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Robin Gillette has nothing on her plate, and that feels fantastic.

 stepped down from her position after a seven year tenure at the head of what may be one of the most complex and elaborate events of the year.

She left the position, she said, because it was 

: The performance festival is financially healthy and she wanted to make an exit before burnout inevitably set in.

"I just feel so proud and so excited for the organization and me to move onward,"  Gillette said over coffee on a recent fall afternoon.

Asked to reflect on the health of the Twin Cities theater scene, Gillette quipped in her best presidential voice that "the state of theater is strong."

The Fringe Festival serves as a wide open proving ground for both aspiring and established artists. While Gillette is adamant that everyone deserves an opportunity to try their hand at theater, she says that doesn't extend to funding, or even audiences.

 as an example of an organization that's been smart about finding a source of income (its food and drink sales) to help balance the financial risks of its performances.

The Fringe Festival takes place in 16 different venues across Minneapolis. Because of this, Gillette has come to know intimately the quality and variety of performance spaces available to theater companies.

"There are certainly spaces in town, but it would be great if more of them were better maintained," Gillette said. "

 (Theatre) is a success story in that arena.  They went out, created the space they wanted, and now they're making it available to others to use as well."

Even after seven years at the helm of one of the largest non-juried festivals in North America, Gillette still feels that theater is a luxury.

Speaking of trying something new, what's up next for Gillette?

"I'm trying to sort that out. I'm taking a little while to clear my head since I've had an all-consuming job for several years," she said.

"What appeals to me now is project management – I know I do it well, and I know a lot of people don’t like to do it. It would probably start in the land of arts, since that’s the world I know, but it certainly wouldn't end there."

Minn. Fringe Festival’s Robin Gillette exits with an eye on the future

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