Like many other performers who wound up with a losing number in the Minnesota Fringe Festival lottery, I decided to participate in Dean Seals' festival known as Spirit in the House. The festival has run for 10 days, the ending being tomorrow, June 1. The festival venue is the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church (across from the Walker). In its own words:The festival brings together 30 different shows, for a total of 150 performances, tackling a variety of ethical issues and celebrating a diverse cross-section of spiritual traditions.
Spirit in the House is dedicated to exploring questions of inner life and outward action through theater, film, dance, drumming, music, spoken word, poetry, and storytelling.
“It’s not just entertainment–it’s entertainment plus meaning,” says Dean J. Seal who serves as Artistic Director...
In short, it's a "spiritual" festival modeled somewhat on the Fringe Festival, with the major difference being the fact that SITH is curated (acts are chosen) by the festival's artistic director whereas the Fringe Festival is totally uncurated. All acts are chosen by lottery. Which brings me full circle. For the second time in the last three years my lottery number got pulled very late in the process. I wound up somewhere around 93 on the wait list. When that first happened 2 years ago I was really really bothered. I love the Fringe, which is why I am on the Board of the Fringe. I believe in the process. I cherish the Fringe's randomness. But I was still hurt by not being chosen. I have matured ... a bit. I still wish I was in. To say otherwise would be a lie. But the Fringe is what it is: the world's best unjuried, uncensored, wildly unpredictable performing arts festival in the whole wild world.
Anyway, as I said at the beginning of this minor rant, I decided to take a try at Dean's SITH festival. I am one of five "storytellers" in a piece entitled Sanctuary-Present Tense. I often have trouble being part of a multi-person review. I am something of a stage hog. I struggle with fitting in. Always have. In spite of this, I have (actually still am) enjoyed my time working with storytellers from Nprthstar Storytellers League. Storytelling is an odd art form. It's a sort of improv personal narrative. Some tellers are very traditional myth focused. Others, like me and people like Loren Niemi and Nancy Donoval go fairly far afield. Anyway, it's late and I'm tired. The festival closes tomorrow. I'll finish this after the festival closes.