Fringe 2012 - Day Two Plan!

I am taking my kids to the Fringe this afternoon for a little Kidprovising and Kid's Fringe.  Soon the oldest will be too cool for the Kid's Fringe so I am making the most of it now.  Ah well, when he's too old I can send him on his way and just do kid stuff with the younger.  Anyhow, the first question asked of me today when I came downstairs was, "When are we going to the Fringe?" I like this.  I like that when we occasionally drive by the area at other times in the year the kids will ask "When is Fringe on again?" I like that they are already attached to it... I have done my brain-washing! But even better, the Fringe has done it's job to make it something they want to return to.

I am going to try to stick to a budget with regards to Fringe food.  These kids would eat EVERYTHING if I would buy it for them.  Mini-donuts, ice-cream, maybe pizza... we shall see. First the show, then Kid's Fringe and then the food.  That's the way it has to go.

Tonight, after my husband picks the kid's up, I will see at least 2 more shows (Angels on Horseback and The Be Arthurs).  I would love to squeeze in a third, but I have Play in a Day this weekend and I have to bank some sleep so I can write well!

And Fringe Begins!

I shed most of the germs just in time for Fringe to start tonight.  The Village was hopping and I had a fun time 'directing traffic' for the Performers Parade.  I tried to have fun with it with some fancy arm circling and pointing the way.  Directing actors in a parade is kind of like herding cats, but probably more fun!

I then did a bit of a recon of the site and then proceeded to the line up for my first Fringe show, Fiorello!, at the Varscona.  I had a lovely chat with another solo theatre goer in the line and sat with her for the show. Line chats are an important part of Fringing particularly if you go on your own.  I am always fascinated by the openness of people in Fringe line-ups to talk to complete strangers.  It's kind of cool.

The show was fun.  Clearly a scaled down version since they had to squeeze a full-length musical into a more reasonable fringe running time, but the cast of 6 did a good job populating early 20th Century New York.  I was not familiar with the show prior to, but found the music fun and clever and everyone onstage was up to the challenge.  I enjoyed the tightness of the harmony when there were multiple singers and thought they all did a good job playing multiple parts.  Kendra O'Connor, Sheldon Elter and Kirstin Piehl stood out for me vocally and Kristi Hansen's comedic timing was spot-on, but it was a pretty even show all around. Lots of fun and a great way to kick off the festival for me.

The only sand in my shorts with the evening was discovering the dramatic price increase on parking.  I usually park in the lot that the Farmer's Market manages next to Catalyst Theatre.  It has been $5 for the last few years (at least the last 5) and I was floored to discover an increase to $8 as I pulled in.  It was clear from the guy taking money that I was not the first unhappy customer with regards to this news.  It means a dramatic increase in costs for me as I often have to park twice per day at the Fringe because I leave to get the kids and then return for more shows.  That will mean an extra $6 per day for parking.  That will also cut into my 'show-going' budget. It might be justified if the Market actually did something with the lot to justify the cost increase, but they don't.  It's unpaved, unguarded - basically the Fringe is a Cash Cow for them and now they are really making it look like an even bigger money grab. I am totally not impressed with this development.  It sucks and I am terribly, terribly disappointed, AND it will likely mean a few less shows for me this week. It really makes me regret the purchases I have made at the Farmer's Market this year.  Please don't write in with suggestions to bus - I can't - I have to have the vehicle to pick the kids up from camp.  Until the public transportation infrastructure in the city improves dramatically or my kids are older, I am stuck driving. I wouldn't have minded a 1$ increase - but $3 is a 60% jump with no discernible reason for the increase other than a money grab. The Fringe brings in a tremendous amount of foot traffic to the Strathcona area and it's spirit is about getting $ to the artists performing.  I might otherwise spend those dollars on a show or busker or on those new snazzy 50/50 tickets... now I don't have that money to do so.   My plan is to always pay with a $20 (never the correct change) and be surly - I might even snarl if they have the nerve to ask for exact change... that's about the only recourse I have right now...

Illness Strikes... Not Fun...

I am sick.  Gibson is sick.  It is not fun.  I am hoping that I am over the worst of it by tomorrow because I have some stuff I want to do - Fringe related stuff. I do not want to be sitting in a Medicentre for a couple of hours so hopefully this clears up for the both of us. One can hope.

All I can say is that I am glad I am not in a Fringe show.  I cannot imagine dealing with this flu/cold thing and be going through tech.  I hope all the Fringe participants are healthy and not achy like me and Gibson!

Too Many Pieces want to Fit in the Same Spot...

So yesterday I wrote about my love for the Fringe Program... today I write about my frustration with the BYOV scheduling I discovered in the Fringe Program.  One of the things that the people with BYOVs tend to do is schedule all their shows in the 7-10 p.m. window... ALL THEIR SHOWS in that window.  It sucks.  It means they are programming for the casual Fringer - the Fringer who comes to the Fringe Village during the 'high hours' and sees one or two shows and then hangs out in the beer tent.  It does not work well for the die-hard Fringer - the one who wants to see a lot of shows. 

I go through the program and circle the shows I am interested in - I come up with about 57 - about 1/3 of those are indoor shows and 2/3 are BYOVs.  Can you see the problem?  Consider as well that the BYOVs are not all in the Fringe Village area.  Some of them you have to drive to.  So I am finding myself with a challenging schedule.  I can't make it work.  And because there are some at off-site venues this means that travel time is reducing things even more.  Plus, if I leave the parking lot to see another show I am less likely to come back and pay again to see a later show on site.  I will be more likely to just head home.

How to fix it?  You can't.  Not at this point, however, I would encourage some of the BYOVs to mix it up a bit in the future - add one or two afternoon shows to your schedule so that those who like to fringe a lot can get to your show.  I know for some of the spaces this is not possible but if a few of you do it you might actually find it works in your favour. Instead of competing only in the dense time, spread it out a bit. 

Oh well, perhaps this will benefit the indoor venues who do have afternoon times and are on site.  I know that for me I have chosen a few shows because they were more convenient to get to in terms of location and timing, whereas if I had more options at that time I might have seen something else.

Seven Dollars of Joy - My Fringe Program

Yesterday I bought tickets for my Thursday and Friday shows, but before I could do much more planning I knew I needed a program.  There are just too many BYOVs and I am loath to do the planning and buy tickets and then find out I have 15 minutes to get from Fringe Village to Expressionz Cafe or The stanley Milner Library.  Can't be done. So, I went down to the Box Offic, picked up my tickets (all for shows in the Village proper) and bought my Program.  The Program is the most valuable resource for any die-hard fringer, especially with the plethora of BYOVs.  If you casually fringe you can probably get away with not buying one - but I have to very carefully plan my fringe experience so I have to make it work right and there are shows I want to see at these off-site BYOVs so I have to figure out when I will get to them.

I flipped through the Program.  I had read through the online synopsis for all the shows the day before so I got through it faster than you might have thought, but was glad for the program because it has more information that the online version (cast lists, company names, playwrights and directors) so there were more to add to my list.  I circled 57 shows.  Now, I will not get to 57 shows.  I can't do it.  I am aiming for between 15-20 because I cannot fringe the first  Saturday night and Sunday all day (Play in a Day) and I will lose the Wednesday night (Artist's Forum).  If I get to 15 I will be happy.

So far I have tickets for:

Fiorello!

The Kidprovisors - taking the kids!

Angels on Horseback

The Be Arthurs

 

I have specific plans to see:

A Bronte Burlesque

Miss Julie

The Colander Gals   And I really, really want to see: Son of a Dwarf!

Reefer Madness

The Wasteland The Haunted Reel

 

And a whole bunch (40 or so) more that look really interesting and potentially cool - I will make whatever works, work. Bottom line - I could not have a very good Fringe without the Program.  It is the best $7 I could spend to make my Fringe a good one!

So Do You Have a Fringe Show?

I have been asked this upwards of 50 times last month and it is kind of making me wish I did.  Let's hope I get in next year after taking a year off!  I do have some connections to the Fringe this year...

I am doing this:

FRINGE ARTIST'S FORUMS

Wednesday, August 22, 2012 8:30 – 9:30 PM
A FRINGE TOO FAR? WHAT RISKS DO WE REALLY TAKE?
Join local playwrights as they probe questions about the size and scope of the risks they take in their Fringe work. Should new works at the Fringe strive to take risks that may not be possible in a regular theatre season? Should a playwright go ‘to the edge’ at the Fringe, or does too much “fringy-ness” turn away audiences?
MODERATOR: Eric Rice (President, Walterdale Playhouse)
PANELISTS: Marty Chan (author of the 2011 Fringe hit Mothership Down), Kristen Finlay (author of the 2011 Fringe hit Pieces), Nicole Schafenacker (co-author of the 2012 Nextfest play Double Occultation), Jon Lachlan Stewart (co-founder of Surreal SoReal Theatre)

This will be very cool to participate in.  I feel like a bit of a safe-bunny compared to the other panelists, but I think I have a perspective not only as a playwright, but as a director and as an audience member with regards to how far a show should go?   I am also doing this:

PLAY IN A DAY Thursday, August 23, 2012 8:30 – 9:30 PM
ADMISSION: Free
LOCATION: PCL Studio at the TransAlta Arts Barns
10330 – 84 Ave. (south end of the Arts Barns) [map]
24 hours. One play. One winner. Play in a Day is a 24-hour playwriting competition that aims not only to crown a victorious writer at the end of a highly-caffeinated process, but also to see the work created in that short period, evolve and develop into something more. The winner of this competition will be announced and the play will be read.

I am participating in the competition, in any case.  While it would be nice to win, I will be thrilled just to get the words on the page.  That's the hardest part for me! There are too many distractions in my life for me to write as much as I would like but an event dedicated to getting 'er done will help!

I also was lucky enough to be brought on-board to Dramaturge the following show for a wonderful group of performers.  I worked with three of them before (all separately) and it was nice to meet the fourth.  This project was a nice application of my skills.  When three people come together to construct a script, it is good to have that outside eye and ear to get a sense of the shape of the piece. This one you can catch at the Fringe!

The Colander Gals at the Edmonton Fringe Festival!

BYOV Venue #29: Trinity Lutheran Church 10014 – 81 Avenue

(NOT to be confused with Holy Trinity, a DIFFERENT Fringe venue!)

SHOW DATES AND TIMES: (the show runs 90minutes)

Thursday Aug 16 @ 8pm

Friday Aug 17 @ 8pm

Saturday Aug 18 @ 5pm

Sunday Aug 19 @ 4pm

Monday Aug 20 @ 6pm

Tuesday Aug 21 @ 8pm

Wednesday Aug 22 @ 7pm

Thursday Aug 23 @ 8pm

Friday Aug 24 @ 8:30pm

Saturday Aug 25 @ 6pm

Sunday Aug 26 @ 2pm

Set in the 1950s, The Colander Gals uses the AWI (Alberta Women’s Institute) as a vehicle for telling the fictional story of four rural women from central Alberta. The women come together as acquaintances to put on a musical variety show as a fundraiser for their community. Through the course of the play and its accompanying songs, we get snapshots of the lives of these women and the challenges, laughs and sisterhood that turn them into dear friends.

The Colander Gals is a NEW collective creation by the "Gals" of Shine On Productions (the folks who brought you the '90s Fringe hit WHATEVER LOLA WANTS) and features Hansi Klemm, Julie Sinclair, Mary Stevenson and Gail Olmstead (Music Director) with dramaturgy by Kristen M. Finlay. Janine Hodder is our fabulous photographer. Trinity Lutheran will be also be selling refreshments starting 1-hour prior to the show.

So, I guess with all this, I could say that I am doing something for the Fringe this year!

Strangely Drained...

I've been without an active project for about 3 weeks now and I am feeling really punchy about it.  I have filled my time with reading and cleaning and working out, but without a structured project I feel at wit's end. I do have projects coming up and some that I am somewhat involved in (painting in September, a bit of dramaturgy for a friend's Fringe show [more on that in a later post], overdue writing projects, etc...), but now in the heat of summer with kids home and all that I feel a bit trapped and bored. I have read many books over the last few weeks.  A bit of junk food reading, some non-fiction, some police procedurals, some young adult fantasy stuff and all that has been good.  I just don't function well when not busy.  That is not to say I want people to load me up with their tasks (no phone calls, please).  There is something that happens when you are chained to the house because of kids (it is summertime and they are home) and so you can't do things you want to do and even when you do some of the stuff you want to get done at home (cleaning and organizing and all that kind of crap) it is not necessarily fulfilling and you are quite likely to spend 2 hours cleaning a room and you can find it messed up again later that same day.  It happens in my house... grumble.

This weekend we went to a family reunion. I had a nice visit with some of the family - those that stuck around to visit. Some people left 1/2 an hour after we got there and came back just in time for supper when we had to leave about 1/2 an hour after that - what's up with that? The kids had a great time with their cousins and that was what counted.  Those that stayed to visit were pleasant to catch up with.  I don't often get to this one because if I am committed to Fringe stuff it is a challenge for me to go too.  My hip is killing me and I think the 6+ hours of driving had something to do with that, but whatever... grumble.

So tomorrow, to get out of the house and feel productive, I will work a casino.  Hi Ho, the Glamorous Life!

I should write more.  I technically have the time.  I should work out more (as soon as my hip stops killing me - I have actually been good about this the last two weeks). I should clean/sort out more of the house (I am working on it).  But I really need a project!