‘Fringe Force 3’ brings the region’s arts scene together

  On the heels of the New York International Fringe Festival, Long Islanders are treated their own multi-arts extravaganza when the region’s top creative talents converge on the grounds of C.W. Post’s School of Visual and Performing Arts during the weekend of Sept. 9-11.
The Artists Group, a Hicksville-based arts organization, has assembled a varied collection of performers and – in the grand tradition of The Edinburgh International Fringe Festival where ‘fringe’ began – will present three days of an unbridled confluence of imagination. A true feast for the senses, every creative discipline will be presented ‘around the fringe’ and on the main stage. This is an opportunity to taste dance, music, poetry, film, and performance during a weekend devoted to art on the edge.
“It’s an experience of a lifetime, right here in our own backyards,” said producer Debra Ann Kasimakis, who has nurtured the Long Island Fringe Festival over its young – three-year life – to become a vital vehicle for cutting-edge artistry of every genre.
“Fringe is an evolutionary process that is alive and is continuously evolving,” Kasimakis said. “It is a platform where participating artists are not pigeonholed and not hampered by being judged. It promotes accessibility between performers and the audience. And the more people, especially young people, that we can involve the better. The younger folks are the fringes of the future.”

The festival draws from the area’s wealth of talent in all
creative forms. “There’s no reason to travel off Long Island to see quality fine arts performances,” Kasimakis said. “We have so much to offer here. Long Island can be a cultural hub. There are all sorts of hidden cultural gems here and no other festival gathers them all the way we do – across art, music and performance. And we do it in a way that crosses all cultural and economic boundaries.”
As in their previous years, the entire gamut of arts is being laid out for everyone’s enjoyment. Fringe has its roots in theater and this year’s two special theatrical performances will set the tone for the gamut of creative offerings that are showcased throughout the festival. To start things off on Friday, in C.W. Post’s Little Theatre, Jen Danby appears as Vivian Leigh in Marcy Lafferty’s acclaimed one-woman show, “Vivien Leigh, The Last Press Conference.” 
In this piece, Vivien Leigh is holding her last press conference in a theater, taking questions from members of the press. We learn her thoughts on the five stages of an actress’ professional life as well as the specifics of her own career, including all the juicy details: her rise to fame; her love life in and out of Laurence Olivier’s arms. The play begins as Leigh herself sweeps onto the stage for her last press conference – still the glamorous movie star and still talking in Scarlett O’Hara’s voice. But it’s an illusion. Long past Scarlett’s prime, no longer the Georgia peach, she is the thorny English rose who was driven by hidden demons. She drifts between past and present, in an attempt to define herself this one last time, exposing Viv, the world’s darling, desperate for truth and stripped to the bone.
On the opposite end of the spectrum (this is a fringe festival after all), “Groucho: A Life in Revue,” is comedic look at the life of the great comic talent, written by his son, Arthur Marx. It is being brought to the stage and performed by local comedian Steve Gianturco, aka Stevie GB. His show can be seen at noon on Saturday and again at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.
And don’t miss Slash Coleman, whose first-year fringe performance, “The Neon Man and Me,” has been shown on PBS television nationwide. He presents his newest show, “The Last American Gladiator,” a coming-of-age journey to find reason in a world where none exists.
Dance enthusiasts can look forward to the festival’s dance day spectacular, on Sunday, involving eight dance companies. Middle Eastern and Indian dance will be showcased by Irene Cosmadelis and her company Zahrah, along with Nritya Saagaram Dance led by Satya Pradeep. Classical dance will be presented by Elaine Lewis’ Circle of Dance Repertory Company and Dance Visions, featuring the work of Beth Jucovy. This being fringe, of course, check out the newest cutting-edge interpretations by SONARdance, Karen Arcenaux and Genesis Dance Company, and eastern Long Islands’s JT Lotus. As an extra bonus, the festival will present works of the faculty, students and alumni of C.W. Post’s Dance Department.
The weekend is jam-packed with all sorts of other family friendly, participatory activities. Each day begins outside with the Paumanok Poets, a group of wordsmiths organized by Nassau County’s first Poet Laureate Maxwell Corydon Wheat, Jr. Music will fill the air daily, with the guitar picking of David Norstedt, the pop stylings of Veronica Marie Kelly, rock with The Kid Henry and Suck It Easy bands, the urban sounds of The Long Island Boyz, DJ Mikey, and pianist David Holzman.
The Long International Film Festival is represented, with a screening of “Long Island Uncovered,” the documentary film that takes a behind-the-scenes look at the private lives of some of Long Island’s top tribute/cover band musicians. Also see “Jesse,” a crime drama written and directed by area filmmaker Fred Carpenter.
A screening of ARTMOSPHERE, the Artists Group’s 2008 production, interpreting the creation of the universe, is also planned. For fun and a little taste of “fringiness,” stop by the ‘peek at your own risk’ booth presenting a full “Monty Marathon.” Woodmere’s puzzle artist Alli Berman also appears throughout the festival, demonstrating her interactive, inclusive concept, Brain Fitness Art.
Then there’s the Marketplace, where you’ll find local artisans creating and displaying their wares.
As if that is not enough, Kasimakis aims to give back to others through her festival. “Shining the light is what our fringe festival is all about this year,” she explained. “We are on a mission, bringing focus to Long Island, the unique issues creative people face here and the challenge of presenting a purpose larger than one’s own self. This year fringe is helping to bring attention to the plight of our pets, homeless and unwanted animals. Long Island Fringe Festival has invited Rock-can-Roll, the food pantry bank, and pet rescue advocacy groups to educate, inspire and publicize the mission to help save nature’s most innocent, our animals.”
It’s fringe and it’s a “happening” – a spectacle for the entire family and the only festival of this type on Long Island. Kasimakis urges everyone to visit and become part of worldwide fringe festival history. It is recommended that younger children be accompanied by a parent, as there may be content in some of the shows that requires supervision.

Long Island Fringe Festival
Friday through Sunday, Sept. 9-11
Admission: $25
C.W. Post Campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville
(516) 299-2356 or www.longislandfringefestival.weebly.com