FRINGE’S SPECTACULAR SPIEGELTENT RISES AGAIN!
Build Begins Sunday Morning, Continues through Tuesday
WHAT: The Cristal Palace Spiegeltent will be assembled starting Sunday morning, September 4 and continuing through Tuesday, September 6.
WHEN: Peak time would be all day Monday, September 5, and Tuesday morning, September 6. B-roll can be shot at any time.
WHERE: One Fringe Place, corner of Main and Gibbs Streets, across from Eastman Theatre.
WHO: Interviews with Festival Producer Erica Fee and Owner/Builder Rik Klessens are available on-site with advance notice only. Please call Fringe Publicist Leah Stacy at 585-749-2947.
WHY: The Cristal Palace returns for the first time since 2019 after a pandemic-induced pause. The Rochester Fringe Festival was the first fringe festival in North America to feature a Spiegeltent in 2013. This jewel box of a venue has since become a beloved annual tradition.
Originally built in the late 19th century as traveling dance halls, only a handful of Spiegeltents or “mirror” tents remain in existence today – many at international arts festivals. Constructed of in-laid oak floors, a velvet ceiling, and stained glass, its numerous faceted mirrors made it possible to make discreet eye contact with other visitors. The tents themselves have a storied past – the Nazis destroyed many during WWII; some were actually buried to preserve them. Many clergy were vehement in denouncing them as “devil tents.”
The Cristal Palace Spiegeltent was constructed in Malle, Belgium by the Klessens family, who oversees its annual construction at the Rochester Fringe.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SPIEGELTENT STAYS IN THE SPIEGELTENT:
- Cirque du Fringe: Afterglow, a World Premiere, Vegas-style comedy and variety show with an international cast, 9/13-9/24
- Late & Live, an all-new cabaret that highlights festival shows, 9/16-9/17
- Shotspeare, bawdy, Shakespearean-inspired late show, 9/23-9/24
- Silent Disco, late-late Friday and Saturday dance parties, three live DJs spinning tunes through headphones
All tickets and info at rochesterfringe.com.
Media Please Note: High-resolution photos, video and other press assets – including a link to request reviewer tickets – may be found at https://www.rochesterfringe.com/press.
Hope to see you there!
