So Good to Be Out of the Loop

Part of the appeal of going to a festival is the incredible diversity of experiences offered throughout the event. I've been to an Austin City Limits festival where we saw Arcade Fire and John Prine in the same (very hot) weekend. I've been to food-based festivals where I sampled cuisine from Hare Krishna and walked across the midway to eat an insane amount of barbecue. That's ultimately why you go to festivals--to sample a cross-section of bands, food, art and culture that you would otherwise need months to come into contact with individually. One of the events that really does a great job of grouping disparate experiences into one handy package is WaterTower Theatre's Out of the Loop Fringe Festival. The annual theater festival brings together playwrights and performers from across the country for a one-of-a-kind affair that blends dance, plays, spoken words and an incredible range of material. This year's festival includes a play from True Blood writer Alan Ball, a monologue about L. Ron Hubbard, an exploration of vocal style by Seth Rudetsky, a one-act play about lost luggage and evil airline employees, and a musical about Jack the Ripper, giving you serious bang for your theatre festival buck. The Out of the Loop Fringe Festival runs from Thursday through March 14 at Addison Theatre Centre, 15650 Addison Road. $60 gives you access to see every event, but individual tickets are available for specific shows by calling 972-450-6232.
March 4-14, 2010