Renegade Theatre Festival returns with new name, focus

For many local theatergoers and performers, the Renegade Theatre Festival, which ran mostly annually from 2005 to 2022, was a highlight of the year.

“There were a lot of things that I was able to try out and test through Renegade that I probably wouldn’t have been able to on my own, or at least not at the rate that I wanted to,” said local actress Sally Hecksel, who added that the festival was her “gateway into community theater” after graduating from Lansing Community College’s studio program.

The festival, run in the past by Peppermint Creek Theatre Co. founder/artistic director Chad Swan-Badgero and LCC arts outreach and academic coordinator Melissa Kaplan, came to a close due to a few factors, according to local actor, director and Peppermint Creek board Chair Ben Cassidy.

“One was making sure we could find venues that were appropriate for what we were trying to do. I know a lot of our history has been with Old Town, and it’s really exciting to see Old Town is now compared to when we were there, at the height of Renegade. It’s really thriving over there, which is fantastic. However, it made it a little bit more difficult for us to do the kind of work that we’ve historically done with Renegade,” he said. “Eventually, things started spreading out to different neighborhoods. There would be a couple of shows in Old Town, there would be a show downtown, and there would be a show in REO Town. And I think that wasn’t what festivalgoers really want. They want something more walkable, more contained.”

That’s something Cassidy, Hecksel, Swan-Badgero and Kaplan, along with local theater veteran Shannon Bowen, are hoping to address with a new iteration of the festival this fall.

The newly named Renegade Fringe Festival, running Aug. 7 and 8 at “a variety of venues and nontraditional performance spaces” in REO Town, aims to draw a larger and more diverse crowd with a focus on cross-disciplinary performing arts, as opposed to strictly theater.

Cassidy said the updates stemmed from “recognizing both what we lost when Renegade went away and what’s changed in the community since then.”

“There are so many artists here now, and a real desire for spaces that are flexible and accessible,” he said. “It feels less like just bringing something back, but finding a way to kind of reimagine it in a way that fits what Lansing means right now. I think a lot of us have felt the absence since Renegade ended, and at the same time, there’s this new wave of artists who’ve never gotten to experience it.”

Organizers hope to attract a variety of acts, such as improv comedy, cabaret, storytelling, music, live painting, fiber arts, dance, poetry, theater — “any kind of performing art is what we want to see there,” Hecksel said.

The name “Fringe” comes from the festival’s focus on bold, original and unconventional work. Performers are encouraged to experiment, take risks and workshop ideas. Those interested in performing, from theater companies to independent artists of all experience levels, are encouraged to apply on the event website.

Hecksel noted that volunteers are also in high demand.

“It’s not super hands-on. It would be things like watching spaces, helping set up or tear down chairs,” she said. “Part of the reason why Renegade struggled in the past is that the entire festival was being run by, like, 85 people. That’s just not sustainable. So, if the idea of a performing arts festival is important to people, or if Renegade is something that they want to see in their community, we need volunteers to help us.”

Cassidy sees the festival’s return as an opportunity to show the community why the arts matter.

“I think this first year coming back in particular feels really important,” Cassidy said. “So, I’m really encouraging people to get involved, whether that means just patronizing the festival, but also volunteering to help, as well as spreading the word and submitting to perform at the festival. To really demonstrate how vital the arts are in Lansing, I think this festival is a great way to help make that visible. And I’m really hoping that people will show up and support in any way possible.”