Act Up at the Edmonton Fringe Festival

Local actor and long time Fringer Joe Garreck gives us an insider’s perspective on why the Fringe is the best place to experience theatre without a three-piece suit.

“There’s no business like show business.” You can almost hear Rosemary Clooney singing those now famous lyrics as you step on to the grounds of the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival. In 1982 when the Fringe first started, who would have guessed that today it would be North America’s largest theatre festival even dwarfing places like New York City?

This year approximately 100,000 people will attend the Fringe. So what brings them to this theatrical Mecca again and again? Could it be the little doughnuts whose scent permeates the air? Or could it be the opportunity to people watch from the beer tent or from any of the outdoor venues? Well for me it’s a chance to watch theatre as it should be done: un-pompous and intimate.

Theatre over time has in the eyes of many developed into a pastime for the upper class, the elite. We dress to go to the theatre and sit in box seats. Part of the experience is paying $120 to see a show that we have heard once played on Broadway. The Fringe strips that overly-cultured pretense away and brings it back to a time when theatre was accessible to the masses and was there to entertain us all. The Edmonton Fringe theatre festival does not censor any of the productions so you never know what you are going to have the opportunity to experience. It could be a classic rock opera or a play about love or a musical about zombies. There is something for everyone.

So how does one break with tradition and enjoy theatre without a three-piece suit?

1. First, dress comfortably. Shorts are OK. No ties or gowns are needed here.
2. Second, do your research. Buy the official program or navigate to the best shows by tweeting, referring to the new Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival iApp or by my favorite technique - getting referrals in the beer tent.
3. Third, buy a ticket and stand in line. Do not waste this time by keeping to yourself. As you stand there strike up a conversation with others in the line. Find out what they have seen and how they liked it, and of course if you have some of those little doughnuts make some friends.
4. Lastly, once you get inside surrender yourself to the world of the play. These actors will now do their best to entertain you. Enjoy the experience because as the song says “there are no people like show people”.

Many thanks to Joe for being a guest blogger!