ADVENTURES IN
FRINGE THEATRE
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FTA Board of Directors Al Parsons, President Sam Jenkins, Vice President Ed Picard, Secretary Dwight Sarabin, Treasurer Rev. Thomas Brauer Laurie Fumagalli-Ryan Donna Lemieux Hillary McMeekin
MESSAGE FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR
I love our company name, Fringe Theatre
Adventures. This great, big umbrella encapsulates everything the company represents: a world-class theatre festival, a prominent, performing arts facility and an adventurous theatre season. Being on the Fringe and in the spirit of adventure this season, we’re thrilled to present you with award-winning, internationally-acclaimed, independent theatre. You likely already know (and love) our International Fringe Theatre Festival (aka The Fringe), and we thank you for keeping the Fringe Theatre experience alive year round with our Adventures in Fringe presentations. Whether you bring friends, your main squeeze or fly solo, this season’s shows are an entertaining, engaging and affordable night out. Enjoy!
Program Director
FTA Staff Julian Mayne, Executive Director Noree Claerhout, Resource Development Manager Mike Ford, Operations Manager Vince Gasparri, Development Director Samantha Kelch, Event Services Manager Darcy Lipsey, Box Office Manager Jacqueline MacPherson, Technical Director Leanne Millar, Accounting Manager Gerald Osborn, Office Manager Thomas Scott, Program Director Bottom Line Productions, Marketing & Communications
Contact us Fringe Theatre Adventures 10330 84 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6E 2G9 (780) 409-1910 www.fringetheatre.ca
adventures in fringe theatre 3
Background The mission of Fringe Theatre Adventures (FTA) is to create theatre that challenges and celebrates the cultural fabric of our communities and provide a home for developing new and emerging artists, audiences and forums.
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Thanks Our season presentations would not be possible without generous contribution from our funders:
www.fringetheatre.ca
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Fringe Theatre Adventures greatly appreciates support from the Government of Alberta’s Community Spirit Program
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October 21 to 31
Any Night was originally commissioned by Edmonton’s Theatre Network and developed in part by the Banff Playrites Colony, BC Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, Workshop West (Edmonton, AB), Magic Theatre (San Francisco, CA), Shetler Studios (New York, NY), the Vancouver Playhouse and the Spirit of BC Commission and Development Program. Any Night premiered in a presentation by Victoria’s Belfry Theatre, was remounted for Toronto’s Summerworks Festival, and was copresented in Vancouver by The Cultch and Touchstone Theatre. The premiere and tours of Any Night were aided in part by the BC Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.
DualMinds - www.dualminds.com DualMinds is the creative team of Daniel Arnold and Medina Hahn. Their inaugural stage play Tuesdays & Sundays premiered at Theatre Network’s NextFest then continued to tour, being listed among the Best Plays of the Year in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, and New York. It was published in the NextFest Anthology (Canada) and on its own by Dramatic Publishing (USA), was broadcast as a radio play by CBC and BBC, and optioned as a feature film. Arnold and Hahn also wrote the short play Clear Sunny Day for Catalyst Theatre (Fusion: Let There Be Light). Their latest play, Any Night, won the Toronto Summerworks’ Jury Prize for Outstanding New Play, five Toronto Now awards including Outstanding Production, was nominated for three Vancouver Jessie Awards, and was mentioned among the Best Plays of the Year in Toronto and Vancouver. It was published by Playwrights Canada Press and is currently in development as a feature film. Arnold and Hahn were named Daniel MacIvor’s protégé recipients of The Siminovitch Prize.
Acknowledgments DualMinds would like to thank Fringe Theatre Adventures, Paul Moniz de Sa, Theatre Network, Wojtek Kozlinski, Roy Surette, Michael Shamata, Michael Runbenfield, Glynis Leyshon, Chelsea McPeake, Dr. Jonathan Fleming, Jennifer Swan, June Callwood and our family and friends for their support and encouragement. We would also like to thank The Coast Edmonton House and Western Canada Express for their generous contributions.
Ron Jenkins – director, dramaturge
Biographies
Ron is the former Artistic Director of Workshop West Theatre and is a freelance director. Credits include: Trespassers (Belfry); Bash’d (Off Broadway); Forbidden Phoenix, Extinction Song (Citadel); An Inspector Calls (Vertigo); Rich, Liar (MTYP), 17 Dogs, Mesa, Apple, Mary’s Wedding, Respectable (Workshop West), The Black Rider (November Theatre), Confessions Of A Paper Boy (Ghost River); The Red Priest, The Blue Light (ATP); What the Butler Saw (Studio Theatre); Steel Kiss, Eureka, and The Horror, The Horror (Skid); and Burt (Shadow Theatre). Ron has won ten Sterling Awards, a Betty Mitchell Award and was shortlisted for the 2007 Siminovitch Prize. Ron also made the shortlist for the 2010 Siminovitch Prize.
Daniel Arnold - Patrick, playwright, co-producer A graduate of the U of A’s BFA Acting program! Has performed at: Arts Club, Touchstone, neworld, Blackbird, Gateway, Firehall, Theatre Junction, Vertigo, Theatre Calgary, Workshop West, Theatre Network, WCTC, Theatre One, Belfry, Globe, and Free Will Players, garnering two Edmonton Sterlings, two more nominations, and three Vancouver Jessie nominations. Written work: three plays for DualMinds, short film The Janitors. He is adapting two plays into feature films: Any Night and Lawrence & Holloman.
Medina Hahn - Anna, playwright, co-producer Medina is a graduate of the U of A’s BFA Acting program and the UVic BFA Theatre program. She has worked with Touchstone, neworld, NAC, Workshop West, WCTC, the Belfry, Arts Club, the Globe, Theatre Calgary, Theatre Network, Vertigo, Catalyst, and the Citadel Theatre. Film/TV: Faces In The Crowd (feature), The Last Time, Love Sick, Hollywood Brats, The 4400, The Janitors and The Collector. She is so happy to be back home performing in Edmonton!
Brian Linds – voiceover Brian is happy to be in Edmonton again, if only as a voice. He most recently appeared as Douglas Panch in the Belfry/Arts Club production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and created the sound design for the Belfry/Playhouse production of The Trespassers with Ron Jenkins. He lives in Victoria with his wife Jan Wood and daughters Shayna (15) and Anielle (11).
Joanna PB Smith – stage manager Joanne is a Vancouver based Stage Manager. She is delighted to be working on Any Night again. After this, she will be Stage Managing This at the Vancouver Playhouse.
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Any Night David Fraser - lighting designer An Edmonton based artist, David works extensively across the country in theatre, dance and opera. He has been nominated for a Jessie Richardson Award, a Betty Mitchell Award, and eight Sterling Awards, and has been the recipient once for his lighting design. Most recent designs include the set and lighting for Billy Bishop Goes To War (Citadel Theatre), and the lighting for Otello (Edmonton Opera).
Peter Pokorny – set and prop designer Peter studied at The College of Fine Arts in Slovakia. He spent the last decade working at the Belfry Theatre, Victoria, BC, as a Scenic Carpenter and a Head of Props. Some design credits include: Good Timber, Moodyville Tales (The Other Guys Theatre Co.); Eyes on the Mountain (Opera Studio, Victoria BC); Hair, The Fantasticks, West Side Story (Capitol Theatre, Nelson, BC).
Gord Heal – sound designer Based on the lovely West Coast of British Columbia, Gord works as both a Sound Designer and an Audio Technician in both theatre and live music. Recently, he has taken his passion for sound abroad and has become the Sound Technician aboard one of the few cruise ships sailing in East Asia.
Erin Macklem – costume designer Erin is the Artistic Associate for The Belfry Theatre and a freelance costume designer and writer. Her work has been seen at the Belfry, Arts Club, PTE, Pacific Opera, Caravan Farm, PTC, SummerWorks, Rumble Theatre, Theatre SKAM, and Solo Collective. She has a BFA from the University of Victoria and mentors in costume design at the Canadian College of Performing Arts.
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January 20 to 30, 2011
Written & performed by Rainer Hersch
Mozart: Ze Komplete Hystery premiered under its original title, Mozart’s Back, at the 2006 Edinburgh International Festival.
Run time – 65 minutes, no intermission
Synopsis Comedian and musician Rainer Hersch brings an hilarious Wolfgang Amadeus back from the dead. Yes, the genius of Salzburg returns with an electric piano, slides and an hilarious routine to give us the truth about his life and death and to ask “what happened to all the royalties?”
About Rainer Hersch Rainer Hersch is a stand-up comedian, writer, actor, pianist and conductor who has performed on every major comedy stage in Britain and abroad. In Canada, he is well-known to Fringe circuit audiences for a string of hit shows including All Classical Music Explained and Rainer Hersch’s Victor Borge. His comedy has been broadcast extensively on CBC and he has appeared as conductor of the Winnipeg, Hamilton, Nova Scotia and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestras, which he led in sell-out comedy shows. Rainer started telling jokes at school to avoid being beaten up by the bigger boys. He always claims that this only made the beatings worse, so he went indoors and took up music – first the clarinet, then piano and, finally, succumbing to the megalomania for which the concert hall is known, the baton. Amongst the many teachers whose artistry he has abused along the way are pianists (mostly as a private student of Norma Fisher) and conductors (principally Denise Ham and János Fürst at the Blackheath Conservatory and Royal Academy of Music, respectively), plus a few people you are even less likely to have heard of. Amazingly, he also holds an honours degree in Economics, though this is truly a surprise to everyone who knows him, not least the staff of Lancaster University in the northeast of England whose student he claims to have been for three years. After leaving university, Rainer started moonlighting from his chosen classical music career by telling jokes for money in clubs around London (there are lots). Without him intending it, this quickly developed into a second occupation, which he found he loved even more than music. Thus, in 1992 and with much trepidation, he gave up the classics and became a professional stand-up comedian. He now travels all over the place doing either stand-up comedy, conducting pops concerts or performing solo shows. Recent highlights in his doings include orchestral tours of Australia, Canada and Israel. In March 2009, he hosted and conducted Classic Relief – a gala comedy concert at the Festival Hall with the Philharmonia Orchestra and guests including Alfred Brendel, Nicola Benedetti and Evelyn Glennie, who all lined up to be his comedy bitches for the night. (In stunned awe, the BBC broadcast the concert on radio and TV). Amongst his many other radio appearances and series, he was winner of a celebrity classical music quiz Counterpoint 10 fringe theatre adventures
on BBC Radio 4 in April 2010 and, in June, he appeared twice on the popular panel game Quote Unquote. In August 2010, he returned for his 13th season at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, about which one Scottish publication wrote: “It’s always a pleasure when an old friend comes to town; and for Fringe-goers, Rainer Hersch is a friend indeed.” Rainer lives in Ealing, West London with his wife, Connie, and dog, Ted. To find out more, please feel free to Google him when you get home. In the meantime, here are three things you didn’t know about Rainer Hersch: 1) As a student, whilst working as doorman to the artists in his university concert series, the celebrated cellist Paul Tortelier once gave Rainer his Stradivarius cello to hold while he went back on stage to acknowledge the applause (naturally, he whipped off one of the pegs to keep as a souvenir). 2) A fiend with the croquet mallet, Rainer holds the singles 14-point trophy from his local croquet club (frequently reducing old ladies to tears of frustration). 3) In the course of his travels, Rainer has seen three of the four available communist leaders whose bodies were embalmed after their death: Lenin, Mao and Georgi Dimitrov (Bulgarian leader, now buried). The last one in the set, Ho Chi Minh, absolutely must be visited at some point. Why? Rainer is neither a communist nor the slightest bit interested in embalming. He doesn’t even know how on earth he got into this mummified-leader thing. But he is half German and, deep down, feels that not finishing the series would be somehow inefficient.
"It's always a pleasure when an old friend comes to town; and for Fringe-goers, Rainer Hersch is a friend indeed."
adventures in fringe theatre 11
The Edmonton Journal Presents Arts & Life Writer
Ben Gelinas
Read his stories in the Arts & Life section. Visit his blog, Button Mash, at edmontonjournal.com/blogs
edmontonjournal.com
9990 Jasper Ave., Edmonton Reserve online at www.ruthschrisalberta.ca or phone: 780-990-0123
March 3 to 13, 2011
Biography Andy Jones has been a professional writer and actor for over thirty years. He has written five critically acclaimed one-man comedy shows: Out of the Bin, Still Alive, King O’ Fun, To The Wall and An Evening with Uncle Val. He has toured extensively, to critical acclaim, across Canada as well as to Glasgow, Scotland and Waterford, Ireland. He is well known in Canada as one of the groundbreaking members of the Newfoundland comedy troupe CODCO, in both its theatrical and television incarnations. His projects have been released on CD (Letters from Uncle Val), DVD (The Adventure of Faustus Bidgood) and as television films (King O’ Fun). With the CODCO collective he wrote six full-length theatre pieces: Cod On A Stick, Sickness Death and Beyond The Grave, Das Capital, Pocketcrumbs and The Tale Ends. Other notable works include Albert, a one-act play for one man and a budgie bird, and the children’s plays Jack Meets the Cat, Jack-Five-Oh and the puppet show The Queen of Paradise’s Garden. He has performed across Europe with The Madhouse Company of London, in England with The Ken Campbell Roadshow, and across Canada in theatre productions including The Time and Place (Theatre Smith-Gilmour, Toronto); Pilk’s Madhouse (Second Stage, Halifax); Love and Anger (Alberta Theatre Projects, Calgary); Pope Joan (Nightwood Theatre, Toronto); The Postal Show (Theatre P.E.I., Charlottetown); and Bloomsday (Anna Livia Productions, Toronto). In television he has cowritten and performed in Kids in the Hall, Dooley Gardens, The Cathy Jones Special and Nasty Habits. In film, he played principal roles in Rare Birds, Young Triffie, Brain Candy, Extraordinary Visitor, A Secret Nation, Paint Cans, Life With Billy, Coleslaw Warehouse and The Adventure of Faustus Bidgood (which Andy also co-wrote and directed). Andy’s numerous awards include two Gemini awards, five Gemini nominations, two Emmy nominations, two Genie nominations, election to the Newfoundland Arts Council Hall of Honour, The Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council’s Award of Excellence, ‘Best Performance’ at the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, and the ACTRA Award of Excellence for Lifetime Achievement. Andy was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland where he co-founded the Resource Centre for the Arts at the L.S.P.U. Hall, co-writing, acting in, and directing many original productions. In the fall of 2009, he succeeded author Michael Crummey as Memorial University’s writer-in-residence.
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upcoming events Adventures in Family Theatre: Jack & The Beanstalk
December 3 – 12, 2010 Alberta Opera Musical Theatre for Young People A lively musical theatre rendition of a fairy tale classic.
The Barber of Barrhead
February 17 – 16, 2011 Edmonton Opera & Fringe Theatre Adventures A family-friendly adaptation of The Barber of Seville, set in the Alberta Klondike.
Les Parfaits Inconnus
February 8 – 17, 2011 A zany medley of circus acts, comedy and electrifying music!
Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival August 12 – 21, 2011 The 30th Anniversary Edition!
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T
hank you to those individuals and businesses that have supported Fringe Theatre Adventures and the TransAlta Arts Barns with their generous donations over the past year. Without your support, we could not continue.
$10,000+ John & Barbara Poole, Through the Edmonton Community Foundation Big Rock Brewery, Big Rock Eddies TELUS Drs. Marilyn & Robert Westbury Context and Contacts, Inc. Edmonton Student Art Society
$1,000+ Julian & Laurel Deedrick-Mayne Brian & Marjene Turnbull
$500+
“Fonebone� Davidow & Nelson Chartered Accountants LLP Colleen Maykut Diane Zinyk Aleda Patterson Donna & Gerard Lemieux
$200+ Karen Hoffman Professional Corporation Bruce Ritchie Professional Corporation Marion & Elmer Brooker Carole Barton Patricia McIntosh Dennis & Dianne McCoy Judy & Glen Heximer Greg & Lucy Heinz Gavin Jones Elizabeth Atherton-Reid William Barton Allan Siaroff Julia Boberg Patrick Fitzsimmons Douglas Oakley Barb & Gurston Dacks
18 fringe theatre adventures
Dr. Barb & Jim Beck Oto Cadsky Cam & Ros Sydie Beatrice & Terrance Nydie
$100+ Karen Doyle Susan & David Cubitt Diana Purdy Colleen Harris Scott Jason Gedak Kathy Carter Trojan Welding & Repair Ltd. Ethel Serbu & Darlene Bayers Tami & Greg Dowler-Coltman Karen & Andrew Mills Wendy Miller-Journault Ron & Dorothy Scott Yellow Pebble Yoga Lorris & Kathy Williams Michael Pucylo Stephen Heatley Esther Ondrack Leonard Swanson Randy Mouflier Lorne Merrick Dwight Sarabin Hilary McMeekin Reverend Thomas Brauer Gilda Valli John Quinn Tony Thai Linda Hugo Dan Spelliscy Dr. David R. Cornish Joan Bensted Hazel & Norman Stewart Brian Gutteridge Ellie Shuster Karen Johnson Marnie & Brian Sproule Dr. J.M. Nagy Dr. Eldon Muttitt Donna Shoebottom Martyn Nancy Lewis
Richard Davy Delcie Gray Robert & Helen Buck Joan Blackburn Patricia Langan Alan Parsons Ruby Swanson Jacqueline Breault Verne & Janet Quiring Malcom & Oryssia Lennie Elaine Solez Maclab Enterprises Ava Wood Anne Ryan Ronald & Dorothy Triffo Lois A. Field Tino & Robin Dimanno Keith Turnbull Keith Stefanik & Wendy Busse Kenneth Abernathy
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To support the people and communities that have powered us for 100 years, we make giving back in ways that enrich lives through artistic expression a high priority. Our annual contributions to Edmonton’s Fringe Theatre Adventures Society and the Calgary Stampede’s “Lights Up the Night” fireworks extravaganza are just two examples of how we help keep the arts alive in our local communities. And we won’t stop there. We also invest in education and leadership, the environment, and health and human services as part of our commitment to keeping all aspects of our communities energized for generations to come. transalta.com
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