Category: Fringe

Early Thoughts on “The Big Kahuna”

After picking up a copy of the 2008 Fringe program over the weekend, I’ll be darned if it isn’t already marked up with post-its and incoherent scribbles. The 27th edition of the festival, “Fringe”-less in its name The Big Kahuna, begins on August 14 – just over a week away. As such, my personal countdown to my favourite time of year in Edmonton has begun.

The electronic ticketing system introduced last year to a boon of complaints remains, with the $2 additional fee that supports the still undefined “Box Office operating costs” left intact. While no tickets will again be sold at the venues themselves, Bring Your Own Venues (more commonly known as BYOVs), have been issued a grace this year, as tickets will only be available at the venue door when the clock hits two hours prior to showtime. Given the location of some of the peripheral venues in Old Strathcona, and the addition of New City, a lounge/bar located in Downtown Edmonton as a BYOV this year, it makes geographic sense for venue distribution of tickets. The obvious question, of course, is why a non-Old Strathcona venue was permitted to be a BYOV at all? As for the other suggestions collected in the January Town Hall meeting I attended – none appear to have been implemented, or at least can be gathered from the program itself (I wonder if Kenneth Brown’s veiled threat of producing his “gems” elsewhere if changes aren’t made will stick with his proposed plan to present his war trilogy over the next three years?).

New to the festival this year is the Fringe Midway – an extension of the $2 optical illusion sideshows of Fringes past. Quick and dirty serials, shorts, and this year’s Weed Woman sideshow are an addition great on paper at least – quick treats for those looking for a brief show or those short on cash but still looking for something other than outdoor buskers or antics.

My peripheral glance at the program so far has yielded a number of “repeat offenders”, so to speak. TJ Dawe, for example, is producing/directing/starring in/wrote five shows on tap this year. Daniel McIvor, whose A Beautiful View (at Theatre Network) was loved by the media last year, has three plays up at the festival.

Ones to bank on, based on name-recognition and critical favourites:

  • Teatro la Quindicina’s return to the summer festival – Happy Toes;
  • anything TJ Dawe is involved in (his own Maxim & Cosmo, Keir Cutler’s annual Shakespearean tirade, one-man-everything Charles Ross’ show);
  • musical marvel Rainer Hersch; and
  • Fringe darling Jon Stewart’s edgy new work.

I succumbed to the great deal of the Frequent Fringer pass (which allows me to bypass the aforementioned $2 Box Office fee), but it also means I’ve saddled myself for 10 shows in 6 days because of a late-August sojourn to Vancouver.

It will be an intense ride, but I’m ready for it. 9 days and counting…

Fringe Opinions: Fringe Festival Town Hall

I seriously considered abandoning Anna on Monday night. With the choice to either return home on a frigid evening or brave the cold and head to the Arts Barns in Old Strathcona, the former was without a doubt the more inviting option. Still, I didn’t want to go back on my word, so I bundled up after work and headed to the Town Hall Meeting organized by the Board and staff of Fringe Theatre Adventures. Advertised as a means to gather comments and suggestions from artists, volunteers and patrons, among other stakeholders, Anna and I were banking on some intense drama to arise from the perceived “us versus them” mentality between the Administration and the “Other”.

After checking in, Anna and I joined about 40 other people seated in the Westbury Theatre. A brief welcome and introductions of the Board quickly led to a description of the meeting format. Al Parsons, Vice President of the Board, would recognize up to four people per round of speakers, each entitled to a three minute comment. The pre-selected topics included: 1) Ticket process and procedure; 2) Grounds and site; 3) Volunteer issues; and 4) Other (the catch-all basin).

I suppose I shouldn’t really comment on the lack of attendance by certain parties who had heavily criticized the new ticketing procedure in the media, as I really wasn’t there to do anything more than passively observe the proceedings, but I was still expecting a larger presence from Edmonton’s artistic heavyweights. That said, there was quite the breadth of representation in the group, from past and current volunteers, patrons, vendors, media (Liz Nicholls and Colin McLean) and a handful of artists (including Fringe favorite Kenneth Brown).

Over the course of the evening, a theme emerged from a majority of the comments – artists and volunteers felt that the Fringe had stopped being about them. These two groups felt ignored, undervalued, and couldn’t see themselves represented in Board leadership. From the jilted ex-volunteer Team Lead who claimed he repeated the same ideas of improvement year after year with no results, to the artists who resented not only the inability to usher in last-minute ticket sales at the door, but also having the opportunity to market through posters and handbilling patrons at the beer tents withdrawn.

Some less obvious effects of top-down decisions were made clear by the green onion cake and mini doughnut vendors, and provided a perspective I had never before considered. When the busker circles were moved away from their stands, they noticed a significant difference in their profits. When they approached staff about the changes to the site layout, they were confused with the response that “vendors had requested that their areas remain congestion free.” The vendors had already met amongst themselves and decided unanimously that more traffic ultimately meant more business potential.

Along with the very vocal opinions were several good suggestions from the audience. While everyone expressed that the online ticketing system was a plus, changes had to be made. For example, setting up two lines at the advance ticketing booths (one for express pick up and the other for general purchases). As well, a percentage of tickets should be held at the door (10-25%), or, at a set time before the show, all unsold tickets should be returned to the door (a tactic that would make better use of otherwise drifting Front of House volunteers).

Ken Brown, the penultimate speaker, really stayed with me, and not just because of his status in the Edmonton theatre community. He had been involved since the first Festival, he said, and in the last 25 years, last year’s Fringe was the worst in his entire experience. He even essentially offered a thinly veiled threat that if something drastic wasn’t done, he would be taking his “gems” elsewhere.

At the end of the meeting, the Board President actually read from a prepared statement, but did end it with an improvised note that the Board would take the issues expressed into consideration, and as standard for such an administration, would produce a report in a few months with recommendations.

For the sake of the Festival, one that has grown to such prosperity and currently maintains a worldwide reputation for great theatre, an inclusive philosophy, and an atmosphere unrivalled in North America, it would be a shame if last year’s changing of the guard results in a continued downward spiral.

At any rate, I will be eagerly looking forward to The Big Kahuna, and not just for the plays.

2008 Fringe: The Big Kahuna

As reported in Tuesday’s Edmonton Journal, the annual theatre festival is going without the word “Fringe” in their name. The 2008 theme is “The Big Kahuna”, and will legitimize, at least for two weeks next summer, shopping in one of the many surfing-label clothing shops, which continue to curiously proliferate in this landlocked city (Hollister, Quicksilver, etc.).

In her article, Liz Nicholls hints at Festival Director Julian Mayne’s desire to signify a change. But with last year’s stalwart camps of those against the new ticketing system and those more willing to embrace change, it seems Mayne will be bending a little to tradition, as dependent on financing, “all sales are happening at the door,” with the assistance of computer technology at each venue.

The complete list of production companies selected through the lottery system has yet to be uploaded onto the official Fringe website, but after it is, I will be eagerly combing through it to check if any of my recognizable favorites made the cut.

Live & Let Fringe: Wrap-up

It was a year of many Fringe firsts for me, including the purchase of a Frequent Fringer pass, Die-Nasty, a deep-fried chocolate bar, and more plays than I’ve ever seen over the course of one festival. I also continued my role as a Fringe Evangelist, exposing two more newbies to the wonders of indoor productions (I’ll do a better job of pre-screening plays for my sister though, else Felicia may never again return to theatre). And of course, who could forget the controversial changes to the ticketing system? It was high drama scrutinized in the media, in line-ups, and on stage.

Despite all of this, Live & Let Fringe left me unsatisfied. It could have been the concentration of great plays I saw at the opening of the festival (as opposed to this weekend), or the consistently grey weather throughout, but there was just something missing from 007.

For those who haven’t gotten their fix, holdovers start this Wednesday. Although I’m disappointed that my pick of the Fringe, Madagascar, was left off of the schedule, I’d recommend The Power of Ignorance (which might play better to a larger crowd in the Arts Barns).

Only 355 days before the madness begins again – see you next year!

Live & Let Fringe: Day 10

After brunch, May and I headed down to the Fringe site to catch Chance Moments (Stage 11). One of the few productions I picked based on its written description in the program, the play catalogued a series of snapshots integral to the rise – and fall – of a couple’s relationship. The script and direction themselves weren’t bad (the use of everyday objects as scene starters was a nice touch), but the acting was simply not there. Kyle Schroter in particular was flat, emotionless, and couldn’t grasp the concept of pacing and beats. The production ran ten minutes short of its advertised show length, indicative of an all-too rushed delivery, and the actors’ inability to embrace poignant pauses. As a whole, the story was one that I have seen done better elsewhere (last year’s 52 Pick-up, for example), and with anaemic acting, Chance Moments ended up being one of my weakest picks this Fringe.

To round out the festival, I met up with Dickson for his selection of El Muchacho (Stage 1). A musical primarily starring teens, the plot had been adapted from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado (whatever that meant). A complicated “love story” involving an executioner, a blood-thirsty president, his guitaristo son, and a chica nicknamed Dum-Dum, the ninety minute production seemed to go on and on. There were also a number of offbeat pop culture references (including a snipe about Ryan Smyth) that Dickson didn’t appreciate – he felt they distracted from the play as a whole. A few days ago, I came across a review of this play in the Journal, and although I didn’t read the text of the article, the headline stuck in my mind – “Easy on the eyes, but often hard on the ears.” Too true. Lead male singer John Tribiger, as the tale’s Romeo, could not hold a note, and more often than not, was inaudible. Thankfully, the lead female, Katherine Carleton, could sing, but with her talent, it’s a wonder how she was cast opposite Tribiger. All this being said, I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on this group of kids; I can’t imagine getting up on stage to act, let alone sing. So bravo for their effort…but the onus will simply be on me to avoid amateur musicals in the future.

Live & Let Fringe: Day 9

Before lining up for our play on Friday night, I convinced Mack to join me in another Fringe first – a deep fried chocolate bar. Battered then fried, I can best describe it as a “corn dog gone wrong.” Biting into it, the coating suggests that there was to be something of substance on the inside, while in reality, only a mass of melting chocolate greets you. In the end, the combination of salty, sweet and oily tastes didn’t make for a very pleasing treat. Mack claimed that it was “disgusting,” but said in between mouthfuls of the delicacy, I didn’t believe him. For me anyway, this was both a Fringe first and last.

Mack picked Out of Pocket (Stage 7) as his play of choice this year, a story involving an expectant couple and a pair of homeless people who panhandled on the street in front of their apartment. With the help of a hat and a scarf worn multiple ways, Mark Jenkins and Vanessa Sabourin played all of the characters involved. Sabourin in particular (on the heels of her exceptional performance in Madagascar) seamlessly transitioned from one role to another, and was quite good as the comically nasal mistress Jesse. Mack found the plot to be a bit routine (going the “just desserts” path), and I had to agree. Not a bad play on its own, but compared to the productions I had watched earlier on in the festival, Out of Pocket was just average.

Live & Let Fringe: Day 4

I took my sisters to Strawberries in January (Stage 6) today. There was quite a bit of buzz surrounding this romantic comedy before the festival even began (directed by Mieko Ouchi, starring real-life couple Chris Bullough and Jana O’Connor), so I had high expectations going in. There was just something missing about the production, but what I can’t quite put my finger on. Bullough (as Francois) was solid, Patrick Howarth had his usual presence, and I really have no complaints about the female cast members, but besides a few tender moments (Bullough’s laundromat confession of loving Sophie’s flaws was touching), the script felt empty. Besides Francois’ pleas, I never really saw the evidence I needed to want to see him united with his beau, and because of that, the ending was abrupt and smelled more than a little of deux ex machina. Strawberries in January is far from being a bad play, but one I just can’t recommend.

With the return of the work week, I’ll be giving the Fringe a rest for a few days. But I’ll be back for a handful of plays before the close of the festival.

Live & Let Fringe: Day 3

My third day at the festival was a morning-to-night affair. While many of the Fringing public prefer wandering the grounds in the evening, I can honestly say I like arriving on site early. To grab a coffee and a paper, walk the alleys before a single vendor has opened, and appreciate the quiet before the storm has become a personal tradition for me. I haven’t been as fanatical this year about needing to secure those coveted front-row-centre seats, but I do remain tied to lining up somewhat early alongside fellow die-hard Fringers.

My first show of the day was The World’s Wife (Stage 2), which features two of my favorite actresses – Davina Stewart and Leona Brausen. Adapted from poems by award-winning Carol Anne Duffy, the play cycles through solo vignettes of wives of famous figures throughout history. I have never before seen a Fringe production with such elaborate costumes; the price of admission is easily recouped based on the wardrobe changes alone (Stewart’s showstopping Medusa gown garnered a few gasps from the audience). Beyond aesthetics, the perspectives on sacrifice, love, sexual power, and subordination are portrayed perfectly by the three women (Brausen’s incredibly astute Mrs. Darwin was my hands-down favorite). Trevor Schmidt’s direction was notably creative – casting Eurydice (Orpheus’s tragic love) as a stand-up comedian complete with a laugh track was inspired. A likely candidate for the post-Fringe holdovers, The World’s Wife is a fun and intelligent play.

Later that afternoon, I headed to Stage 6 (Catalyst Theatre, and in my opinion the best of the Fringe venues) for Madagascar. It is without question the best play I have seen at the Fringe so far this year, and one that I almost don’t want to write about for fear that I will not do it justice. The premise, as presented in the program, is simple, “three Americans find themselves alone, in the same hotel room overlooking the Spanish Steps in Rome.” Operating on different timelines, it took some time to piece together the story, but believe me, it is worth the effort. Haunting, sad, tragic – Madagascar asks difficult questions about family, identity, relationships, and personal needs in beautiful prose illuminated by the exceptional ensemble of Vanessa Sabourin, David Ley and Coralie Cairns. Sabourin and Ley in particular shone – the audience felt their pain, confusion and frustration on every step of their journey. I will stop there, but like Esther’s Hands and The Bone House from Fringes past, Madagascar has left an indelible impression on me.

That night, I met up with a friend to watch David Belke’s The Head Shot of Dorian Grey (BYOV C). As my friend remarked, Belke’s productions are reliable, his name nearly synonymous with “romantic comedy” at the Fringe. This incarnation involves two young actors (Jesse Gervais, Katherine Fadum) who first meet at an audition, but don’t discover their chemistry on stage until a joint reading of Romeo & Juliet. Setting the play in the world of theatre allowed Belke to share his inside observations gleaned from personal experience, but it seemed to get out of hand at times – the one hundred minute play felt long, with each crazy audition coming off like filler and like another stall tactic to keep the two would-be lovers apart. Gervais has never blown me away before, but here he was very natural, good humored, and likable. And oh, that gaze – did I ever want to be on the receiving end of that stare. Also a Belke standard, the supporting characters, or in this case, the supporting actors cast in multiple roles, were superb. So much so that the play could have germinated from a decision to test the deft versatility of Linda Grass and Glenn Nelson in a series of quirky but forgettable characters. Overall, Dorian Grey is cute, but not as memorable as many a Belke play.

We ended the evening with a quick bite at Murietta’s. The high ceilings might be nice to look at, but had an echo-chamber effect, with the room reaching a surprisingly-high volume. I ordered the portabello mushroom ravioli, and while it reached our table in no time at all, the dish itself was nothing special. The slightly pricey menu matches the elegant setting, but I’d much rather head to the more casual Dadeo’s or Cafe Mosaics anytime.

Live & Let Fringe: Day 2

Walking the grounds this year, it appeared that vendor numbers are down, with less food and merchandise kiosks on site. At least, the glut that usually line Gateway Boulevard and 104th Street are missing; I wonder if less permits were distributed this year?

I asked Dickson and Mack to join me for two shows on Friday evening. The first was The Power of Ignorance (Stage 5), a show that was impossible to get tickets for when it premiered in Edmonton in 2003. I am not a fan of solo performances, but after this, I now know that I simply have to choose the ones involving stand-up comedians. Chris Gibbs was hilarious as the (de)motivational speaker Vaguen. He had the perfect voice for the part, and could have easily been cocking his eyebrow for the duration of his satiric performance. Much of the punchlines were delivered rapid-fire, so I can’t say that I picked up everything, but the script was extremely clever, pulling apart popular expressions and universal truths. I also enjoyed the segue ways into his childhood – the anecdotes humanized Vaguen, and rounded out the play nicely by providing a storyline of sorts to follow. Get tickets while you can – the play garnered a 4.5 rating in the Saturday Journal.

We had some time to wander and relax before our second show, so ended up sitting in the near-empty beer tent on “Westjet Way” (compared to the standing room only one next to the Walterdale), and saw at least four Die-Nasty cast members leaving the tent. So if you want to do some celebrity-spotting…

Die-Nasty has been on my hit-list for years, but the late showtime has always been a deterrent, so I was glad to finally be able to participate in this Fringe tradition (Stage 8). I was sad to see that Jeff Haslam was absent from the cast, but Davina Stewart/Mark Meer/Leona Brausen had their A-games going, so that made up for the void somewhat. At the other end of the spectrum, I suspect the actress who played the Constable was smashed, because she was annoyingly disruptive and intruded on quite a few scenes; hopefully she straightens up for the rest of the Fringe run. There were many inside theatre jokes (including Ron Pederson’s comment about the pretentious “scarf-wearing” public, a reference to his recent letter to See Magazine and the subsequent ripple effect), but much of the humor came from the snide remarks directed at the changes in this year’s festival (buying tickets at “West Edmonton Mall”). It occurred to me that this troupe of actors are very lucky to have such a venue to publicly air out their grievances with the Fringe leadership – but if anything, they’ve earned it. In all, this episode wasn’t as funny as the season finale I attended back in May, but I can now remove it from my Fringe to-do list.

Live & Let Fringe: Day 1

It is no secret that the Fringe is my favorite time of year in Edmonton – I can just about hear Julie Andrews’ voice in my head as I pass the painted busker squares, jewelry vendors, and mini-doughnut stand.

Of course, the main attraction being theatre, I was interested to see if the vibe of the Fringe had shifted at all since the axe fell on sales at the venue door. Picking up my tickets at the unmarked “will call” window in the Arts Barns took a little longer than it should have – it seems one of the patrons at the counter had had some trouble with his online purchase confirmation. To be fair, the festival should be allowed time to work out the inevitable kinks of a new system, but the staff seemed terribly inefficient and ill-trained, deferring their queries to the one person who seemed to actually know what was going on. The queue at the main box office was also very slow-moving; I hope this is not the case later on in the festival, otherwise last-minute decision makers will be forced to adopt a new show selection strategy. As for the satellite box office locations (which weren’t open until later that night), I know I’m not the only one who thinks that they look a tad…corporate. With the necessary gate protecting computer equipment (and employee) built into the wooden structures, purchasing a ticket somehow feels less personal than simply approaching volunteers at a makeshift stand in front of a venue.

We watched one show – Matt & Ben (Stage 1), a satire about Damon and Affleck’s rise to fame in the form of Good Will Hunting ‘falling from the ceiling.’ Being a fan of Jocelyn Ahlf (Ben) made this an easy early pick, and she did not disappoint. She demonstrated great comedic timing once again, and her zealous embrace of silly quirks really distinguished her from her co-star. Belinda Cornish was weaker in her portrayal of Matt, but she did better as the ghost of J.D. Salinger. The storyline as a whole was less about “male bonding” as the program portrayed, and more about two foil friends trying to find their way in the world together and as individuals. It was light Fringe fare, and a good way to start off the weekend (both Colin MacLean and Liz Nicholls were in attendance, so expect reviews in the papers tomorrow).

On to day 2!