The 2013 Edmonton Fringe is underway and it has seemed to bring with it an energetic, bigger vibe compared to prior years.  I can't put my finger on what exactly is different: More people?  Happier people?  Bigger shows?  Am I just in a good mood?  I've had a number of people comment on the different feeling they've been getting this year.  They've felt more buzz, more media coverage and more people showing up on grounds and best of all, in theatres.  What I've always loved about the Edmonton Fringe is how the whole city seems to stop and pay attention to the 10 day festival that closes down streets and creates a temporary theatre district in the heart of the city.  I've been to a few other cities during Fringe time, and I can definitely say that we are very lucky to have the festival we do.  

This year, I am helping to produce Candice's one-woman show, "Anatolia Speaks", and I couldn't be more proud to not only be a part of an inspiring Kenneth Brown show, but to see Candice play the role with such honesty and heart... (not to mention all the awesome reviews she's been getting).  I am also a part of Grindstone Theatre's "The 11 O'Clock Number!", a fully improvised musical.  I am in love with this show.  Something about improvisation really gets to me...  and oddly enough, a lot of us feel even more comfortable improvising songs than scenes.  I love the shared passion all of us have, and the growing relationships with all the new friends I have made.  There's a huge sense of trust that is earned over time between actors working together, especially when improv is involved, and you need that trust in order to make big decisions and take risks and know that your peers will catch you... and rhyme with you... and dance with you.

I love Fringe.  And you should, too.  Get out there and take in the food, outdoor shows, and pick a play, a musical, or dance piece to go see.  It only comes once a year.

-B 

This one goes out to all the supporters! Everyone who comes out to watch us perform, shows up to a fundraiser, gives us a word of encouragement – This one's for you.

I’ve been doing a lot of solo performing lately - Candice also, in her one woman show "Anatolia Speaks" (soon to be performed at the Edmonton fringe) - and the both of us have had a similar experience – It gets lonely. When on stage alone, in a city where you know few people, or no people at all, even performing to a sold out crowd, you feel alone when you leave the performance by yourself.

I never realized how much having even just one friend in the audience means more than having hundreds of audience members. To me, having someone in the audience who knows me and cares about me regardless of how my performance was, is very comforting.

On a slight side tangent, this experience goes to affirm that fame will never be the measure or delight of our successes as artists. It is the individuals we meet, connect with, learn from, and maybe even are blessed enough to grow with, that really enriches our lives, brings joy, and instills a deep sense of accomplishment.

How timely that I should be having this experience just around the time that Poiema had it’s fundraiser in Edmonton. To everyone who came out, know that regardless of what $ value you contributed to the evening, what has exponential value to us as a company is your support, your belief in us as young women hoping to create meaningful theatre and bring about a change.  We really are blessed to have you in our lives; it touches our hearts all the time.


-S

Candice and I arrived last Sunday in London, Ontario for our first Fringe Festival of the year.  We didn't tour our show, "Middleton: a folk musical", last year and we were itching to be back on tour.  This is also the first time either of us have been to this beautiful city.  

Poiema Productions is producing Candice's one-woman show, "Anatolia Speaks", written and directed by Kenneth Brown.  We had a preview the day before we left Edmonton, and it was the first time I had seen the play.  

What a beautiful piece of theatre.  The writing is brilliant and Candice completely becomes Anatolia, an immigrant from Bosnia living in Edmonton and working at Superstore.  She shares heart-wrenching stories of the life she has left behind, as well as touching hopes and dreams of the life she has started and will continue to build.  The play puts an immigrant’s life into perspective- especially the things that happen to them before they immigrate.  We are extremely lucky to be living in Canada, free to do as we please with a surplus of food and water to fuel us as we go. Anatolia doesn't take anything for granted and celebrates the life she has now without throwing away her past.  She has every right to be an angry, cold, dark person after going through life in war-torn Bosnia and her difficult travels to get here, but instead she is uplifted, joyful, and hopeful of what is to come.  Her personality and outlook is a breath of fresh air and will capture anyone she shares her story with.  

We opened the show last night and it went great!  Our audience was responsive and Candice received a standing ovation, well deserved I might add.  We were in a wonderful article about Ken Brown (and the 5 shows he's involved in here) and put in the list of the top 10 buzzed about shows in the London Free Press so I'd say we are off to a great start here in London!  It doesn't hurt that the show is written by Ken Brown, not only our teacher and mentor, but also the man who has taken part in the Fringe Festival since the year after it's creation.  He has written or co-written over 30 produced plays!  It is a huge honour to produce one of his shows.  

London has been so good to us and we are sure it will continue to show its love throughout the Fringe.  Break legs everyone!

-B

---Other shows to check out at the London Fringe: "Minding Dad", "Grumpus Gets Revenge", "Be A Man", & "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea"