1. To get experience in self-producing. If you book your own shows for schools and libraries, you already do this. Fringe Festivals, for a reasonable investment, give you a crash course in producing a show in a theatre (or, depending on the festival, a garage turned into a theatre for a weekend). Being accepted into a Fringe doesn’t mean you are the invited "talent" who will be treated like royalty. It means you have to work hard to get the audience to come to your show (and you’ll be competing against dozens if not hundreds of other acts). Nothing like an artistic free-for-all to give you a kick in the pants when in comes to marketing and promotion. You will need to create a short, memorable description of what you do that makes your show stand out-- a valuable tool you can use no matter where you perform.

2. To get practical experience working with adult audiences in festival settings. Every storyteller, even those that primarily work with children, can benefit from a run of performances in front of a group of theatregoing grown-ups. In addition to learning the ins and outs of playing to a crowd of adults, consider the impact of Festival experience on your marketing materials. Imagine a festival producer reviewing promotional kits from potential talent: she wants to know if each performer can engage an audience of 100, maybe 200, maybe 800 adults. Enthusiastic quotes from school teachers and a list of libraries don’t answer that question. But quotes from media outlets like a newspaper or theatre blog, and a list of festivals across the continent? That indicates a very different kind of performer.

3. To expose new audiences to your work. Fringe audiences are generally professional adults who are interested in the performing arts who are willing to spend their discretionary income on the arts, and who seek out new genres and new forms of performance. Why wouldn’t you want to perform for these people, in cities across North America? If they’ve never heard of storytelling, who will be their ambassador to the art form? Why not you?

Fringe Festivals are typically unjuried, that is, they will accept any performer (usually selected by lottery). While that can mean that a Festival’s offerings can be hit-or-miss, it also means that getting stage time in a Festival is not dependent on anyone’s decision except your own.

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Tim Ereneta is an old school storyteller who brings to life forgotten fairy tales for contemporary audiences, in theatres, around campfires, and at Fringe Festivals.
http://www.timereneta.com . You can follow him on Twitter: @tereneta