Omaha Fringe 2023

     2023 has brought with a return to traveling and performing at Fringe Festivals for me. I had forgotten how very much I loved it. Fringe festivals very swiftly felt like home for my weird little soul, so it was appropriate that I took "Shell" which is all about home and safety and comfort (And how those things can help us to be brave) to my first Fringe outing in four years to the Omaha Fringe Festival.
     It really felt like the piece found its footing for me this trip. It had debuted at Elgin Fringe in 2018, and I had also performed an abridged version at Dragon Fyre Faire (a local Renaissance Festival.) But performances - and especially performances that involve a large degree of audience participation and interaction - evolve, and after the pandemic hit, "Shell" really didn't have the same chance to do that as my previous piece "Weaving Webs" had done, and this trip gave it that chance. One of my audience members said it was hard to describe, but was healing to her inner child, and that's a pretty great review. I look forward to continuing to travel and perform with "Shell" and see how different audiences respond.
     (Obligatory self promotion - you can always reach out to me if you have an event or space you would like to bring the show to, details are on my "Repertory" page, or you can always just email me at [email protected], and I do love to travel!)
     Before the festival, several of the artists had connected through social media, and especially as a solo artist, that was just a lovely experience - I had friends at the festival before I had even left home! I stayed with a friend who had moved to Omaha from Pocatello several years ago. (Thanks Jamie and family!) One of the best parts of performing at Fringe Festivals is meeting and connecting with other artists, and Omaha brought some people into my life I am pretty sure are going to be lifelong friends. (Hi Lauren, and Naomi, and Landon, and Terry, and Madilyn, and Kinsey, and Sam, and...anybody else I'm forgetting!) Also I had prop storage, a dressing room, AND a makeup room! I adore performing in non-traditional spaces, and the whole challenge of finding a bathroom or other space for costume changes and makeup application before shows - but sometimes it's nice to be spoiled and enjoy a traditional theatre space!
     Here are some pictures from performances, if you're interested in travel and behind the scenes snapshots, those can always be found on my instagram/facebook at @CreativeMovesPerformance