APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
EXIT Theatre stopped accepting applications to perform in the Fringe Festival on March 31.
Applications to perform in the 2024 San Francisco Fringe Festival will be accepted only online on the EXIT Theatre website www.theexit.org until midnight Pacific Standard Time on March 31, 2024. Only one application will be accepted from each company.
A non-refundable APPLICATION FEE of $20 is required to apply to perform in the 2024 San Francisco Fringe Festival. Performers will be selected at a public lottery at 2 PM on Saturday April 6, 2024 and streamed live on the EXIT Theatre YouTube channel.
15 theater companies will be chosen by lottery to perform in the festival with 12 local performing groups and 3 non-local groups. A local WAIT LIST and a non-local WAIT LIST will also be chosen in the lottery. Performers selected in the lottery will be invoiced a PERFORMANCE FEE of $450 and the performance fee is due by April 30, 2024 or their performance slot will be forfeited. If a performance spot becomes available after the lottery it will be offered to the first (local or non-local) company on the WAIT LIST in that category and if accepted the company will be invoiced the PERFORMANCE FEE of $450. Companies accepted into the San Francisco Fringe Festival cannot sell or transfer their spot in the Festival to another party. If a company is found to have sold or transferred its space, both companies will be removed from the Festival and the performance fee will be forfeited to the Festival.
TICKET SALES
Performing companies will select a ticket price of $15 or less and they will receive 100% of all tickets sold at their chosen price price. A limited number of discounted multiple-show passes will be sold and performing companies will receive the $9 discounted ticket price for passes redeemed for their performances. The festival will provide online ticket sales, cash sales at the door, and box office services. Performing companies must provide a W-9 form for tax purposes. Ticket revenue will be paid by check by September 9, 2024. A 1099 Form will be issued at the end of the year if required by the federal government.
FESTIVAL LOCATION
All performances in the 2024 San Francisco Fringe Festival will be presented at Cutting Ball Theater at 277 Taylor Street in San Francisco. The venue is a 49 seat theater with basic theater and lighting equipment.
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Each group selected in the lottery to perform in the 2024 San Francisco Fringe Festival will be scheduled for three performance slots in the festival between August 8 and August 24, 2024. Performances will be presented Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings at 7pm and 8:30pm. Performances will be presented on Saturday and Sunday at 1pm, 2:30pm, 4pm, 5:30pm, 7pm and 8:30pm. The SF Fringe Festival will attempt to meet the scheduling needs of performing companies while balancing scheduling equity between the companies.
FESTIVAL LOAD-IN AND LOAD OUT
Performances in the SF Fringe must be 60 minutes or less. There are 30 minutes between performances and companies have 15 minutes to load in before their performance and 15 minutes to load out after the performance. There is no storage at the theater. The audience will be leaving and entering the theater during the load-in and load-out and the doors will remain open. Sets and props should be kept to a minimum.
TECHNICAL REHEARSAL
Each company will be scheduled a 2.5 hour technical rehearsal between August 1 and August 7, 2024. Tech rehearsal times closest to the festival will be reserved for out-of-town performers. The festival will attempt to meet the scheduling needs of all performing companies.
WITHDRAWALS AND REFUNDS
All withdrawals from the 2024 Festival must be made in writing by the company’s primary contact. If a company of the 2024 Fringe withdraws, notification must be received by June 15, 2024 in order to receive a 50% refund of the PERFORMANCE FEE. A company that withdraws after June 15, 2024 will forfeit 100% of its PERFORMANCE FEE.
WORK PERMITS AND VISAS
International companies are responsible for acquiring their own work permits and visas. The Fringe will provide a letter of invitation for those companies accepted into the Festival but this does not guarantee entry into the United States. Acquiring work permits and visas for international performers can be a difficult and lengthy process. The Fringe cannot be responsible for legal issues that result from the failure to acquire the necessary permits.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF PERFORMING COMPANIES
Companies participating in the San Francisco Fringe Festival must secure the rights for the production and any permissions and approvals required by Equity or other organizations with authority over their performers or other crew members. The Companies are responsible for all costs connected to their production.
The Festival will accept no liability for performance cancellations as a result of natural phenomena or the actions of third parties or as a result of a performance venue’s suitability or lack thereof for any particular purpose. The Festival makes no guarantee whatsoever regarding the suitability of the venue for performance presentation. In the event of a loss of the venue (or an unforeseen loss of Festival revenue needed to operate a venue) the Festival reserves the right to cancel all performances in the festival. In such an event, cancelled groups will receive a full refund of the performance fee.
The performing company releases the San Francisco Fringe Festival and EXIT Theatre and the employees, officers, and agents from any and all liability for any personal injury or death, damage to or loss of property, claims for damage to or loss of property incurred during or connected to the Fringe Festival. Any liability for the loss or theft of box office revenue at any time is borne solely by the performing company.
All performing companies agree to adhere to the laws of California, US, and the policies, procedures and safety restrictions of the San Francisco Fringe Festival. The San Francisco Fringe Festival is a safe space. We require and expect that all performers, staff, volunteers and patrons respect the festival and all who participate. All companies are obligated to act in the best interests of the Festival as a whole at all times. The San Francisco Fringe Festival reserves the right to cancel any or all performances of any performing company not adhering to these regulations.
Upon acceptance to the San Francisco Fringe Festival, participants are required to submit all requested materials and information in full and on time. Failure to do so will result in said participants removal from the Festival. All promotional and publicity materials should refer to said participation as “(Company or individual) in association with the San Francisco Fringe Festival present (Title)”.
Submission of this application shall indicate your acceptance of the TERMS AND CONDITIONS contained herein.