Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Fringe Festival and what is Fringe Theatre?
The following definition comes straight from this helpful Wikipedia page. Fringe Theatre – Wikipedia
“Fringe theatre is theatre that is produced outside of the main theatre institutions, and that is often small-scale and non-traditional in style or subject matter. The term comes from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In London, the fringe are small-scale theatres (often referred to as the London Fringe and not included as West End theatres), and the equivalent of off-Broadway and Off-off-Broadway theatres in New York City, as well as Europe’s “free theatre” groups.
In unjuried theatre festivals, also known as fringe festivals or open-access festivals, all submissions are accepted, and sometimes the participating acts may be chosen by lottery, in contrast to juried festivals in which acts are selected based on their artistic qualities. Unjuried festivals (such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edmonton Fringe Festival, Adelaide Fringe, and Fringe World) permit artists to perform a wide variety of works.”
If you’re an artist who is interested in learning more about fringe festivals, visit the F.A.Q. for Artists page on the US Association of Fringe Festivals website.
To learn more about the first Fringe Festival started in Edinburgh in 1947, follow the link to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
How Can I Help Tucson Fringe?
The easiest way to support us is by following us on social media. Like posts, leave comments, share photos and stories of your Fringe experiences. Also, tell your friends about us and share things on social media. Word of Mouth has always been the best marketing tool. Tell others who we are to help us grow.
The next best way to support Tucson Fringe is by attending our events. See a show or come to one of our mixers and fundraising events. Show your support by attending events and sharing photos while you’re there. Join our Newsletter to stay up-to-date on all Tucson Fringe happenings.
We are a 501(c)3 Nonprofit and we do accept donations and sponsorships. You can donate any amount or you can check out our Sponsorship Page to see what perks you can get as a festival sponsor.
If you’re unable to support us financially, we always need help during the festival and throughout the year. We offer internships for high school and college students. We also are always looking for volunteers and new members for our Board of Directors. Visit our Volunteer/Join the Board of Directors Page to learn more. If you still have questions, please send us an email; tucsonfringe@gmail.com.
Meet our current Board and Staff Members!
What are Fringe Buttons?
Every audience member of the Tucson Fringe Festival will receive, and must wear, an admission button in order to access our events. Think of it as a cover charge or access pass to the 50+ shows, events, and galleries throughout our four-day festival. It’s like buying an admission ticket to a carnival then buying tickets for each ride. The button cost is included in the ticket price.
Why do I need a button?
The Tucson Fringe Festival is committed to rewarding our artists and venue partners for their commitment to the Tucson Arts Community. Revenue generated by ticket sales go directly toward paying our artists and venue partners.
The revenue from admission buttons support the operating costs of the Tucson Fringe Festival. They allow us to keep our artists and venues supported while keeping you, our fantastic Fringe audiences, engaged. As many audience members attend more than one show during the festival weekend, the buttons allow us to keep track of overall festival attendance across multiple venues.
I bought my tickets early online. How do I get my tickets and passes?
You should have received an email receipt with a QR code for your tickets. We can scan that code at the box office and you’ll be all set. If you cannot find your email, give us the first and last name of the person who purchased the tickets and we can look up your name and check you in at the box office. It’s that easy.
If I buy a 2-Show or 5-Show pass, can I pick the shows I want to see early?
Yes! With our new ticketing system, it is very easy for you to choose and reserve your tickets for specific shows. How does this work? Purchase all the passes you want and check out. Do not purchase any single show tickets yet. You will receive an email containing a promotional code for the number of tickets you bought in advance. For example, if you purchase a 2-show pass, you’ll receive a code for 2 tickets.
After you receive your codes, you can choose which shows you want to attend, put in your promotional code, and the cost for the tickets will be reduced to zero since you already paid for them. You can use these codes for any live in-person show and any live zoom show. After checking out, you’ll receive an email confirmation with your ticket information. The video below is from the 2022 festival.
Can I use the 2-Show or 5-Show pass for the live Zoom shows?
Yes! You would purchase the tickets to the zoom show with your promo codes the same way you would with any of our other shows.
Do you have a face mask or vaccination policy?
We ask that all attendees wear face masks if they are feeling under the weather. January is part of Flu Season and we want all of our attendees to stay happy and healthy.
More questions coming soon.