Lindsay Taylor, who produced the Orlando Fringe Festival during the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown, is stepping down from her post.
The organization announced Taylor’s resignation “with a mix of sadness and gratitude” in a statement that saluted her “enthusiasm and tireless dedication to the Fringe organization.”
In her time as producing artistic director of the annual festival that draws tens of thousands to Orlando’s Loch Haven Park, Taylor was a fierce advocate for increasing the organization’s diversity and inclusion. This fall, she had been leading a series of brainstorming sessions on how best to use prime theater space on 54 W. Church St. in downtown Orlando. The city has asked Orlando Fringe to establish and run an arts-incubator program for up-and-coming performers there.
“It is a huge highlight of my life,” said Taylor of producing the Fringe Festival since 2019. “I was able to give other people opportunities to create. I’ll never forget it.”
Executive director Alauna Friskics saluted her achievements.
“Lindsay has given her heart to this organization for years,” she said. “She’s been a driving force on important Fringe initiatives like accessibility, diversity and artist relations. She’s been a great value to Fringe, and we will miss her.”
Taylor said her proudest accomplishments were increasing accessibility to the festival for emerging artists and audience members with hearing and visual impairments. Shows presented at the Orlando Fringe Festival are chosen through a lottery system. Taylor’s tenure saw an expansion of the Amplified Voices Lottery, which gives shows produced or created by people of diverse racial backgrounds, sexualities, gender identifications and other characteristics a stronger chance of being chosen for the festival.
In addition, she oversaw the effort to offer festival shows presented with American Sign Language interpretation or audio descriptions for the visually impaired.
“It took a lot of work to orchestrate and to launch in a pandemic,” she said.
Taylor also worked on a “Safe Spaces” initiative for the Fringe to make it more clear that any bullying or harassment would not be tolerated, while also offering audiences a way to find support after shows with disturbing topics such as suicide or spousal abuse.
Friskics described Taylor’s work ethic when the COVID-19 shutdown of 2020 canceled the in-person festival as “an almost indefatigable passion to keep performing arts alive and viable during the pandemic, curating remote programming options such as monthly online shows, and the creation of Digi-Fringe. These initiatives were all met with resounding success.”
Friskics said Taylor’s departure would not affect the new arts-incubation program, which will be headquartered in space formerly occupied by Mad Cow Theatre.
“The 54 W. Church St. project is in a solid place,” Friskics said. “Lindsay has established relationships with artists that will carry over into the developing programming.”
Before becoming the festival’s producer, Taylor spent two years as associate producer and already had established herself as a playwright and performer. She said the urge to return to making art herself influenced her decision to step down.
“I want to begin creating again for myself,” she said. “I realized I haven’t written anything in three-four years. I want to go back on tour.”
Taylor said she’ll be working on new projects and possibly reviving her critically acclaimed one-woman show, “The Featherweight,” a hit on the Fringe touring circuit.
She also hopes to explore her passion for developing new talent in different ways, saying she would like to mentor up-and-coming artists one-to-one.
And she hopes her resignation, which will take effect Sept. 16, will lead to more diversity in arts leadership.
“I would like to give an opportunity to a person of color,” she said. “That’s a big opportunity, especially with the new space. I strongly suggested that when I stepped down.”
Friskics said the search for Taylor’s replacement would bear that in mind.
“Orlando Fringe is committed to a search with diversity and inclusion as a core tenet, as we continue our work toward a more equitable theatrical community for all,” she said.
Taylor plans to be at the next festival, in May — but as a spectator.
“I will be at the beer tent, having my usual cider,” she said.
Find me on Twitter @matt_on_arts, facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Want more theater and arts news and reviews? Go to orlandosentinel.com/arts.
