Find out why readers are donating to fund our Fringe coverage.

Our Fringe Coverage Friends Drive continues through August. We’re grateful to the new Friends and Local Media Champions. While Alaina is away from her desk for a few more days on a much-needed staycation, I thought I’d share a few comments readers have sent me about why they’re donating to support our Fringe coverage.

One new Local Media Champion writes, “Why the Fringe? BSR does such a great job simplifying what is almost too rich to comprehend. We hadn’t attended it for several years but were alerted to it last summer through Alaina Johns’s pre-coverage. We saw both Presented, because of Alaina’s praise of Chris Davis, and also Buen Camino, because our granddaughter had just completed the actual Camino. Both productions were excellent. We’ve already bought tickets to this year’s The 40-Year-Old Ballerino and we’re looking forward to BSR’s advance picks.”

Mark S. Dichter is the board chair of FringeArts and a board member of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Wilma, and Ensemble Arts. He emailed me regarding his Local Media Champion-level donation: “I love your coverage of the performing arts in Philadelphia. It is so important to provide the kind of reliable, comprehensive previews and reviews you provide. I particularly appreciate your timely coverage of the Fringe Festival and enthusiastically support your campaign to help fund coverage. Now, particularly, the arts in Philadelphia need you! Thanks for your great reporting.”

Neil ran into Betty Smithsonian and Sarah Knittel in South Philly in July. Would you believe they talked about Fringe shows? (Photo by Neil Bardhan)

Big thanks to all of our new Friends of BSR and the new Local Media Champions who have joined the Fringe Coverage Friends Drive so far! You are directly powering our writers' work this September. If seven more new Friends of BSR (annual gift of $72 or $6/month) and two new Local Media Champions (annual gift of $240 or $20/month) step up by August 31, that will ensure our Fringe Festival coverage this year.

You can make your gift online, or reach out to executive director Neil Bardhan ([email protected]) with questions. We also accept checks by mail at:

Broad Street Review
Box 9475
700 S. 7th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147

All Friends of BSR and Local Media Champions, including those that join as part of the Fringe Coverage Friends Drive, will be invited to an exclusive September 14 happy hour with the BSR team and our writers, so we can say thank you in person and chat about what you’re hoping to see from us in future.

Will you step up to keep our Fringe coverage going? If you’re not able to swing a Friend-level gift, no worries (we get it!). You can still help us enormously by spreading this campaign in your network. The Fringe Coverage Friends Drive runs through August 31. We hope you can help us reach this important milestone and continue our Fringe coverage.