Andrew Hurst, M.A. Arts Management '09. Headshot courtesy of Craig Foster
Congratulations to Andrew Hurst for his production and performance of The Breakup in the Capital Fringe Festival 2019 in Washington D.C.! Hurst, M.A. Arts Management ‘09, now lives and works in New York as part of the finance department at Roundabout Theater Company.
Dan Desai Martin, critic with D.C. Theatre Scene had this to say about The Breakup, “The show melds physical comedy, witty writing, and superb acting to form a heartwarming experience where the audience can always identify with and root for Aldi. The show starts with a smile, and when it is over, the audience leaves with a heart full of joy and warmth.”
In between the back and forth rush of traveling from NY to DC this July, Hurst shared what he has been up to since graduating as well as some of insight on Capital Fringe, being an artist and arts manager, and getting VERY familiar with bus schedules.
What have you been up to since graduating from Mason?
AH: “I've been very lucky. Since graduating, I've been working in arts organizations, and am currently working in the finance department at Roundabout Theatre Company. I also went to Paris to study physical theatre and ensemble based creation at Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq. The techniques I learned there are what I've used in creating my Capital Fringe show, The Breakup.”
How do you manage being an artist and arts manager?
AH: “As for balancing being an artist/arts manager, it isn't easy. Past positions have made it difficult to pursue artistic endeavors, due to evening/weekend commitments associated with the position (as so many of our arts jobs have). Thankfully, that's not the case with my current job, and I've been able to more actively pursue artistic projects. It's fulfilling, but still not easy. For my Capital Fringe show, The Breakup, I've been taking buses from NYC to DC to perform, only to get on the next available bus, after the show ends, to go to NYC and work the next day. My first performance day was leaving on a noon bus to DC, doing a show at 8PM, getting on an 11:15PM bus to NYC, arriving at 4:15AM to NYC, and briefly sleeping before going to work at 10:00AM later that morning!”
What does being part of Capital Fringe Festival mean for you?
AH: “This is my first fringe festival, and it has been a great experience, as well as a crash course in self-producing. What's great about the Fringe is there are a ton of non-traditional shows, and you have complete control over your artistic product. I wrote, directed, and am performing in my show, The Breakup, a clown show about a clown going through a breakup. There aren't a lot of opportunities to get to work on something like that, outside of a fringe festival, whether it be the Capital Fringe Festival, or any of the great fringe festivals around the country and world. The audience responses have been great, and I can't wait to maybe take it to another festival, or start on my next project!”
Capital Fringe Festival 2019 has 90 ongoing performances running until July 28, be sure to check it out!
Tickets and info on The Break Up
See the complete review by Dan Desai Martin for DC Theatre Scene.