My Fab Fringe Festival Experience
User Story
Edmonton is a wonderful place in summer for festivals. No wonder we were named the Cultural Capital of Canada in 2007 by the Cultural Capitals of Canada Program. The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival is one of the longest-running festivals in the city and attracts thousands of visitors every year. Here are some comments people we asked told us about their Fab Fringe Festival Experience!
Kylie Tucker – Calgary AB:
If my life was made info a Fringe play, the title would be...
"Sit Down, Shut Up, and Hang On!" Well that's what it says on my coaster sweatshirt and that's what you'll find me wearing on my most memorable days! You see, while watching Tornado Magnet at the 1997 Fringe Festival my then ex-boyfriend and I realized we had magnetism too! Fast-forward five years and you would find us saying "I do" on the Santa Maria in West Edmonton Mall, then riding the Mind Bender in our wedding attire. Yes, we have discovered that life is a roller coaster so instead of being caught off guard, we're riding it full on! We've travelled the world riding roller coasters - over 200 and counting! We've lived in Ontario and BC for the past 12 years and every August we fondly recall the Edmonton Fringe Festival. Now that we are calling Alberta home again, I'd love to take my husband back to the Fringe to show him that I'm still "sitting down, shutting up (well maybe not so much that part!), and hanging on as we continue our roller coaster adventure together! What better way to celebrate our return to Alberta than to have big laughs at the 30th Edmonton International Fringe Festival!
Beatrice Nearey – Edmonton AB:
My most memorable Edmonton Fringe moment was...
Last summer when I discovered the incredible play "This is Cancer". I had been put off by the title, so I wasn't going to go, but I had seen the actor in a different play and he was wonderful. Turns out, "This is Cancer" had all the elements I look for in a Fringe play - you cry, you laugh, you think. You are challenged and your life is never the same afterwards. I went twice - and tried to go more than that. I persuaded a friend and her husband to come with me to the second performance. My friend has had several bouts with cancer and was invited by the actor to pummel him with a swim noodle. Lynne's husband Norm did the honours, and clearly took out all his rage at the illness. Afterwards Norm felt bad about beating up the actor, so I contacted the actor who was very gracious.
Maria Povaschuk – Hanna AB:
My most memorable Edmonton Fringe moment was...
During the 1999 Fringe. As we explored the grounds, we watched the buskers with their juggling, magic, and escape performances. Continuing a journey of amazement and adventure, we came upon a tent with a very long line-up. "Step inside and see the unbelievable Headless Woman," a festively clad woman announced. Like everyone else, we were extremely curious and took our place in line. Once we were able to enter the tent, our jaws dropped open. There she was, sitting in a chair, uncrossing and crossing her legs, moving her arms and hands, as I suppose, any headless woman on display would do. Sceptical of what we were seeing, we studied this amazing site, hoping to stumble across the secret which sat within the tent. We left the tent with baffled faces. She looked real, and she diffinately did not have a head. How could it be so? To this day we still discuss this astonishing occurance, and how she appeared to be distinctly headless. Thank you Edmonton Fringe Festival for the disturbing memory that will forever haunt us. Keep up the good work.
Stephen Archibald – Gibsons, BC:
My most memorable Edmonton Fringe moment was...
The two shows that blew my toenails off was "An Afterlife with Queen Elizabeth I and Her Older Sister Bloody Queen Mary." Hysterically funny. And "Christopher Robin Goes to War WWI." The most gripping bittersweet masterpiece in one act I have ever seen here in 20 odd years of coming. I used to live in Edmonton, and now live on the west coast. I return every year just for this festival which th biggest, boldest and most bizarre in North America. I would love to find the source and scripts origins of the two aforementioned plays. There is no other Fringe in Canada that makes an artist and producer feel so cared for, wanted, supported and encouraged. You guys in Edmonton have never stopped growing with the integrity and care, the fun and the fantastic administration of this event. It's the best in North America, not just the biggest. Thank you all - each one of you.
For more Fab Fringe Festival Experiences, be sure to check out Part II.
