Fringe Festivals Are Cool. But What Should They Really Be?

“Ideas of what fringe theatre should be are as diverse as the acts in the largest festivals. The phrase comes from “fringe of another festival,” and the website worldfringe.com points out they “come in all different shapes and sizes; some are open access, first come first served, created by lottery, juried, part programmed or a mix of them all.” But can the ideals of a fringe—daring, a bit anti-establishment, fresh new voices—be realized if a fringe festival is curated?”