New Orleans Fringe is a grassroots community effort.
Hundreds of people have put their ideas, resources, creativity and hard work into the Fringe, including volunteers, organizers, venue technicians, sponsors, local businesses, arts organizations and of course the performers.
Here are just a few of the people who work behind the scenes:
- Anthony Carpenter, Venue Coordinator
- Anna Charlotte, Spoken Word Coordinator
- Kathy Connolly, Goodchildren Fringe Parade Organizer
- Pamela Davis-Noland, Special Events Coordinator
- Kristen Evans, Executive Director
- Joe Furnari, BYOV Coordinator
- Todd Giese and Brett Mesmer, Box Office Coordinators
- Kaitlin Greetham, Catering Coordinator
- Benjamin Harlow, Advertising Coordinator
- Ian Hoch, Media Coordinator
- Heather Lane, Yard Art Tour Coordinator
- Rebecca McLaughlin, Free-For-All Coordinator
- Lorrena Murray, Technical Coordinator
- Eric Porter, Free-For-All Tent Logistics Coordinator
- Damon Rosenzweig, Development Coordinator
- Molly Ruben-Long, Volunteer Coordinator
- Alysia Savoy, Performance Coordinator
- Sarah Spivey, Web Site Manager
- Erin Walters-Bugbee, Market Coordinator
Fringe Board of Directors
Ed Bishop, American Theatre Project - pRESIDENT
John Costa, wwii mUSEUM AND BNA - Vice President, Treasurer
Ashlye Keaton, NOLA Entertainment Law
Damon Rosenzweig, Fringe
Kathy connolly, Goodchildren
Jenny Breen, The Joint
And a few folks' stories....
Kathy Connolly, Goodchildren Fringe Parade Coordinator
Kathy brings a rich history of volunteerism, including community and events organizing, public access television producing and cause-related campaigns and actions. Detroit, Grand Rapis, Seattle, and Treasure Island FL were all called home, before she finally landed for good in New Orleans in 1998. Since Katrina, Kathy has been a volunteer/event organizer for St. Claude Main Street, the Renaissance Project, and the Fringe Festival (on whose board she also serves). In 2007, she founded Goodchildren Social Aid & Pleasure Club with a mission to help revitalize St. Claude and its neighborhoods through celebration and cultural preservation. Beginning with the first Easter Parade in 2008, Goodchildren has served the community with parades, parties, community events and much love. The Marianites of Holy Cross at Holy Angels awarded Kathy a Bywater Award for that work, and she continues to work with community groups, artists, residents and families to fulfill the mission.
Pamela Davis-Noland, Special Events Coordinator
Keen-Amity Publishing’s founder, Pamela Davis Noland, has 10+ years of experience as a published Novelist, Freelance Writer, Playwright and Poet. She is the Author of theNovel “Coffee-Colored Dreams,” and has written and produced four stage productions: Coffee-Colored Dreams: A Stage Play, The Unacquainted: A Gospel, Badu-Izms: ATribute Erykah and N.O. Soul, two of which were featured at the New Orleans Fringe Festival in 2009 and 2010. She has facilitated writing workshops to encourage other writers on their respective literary journeys and has counseled many on how to express their vision and project their distinct identities in their writing. In addition to being a Novelist, she has provided quality entertainment in theater and has proven that she is in position to make her mark in the world and leave a lasting impression.
Kristen Evans, Executive Director
Kristen has a passion for launching grassroots projects and convincing people to join the cause. As a recent Rice grad, she started her first business in Atlanta -- a graphic design and internet company -- and grew it within six years to a profitable company of 20 employees. She then joined the Peace Corps, where she helped indigenous people in the Bolivian Amazon start businesses to save their forests. In 2005, she moved to the Bywater in New Orleans to dedicate herself to theater production. In 2007 she co-founded the Backyard Ballroom on St. Claude Ave and in 2008 co-founded the New Orleans Fringe with Dennis Monn and Ben Moren. The New Orleans Fringe Festival is everything she loves doing: startups, theater and community development. She is involved in Festival business management, marketing, promotion, and dedicated to getting everyone – volunteers, performers, audience, community and press – crazy about the Festival.
Shannon Flaherty, Media Coordinator
Shannon Flaherty is an arts administrator and performer originally from New Hampshire. She has lived in New Orleans for almost three years and during that time has fallen in love with the city and its wonderful theatre community. She is the Managing Director of Goat in the Road Productions (GRP) and the Project Director of GRP’s kids’ playwriting festival, Play/Write. She has appeared in several of GRP’s productions over the past two years and has also worked with Cripple Creek Theatre Co.
Joseph Furnari, BYOV Coordinator
Joseph Furnari moved to New Orleans in August 2010 after living and working in NJ and NY for, well, his entire live. One of the reasons he came to NOLA was to become part of the vibrant theatre community. He is currently a teaching artist for KID smART in residence at Lagniappe Academies. He is co-founder of the Triad Arts Ensemble, a New Jersey based group of performing artists who work collaboratively develop innovative relevant theatre and is the treasurer for the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE). Over the years, Joe has produced, directed and acted in numerous productions in professional and educational theatre. Before coming to NOLA, Joe was a Theatre Arts Specialist for the NYC DOE. He is a 2008 Surdna Arts Teachers Fellow, holds an Ed.D. in Art and Art Education focusing on drama from Teachers College, Columbia University and an MA in theatre from Montclair State University. As part of his dissertation research, he worked with a group of his students to create an ethnotheatre piece, entitled What’s the Point, based on the their experiences and issues important in their lives. The play was presented at the AATE National Conference in 2006. As BYOV Coordinator, Joe is thrilled to have the opportunity to connect artists with invigorating vital theatre to venues that will reveal and accentuate their work.
Kaitlin Greetham, Catering Coordinator
Kaitlin loves theater, theatrical lighting, and volunteering for community events almost as much as she loves food. After two years as lighting designer at the Backyard Ballroom, she went on a temporary hiatus this past August in order to attend the culinary arts program at Delgado Community College and spend evenings with her three year old. In her free time, Kaitlin works full time as a candymaker at Southern Candymakers and plans delicious things for Fringe Fest participants to eat.
Damon Rosenzweig, Development Coordinator
Damon was born and raised in New Orleans and spent most of his professional career in leadership of international humanitarian assistance programs delivered in conflict areas. Damon was among the professional leadership of Doctors Without Borders in 1999 when the staff and volunteers of that organization were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He has worked in Haiti, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, South Sudan, Burundi, Congo, the Balkans, Uzbekistan and Uganda among other remote locations. He has a Masters in Public Health from Tulane and has worked in public health and community development in New Orleans and around the US, where he has been involved in the planning, organization and development of non-profits -- the scrappier and more grassroots, the better. So he joined the Fringe, where he is dedicated to the Fringe's organizational development and building a community-oriented effort that nurtures risky and innovative artistic expression. Damon is also a sculptor; he organized the acclaimed multi-disciplinary large-scale sculpture installation On Piety, which was a Prospect.1 satellite venue and BYOV Fringe venue in 2008. He also participated in the development of the set elements for the ArtSpot/Mondo Bizarro original production Loup Garou in 2009 and Go Ye Therefore in 2010.
Alysia Savoy, Performance Coordinator
Alysia is an arts administrator who was born and raised in New Orleans and gained her background in artist management and record label operations in New York City, working with artists and organizations based all over the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and more. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Arts Administration at the University of New Orleans and is excited to be involved in her hometown’s vibrant theater community.
