As fall approaches, the 16th Annual Live Arts Festival and always surprising Philly Fringe return to Philadelphia on Sept. 7–22.
Taking place in venues throughout the city, the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe “supports artists and brings the world’s newest and most cutting-edge cultural experiences to our city, amplifying the vibrancy of Philadelphia as a renowned cultural center and an unparalleled place to live, work and visit.” In 2012, approximately 14 Live Arts shows will be presented.
While the Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe run simultaneously, there is a distinct difference between the two. “The Philly Fringe, the folks who participate in that, there’s no judge, jury or anybody who tells them whether they can be part of it or not,” says Producing Director Nick Stuccio. “They tell us where they’re performing and we sell their tickets for them. But the Live Arts is stuff that we go out and we say, ‘We like this.’ So the Live Arts Festival is about a curatorial overview, and the Philly Fringe is about access. It’s about anybody and everybody having an adventure of discovery, and the Fringe is our vision about what’s happening in contemporary performance.”
Highlights of the 2012 Live Arts Festival include Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s “red, black & GREEN; a blues” playing at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on September 21 and 8 p.m. on September 22.
