The Providence Fringe Festival, (FringePVD) is a wild, beautiful multi-performance event that nurtures emerging and established artists by presenting fun, fearless and affordable theater to the community. The largest festival since its first landing in Providence in 2014, FringePVD 2025 explodes with over 300 artists, 70 performances in 12 separate venues within the Olneyville/Valley Street area of Providence. Produced by The Wilbury Theater Group, FringePVD runs from Sunday, July 13 to Saturday, July 26.

My interview with House Manager for FringePVD, Christine Treglia, revealed a composed calmness preparing for a hurricane of glitter, weather changes and audiences frantically looking for the right show on the right day, time and venue; making sure no one confuses the puppet show with the burlesque. It’s part theater, part triage, part divine comedy.

Ida: What are your primary responsibilities during FringePVD?

Christine: I support all artists, (allowing) them to perform their show without thinking or worrying about anything else. I oversee ticketing, venue operations and the volunteer staff who cover every venue by greeting and assisting audiences. As the point of contact for everything and everyone, my greatest focus is on the “guest experience.” We want to provide a “beyond expectation” experience at FringePVD.

Ida: What is the geographical footprint for this year’s venues? Do you recommend specific performances/venues?

Christine: We are managing 12 venues this year in a close, geographical footprint: Olneyville and Valley Street areas of Providence. Walking is doable between venues and there is plenty of parking. The performances are (not juried) so we cannot always recommend a performance. From the conventional to the daring, tickets are reasonably priced, encouraging audiences to investigate performances and experience something they may not have considered before.

Ida: What’s your personal definition of a “FringePVD emergency”?

Christine: The beauty of the Fringe is that “anything goes.” The only unavoidable emergency is bad weather for outdoor performances. We have to quickly find another location, notify the audience, and adjust the artists’ space requirements.

Ida: Is there a recurring behavior of FringePVD audiences you’ve discovered over the years?

Christine: Yes! We have multiple shows running in parallel in separate locations. Audience members often ask, “We came for the 7 p.m. show, can you tell me where it is?” Oftentimes, they don’t know the name of the show, only the time. This requires time investigating and getting them to the right place. Most shows perform more than once, so if you don’t catch a performance on a certain day, you have the opportunity to see it at a later date, time and venue.

Ida: How do you balance the chaos with the charm? What keeps you coming back to this dazzling, chaotic event every year?

Christine: Working behind the scenes is a lot like childbirth. It can be painful but at the same time, wonderful! Once you are immersed, you forget about the pain. We love our artists and the opportunity to provide them an environment with different audiences for which their talents can be seen and appreciated. It is a very rewarding undertaking. FringePVD embraces both our artistic community and audiences offering something new, creative, daring, heart-pumping, inspiring and entertaining. It never disappoints. This is what makes me come back every year.

 Ida: If you could give just one piece of advice to a first-time House Manager, what would it be?

Christine: Wear comfortable shoes, drink plenty of water, smile and try to have as much fun as the audience. Find those moments of joy that the audience is feeling. This is what will keep you going night after night.

 Ida: Finish this sentence: “You know you’re at FringePVD when...”

Christine: …the idea of what you thought would happen is thrown out the window. Come without a predetermined expectation and be open for an experience you have never had before. You will be amazingly captivated.

Ida: What’s the difference between a good house manager and a great one? Do you have a superhero power to survive FringePVD?

Christine: A great house manager must have the ability to effectively pivot with changes — flexibility and speed are very important. Remove as many barriers as possible for both audiences and artists. Create a special experience by immersing everyone into this art form we love so much. And this is not achievable without volunteers; the backbone of FringePVD — thanks to our Volunteer Manager, Renee Bessette.

My secret superpower is to perform all of the above with a smile, humor and a kind word, resolve all issues and embrace the joy of the festival. My extra-super powers are a secret — a girl has to keep a little mystery!

For tickets and information:
https://fringepvd.org/index.html