| With a sigh of relief, producer Blair Gallant says that the first Calgary Fringe – August 11 to 20 – is now in execution mode. The red tape has been dealt with, and the logistics are under control. "Everything we need to host the festival is in place and has been for a little time now. Next, it’s just making sure we put on a good party."
There are four theatre venues, two at the Epcor Centre, and two at the Opera Centre (Seventh Street and 14 Avenue S.W.). There’s also a film venue in the movie section of Melrose Café. Tompkins Park (Eighth Street and 17th Avenue) hosts Body Art, an afternoon and evening event held during the festival. Artists will do body art with performers creating installation pieces after they are completely painted. A DJ is part of the mix.
Close to Western Canada High School and the Bank of Montreal, mural artists will create on-site images. Parts of Seventh Street and Ninth Street will be closed down for street performers’ pitches.
Another downtown component of the Fringe is a comedy festival at the Canadian Legion on Seventh Avenue. Street performers and visual artists will appear on Stephen Avenue Mall and at Eau Claire Market. An art installation on Olympic Plaza will attract those who enjoy watching the process. And for music lovers, 16 bands will perform as part of the festival.
Though there are some shows for all ages, Gallant points out, "Our first fringe is a place to expand your boundaries. You’ll see and do things that you otherwise wouldn’t do."
A warning about nudity, drinking and lack of political correctness tags most shows. "I’m really looking forward to seeing the crowds and feeling that unique energy that is created by a fringe festival – an urban bohemian energy. There are acts coming in from New York and Australia and some great local ones. I’m really looking forward to seeing some of those shows. You can get detached from the arts when you are busy doing all the logistical things for a festival. But, as the submissions have come for the website, I’ve gotten back into why we do this."
The Fringe Festival website (www.calgaryfringe.com) lists venue and ticket information. Some tickets will be available at the door for each performance.
As well, beginning this year, the Calgary Fringe Festival will annually invite a local high school to perform a play of their choosing at the festival to highlight excellence in arts training. Tantalizing titles such as Peep Show, Caberlesque, Tippi Seagram’s Happy Hour and Venus of Milo, AB are enough to excite any adventuresome Fringer.
Several featured plays come with accolades and awards from other Fringes, notably Jesus Christ: The Lost Years, which has toured extensively. Among names familiar to regular fringe followers is Maureen Rooney, whose popular Hats, Gloves, Hard Work and Dreams is part of the festival lineup. The real fun of a fringe, however, is to take on something you’re not sure about and thereby discovering a new perspective or a new artist. |
Copyright ©2006 FFWD. All rights reserved.