It’s that time of year, artists. Registration is now open for the 2016 Fringe Festival, and we at FringeArts are itching to see what you all have in store. While we expect to see a lot of old friends staging new works, we also welcome newcomers with open arms. We don’t bite, and if we do it’s just in a playful way, promise not to break the skin. For those of you out there who still might be apprehensive about registering, I’m here to help demystify the lofty institution that is the Fringe Festival, because if you don’t think your work has a place in our cavalcade of culture, you’re probably wrong. Don’t feel too bad though, being wrong is the first step towards being right.

So, what mediums of art are you looking for?

I’m glad you asked. We’re looking for theater, dance, music, visual art, digital/web art, and everything in between.

FIFTY DAYS IN ILIAM from Hannah Van Sciver, part of the 2015 Fringe Festival

Want to stage your latest five hour theatrical saga about the life and times of a three toed sloth? Hey, you can do that. Want to rattle some crowds with your new band’s brand of barnyard inspired abstract noise rock? You can do that too. Want to smash every artistic medium you can conceive of together into one overstimulating extravaganza in praise of the late, great Robert Loggia? Go right ahead, and best of luck to you.

If you feel so inclined, don’t be afraid to take your medium to some far out places. Last year’s Festival alone saw a host of artists bringing unconventional works to our fair city. Conceptual artist Brian Feldman went to ticket-holders homes to wash their dishes and perform a monologue of their choosing. Tangle Movement Arts mounted a production that combined dance, theater, and circus arts, staging their performance high above solid ground. Performance artist Brian Shapiro revisited a show he created in 1995 predicting how technology would impact human interaction, informed by twenty years of paradigm shift after paradigm shift. The possibilities are truly limitless.

But what exactly does it mean to register for the Fringe Festival? Why put down a pocketful of cash when you can just stage your show in my friend’s unfinished basement in early September and tell people you’re a part of the Festival? Well, for one, that basement has some serious water damage and that mold smell is becoming a bit too overpowering. But more to the point, just take a look at all the benefits that come with registration:

• Box office, public relations, marketing, and admin support
• Listing in the 2016 Festival Guide (distributed to nearly 20,000 people in Philadelphia and its environs)
• Dynamic show page on the FringeArts website
• Venue signage
• Annual two- ticket membership to FringeArts programming
• $5 rush ticket to all Fringe Festival shows
• Free workshops and invite-only networking events

How about that? Showing your work can be a major undertaking, but at least doing it with Fringe comes with all those cushy benefits.

DAMNED DIRTY APES! from The Renegade Company, part of the 2015 Fringe Festival

We are truly excited to see what you all have in store for us and the city of Philadelphia. 2016 marks the 20^th anniversary of the festival and everyone here is working hard to ensure it will be a celebration you won’t forget. Seriously. The 2016 Fringe Festival will haunt you for the rest of your days. But in a good way. The Casper way. Positive hauntings all around.

To register for the Festival click here. You have until June 1, but if you register before March 18 you’ll save $75, and if you miss that deadline getting your registration in before April 18 will save you $50. So don’t drag your heels. You’re already, like, 86% sure you’re going to do it anyway. I’ll toss you that extra 14%.

— Hugh Wilikofsky