Also this issue: Dancing in the Rain Leah Stein faced downpours and language barriers to teach improvisational dance in Poland. -Anastacia Wilde Customs Design -Susan Hagen Viva Variety -Ashlea Halpern Chaos, Theories Take Two -Deborah Bolling

August 1- 7, 2002

artsbeat

Goodbye, National … Hello, Hub!

by Debra Auspitz

The 2002 Fringe Festival, which as of only a couple of weeks ago had no space for a box office, has a new home. It’s “The Hub,” the old Lithographic Service Co. building at 205 Race St., used two years ago for the Fringe Cabaret. This year the space will house the box office, the cabaret and the outdoor performance space.

Fringe producing director Nick Stuccio is pleased to see three popular festival gathering spots combined into one. The cavernous space was covered in debris when Stuccio got to it a week or so ago. Stuccio hired six homeless veterans from a local veterans' association to help him haul out the refuse and begin the daunting process of renovating the space. The Fringe box office will be in the front of the building, with the outdoor stage behind (along with portable toilets) and the cabaret, complete with a bar, in the back room of the building.

The space was offered to Stuccio and Co. by Gregory Hill, president of Jeffrey M. Brown Associates, Inc. (JMB), a building and construction management company. Stuccio says the festival offered to pay rent, but was told to save their money to renovate the space to their needs. JMB has owned the building since November, and the company is now apparently set to buy the National Building, the Fringe's former box office. JMB is also donating a warehouse at 108 Arch St. during the festival, which will house spoken word events.

Stuccio sees The Hub as an experiment in combining performance and social space. The success of the spot as a hangout during the festival could influence whether Fringe takes the plunge into year-round presenting in its own, permanent space. Developer Bart Blatstein has spoken to Stuccio about two spaces in Northern Liberties that could be potential homes for the Fringe. Stuccio admits he's concerned about getting audiences from Center City and Old City to come to Northern Liberties. The potential site is "pretty desolate right now," Stuccio says. "But it's an option we're considering." Stuccio's dream is to create a space where Philadelphians can grab a drink or a bite to eat, see a show and do a little shopping all under one roof.

But for now, Stuccio's just worrying about transforming 205 Race into The Hub by opening day. (The box office opens Aug. 19.) He has some help -- Mark O’Maley will create the box office and Barrymore-winning designer Jorge Cousineau is working on the cabaret space. If you'd like a sneak peek at the box office pre-renovations, stop by during First Friday this week (Aug. 2). Fringe folks will be there giving tours.