Elgin Fringe Fest marks 13th year with eclectic mix of local and touring acts

It’s lucky No. 13 for the Elgin Fringe Festival, which is returning for its 13th year with more than 80 dance, theater, music, comedy, magic and other performances Wednesday through Sunday, Sept. 23-27, at five downtown venues.

Festival entry buttons cost $4 and performance tickets range from free to $12. Purchase a $95 festival pass at Side Street Studio Arts in downtown Elgin to have access to all of the events being presented at Side Street as well as Elgin Public House, Habitat for Humanity, Martini Room and Elgin Art Showcase.

Fringe artistic director Nick Mataragas said he isn’t surprised the eclectic arts fest is still going strong after more than a dozen years.

“This is a festival that has always been great at finding ways to make things work, through both lean and hearty times,” he said.

Things kick off at 5 p.m. Wednesday at a preview party at the Martini Room during which artists will give performance teasers of their shows. The new Fringe Cabaret follows at 7 p.m. hosted by comedian Jose Alfredo.

Other special events include the Almost-Closing Party at 10:30 p.m. Saturday after the busiest day of the festival and the official After Party at 5 p.m. Sunday.

“The closing party Sunday is our chance to celebrate everything that’s happened,” Mataragas said. “(We) celebrate the successes and failures, give out awards, say goodbye to our touring artists, all those things.”

But before any awards are handed out, audiences will enjoy acts like The Snake Oil and Skullduggery Show (improv), “Tap Into Time” tap dancing by Gregg and Katie, “Twilight-ish the Musical” by Slapdash Theatre, “The Lunatic’s Fringe: An Enigmatic Multimedia Driven Rock Spectacle” by The Lunatic’s Fringe, “A Play I Wrote in Fourth Grade” by Claire Jolie Goodman, “Weird Jazz” by Grey Noise, “Over Qualified for This Disaster” by Tricia Babischkin, “Thick Thighs Ride the Red Line” and “Closing Arguments” by Fat Theatre Project, and “Cabaret Chaotique: An Improvised Burlesque Show” by Autumn Leaves.

These are just a smattering of the performances taking place. Fringe-goers are advised to check out elginfringefestival.com — the schedule is broken down by day, genre and venue.

The innovation this year will be the experimentation within storytelling, Mataragas said, “and taking things that we have preconceived notions (about) and turning them on their head.”

One such storyteller is Chicagoan Lauren Kee. She will be presenting her one-woman show, “Dealbreaker,” Thursday and Saturday, Sept. 24 and 26, at the Elgin Public House. The show takes an unabashed look at how the herpes virus affects her life, including when it comes to dating. It’s “comedy, storytelling, vulnerability and sex education wrapped into one show,” she said.

“I think my show is talking about something no one really talks about,” she said. “It will have you at the edge of your seat wondering what happens next. And if you’ve ever dated, there are a lot of relatable stories that will make you feel seen.”

She made her Fringe debut at the Harrisburg Fringe Festival in Pennsylvania in July and is looking forward to performing at one a lot closer to home.

“I’m really excited. I’ve heard really good things about the Elgin Fringe,” she said. “It’s the closest Fringe to where I live so I feel a connection. The organizing team has been amazing. This one is top-notch in terms of how organized it is and how supportive they’ve been with social media and marketing.”

With 22 local acts and 12 touring acts, you’re bound to find something you like, Mataragas said.

“We have an amazing number of new performers this year, which is great,” he said. “Come out and see more than one show. If you are coming to see a storyteller, stick around and watch some improv or go to see burlesque or dance. You can’t go wrong. Finding ways to experience multiple things is the key to the festival.”

Fringe is an incredible opportunity for Elgin, he added.

“(The city) has a vibrant art scene. There are so many artists that live and work in Elgin and this is a touchpoint for that.

“I think Elgin is an incredibly receptive city to the arts. You get to see art in its purest forms and you get to see a bunch of it for a relatively low price,” he said. “It’s a great (thing) for Elgin. It’s the right city for it … the story of where Elgin has been in its journey makes this the perfect time and place for a fringe festival.”

Kee hopes that her show will inspire people the way she’s been inspired by other storytellers.

“I am really hopeful that my show can be a seed for someone else’s art someday, whether that’s just submitting an essay or even just journaling,” she said.

“I think art is so powerful for healing. So anyone who is coming to my show, if they’re struggling with something, my hope is that ‘Dealbreaker’ can inspire them to create something out of their pain or at the very least just feel seen by my story.”

Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for The (Elgin) Courier-News.