By Shawn Gadberry

The Altered Modalities Contemporary Dance Company is among the many varied acts performing at this year's Rogue Performance Festival. Photo: Rogue Performance Festival

"It's a swirling, magical thing that happens once a year." That's how co-founder, Marcel Nunis, describes the Rogue, Fresno's annual fringe festival of performing arts. Think of it as an alternative three-ring circus, multiplied by five, without the clowns and elephants. "It really began as a big joke," Nunis says. Nunis had a theater company. The members kept after him to start a fringe festival modeled after the ones in San Francisco. Finally, in 2002, the first Rogue Festival was held at The Sanctuary. "The first year was interesting," Nunis says. "We didn't even know if people would show up." Nearly 1,200 people did show up. The Rogue has since moved to the Tower District and grown from a single stage to 15 different venues with more than 70 acts lined up. At least 7,000 are expected to attend. "It's fun and a little bit madcap," says Jaguar Bennett, performer and promotion coordinator. "There's sort of a carnival atmosphere in all of this." Performance artist Mallory Moad agrees. "The whole festival has a kind of buzz to it," she says. "There's something for every taste, from traditional to experimental." Getting their Rogue onFor the performers, the Rogue is an opportunity to be seen by the public. "Part of the reason behind the Rogue was to pick up interest in independent performance," Nunis says. Tim Ereneta, a performer from Berkeley, is returning to the Rogue with his one-man show, "Happy Endings Are Overrated: The Life and Times of Prince Charming." "Participating in the Rogue means that I can get an audience," Ereneta says. "It's hard as a solo performing artist to do that." For many of the participants, the Rogue is a vital outlet. "As a performance artist in Fresno, there aren't many places to present my work," Moad says. "The Rogue Festival provides a low-cost venue with no value judgements attached. And, because the performers get to keep 100 percent of the door, they might even make a few bucks in the process." The Rogue is not only a chance for the performers to do their thing, it also gives them a chance to see what others are working on. "The sheer number of acts condensed into two weekends is a heady stew of creativity," Ereneta says. "I find it inspiring to have so many creative people putting on a show in the same place at the same time." "Because participants come from all over the world, performers get to meet other performers, too." Rogue-ing outThe Rogue Performance Festival partially fills a much-needed gap in the Fresno scene. "Fresno does not have enough cultural activities for a city its size," Bennett says. "We are behind where we ought to be. People need to have options other than what's on TV or what's at the movies. It needs to give its citizens a full range of experiences or ideas." Lydia Fortner, whose Tanjora Tribal Bellydance group will be performing this year, sees the Rogue as way to give more attention to things that are going on in Fresno that many don't know about. "I think it's great to have a focused art event in Fresno," she says. "There's always a lot of stuff going on here, but it's kind of under the radar. Having us all work as a collective raises community awareness of what's going on here." By having the Rogue, the city benefits culturally and the performers can get a moment in the limelight. "The Rogue Festival gives Fresnans an opportunity to sample the amazing artistic and cultural diversity we have in this city, all in a two-week period," Fortner says. "People will be exposed to arts and venues they didn't even know we had here." The importance of the Rogue is catching on. An announcement by the city council is expected on Feb. 28 proclaiming March 2 to 11 as Rogue Performance Festival Week. For people interested in going to the Rogue, the thing to do is just do it. "It's so accessible," Ereneta says. "The venues are close, ticket prices are cheap." Bennett feels the same way. "The Rogue is a great chance to take a very small bet on something," he says. "See something you think you may not like. Chances are you may be pleasantly surprised." Nunis summed up what the Rogue is all about. "Think of the Rogue Festival as dim sum, tappas, or hors d'oeuvres -- really intense samplings of the flavors we have here in town."