Rogue Report -March 9 - Don't thank me...

... thank the current crop of organizers, the volunteers, the performers and artists, the audience and all those who have supported the Rogue in cash or kind. And this is not from any sense of false modesty... but it is YOU who made the Rogue what it is this year.

This will be my last posting here for this festival season and I want to share a few thoughts.

ON RETIRING MY POSITION (which I did last year)
It just has to be if the Rogue is to continue to evolve. If it is truly to be a community event... then it should not be tied to one person or group of individuals. It went from the efforts of those involved in Theatre J'Nerique to it's own entity to where we are now... and you will take it forward.

ON WHERE IT WILL GO
Hopefully with a little restructuring... a better organisation... a vibrant organisation... an annual event that embraces and encourages talent and creativity year round.

ON WHAT I HOPE NEVER CHANGES
It's founding principles... non-curated, non-juried and 100 percent to the performers. The phrase "freedom of expression" is bandied around a lot these days... until it becomes inconvenient. May this NEVER happen to the Rogue.

ON WHAT I HOPE CHANGES
That the amount of talent that is highlighted in the festival inspires:

• More (and affordable) performing venues to open.
• The realization that the ARTS is good for business.
• So much more can happen and be supported year round!

ON WHAT I LIKE THE MOST ABOUT THE ROGUE NOW

1. The ability to hop shows once a year WHERE I LIVE! I would walk the Fringe in SF for years wondering when the day would come when I could do it without paying for a hotel room. Well, that day is here.

2. Watching the evolution in confidance & creativity of local performers bloom.

3. I am most pleased this year with the number and quality of ORIGINAL LOCAL SHOWS in the festival. Nothing wrong with the tried and true (and playing it safe)... but the bold and new is really where it's at. Why shouldn't WE be the first place introduce to the audience what they will want?

4. Also, this year more local performers are considering taking their shows out of Fresno to other festivals. That is so cool!

5. The sense of community that it's building.

6. Not being in charge and being able to watch ENTIRE shows in the festival for the first time in 6 years!

7. The out of town acts who come to share and hopefully spread the gospel of the Rogue in their continuing adventures!

So, there you have it. LA, Joel, Jen, Jodi, Paul, Jag, Blake, Terri, Cindy... our baby is on it's feet now... those trips to the SF Fringe were sure fun... but this is a lot closer and is something to be proud of. To the wave of Core that came next... you guys ROGUE! So, Rogue On... it is in capable loving hands now. may it flourish.

Cheers!
marcel

ROGUE REPORT March 3a

by XPR Goddess

AFFINITY: kinship:resemblance:attractiveness:attraction:chemical attraction:consanguinity:attractive force:blood kinship

These are all of the words that have come up in conversations over and over again.

Thursdays Full Circle Brewery felt like a family reunion. Even the new faces felt like family.

Da Rogue asked if I would be interested in being a reporter sharing my "has been" experience with y'all. I think he's keeping me busy so I don't end up behind a table volunteering. It's difficult to let go. The Rogue Performance Festival is like a child that keeps growing and evolving. Holy Cow! 200 Acts! This child keeps growing.

Many artists may not admit it but they thrive in a community. We (artists) need deadlines to show our work. Otherwise, it would never be finished, there is always something to tweek to make "it" even better. I like to call these artists communities and my friends my tribe.

When the spark of affinity ignites...magic is created and it's viral. You want this virus.

Waiting in line chatting with some old friends I found myself recognizing some volunteers from a couple of years ago. Three years and the volunteers keep coming back with the same excitement and enthusiasm. I remember when this husband and wife team volunteered at their first venue. They were nervous, they had just discovered their place a tribe that they liked. It was nice to see that they still like it as I do.

I love to sit in the back of the theatre so that I can get the complete show experience. The audience reaction. Stagehands and tech crew running like crazy to fix a cranky light.

There's more....but, I gotta catch a show....

ROGUE REPORT March 3

Opening Night was Great! Thanks, Fresno!
by Jaguar Bennett

The crowds looked great on the first night of regular Rogue shows, with several shows nearly selling out. It was an amazing opening night -- which is a testimony to the way that the community is rallying around the Rogue.

In the first few years we did the Rogue, opening night was fraught with anxiety. Will anyone show up? Are the crowds too small? We developed some Rogue conventional wisdom: opening night is always light, you have to wait for word of mouth and momentum to build, the 2nd weekend is always stronger, etc.

This year is different. After 6 years, Fresno really does "get" the Rogue. On Day 1, crowds of people were lined up, Rogue Maps in their hands, buying Rogue Ready Passes and Rogue T-shirts.

One part of the Rogue conventional wisdom is still true: as momentum builds, the crowds get bigger. If we opening this strong, this weekend and the next are going to be insane. The Rogue audience deserves a big hand -- they've built our little festival into a great event for the whole community.

Two short takes on my Rogue night: First, I performed in 'Dentity Crisis by Christopher Durang. The interplay between the ever-vivacious Lori Gambero, the slightly sinister Ashley Hyatt and the promethean Adam Schroeder make this comedy extra-hilarious. See it!

Next, I saw "This Lily Was (Fontana)" by Mia Paschal. This is my first pick for a MUST-SEE show at the 2007 Rogue. Paschal tells a haunting story of despair and hope, expressing a complex range of emotions with economy and grace. Paschal makes rapid transformations between moods and characters, while staying totally in control of all the energy she brings to the stage. You must see it.

ROGUE REPORT March 2a

The Rogue is Magic
by Jaguar Bennett

My 2007 Rogue experience began with ... MAGIC! The Magic of Bryan Patrick, that is. Bryan, who modestly bills himself as "The Magician So Amazing He Amazes Himself" was performing up-close magic tricks for the crowd at Salon 637 last night, as we kicked off the 2007 Rogue with sampler shows for ArtHop.

I'm always impressed with magicians, because I can never figure out how they do it. But up-close magic is the most impressive of all. Bryan did tricks while standing just a few feet from the audience. He switched cards and transformed objects that were tightly grasped in the hands of audience volunteers.

Best trick of the night--Bryan showed a young woman two ordinary washers, then asked her to hold one tightly between her hands, her hands held horizontally. Then Bryan casually removed the hole from the washer he held and passed it through the woman's hands and into the washer she held. She opened her hands to reveal ... a washer with two holes. How did he do that?

The moral of the story: see Bryan Patrick.

ROGUE REPORT March 2

My Impressions - by marcel nunis

Ever walk into a hair salon and find the media lights of a TV crew outside while a magician does his tricks inside? Or walk into an art gallery and find everyones heads bopping to the sounds of live hot jazz? That's what it was like at last nights ArtHop. It's a sure indication that the Rogue has arrived.

Acts were doing samplers of their shows at several locations between 5 and 8 PM. Over at Full Circle Brewing folks were starting to trickle in around 7 PM.

When I got there Jose DeLoza was singing the promo for his how on the stage. Smiling people were milling about. Performers were streaming in to check when their sample slots were happening on stage. Blake Jones, the host of the evening was mingling and making everyone feel at ease.

One by one the acts pitched their shows. Some stood and pitched while others did excerpts of their shows. It felt very much like a family reunion... with the addition of new extended family members. There were returning acts from far and near. There were new acts from far and near. Mostly there were friends getting reacquainted and new friends being made.

Show flyers were being swapped like it was a trading card convention. Buzz was floating about the anticipation of hot shows. Connections were being made. Handshakes and hugs exchanged... pats on the back... general goofing around... tasty beer being poured and drunk. A good start to this edition of the Rogue.

Yes, the Rogue has arrived. Tonight the marathon begins.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICTURES