Community Alliance Magazine

March 2004

THE ROGUE FESTIVAL

The Rogue Performance Festival offers two weekends of deliciously varied entertainment.

The next time anyone tells you there’s no support for the arts in Fresno,

just say three words: Rogue Performance Festival. The five-day festival in March

will offer more than 80 performances of amazingly diverse entertainment. The theme

of the Rogue Performance Festival is choice—both for the audience and the performers.

For the audience, there’s a choice of multiple simultaneous performances

from genres as diverse as belly-dancing and found object puppetry, as well as

theater, music, film, dance, storytelling, and visual art.

For the performers, there’s the choice of offering whatever performance they choose

in a non-juried festival. “We don’t censor what performers can present, we don’t

dictate what’s good and what’s bad, we don’t give out prizes,” said Marcel Nunis,

managing director of the festival. “We think the audience can decide for itself what

it likes.” Audiences seem to like the Rogue Festival. Now in its third year, the annual

festival has seen its audience double every year. Nunis hopes for a turnout of at

least 4,000 for the 2004 Rogue Festival. The Rogue Performance Festival will take

place March 5, 6, 7, 12, and 13 at six different locations in the Tower District: theater,

dance, and music at Starline, Club Fred, Veni Vidi Vici; visual art at Ashtree

Studio (1035 North Fulton), Salon 637 (637 East Olive), and Recycom Galley, (604

Olive); and film at the Rogue Film Venue (641 East Pine).

Performances will happen simultaneously at all venues, so

patrons will have a constant choice of what to see. All the

venues are within convenient, safe walking distance from each

other, and shows will rotate rapidly, with no more than a 30-

minute gap between performances. “It’s all about choice. If

you don’t like one show, stick around. You’ll see something

else that’s completely different,” said Nunis. “And in between

shows, the venues are places where you can have a drink, get

something to eat, and discuss what you’ve seen with your

friends.” On most days of the five-day festival, the earliest show

will start at 1:00 PM and the latest show will happen at 11:30

PM. For a full schedule of performances, check the Rogue

Performance Festival website (www.roguefestival.com), or get

a Rogue Map, a complete guide to the festival, from any Rogue

venue or other arts-friendly businesses.

The Rogue Map and the Rogue website also list movie-style

G to R ratings for the performances. Not all shows at the Rogue

are suitable for all ages, so you should check ratings before

bringing young people. Tickets to individual performances will

range from $2 to $6. Tickets will be sold only at the venue 30

minutes before the show. However, you can buy a $50 Rogue

Ready Pass good for 12 shows at any Rogue venue. All proceeds

from Rogue ticket sales go directly to the performing

groups.

For more information contact Jaguar:

Bennettjagbennett@sbcglobal.net or (559) 261–4746.

One of the performers at this year’s Rogue Festival will be the musical group Rondalla Nuevo

Mundo - New World Acoustic Ensemble