The 2010 Buffalo Infringement Festival

On August 1st, the Buffalo Infringement Festival concluded and with closing ceremonies celebrated five years of success.

Curious word "success" when applying it to BIF.

In the beginning, success simply meant nobody got hurt, venues didn't burn down and, with small numbers of producers, there was a decent selection of performances. After five years, organizers are measuring their success by promotion generated from major sources of print and TV media, more venues committing space, ads are being placed in the festival guide, increases in attendance and proposal submissions.

Indeed, all those who contributed their time and energy in some capacity to the continuation of the festival have witnessed this event grow from a puny 98 lb. unknown weakling to a highly sought, muscular summer event. The motto of "Art under the Radar" is now becoming an recognizable shout "Art all-over the Radar Map."

Whether or not one was there from the beginning or came aboard last June, those who have put their time, energy and art into this festival can walk away proud with a measure of success.

I recently spoke with Kurt Schneiderman, Executive/Artistic Director for Subversive Theatre and one of the core founding members of BIF. Kurt had to step down from his numerous BIF responsibilities and dedicate his time to administrative duties Subversive Theatre and the duty in his son's diapers.

He too shared his pride seeing this event grow in size, and yet, seemed pleasantly surprised at the rapid ascension of this festival in the eyes of the community.

When the members huddled in the back room of Nietzsche's on a very cold February five-years ago, none of the organizers expected the festival to reach these heights in such a short amount of time. Founding members such as Ron Ehmke, Scott Kurchak, Lynn Lasota, among others, put their energies into this grass-roots festival expecting nothing more than getting the damn thing on its feet without having a nervous breakdown.

And they did...in both capacities.

Fast-forward five years later and in the sweaty Manny Fried Playhouse with both Kurt and I are shaking our heads in disbelief that the BIF has become a successful summer event. And let me clarify that this amazement isn't based in skepticism that those who took it over lacked the skills to run it but that this bohemian, small-scale artistic event with no creditability, has captured the attention of those who ignored it five-years ago and has given a group of anyones and nobodies hopes of bringing whatever creative thing they do to life.

This continual survival of BIF, like a cockroach that survives a nuclear winter, speaks about the creative spirit that lurks in the dark corners and alleyways of Buffalo's cultural sprawl.

Its a voice that says despite the annihilation of funds for artists, despite the age of iPhones and instant gratification, despite a divided nation full of brats and obese people, creativity will not go away. It will simply wait for the opportunity to be presented in a cramped back-room of an bookstore, a parking lot or in someone's apartment.

So keep it going unheard playwrights, performance artists and newcomer actors because this festival was made for you and the other "nobodies" out there with talent and drive.

Five years from now while you hold up an award for excellence, you will remember that BIF gave you the opportunity to show that art under the radar.

Matthew LaChiusa is Executive/Artistic Director for the American Repertory Theater of WNY and was one of the foot-soldiers for the BIF. Of the two plays originally performed/read for past BIF's, Axeman's Jazz, received an ARTIE nomination for 2007 Emanuel Fried New Play and the other, RED CLAY, won the 2009 ARTIE Emanuel Fried Award for New Play.