Comments on: The Fringe Button: WTF?

By: Alice

Alice — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:19:07 +0000

The button seems like a membership fee. Or personal seat license. Just add a buck to the ticket price and lose the button.

I’m boycotting Fringe this year because of the button. I bought one last year, but I had hoped that cooler heads would prevail this year and ban the button. I guess not.

By: Once More Into the Breach (Of Manners, Taste and Other Norms) - Fringe & Purge - Washington City Paper

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:01:56 +0000

[...] truly the Fringe season: The performances haven’t started yet, but the newest round of Button-bitching [...]

By: Geen

Geen — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:16:08 +0000

The button is a commuter tax, a parking fee, and a Ticketmaster/Livenation fee rolled up into one.

It smells like a Palin.

By: Fringe & Purge: Blogging the Capital Fringe Festival 2009 - CapFringe’s Julianne Brienza Featured on NewsChannel 8! - Washington City Paper

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:28:14 +0000

[...] This afternoon, NewsChannel 8 interviewed Fringe Executive Director Julianne Brienza, who held forth about Fort Fringe, the ‘68 riots, ambient noise…and those pesky buttons. [...]

By: Heading into Its Fourth Season, Capital Fringe Turns Artists Away - City Desk - Washington City Paper

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:27:44 +0000

[...] year, D.C. Fringe adopted the practice used by other festivals of requiring everyone to buy a $5 button for the festival. In 2008, Fringe sold 21,500 show tickets, but quickly ran out of buttons. Initially only expecting [...]

By: Our Morning Roundup: Great Escape Edition! - City Desk - Washington City Paper

Our Morning Roundup: Great Escape Edition! - City Desk - Washington City Paper — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:11:33 +0000

[...] got your button from the Capital Fringe Festival? Julianne announces your February [...]

By: We Love DC » Blog Archive » My Fringe boycott

We Love DC » Blog Archive » My Fringe boycott — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:47:12 +0000

[...] think there’s a pretty clear message there indicating just how people felt about the button. When Fringe director Julianne Brienza spoke to City Paper’s Trey Graham about the button, he gave her a pretty strong reaction to the fact that – on top of your $15 ticket – you’d [...]

By: BP

BP — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:44:40 +0000

In response to Julianne’s :”Sure we are feeling some bumps in the road with introducing the button – but overall people are getting into the button. ”

I am not quite sure who you are referring to exactly that is getting into the button. I have not met one perfomer or audience member (or non audience member who was turned off by the button) who has anything good to say about it. Basically it causes confusion and frustration. Maybe if this button is supposed to aid the artists, maybe it should be asked of the ARTISTS what they think of the button and how THEY want it to support them. Or if they even want it at all.

And the arguement that this is how it’s done at Fringes everywhere I think is misleading – let’s check the facts on this. Besides just because it’s done elsewhere doesn’t mean that we need to follow suit…we can be different.
Thanks for your work — I do ask you to ask the artists though before next year.

By: Devil's Advocate

Devil's Advocate — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:12:32 +0000

But most of the Festival’s mentioned charge a lot less per ticket – even WITH the button, many are under $15. (Minnesota: $3 button/$12 ticket; Orlando: $6 button/tickets set by artist at $5-$10).

As for the Canadians, most seem to be members of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals. Their principles include “audiences must have the option to pay a ticket price, 100% of which goes directly to the artists.” In other words, the button goes to pay for admin costs, which is all well and good. This also includes US Fringe festivals under the North American Fringe Circuit umbrella (San Fran, Orlando, Boulder), which follow that rule.

It seems the frustration stems not from the button itself, but from the way it was presented. Maybe in the future you could follow the lead of the other festivals: tickets go to the artists, while buttons cover admin costs. I’d think most people would find that pretty reasonable and understandable. Right now it reads as “way to get more money,” and not “way to raise much needed funds to keep this exceptional and worthwhile event solvent.”

By: Katie

Katie — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:19:35 +0000

Yes, the Fringe Button is a common practice at other Fringes across N. America; however, it is not common to make the artists BUY a button. We’re already shelling out over $400 for a spot plus the hidden cost of insurance, not to mention all the money we spend on publicity, etc… If the button money is going back to the artists, then why do the artists have to pay for one? Haven’t we given enough already??? While your at it, why not throw in a rush pass for artists to fill all the empty seats in the houses? ($5 off a $15 ticket does NOT encourage me to see other shows or support other artists.)

The Minnesota Fringe has been doing this for 15 years and really has their act together – they support their artists, provide great spaces, encourage cross-promotion among shows, and help to fill houses, all with $12 tickets and a fringe button. Please take a page from their book – or better yet, take all the pages and read them carefully…