Philly Fringe Postcards; an Experiment in Peer Review
Overview
We’ve all been a part of a conversation with other artists about how we need more theater coverage in Philadelphia. This becomes particularly true in September; despite valiant efforts from the Broad Street Review, thINKing Dance, and independent bloggers, there are simply too many shows, and very few of them run long enough to qualify for a review in a mainstream publication. This feels like a loss, since for many of us, the scrappy and thrilling work of independent artists is what makes Philadelphia an incredible place to live and work.
In response to all this, I am launching an experiment called Philadelphia Fringe Postcards. Each postcard will not be a review, exactly, but a short open letter from an artist to another artist about their show. What do you want to say to that artist after seeing their work? What connections did it make in your mind? How did you feel when you walked away?
If you have a show in the 2025 Philadelphia Fringe, you can apply to join our cohort and agree to write a postcard and receive a postcard. All postcards will be published on the FringeArts website as a community partner. Here’s a bit more about how it will all work:
Writing a Postcard
Philly Fringe Postcards are a bit different than traditional reviews, and I’ve taken care to craft the guidelines! If your review doesn’t follow these guidelines, I will return it to you and ask for another round of edits.
- Write a short message TO THE ARTIST that describes your experience at their show. This is the idea in a nutshell. We are not writing to the general public and telling them if they should see the show or not, we are not deciding if the show was good or bad. We are only describing our experience as viewers, and the ideas the show sparked for us personally. Each postcard should be addressed to the artist(s) in the beginning, and be signed with your name.
- 300- 500 words. These are not full essays, just snapshots of one audience member’s thoughts. 500 words is a hard line, and I’ll suggest cuts if you go over the limit.
- No summaries. You can give the basic idea of what happens in the show, but please avoid giving a full summary of the plot.
- No pretense of objectivity. We are not approaching this writing as professional reviewers, but as peers. Who you are matters, and affects your experience at the show. Several examples written in this format are available under FAQs.
Joining the Cohort
- On July 1st, I will begin accepting applications for members of the Philly Fringe Postcards Cohort. The first cohort will be made up of 25 artists, who I will select with an eye to stylistic diversity of shows and a writing sample. Applications are due by midnight on Friday, July 25th.
- You will get a confirmation that you have been accepted to the cohort by August 1st.
- Soon after your acceptance, you will be assigned to a show and asked to choose a date to attend. We will make sure not to assign you a show running at the same time as yours! PF Postcards will make sure your free ticket is reserved, and assign you a due date: the first draft is due two days after you see the show, and the final draft is due 24 hours after you receive feedback (spelling and grammar edits, requests for clarification, and suggested cuts for length).
- If you go to the show and don’t feel you can write about it, you may request a different assignment. I don’t want you to be forced to write about a show you hated or didn’t understand.
- The goal is that everyone in the cohort will write and receive at least one postcard. I cannot guarantee that your show will get written about- for example, if someone is assigned to write about your show and doesn’t turn anything in- but I hope all the artists will do their best to make it happen.
FAQs
- Will the artist have the opportunity to publicly respond to the postcard?
- Every postcard we publish will have a comments section, where anyone can add their thoughts or responses, including the artist.
- What if I miss my due date?
- That will be sad and annoying, but I get it- it’s a busy time of year, and you also have a show! I will probably send you a lot of emails until you turn in your draft, because I know the artist you are writing about will be excited to read your response to their work.
- Who is behind this?
- I am Savannah Reich, a theater maker, frequent Fringe artist, and Assistant Professor of Playwriting and Screenwriting at Drexel University. I will be editing each postcard and shepherding this project in lieu of doing a Fringe show this year, and it will have my full attention- any feedback or questions can be directed to me at savannah.reich.1@gmail.com. FringeArts is supporting this project as a community partnership, but they are not responsible for anything I mess up 😄.
- I have solicited feedback from Elizabeth Stevens, Ellen Chenoweth, Connor Hogan, Andrew Simonet, AZ Espinoza, Annie Wilson, Severin Blake, Eppchez Yo-Si Yes, and the FringeArts staff. Again, none of these people are responsible for my mistakes, but they have offered invaluable ideas along the way!
- Do you have an example of what the Postcards should look like?
- Yes! Here are a few that I’ve written to test the guidelines:
Ready to join the cohort? Apply Here before July 25th!
