Fifteen years ago, St Lou Fringe began STLFringe FEST with just three shows and a simple but stubborn belief: St. Louis deserved a stage for the art that didn’t fit anywhere else. Today, that belief has grown into one of the Midwest’s most vital independent arts festivals.
As St Lou Fringe prepares to celebrate its 15th anniversary STLFringe FEST this August, the festival is looking back on a remarkable journey—one that has included more than 700 productions, countless artistic risks, and audiences willing to say “yes” to something completely unexpected.
Matthew R. Kerns. Photo credit: Suzy Gorman
“That’s the whole spirit of Fringe: permission,” says President and Artistic Director Matthew R. Kerns, MFA. “Permission for artists to be bold, honest, and unfinished in public. Permission for audiences to take a chance on a show they know nothing about and walk out changed forever, for the better.”
The festival’s early years were fueled by lottery draws pulled from a fishbowl and performances staged in borrowed spaces. Since then, STLFringe FEST has evolved considerably. In 2016, the organization shifted from a pure lottery system to a hybrid festival model, introducing its first-ever headliner and invited artist while maintaining its commitment to emerging and experimental voices.
The results speak for themselves. Of the more than 700 shows launched by St Lou Fringe, many have gone on to enjoy lives beyond St. Louis. Pollock: A Frequency Parable, for example, has been produced in Hollywood and off-Broadway.
“It takes a village to make this thing happen,” says Kerns. “Almost every performance artist in the region has been a part of STLFringe FEST at some point in our history. We have our finger on the pulse of everything new, and we make space for everyone. That said, we have proudly stood against oppression in all forms since our beginnings in 2011.”
That spirit of inclusion and artistic freedom remains central to the festival’s mission. Kerns also takes pride in the fact that everyone involved in the festival is compensated, including the technicians, many of whom, this year, are theatre students from St. Charles Community College.
This year’s festival offers plenty for LGBTQ+ audiences to enjoy. Highlights include Thank You For Being a Friend: A Tribute to the Golden Girls; Cherokee Street Theatre’s parody The Wizard of Oz(es), smashing together all the great stories from Oz that you know and love. Also, Pink Shirt, A coming-of-age story about a boy learning to embrace his masculinity and his femininity; Prom Queen, A closeted transmasculine teen at a Catholic school walks a tightrope between rebellion and obedience; Baker’s Dozen: 13 gay plays and monologues looking at the gay experience; The Colors We Carry, a spoken-word theatrical experience where each color of the pride flag becomes a living voice. Lastly, A Queer Burlesque Balled titled, A Court of Tits and Read, inspired by the book, A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Our own Melissa Meinzer makes her Fringe debut.
Out in STL‘s own Melissa Meinzer will also make her Fringe debut with Fare Required: A Love Song to the People of St. Louis Transit, a one-of-a-kind live experience celebrating the everyday theater of public transportation. The production invites audiences to meet neighbors, feel the pulse of the city, and discover moments of unexpected humanity along the way.
For Kerns, the 15th anniversary festival is ultimately a celebration of everyone who made St Lou Fringe, and STLFringe FEST possible throughout the years, from the artists willing to take creative risks to the audiences who embraced them.
“This festival has transformed from a handful of shows in borrowed spaces into one of the most vital independent arts festivals in the Midwest,” he says. “This anniversary festival is our thank you to everyone who made it possible.”
The 15th Annual STLFringe FEST, presented by St Lou Fringe takes place August 3–9 in The Grand Center Arts District. Individual tickets range from $15 to $35, and an all-access festival pass is available for $115.
After 15 years, St Lou Fringe continues to prove that some of the most exciting art happens when people are given permission to be fearless.
