Comments for Show You Our Blog

Comment on A few of my favourite things… by Mary

Mary — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:22:25 +0000

Thank you Marcus, for all your posts. I’ve been following them this past week. I’m a Fringer who has never been involved with theatre, except to be an observer from the audience, or as you so nicely put it, one of the most important people in the theatre. I feel like I’ve been able to surreptitiously “eavesdrop” on the life of the actor through all the actors’ posts. It’s given me a little glimpse of all the trials and tribulations, and triumphs and non-triumphs of your profession. I give you all 5 stars for your efforts. As an audience member, I admire your bravery in putting yourselves out there every show. I was able to catch 9 shows at the Edmonton Fringe this year, and while I may have enjoyed some more than others, I was always able to find something to like in every one. Bravo to you all! I hope to see you all back for the next Edmonton Fringe.

Comment on Great Outdoor Performances by Allison Williams

Allison Williams — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:42:41 +0000

Thanks, Adrienna

A fun fact from a fellow Labyrinth-lover – the hands that are supposed ot be David Bowie’s are stunt hands belonging to juggler Michael Moschen, who popularized contact juggling in the late 70’s/early 80’s. Mike is still a working juggler and has done choreography for Cirque du Soleil.

Thanks also for the plug about tipping street performers – here’s the thing, we genuinely mean it when we say “give what you can afford”, and it is the people who can pay who subsidize the people who can’t. We do truly value a handshake and a “good job” if you just can’t spare the cash (and we’d rather have that than a handful of pennies unless you’re five or under and they’re your own damn pennies). Most people, especially at the Fringe, give. And we’re so glad that the system works – that we can whole-heartedly give away our work, and the right combination of “Loved it, giving 20″/”Hated it, walked in the middle”/”It was OK, here’s 2-5″ allows us to keep doing so.

Great to meet you!

Comment on Dramaturgy by Allison Williams

Allison Williams — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:34:35 +0000

Generally, a dramaturg on an existing play does research/context/historical info/etc, and one on a new play or a play in process acts as a writing coach, much as a director coaches the actors.

So, for example, I wrote a play set in medieval Japan. The dramaturg brought in tons of information about how people dressed, behaved, worked, family dynamics, etc, that the actors could use to add to their characters and the director could use to make directorial choices.

I also wrote a solo Fringe show, and my dramaturg did some research, encouraged me to make it multi-character instead of single character, and most of all, asked questions. Like “What makes this person have to tell their story right now? Why does she use this word?” My job as the playwright is not to answer her questions directly, but to keep them in mind as I write the next draft, when the dramaturg may have new questions, or may say, “I still don’t understand why thus and such.”

Everyone’s got different priorities, and of course different dramaturgs cost anything from free-cause-I-love-the-project to a substantial wage, but I love my dramaturg and wouldn’t trade her for the world. It was totally worth the money I paid her to have the best possible play I could write and her excellent questions helped it be so.

I hope the forum was awesome!

Comment on One Day Left of the Edmonton Fringe by Amy

Amy — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 08:04:39 +0000

“Circumference” has its final show at 2:15 pm on Sunday! Come on down! The show has sold out three of its six performances so far — let’s make it four of seven, hey?

Comment on Fringous Interruptous… by Walter Schwabe

Walter Schwabe — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:08:34 +0000

Kristen, sorry to hear you have to leave the Fringe for family reasons…hope all is ok.

Comment on The Party Van by Evan

Evan — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:41:27 +0000

Wow, I’m jelous, sounds like a heckuva shaker

Comment on Fringous Interruptous… by Evan

Evan — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:42:44 +0000

Ah, yes, it is for anyone to post their thoughts

Comment on Fringous Interruptous… by G. R.

G. R. — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:15:48 +0000

I may have been mistaken about the nature of this blog. I thought it was a blog of people who had been recruited to cover the fringe, but perhaps it is just a forum for people to post at will, with no particular expectation of participation.

Since I am nowhere near Edmonton, I don’t think I can contribute much.

Comment on Fringous Interruptous… by Kristen F

Kristen F — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:09:41 +0000

I just stumbled on this yesterday. I probably would’ve blogged more if I had known of it!

Comment on Fringous Interruptous… by Evan

Evan — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:04:31 +0000

Feel free to start blogging