Show Titles

Titles are part of the artistic process. The first allegiance should be to the piece itself. Overall, short, evocative titles tend to work best.

Show Description 

Audiences turn to the Print Guide and Website during festival time, and the description is often the main tool they use to make ticket-buying decisions. So the primary goal in writing a description is to be clear, informative, and interesting.

For the Print Guide, each listing can be 300 characters max, including space. Use it wisely. The Guide listing will already include the genre, title, times, locations, and ticket price. The focus should be on the main elements that will accurately represent the work and set it apart from the rest. Audiences feel empowered to see a show when they have a better sense of what they can expect, even if it’s the unexpected.

The hbgfringe.com event page has room for a longer description, up to 2000 characters. Artists often find that very long show descriptions are overwhelming to audiences and can push important show information further down the page. Making sure a show description paints a tantalizing and full picture without giving away too much is important.

If the piece is largely conceptual, it is helpful to find one concrete idea that an audience can hook onto. The larger themes are what audiences would take away, but it’s unlikely they will be able to digest them in the midst of so many other show descriptions.

It also doesn’t hurt to mention any awards, brief press quotes, or notable performances, if applicable.