Perhaps the most ambitious architectural project ever undertaken on lunar soil, MOONBASE 5000 is a masterpiece of interstellar design. Built over 5 floors, two of which are underground, MB5 is fully equipped for a variety of performances, events, gatherings, and escapes from intergalactic assault. Indeed, the bottom two floors function as an independent bunker from the top three, built to act as a fallout shelter in the event of an attack or supernatural disaster of any kind. With all required utilities in place (including bunkers, a cafeteria, fully-integrated spa, activities room, movie theatre, and hybrid apiculture rooms), the bunker floors can accommodate up to 2000 guests for a period of three years. Moon Fringe patrons can in fact win one of the coveted spots on its massive disaster guest list, simply by purchasing a ticket to any show! 200 Golden tickets will be randomly inserted into the printed batch.
Above ground, MOONBASE 5000 is as intriguing on the inside as it is from afar – surely, any visitor to the Moon has noticed the horns that emerge from its roof. Rest assured, these aren’t purely aesthetic in nature – they in fact are massive harvesters of solar energy that power the venue year-round. Sustainability is key, even in space!
Beneath the horns, the top floor of MB5 (affectionately referred to as “the Skull floor”) boasts the largest library on the moon, with a wide selection of books in several languages, all available for perusal. Unfortunately, for precautionary reasons, none of the books may leave the premises – the cost of replacement is simply too large to allow for the possibility of loss. Though it is impossible to leave with a book in hand, keen visitors to the library may notice a seemingly faulty bookshelf in the northwestern corner of the library, with shelves that seem angled at impossible angles. This is, of course, the trick shelf which leads into a wonderful intimate room built for small, secretive gatherings, or in our case, a smattering of small-scale Fringe shows! Indeed, the Trickster’s Den can fit up to 25 patrons (standing room), or a dozen seated. At first glance, it appears to be without any sort of technical capacity, but the room was designed with artful displays in mind, and curiously located projectors allow for a variety of visual effects that will leave visitors simply stunned – if they are used correctly, that is.
The second above-ground floor is cleanly split into two parts – the Open-Faced Deli, and the industrial-sounding Room of Performance. The Deli, known throughout the Milky Way as the home of the world’s largest Moonshake, also features a rotating menu and proudly serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight snack offerings. Sure to keep your bellies from grumbling! Across the hall, the Room of Performance features 120 seats, a raised stage, and walls that have been covered in irradiated paint, which gives the room an odd glow that is simply mesmerizing. You’d think that the glowing markings on the wall might be a distraction, but fear not: an iron curtain is lowered to cover them during performances. However, between shows, patrons can gaze upon the words that were carved into these walls upon the creation of MB5 by one of its designers, who was undergoing a bit of a mental breakdown at the time. The Southern Wall simply says “PERFORM”, over and over, in varying sizes. The Northern Wall, on the other hand, has four inscriptions, marking the four corners of the wall. Clockwise starting from the top left corner, they read “Please, Thank You, More More More, Sorry.” The exact meanings behind these word choices will never fully be understood, as the designer in question vanished shortly after the completion of this project, and has not been heard of since. His carvings are preserved as a monument to the mental strength that is required to pursue a large-scale endeavour such as MB5 – and if we may say so ourselves, the creation of a Fringe Festival on the Moon.
MOONBASE 5000’s ground floor is a tribute to Moon explorers of the past, featuring a large gallery space full of artifacts, imagery, and short films about humanity’s first attempts at exploring the moon. There is a special area reserved for a series of automatons that were recently created to celebrate the successful colonization of the moon, and will be exhibited throughout 2020, before being sent back to Earth, as gifts to the nations that worked together to make it all happen. Off to one side, the Moonbase Galleria will be converted into a performance space for the duration of Fringe, allowing for a variety of small productions.
Moon Fringe 2020 