This in from the Ocotillo Literary Endeavors, Inc. (dba Tucson Poetry Festival) press release:

Incredible Lineup in a Once-in-a-Lifetime Event!!! The theme is “gallery of the unexpected,” and will not be your average poetry event. Behind every set of doors, in different corners, and throughout the home there will be mini-performances on Saturday, November 20th at 7:30 p.m. at a beautiful private residence, 4133 E. Pima, Tucson, between Alvernon and Columbus.

Poets, performers and musicians including Logan Phillips, Maya Asher, Teresa Driver, DJ Transeo, Kelly Lewis, Heather Woodrich and many, many more bring never-before-seen multimedia performances/poems in a beautiful, private-backyard setting. There will be some exclusive seating available for an additional charge, which will be available on a first come first service basis. There will also be some donated art for sale, from local artists. Tickets will be 10 dollars, sold at the door.

The Tucson Poetry Festival has brought the biggest and brightest names in the literary world for almost 3 decades. Previous performers have included Czeslaw Milosz, Quincey Troupe, Allen  Ginsberg, Patricia Smith and many more. As TPF puts together an eclectic lineup for its 29th year, we’ve decided to hold a huge bash for the city of Tucson to celebrate the amazing literary scene in our city that can support and has supported such an incredible event. There will be food, drinks, music, poetry, and multimedia presentations. This event will end with two live DJ’s, traveling from out of town to play an eclectic mix featuring dub bass. Come for the art, stay for the music and support our wonderful and local scene.

At this event, Logan Phillips will be showcasing his newest project “NoVOGRAFIAS: the poem before the pen” which will change how you think about spoken word and performance art. Heather Woodrich will be showcasing her film “Artifact” which has been release briefly at the Loft theater, this film is not available online. There will be two poems done in American Sign Language, with an English translation voiced. Other poets will be local, and will be utilizing the Festival’s theme for 2011 “Poetry in Action.” This event is being held to benefit the upcoming 29th Tucson Poetry Festival on April 1-3 2011!

For more info contact Matthew Conley, matthewjohnconley@gmail.com or call 520.413.2382 and 480.390.1063 or visit their website, www.tucsonyouthslam.blogspot.com.

The Tucson Poetry Festival celebrates its 28th year with the theme  Poetry Where You Are. They plan on addressing the questions, “Where does poetry reside? What makes it vital to our everyday lives? How can we bring poetry out of the classroom and the library and into the world around us?” I would add, how do we tell our stories with poetry?

Friday, April 2, opens with readings at the Club Congress followed by the Grand Slam, billed as” the biggest Slam Poetry event that Tucson has ever seen”.  If you’ve never been to a slam (or even if you have), be prepared to be amazed!

Saturday, April 3, brings more readings and workshops with poets  Manuel Paul Lopez, Gypsee Yo, Linda Russo, and Sonya Renee, and a panel moderated by Paul Fisher.  See the schedule of events for times and locations.

Events are at Club Congress, Tucson High Library and Casa Libre.  You can buy a festival pass at the venues for the whole weekend for $25 or pay for individual events.  The High School readings and panel discussion are free.

The Festival is co-sponsored by Ocotillo Literary Endeavor and POG. For more information, contact mewakamatsu@msn.com

The Phoenix Fringe Festival mission statement says PHX:fringe “presents innovative, experimental and provocative theatre by local, national and international artists. PHX:fringe seeks to develop a cutting edge, urban audience by offering an edgy assortment of performance choices in non-traditional downtown spaces. PHX:fringe promotes artistic exploration by supporting the risky, adventurous work of established and emerging artists while also providing accessible, affordable performances to the community.”

PHX:fringe is a nonprofit founded in early 2008 by Phoenix theatre artists and producers. April 2 – 11, 2010 will be their third year of bringing alternative performances to the Valley of the Sun.

All shows are in various venues seating 40 – 125, within walking distance from each other, in downtown Phoenix.  Each show lasts from 30 to 60 minutes. Last year attendence was about 2000 and they hope to build on that this year.

PHX:fringe is now accepting applications for all performance types;  dance, mime, youth theatre, spoken word, etc., are all welcome to apply.  They hope to include international performers in addition to hometown talent.  The application fee is $35 and some scholarships and grants are available.  You can contact info@phxfringe.com with questions.  They are also on MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. All you fringe types plan ahead – let’s get some southern Arizona representation!

A little Fringe history:  The oldest and largest fringe theatre festival is in Edinburgh, Scotland, begun in 1947 and today sells over a million tickets. If you Google Fringe festivals you will come up with many stateside and international entries.

At Suite 101.com I read about the Winnipeg festival:

The idea behind fringe festivals has always been to provide a venue for alternative and amateur performances, without artistic constraints from committees or societies. Anyone can apply to perform, and participants include professional actors, amateurs, and everything in between. Classics such as Shakespeare or Ibsen can be part of the festival, as well as children’s plays, juggling acts, comedy, and more. The quality of performances can vary considerably, but each one has its own special character.

The format of fringe festivals is unique. In the Canadian city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, participants are chosen by a non-juried lottery to stimulate innovation among performers. Ticket prices are substantially lower than at traditional performances, allowing audiences to take in a variety of shows, with some free entertainment available at a central location.