Know neWS

Wednesday, Jul 09 2:49 PM

Know Partner Attempts International Hit

Hunger Warrior Theatre’s play, Anna the Slut and the (Almost) Chosen One was a hit at the 2008 Cincy Fringe with four sell-out performances. Now Andrew Hungerford, lighting and set designer for Know Theatre, and writer, producer and director of Anna the Slut, hopes to wow international audiences in August when he takes his cast and crew to the 62nd annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

Anna the Slut and the (Almost) Chosen One is a play that shines a contemporary light on the ancient Sumerian legend of the goddess of sex. Hilarity ensues when a jock and a geek approach Anna, the goddess, in a bar and choose to battle each other in an effort to win her affection.

Know Theatre’s Producing Director Eric Vosmeier believes that the Cincy Fringe was a good place to premiere the unique show. “Anna The Slut would likely not have found an outlet anywhere else in the region except for the Cincy Fringe,” says Vosmeier. “We’re proud of that fact.”

Hungerford has no doubt that his show will be a success. “Having a sell-out success at the Cincinnati Fringe has given us a great position to launch into our longer run in Scotland,” says Hungerford. Their short stint in Cincinnati has helped the company decide what works best for their show.

Hungerford took a company to the Edinburgh fringe in 2005 and says that he feels more prepared for this trip. The cast and crew consists of six actors, two puppeteers and a small tech crew.

Hungerford says that culture specific references could cause obstacles when performing the show overseas. “Do people from the UK know He-Man and the Masters of the Universe? We'll be ready to quickly rewrite our script if it turns out the Power Rangers are more universal,” says Hungerford. The cast plans to adjust the show depending on the responses they receive early in their run.

Hungerford says that the size of the Edinburgh Fringe can be intimidating as well. “A given show in Edinburgh is up against nearly 2000 others, all hoping for an audience, and all competing tooth and nail to get people into the seats for every performance,” says Hungerford.

The Edinburgh Fringe festival is the largest fringe in the world. It broke all festival sales records in 2007 by selling more than 1.6 million tickets. The 2007 Edinburgh Fringe featured nearly 19,000 artists in 31,000 performances. There were 2,050 shows, which took place in 250 venues.

Vosmeier is excited to see a Cincy Fringe show go overseas. “We’re thrilled to have premiered Anna The Slut at the 2008 Cincinnati Fringe Festival and we’re honored to help produce the show in Edinburgh,” says Vosmeier. “This is chance for us to support a local production on an international level.”

The 2008 Edinburgh Fringe begins on Aug. 2, but Andrew and his cast are already preparing for the big trip. They are using money they earned from the Cincinnati Fringe to help curb travel costs.

“It's incredibly exciting to be participating in the world’s largest fringe festival, and it's especially satisfying to have the chance to bring a piece of the Cincinnati arts to an international stage,” says Hungerford.

Anna the Slut and the (Almost) Chosen One opens internationally on Aug. 2 and runs everyday through Aug. 25, with 23 shows total.