By Community Alliance Staff
“Think about [Rogue] as this swirling circus of originality and creativity that magically appears once a year to tickle, inspire and fire the imagination…unabashedly celebrating and stretching the wonders of the possible.”
The 2012 Rogue Performance Festival will take place March 1–10 in and around the Tower District. The 11th annual Rogue festival in Fresno celebrates the independent performer and artist by showcasing their works in a friendly, affordable and creative setting. The Fresno festival is modeled after the fringe festivals that have become popular worldwide.
Rogue 2012 is a non-curated, non-juried festival that showcases a variety of disciplines including cabaret, dance, theater, comedy, drama, storytelling, performance art, visual arts and all varieties of music (even “drunken Irish music”). Unlike a typical “arts festival,” the Rogue does not believe that a group of so-called experts should decide what is good or what an audience should see. The Rogue philosophy is that a performer has the right to present his or her work and that a paying audience is fully capable of deciding for themselves if they like it. All of the box office proceeds (yes, 100%!) go to the performers.
The Rogue has introduced a significant innovation this year, and regular attendees will need to take note of this change. You must now buy Rogue Bucks in advance of the shows; tickets will no longer be sold at the door of venues. Rogue Bucks may be purchased at the Tower Theater Box Office (the only location accepting credit cards), the Starline Grill and the Broken Leg Stage. Floating ticket sellers will be near some of the other venues.
The Rogue Bucks are $1 each and can be used for all Rogue shows (and at some BYOV [Bring Your Own Event] shows) and Rogue merchandise (e.g., t-shirts and buttons). The more Rogue Bucks one buys, the more free Rogue Bucks one receives (see below).
Buy This Many Get This Many Free
Rogue Bucks Rogue Bucks
20 2
30 4
40 6
50 10
60 12
70 14
80 16
90 18
100 25
Planning ahead is really important when attending the Rogue festival. You don’t want to miss any show that strikes your fancy. Check out the downloadable program at http://roguefestival.com/info/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-Rogue-Festival-Program-14-2-8-2012.pdf to plan your schedule. Many of the shows repeat a number of times. The program includes a description of the shows, the time(s) it is offered and the cost.
General information is available at http://roguefestival.com.
2012 Rogue Performance Festival Venues
Fresno City College—Rogue BYOV
1101 E. University Ave.
Broken Leg Stage—Rogue Café
Rogue Bucks Purchase Location
1470 N. Van Ness Ave.
Cal Arts Academy–Severance—Rogue BYOV
1401 N. Wishon Ave.
The Voice Shop—Rogue BYOV
1302 N. Wishon Ave.
Starline Nightclub—Rogue Mainstage
Rogue Buck Purchase Location
833 E. Fern Ave.
Studio 74—Rogue Gallery
1274 N. Van Ness Ave.
The Tower Lounge—Rogue Mainstage
1211 N. Wishon Ave.
The Tower Theatre—Rogue BYOV
Rogue Bucks Purchase Location
815 E. Olive Ave.
Spectrum Art Gallery—Rogue Café
608 E. Olive Ave.
Neighborhood Thrift—Rogue Mainstage
353 E. Olive Ave.
Veni Vidi Vici’s—Rogue Café Stage
1116 N. Fulton Ave.
Dianna’s Dance Studio—Rogue Mainstage
816 N. Fulton Ave.
Full Circle Brewery—Rogue BYOV
620 F St.
Tokyo Gardens—Rogue BYOV
1711 Fulton St.
Rogue Artist Sampler
Below is a sampling of the performers and shows that will be part of the 2012 Rogue Performance Festival. These are not recommendations—all the shows are good—but rather an overview of the diverse range of options available this year at the Rogue festival.
The Sparrow and the Mouse—Creating the Music of Edith Piaf
Edith Piaf is an icon, France’s greatest popular singer. However, few people know about her best friend and half-sister Simone, who grew up in Paris alongside Piaf. The enduring friendship of these two women is an incredible (and true!) story, spanning more than 25 years. The music is immortal and delivered here with style and skill by a master performer. Melanie Gall’s narrative and Piaf’s songs meld seamlessly together, conjuring up the streets of Paris.
Picnics at the Asylum
Critics have called this show “a fringe hit…fearless…an absolute must see!” Take an outlandish and poignant journey, full of psychedelic sunglasses, rockin’ church services and wild rides with performer Angela Neff’s dad, who goes from being a crooning father of eight, fearless surfer and impromptu 4-H leader to a vagabond street preacher spouting his manic message of love. This performance is a moving portrayal and examination of the relationship between love and madness.
Picnics at the Asylum - written and performed by Angela Neff.
Ananka Belly Dances in Famous Fiction
Ananka Belly dances into famous fiction from literature and the movies. First stop: Shangri La deep in the Himalayas, where peace, beauty and tradition are preserved for all time. Next: An ancient Egyptian tomb, where a ritual of burial to celebrate the life and journey into the afterlife is created, through dance for a fictitious princess. Then: A magical, hidden cave, somewhere in an Arabian desert, where the voice of Ali Baba can be heard commanding, “Open seseme.”
That One Show
So, remember that one show from last year? Yeah, neither do we. Some come watch it so we can refresh your memory. If you like music, singing and teenagers, you’ll probably enjoy That One Show. You may remember some of the players from Not Another UHS Bakesale. The show is like last year’s, but different.
Comic Canvas
Comic Canvas represents the icons that have influenced Sammy G Art. The bandanas symbolize the power character license has over the art world: Fan art is copyright infringement that inhibits free speech, however, parody and satire are protected. Come and share your interpretation.
Occupy This! Tales of an Accidental Activist
Rev. Nuge went to Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Detroit just to carry funny signs. But a funny thing happened on the way to the Revolution—he started to believe in it. Next thing you know he’s camping with crack heads, marching with anarchists, burying a friend and writing this show.
The Bright Side of Total Doom
From the creator of the smash hit Cap’n Scurvy’s Apocalypse Hoedown Revival comes a new solo show from the Cap’n himself Scurvy, Prophet 4 Profit. Come for the train wreck and stay for the tips on cannibalism, toxic waste and better sex. Guaranteed cheap life-threatening stunt at every show.
Kristie with a K
Singer-songwriter Kristie Francis has a quirky, offbeat, gutsy way of seeing ordinary people, relationships and events, and inventing impossible ones. It’s hard to tell them apart, but that’s OK, because it doesn’t matter—even the fictional stories are “true” in their own way! You will probably see in her songs many people you know, including yourself!