So this year for Fringe, in addition to providing day-by-day accounts of what's going on, reviews of the shows we see (we being me and 3+ other people, come help out if you like), making the occasional video and taking some photos, I am doing something else. I have a vendor space in the "Beer Tent" area (beer is NOT Orlando Brewing like I thought).

I'd say I know less about Matadors and Bull Fights than I do about American Football (and that's not much). Still, no more than the most basic of knowledge of the sport / art form is required to follow the story. In short, it is an ensemble drama that leads up to... you guessed it, a bull fight.

The 16th Annual Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival kicked off on May 17th with a series of parties, performances and a

Look for this on the tables and getting stuffed in your hand opening weekend.

This Fringe Festival kicks off this week on Thursday night from 6 to 9 when the Fringe has the opening night party - people will be dressed as hippies with protest buttons and signs. There will be live performances and drinking and good times. I think there are a few official shows that day as well.

Yes folks, you can stat your support of blogging at Fringe with no strings attached. You can delete the link at the bottom for all I care.

During the festival you will be able to make a 2" button with your own message on it - this is one of 9 templates that will be available at the Blogging Fringe/Florida Creatives tent in the Fringe Biergarten (I mean out by the beer tent). Come bring your donations for Blogging Fringe on opening weekend and wear a button with your message on it all week long!

Last year, I thought it would be really fun to get to know a lot of Fringe performers, both local and from out of town, see their shows, share the experience with others - you know, be the indie media. Now I see a problem that I think must prey upon many people in a similar position: What the hell do you go watch?

How does one decide what to see, in what order? How much coverage do you give your friends? The new kids? The kids you're a fan of? In my case I tried to start with people who had sent me emails - get their content posted first.

With less than a week until the festival, you can now pick up programs all around Orlando - I've got one from Stardust. In a seemingly typical fashion, there are errors in the program. They're correct on the Fringe Website and our individual shows pages, so don't worry if you're looking online, but make sure you double check if your show has dancing canvases, Marlon Brando, or dance/film mash-ups. CineDance only has three shows to begin with, so you don't want to miss one because of a misprint.

I have heard of discounts for performing special feats, like Linwood Sassy's Screw You Review offering a discount to any one wearing an official Linwood Sassy t-shirt, but recently a show about a girl in love with an Orka sent me this tidbit:

2007: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner has set aside two comp tickets for each performance for winners of our Love Story essay contest. Just write about a true love story that has ended well, 250 words or less, email to < ClarionRefugees AT aol DOT com > with your first and second preference for show times.

Mark Baratelli is a freakin' Clydesdale - I don't where this guy gets the motivation. Seriously. We've spoken to him several times on our podcasts and this website, a search for 'baratelli' will show you what I mean.

Well, Mark has done it again - I knew he had produced some interviews for this year's Fringe, but today I took a look and noticed he has done 25 (twenty-five) such interviews, and a lot of them were posted just a few days ago. Good work man!