

Along with raising money, they had to raise awareness.

“The first year is all about educating people as to what a fringe is” and how it benefits all members of the community, said Rehberg.

“Not everyone will like everything, and you shouldn't,” she said. “The really cool thing is you're going to find something to your taste.”

Un-curated, the fest is open to any visual or performing artist who paid the administrative fee.

Hargadon describes a fringe as a blank canvas that offers artists a chance to experiment, push boundaries and attempt something outside their usual repertoire.

“Everything has that 'in progress' feel to it,” said Hargadon, whose Janus Theater is among 60 participating artists and ensembles. “You definitely have a youthful energy.”

That said, organizers balanced cutting edge and traditional, performances for mature audiences and all-ages events, like the Family Fringe Festival sponsored by the Blue Box Cafe. In addition to rock and classical musicians, modern dance ensembles, burlesque entertainers and belly dancers, the lineup includes Rehberg's Core Project; Janus, performing a piece by local writer Jack Helbig; Arlington Heights comedian Tiffany Streng, a 2013 Suburban Chicago's Got Talent finalist and Troupe Strozzi, a bawdy Batavia ensemble whose members perform in the commedia dell'arte style.

Performing in small, unfamiliar spaces can pose a challenge for fringe newcomers, says Troupe Strozzi co-founder Lori Holm. Fortunately, ensemble members have been doing that since the company's inception three years ago, she said.

One of the benefits of participating is having the chance to observe other theater artists and be inspired by them, Holm said via email.

“It's empowering the actors to celebrate their work,” she said. “We support one another by telling our audience members to check out the other shows.”

As a gallery owner, Rehberg says she's constantly surprised at the talent “bubbling up from the cracks.”

“I had no idea there were so many weird, wonderful exciting, pushing-the-boundaries artists in this area,” she said.

The fest marks Mayor David Kaptain's introduction to the fringe concept, which originated in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival.

He hopes it will enhance Elgin's reputation as an arts and entertainment center.

“Elgin residents and those from surrounding communities are becoming aware of our city as the place to enjoy theater, performing and visual arts at reasonable prices,” Kaptain said via email.

For artists, a fringe offers exposure and potential profit. Any money they earn from ticket sales is theirs to keep.

“You can do the work. You will be supported,” Hargadon said. “And if you fail, you can try again.”

For audiences, Elgin Fringe offers a chance to sample what they might not otherwise encounter. And for business owners, some of whom donated performance space and resources, there's the economic boost that accompanies increased traffic over the four-day fest.

“The lesson learned from past events has been that a local business can often have as much business from a weekend event as it would have had in weeks of normal traffic,” said Kaptain. “This event is good for Elgin, good for residents and good for business.”

Hargadon compares putting it on to planting a garden. The first year, you just want to keep the plants alive, he joked.

Organizers say a successful fest would confirm how the arts can invigorate a community, and how receptive the city is to the arts.

“It's no longer the watch factory town,” said Hargadon, referring to the Elgin National Watch Company which called the city home for 96 years before it closed in 1968.

Rather, Elgin is a place where artists can develop, experiment and build.

“There's a lot of good going on here. We're fortunate,” said Hargadon. “We have to take a moment to remind ourselves of that.”

Elgin Fringe Festival

<b>When:</b> Thursday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 14. A free Family Fringe Festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 13, at Carleton Rogers Park, 55 N. Spring St.

<b>Where: </b>Purchase a $3 Elgin Fringe Festival button at Fringe Central headquarters at Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court, Elgin. Performances and exhibitions take place at Blue Box Cafe, 176 E. Chicago St.; Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St.; Elgin Public House, 219 E. Chicago St.; Imago Studios, 216 Prairie St.; Martini Room, 161 E. Chicago St.; Next Door Theater upstairs at Side Street Studio Arts, 15½ Ziegler Court; Villa Verone, 13 Douglas Ave.

<b>Tickets:</b> Most tickets are $5-$10. Admission requires purchase of a $3 Elgin Fringe Festival button available at Side Street Studio Arts. Full festival pass costs $50.

<b>Schedule: </b><a href="http://elginfringefestival.com">elginfringefestival.com</a>