The Boulder International Fringe Festival is one of those events that makes Boulder special. Every year, independent theatre artists from all over the world flock to our little city to show their cutting-edge work to audiences from here and everywhere. But the Fringe Fest is a non-profit (a 501(c)3 operation), and so relies on support from the community to keep the unique theatrical shenanigans running. The Five 5ths event is one spectacular way that the Fringe fest raises money for its continued existence.
Started ten years ago as a benefit for the Minnesota Fringe, the Five 5ths production is a creative challenge given to five local theatre artists, all the while raising funds for the Fringe. Here’s how it works:
A well-known play or movie is divided up into 5 pieces. Each piece is then assigned to one of five total theatre companies to tackle. But here’s the catch: each chunk must then be condensed into ten minutes each by the artists. What then goes up at the end of the night’s festivities is a 50-minute postmodernly-messed-with version of a well-known classic. Last year, Boulder did The Wizard of Oz to great acclaim. This year, it’s The Princess Bride.
The artists assigned to tackle each of the five facets of the Princess Bride are (in order): Stories with Spirit,The Band of Toughs, Al Stafford Productions, Mandy Greenlee, and Jaryd Smart. Tickets can be purchased on the event’s Facebook page or the Boulder Fringe website. $25 will get you admission to a cocktail hour, silent auction, and of course the show itself. All proceeds go to the Boulder International Fringe Festival. It’s a Boulder event not to be missed, to support another Boulder event not to be missed!
