Update (Wednesday, December 1, 11:20 a.m.)

Both FrenetiCore and BooTown have released official statements regarding the agreement. Read both after the jump.

The local performing groups BooTown and FrenetiCore have apparently reached a settlement in their dispute this year over which entity owns the name "Houston Fringe Festival." Both BooTown and FrenetiCore produce an annual festival of alternative performing arts, and each seemed to exist peacefully until (roughly a year ago) FrenetiCore's leaders showed up ready to rumble at BooTown's monthly "Grown Up Storytime" performance at Rudyard's armed with legal papers. Drama queens!

FrenetiCore claimed it had incorporated the name "Houston Fringe Festival" first.

Since then, BooTown had been defiant, insisting FrenetiCore didn't own the name and that the first "Houston Fringe Festival" had been produced under BooTown's umbrella.

We received word today from FrenetiCore that everybody's "friends now," and that FrenetiCore will retain the title "Houston Fringe Festival." BooTown will continue to produce "Grown Up Storytime" and announce additional projects.

We'll wait on official statements, but it looks like the curtain has finally fallen on this tawdry (and frankly embarrassing) little drama.

Update:

FrenetiCore:

After three years of individual fringe festivals produced separately by FrenetiCore and BooTown, BooTown will no longer produce its annual fringe festival most recently held in May 2010. FrenetiCore will continue production of The Houston Fringe Festival, in addition to the other projects it regularly produces in its season. BooTown will focus energy on other projects over the course of its season. Both FrenetiCore and BooTown look forward to future years of The Houston Fringe Festival. We support each other, our respective endeavors, and we hope that the Houston arts community will continue the support it has shown to both companies in the future.

Thank you, Rebecca French Executive/Co-Artistic Director, FrenetiCore

And BooTown:

After three years of individual fringe festivals produced separately by FrenetiCore and BooTown, BooTown will no longer produce its annual fringe festival most recently held in May 2010. FrenetiCore will continue production of The Houston Fringe Festival, in addition to the other projects it regularly produces in its season. BooTown will focus energy on other projects over the course of its season. Both FrenetiCore and BooTown look forward to future years of The Houston Fringe Festival. We support each other, our respective endeavors, and we hope that the Houston arts community will continue the support it has shown to both companies in the future.

Although the statements are verbatim, it doesn't look like we're in for another fight over "ownership." Love the dramatic way FrenetiCore (which obviously wrote the statement) signed it officially, and BooTown submitted unsigned, like, "over it!"