Wanted: Fringe Artists

Cast and crew of the 2010 Fringe hit, Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog at the Firehall Arts Centre. Photo by Lachlan McAdam.

So, you have a great idea for a Fringe show, but you didn’t make it into the 2012 Festival through the Lottery? Or maybe you’re a theatre maker looking for a challenge? Well, you can still be part of the 2012 Vancouver Fringe Festival!

Starting January 17, we will start accepting applications for BYOV/Site-Specific Shows and for the Fringe Onsite Program and we’ll accept as many as we can.

So what’s the difference between Fringe Onsite and the BYOV/Site-Specific categories?

Fringe Onsite session at the site for "wreckage." Photo by Thorsten Gohl.

Fringe Onsite is an 11 week program with mentorship from The Only Animal, Vancouver’s premier site-specific theatre company. Don’t come with a script, or even an idea! You’ll be challenged with a space on Granville Island and have to build a show around that site.

The BYOV/Site-Specific categories are for those of you with an idea in mind already. We have pre-approved venues (however we will consider others), or if you already have a story based on an unusual site, then this might be the category for you.

Read up now, because January 17 is just days away!

Gaming Grant Update

As many of you know, in 2009 there was a major shift in funding for arts and culture in BC when most arts organizations, including ours, became ineligible for Community Gaming Grants. We had just secured a three-year agreement from Gaming which has carried us through until now. It was a long two years in which many of our colleagues struggled and reduced their activity significantly—and the Fringe panicked and fundraised.

Christy Clark announcing restoration of adult arts organizations eligibility for Gaming Grants at the Port Moody Arts Centre on January 11, 2012.

In the interim, Premier Christy Clark commissioned an independent review to undo the “mistake” (her own words) that was made at that time. The review was extensive and engaged 1,700 British Columbians in dialogue about the value that community groups bring to our province. The review has now been completed and options given to the government. The report is long and the options are many, but the most important result from our perspective was that our eligibility to apply for Gaming Grants was restored. There is less funding available than there was in 2008 (by $21 million dollars), but we are again eligible.

What we learned over the past two years of preparing for such a major loss is that we have a strong and broad base of supporters that we can count on. You have been, and will continue to be, our best bet because you understand the value of what we do. The change in policy in 2009 indicated that the government did not understand the value of arts in our communities. Not only did they cut arts funding, but they made the arts community virtually ineligible to apply for funding. Throughout her announcement speech Premier Clark talked about the ability of community groups to deliver services effectively and with agility, which indicates there is perhaps a renewed understanding of what the non-profit arts sector can and does do with government investment.

We are thankful that there has been a change of heart in government although the investment is considerably smaller. The uncertainty does continue—we don’t know if we will receive a grant—and we don’t know if it will be anywhere near the amount formerly invested in us. We are most thankful that when mistakes were made in 2009, Fringe supporters like you gave us hope and courage to carry on despite the uncertainty.

Gaming Grants are not awarded for artistic merit but for community engagement, one thing we have in spades. So thank you for being such a strong community. We hope to report in the future that the engagement we have together will be acknowledged with a grant from BC Gaming.

—David Jordan
Executive Director
Vancouver Fringe Festival

Donor Profile: Don Wright

Back in the early days of the Vancouver Fringe Festival, a man named Don Wright got involved—first as a patron in a car load of UCFV Theatre Department kids, then as a writer and actor in Blue Herring and Sex Outside the Box (“we were thrilled when a Vancouver Sun writer gave us one star out of five,” Don laughs), as a volunteer when the Fringe moved to Granville Island, and finally as a monthly donor last year.

Don Wright on top of the Pyramid of the Sun (Teotihuacan, near Mexico City).

“I fully understand that a monthly commitment really helps organizations with cash flow and budgeting,” Don explains. “And given the challenging political and economic climate for arts organizations, I felt it was time to show that I support the Fringe in this important way.”

But the Fringe isn’t the only charity Don is involved with. For the past 10 years he’s been the Regional Activism Coordinator (BC-Yukon) for Amnesty International. “It is a great pleasure to support people willing to engage in protecting the human rights of others,” Don says.

“But how can the Fringe’s work compare to that of Amnesty,” we asked Don. “I would say donate to both. I certainly do. The founding issue for Amnesty International 50 years ago was freedom of expression, and although there were no artists in the first set of cases, many writers and playwrights have been the subject of Amnesty appeals,” Don explains.

Don brought Amnesty International and the Fringe together in Short and Sweet: Small Plays for Big Ideas for the 2011 Fringe. “When the directors and I debriefed after the Fringe, one of them noted that we had ‘helped the artists see human rights, and helped the humanitarians see art.’”

Currently, Don is traveling in Central and South America on a one-year sabbatical. He’s hoping to catch some theatre as his Spanish improves. “It is really the culture, the way people live and organize their lives, and present themselves and their world views through the arts that [my partner and I] are particularly looking forward to,” Don shares. You can check up on Don via his blog, here.

Food at the Public Market

Chef led tour of the Public Market. Photo courtesy of Tourism Vancouver.

Food and wine are two of the greatest things in life. A third is another reason to come down to Granville Island (besides the Fringe Festival of course). That’s why Plated and Paired at the Granville Island Public Market promises to be such a great event!

As part of Dine Out Vancouver, the Public Market shops will provide cheese, pastries, and sausages, along with tasty morsels created by Granville Island’s chefs, and pair them with BC wines (including some from our wine sponsor, Mark Anthony).

Sadly, Plated and Paired is already sold out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t discover all the tastiness the Public Market has to offer! Edible Canada has chef guided tours of the Public Market, plus some other stops around Granville Island. Another option is just to wander the Public Market. But before heading down, please not that the Market will be closed on Mondays throughout January.

Fair Trade for Children and Families!

We served Camino juices at the Camino Lounge and we're donating the rest to a deserving school. Photo by Lachlan McAdam.

We’re thrilled to announce that the Fringe and our sponsor Camino will donate over 150 litres of fair trade organic juice to the students and families of Admiral Seymour Elementary School. The juice is a tasty surplus from the 2011 Camino Lounge, which enticed lucky Fringe patrons to donate in exchange for generous samples of Camino’s new fair trade organic juice and candy bar lines. The yummy and nutritious juices are a great way to support the growing children of this 100+-year-old school, whose wish list raises serious questions about how children can have such need while living in such a wealthy city. Camino’s donation reminds us that we are all one community.

“This helps us meet our goal of helping families meet the immediate need of providing healthy food to their kids. Organic fruits and vegetables are the most expensive foods to provide and many families can’t afford it. It’s kind of like gold to them,” Admiral Seymour teacher extraordinaire, Carrie Gelson, says. “The school puts together weekly bags of groceries and other items that they send home with the kids for their families and this juice will be included.”

Carrie will be speaking on January 25 at the End Child Poverty Now! forum at Langara College to bring awareness to this important issue.

We at the Fringe extend a huge thanks to Camino and welcome the students, families, and staff of Admiral Seymour into our extended family. We think you’re an essential part of our community!

Hello. Goodbye.

Our newest intern, Ana!

You all know that the super dedication of our interns lends us an almost indestructible power to do more than your average festival. Well, the Fringe has reason to celebrate yet another amazing volunteer to our ranks: Ana Elena Garza! Originally hailing from the beautiful 500-year-old city of Monterrey, Mexico, Ana has joined the Development Department to support its off-season efforts to prepare for the 2012 Festival and beyond. Ana brings a great mix of experience with site-specific and other theatre, cool small-scale events, and edgy and fun marketing and public relations work. With her indomitable enthusiasm and alert sense of humour, she’s got the perfect background and attitude to make her mark on the Fringe and help us support a fantastic 2012 Festival. We’re very excited to have her on the team!

Miss Aleks is leaving, but we'll love her forever.

Continuing much of the same work, Ana will be filling the impressive boots (and you should see her dresses!) of Aleks Brzozowski, whose time as Development Coordinator has sadly come to a close. Aleks did a phenomenal job as the right hand (and sometimes left!) of Gareth Duncan, helping evolve the Development Department into a well-organized and focused component of the Fringe. We already miss her!

Lottery Success!

Last Wednesday, December 7, we held our Mainstage Lottery at the ANZA Club to choose who will be on the Mainstages during the 2012 Vancouver Fringe Festival! We received over 200 applications for a mere 48 spots, so tensions were high as the lottery went on. Between drawing applications, we held group high-fives, had a group scratch-and-win scratch off, and 10-second dance parties (with prizes including tattoos, disco balls, and juice from our sponsor Camino), all the while being live tweeted to artists and fans around the world!

Fringe Fest Executive Director, David Jordan, points out that there are only a few spots available in the Vancouver Fringe Mainstage category! Photo by Sadia Khan.

The Mainstage category includes shows in the Fringe on our seven Mainstage venues (Revue Stage, Waterfront Theatre, Performance Works etc). The Fringe provides these artists with a venue, schedule, technician (for lighting, sound etc), as well as front of house volunteers, marketing support, and more. Artists in these coveted spots are chosen by lottery and we divide them into three categories: provincial, national, and internationally based artists. But because of the Vancouver Fringe’s role in the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF), which held their touring lottery on October 19, priority spots were given to eight tour winners. The remaining 40 spots were open to artists who applied and many were in attendance at the ANZA. They were given a Jimmy balloon so we could spot them if their name was drawn.

The night started off with a couple other draws: the Membership draw, which was won by Sean Quigley, who gets a Superpass for the 2012 Fringe Festival and a gift basket from Legacy Liquor. The second draw was from participants who took our 2011 Audience Survey; and a 2012 Superpass was awarded to Lindsey Taylor!

Then we started drawing artists. Amazing show names were being called, like Chlamydia dell’Arte: A Sex-Ed Burlesque, 411 Dramaturgy’s Almost Complete Works of Hip-Hop, and John Grady with Fear Factor: Canine Edition. With names like these you start to get excited!

Festival favourites like Jem Rolls, Martin Dockery, 2011 Spirit of the Fringe Award Winner, Cameryn Moore, and 2011 Fringe hit-makers, Wonderheads will also be in the Fringe next year!

Gail MacKenzie leaps out of her seat when she learns she's been drawn for a spot in the 2012 Fringe. Photo by Dallas Kolotylo.

The most palpable excitement came from artists who were there when their application was drawn. Mortal Wombat’s Jennifer Siddle was in the house to talk about her show, Caps Lock: The Musical, an exploration on social media’s effect on relationships. Gail MacKenzie, who will be producing Boobies, Tits, Breasts and Bosoms, leaped up to the stage when her show was drawn. Congratulations to all the winners! To see who’s in and who’s on the waitlist, click here.

Following the Lottery, Peter ‘n’ Chris gave a hilarious performance that included their own take on Shakespeare. The boys didn’t make it in the lottery though. We expect a Bring Your Own Venue (or Onsite) application from them. Anyone can submit one and we’ll accept them on a first come, first served basis beginning January 17.

A special shout out to Tristan Orchard, who DJed all the 10-second and closing dance parties during the lottery and to photographers Sadia Khan, and Dallas Kolotylo and Sabrina Smith of Dallas Kolotylo Photography.

We’re super excited about the Festival next year and hope you are too!

Fringe Baby! (err…Donor Profile!)

Meet Christina Price. Christina is a special part of the Fringe family. Not only has she been a volunteer, but she’s also a donor, a former staff member, and her bouncing new baby boy Matthew was practically born at the Fringe.

Christina and Matthew Price are big time Fringe supporters!

Christina first came to the Fringe Festival in 2003 after working for a year in Japan. To become reacquainted with Vancouver, she decided to do some volunteer work, and she was hooked on the Fringe from the get-go. “Not only did I see some incredible shows (for free!), but as a volunteer I was treated with so much respect and appreciation,” Christina says, recalling her first experiences. When she came to work for the Festival as the Interim Festival Manager (covering maternity leave for Isabella Kessel), Christina loved being one of the folks continuing the trend of showing love towards that fantastic team  of more than 500.

But before starting her job with the Fringe, Christina began donating to the Festival. “I heard that the BC Government was taking away the Fringe’s Gaming funding, and while I knew my little donation couldn’t make up for the tens of thousands of dollars that the Fringe would be missing, I was so outraged I wanted to put my money where my mouth was,” she explains. “The Fringe is such an incredible organization, managing with very little money to put on a world-class Festival that celebrates artistic freedom and risk-taking and is accessible to artists, audiences, and volunteers. But really, I donate to the Fringe because it’s had such an enormous impact on my life.”

Which brings us to Matthew: While covering a maternity leave position, Christina herself became pregnant. All summer long, Matthew kept expanding her belly. But Christina, die hard Fringer that she is, kept right on working through the Fringe in September, until September 17, two days before the end of the Festival, when Matthew was born. We even had a radio code in case Christina went into labour while at  the Festival, but “the chicken was hatched” at Lions’ Gate Hospital.

Matthew has started his volunteering early in life as the Roots of Empathy baby at Tyee Elementary School, but Christina is looking forward to having him join her at the Fringe. “Part of the reason I donate to the Fringe is because I feel it’s up to people like me to ensure that the Fringe is still around when my son is old enough to volunteer—or produce a show!”

Thanks Christina, not only for donating, but for being part of our extended family, and for letting us be part of yours!

$5,000 in Five Days: *Update*

Slow and steady wins the race! Thanks to everyone who donated to the Fringe during our $5,000 in Five Days campaign this past October! Although we missed our five-day target, we did reach our $5,000 goal! Thanks to everyone who gave to us. Your dollars make the Festival, and our commitment to artist development, better!

You can still donate to the Fringe and support local artists, but this is your last chance for a 2011 tax receipt! You know the tax man will love you for it. Donate $25 or more by December 31 and we’ll get you a receipt for the 2011 tax year. Wait till January and we’ll give you one for 2012!

Happy Holidays!

Ah, the holidays…a time to drink some eggnog, wrap presents for your loved ones, and synch the Christmas lights to your favourite techno song. And we want to be a part of it! To celebrate the season, we’ve been slogging through YouTube videos to entertain you. Have some fun with our online Advent Calendar on Twitter or Facebook. We’ll be posting daily, so keep your eyes peel for more random entertainment!

Happy holidays from the Fringe!

Jimmy loves lotteries.

Can’t wait for the 2012 Vancouver Fringe Festival?! Neither can we! So come out and be part of the start of next year’s Festival:

What: Vancouver Fringe 2012 Mainstage Lottery Party
Where: The ANZA Club (3 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver)
When: December 7 at 8:00pm
How Much?: Bring a scratch and win for entry! (Don’t worry, no one will be turned away!)

We’ll be drawing the artists who will appear in the 2012 Fringe Festival (Mainstage category) and you’re invited to be the first to find out who’s in! “Draw?” you ask? Yes, that’s right! We literally draw applications from a set of hats to choose the lineup for the Festival.

We’ll be treated to a special performance from Fringe heart throbs and 2011 Pick of the Fringe winners, Peter ‘n’ Chris. Then we’ll dance the night away with DJ Tristan Orchard!

And if you can’t make it, be sure to follow us on Twitter cause we’ll be live tweeting the results!

Do you want to be in the draw? Apply now because Mainstage applications are due November 30 at 4:00pm PST. For info on how to apply for the BYOV category or for the Onsite Program, click here.

See you on December 7!

Leonard Schein is a True Star

You might recognize Leonard Schein’s name from Vancouver’s film culture—after all he is a co-partner in Festival Cinemas and he founded the Vancouver International Film Festival, so you might wonder what on earth he has to do with the Fringe (and trust us, he’s not confused that we’re actually some alternative film festival like some people).

Leonard Schein loves theatre, be it live or at the movies.

“The Fringe is one of the best theatre experiences that we have in Vancouver,” Leonard explains. “And it is certainly the most accessible from a cost perspective of any live performances in Vancouver.”

Leonard has been involved with the Fringe for so long, he doesn’t even remember when he got started! But he sat on our board for a number of years. “It was great seeing these talented people in little venues in East Vancouver,” Leonard says, remembering his early days with the Fringe. “It was refreshing to see original and unique performances.”

On Saturday, September 17, also known as Leonard Schein Day, Leonard matched all donations made during our Sweet on the Fringe pre-show pitches and the Flaunt Your Fringe ticket top-up campaign. This generous contribution has earned Leonard the prestigious title of the Fringe’s One True Love (AKA our top donor). Thanks so much Leonard!

While Leonard feels great about the recognition, he says, “my main motivation was to increase other people’s donations by inspiring them.”

Feeling inspired? Donate today!

Thanks for the Art!

As you may know we are supported by many donors and many in-kind donors. This year, when we made a call out via our newsletter for items for our fundraising auctions, we were overwhelmed by one particular gift. Mark and Linda Belzberg donated two paintings to us, one worth approximately $8,000 and the other $13,000!

We'll selling Michael Israel's Bono BW at an art auction some day soon.

The first is Theo Tobiasse’s La Douceur du Thé et des Ponts de Venise. Tobiasse’s work is often referred to as modern primitivism and he touches on themes of exile and childhood reminiscence.

The other is Michael Israel’s Bono BW. Israel is a showman. He creates his pieces with a live audience and musical performances as he leaps around throwing paint at the canvas. No one is ever really sure what will come of the painting, but he tends to focus on pop culture personalities.

You can imagine how pleasantly shocked we were to receive this phone call. We were so honoured that Mark and Linda, long-time supporters of the Fringe, thought of supporting us with these unique gifts. Given that we’d never sold anything for more than $1,000 in our auctions, we decided we weren’t quite ready to sell them there. We’re currently planning on selling them in a future art auction—unless anyone out there is a really big U2 fan…

If you’re interested in contacting us about these paintings, email Gareth Duncan at fundraising[at]vancouverfringe.com.

Shiny, Beautiful, Printed Things

“Wow, that was fast,” was a sentiment felt in the office the first time we had an item printed with PrintPrint.ca (an Ultra Xpress Company)—and that sentiment was refreshed every time we got an order delivered. And the Fringe prints a lot of little things: membership cards, passes, posters, flyers, and more!

Fringe items printed with PrintPrint.ca.

PrintPrint.ca got its start in 2001 when Salim Lakhani, who was a local night club and arts events promoter, started printing his own promotional materials. He soon realized that Vancouver needed a fast, affordable printer and PrintPrint.ca was born! The company grew quickly, doubling its size by 2004. They’re now located downtown and have a full production facility where you can get pretty much anything you need printed.

PrintPrint.ca wants to offer Fringers a deal! If you start following PrintPrint.ca on Twitter you’ll get $10 off your next order! And they’re running a special deal on tent cards and posters, just ‘cause they love hockey season so much! Click here for a special deal for insiders only!

Theatre Community Briefs

Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Those teen sensations, Awkward Stage Productions are at it again! This time they’ll be performing a cabaret with songs from Avenue Q, Songs for a New World, and Spring Awakening—not to mention their Fringe hits 13 and Smile! See it December 7 and 8 at CBC Studio 700. Visit Awkward Stage Productions’ website for tickets and details.

Here at the Fringe, we couldn't help but Photoshop the the Neanderthal Arts Festival mascot and the promo image from Baby, It's Cold Outside.

Neanderthal Arts Festival Call for Submissions
The Fringe isn’t the only place in town for new and experimental theatre! The Neanderthal Arts Festival takes place July 21-31 at the Cultch and they’re currently accepting applications from artists! Unlike the Fringe, Neanderthal is juried, so you have to know what you’ll be presenting when you apply. Applications are due December 15. Check out the details and the application.

Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance
Did you know that there’s an alliance of theatre companies and professionals in Vancouver? There is! They’re called the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance (lovingly referred to as the GVPTA) and they do all sorts of great stuff to promote theatre in Vancouver, like producing the Vancouver Theatre Guide. It’s one of the best places to find out about what’s on in the city (and they have a mobile version too)! You can even sign up to get their weekly newsletter, Casting the Net to get theatre listings sent right to your inbox! We love the GVPTA and think that you will too!

So You Wanna Be a 2012 Fringe Artist?

So you wanna be a Fringe artist? Well, you can! Applications for 2012 Fringe Festival will be available online starting November 1! Applications are open to everyone! And we want everyone to apply!

How do we choose shows for the Festival? They are literally drawn from a hat!

Applications for the Mainstage Category (to be onstage at the Waterfront, Performance Works, etc.) are open November 1-30. The Mainstage Lottery Draw Party (where we literally draw shows out of hats) will be held on December 7 at the ANZA Club. There’ll also be an improv performance from 2011 Pick of the Fringe winners, Peter ‘n’ Chris, followed by a dance party that night!

BYOV (Bring Your Own Venue) and Onsite applications will be accepted starting January 17 and shows will be chosen on a first come, first served basis (as long as they meet criteria set out here).

Want to know more? Click for information! And please share this link with any and all performing artists you know!

We’re Ever So Grateful!

Thanks to all of you who donated to the $5,000 in 5 Days campaign! We had a lot of fun telling you about the amazing things your donations do for the Festival and its artists. We’re also proud to have included our Facebook fans and Twitter followers. Everyone who contributed to the campaign is helping ensure that the 2012 Festival will be the best one yet!

We didn’t quite hit our $5,000 target, but we did get a whole whack of new donors. So, a massively huge hug to all of you solid supporters who renewed your donation and an extra special smooch to the awesome newbies who joined the Fringe Lover family!

We asked our Facebook fans to tag themselves in this photo if they donate to the Fringe.

Aleksandra Brzozowski
Odessa Cadieux
Lois Dawson
David Dowis
Miranda Duffy
Kiersten Eis
Barbara Ellison
Eddie Hung
Tammy Isaacson
Isabella Kessel
Shantini Klaassen
David Magallon
Annastasia Palubiski
Thomas Paolucci
Samantha Quon
Rebecca Shindler
Lindy Sisson
Lara Smith
Vaughn Something
Lisa Turner
Katia Tynan
Kate Wilkins

Thanks to all Fringe supporters—during $5,000 in 5 Days, during the Festival, and throughout the year!

Forgot to donate? It’s not too late.

A Special car2go Deal for Fringers!

Our Communications Director's first trip in a car2go, earlier this summer.

You’ve seen the little white and blue car2go smart cars dashing around town. Maybe you saw them around the Fringe? That’s cause they’re one of our fantastic sponsors! We used car2go to travel between BYOVs in East Van and the Festival’s hub on Granville Island—and boy, was it handy!

Have you ever wondered about the nifty car share company? Well wonder no more! They’re offering Fringe lovers a special deal. You get free registration and 30 minutes of free drive time when you sign up with the promo code “FRINGE”! Once you get your card, you just scan it in the car2go scanner, get in, drive, and then you can leave the car anywhere in the operating area! You can book ahead of time, but you don’t need to—it’s super easy and it’s fun to drive a smart car.

Theatre Deals and Happenings

Alright theatre lovers! Here’s a round up of special stuff that we like and that we think you’ll like. (Some of them even have special deals!)

Smile: The Musical
Oct. 26-30 at the Norman Rothstein Theatre
Awkward Stage Productions are remounting their Fringe hit, Smile: The Musical, today till October 30! And they want to offer Fringe lovers a special deal! Fringe Members get two for one tickets when purchased at the door! Plus they’re having a contest. Spot their transit shelter ad, take a photo, and send it and the bus stop number to awkwardstageproductions@shaw.ca and you could win a pair of tickets to their show! Tickets and info.

Here Be Monsters Festival
Oct. 27-30 at Performance Works
On this weekend! It’s all about new play creation, performance, and artist workshops, forums, mentorship, networking, and opportunities for theatre artists to collaborate. Schedule of events and tickets.

Snowman
Nov. 4-19 at the Revue Stage
Rumble Productions presents Snowman. Denver and Marjorie spend their time doing cocaine with Jude, a young gay man, in a remote northern community at the edge of a glacial sheet. When Jude discovers the body of a prehistoric boy frozen in the glacier, everyone’s life begins to change. Fringers are being offer 20% off tickets to evening performances from November 6-19! Just use “FRINGEFAN” as the promo code! Production info and tickets.

Waiting for Godot
Dec. 27-Jan. 21 at the Cultch
Don’t wait to take advantage of this special Fringe promo code! You’ll get 20% off tickets purchased between October 27 and November 22—just use “GODOT” in the “Use Discount Coupons” section of your online checkout. A British Royal National Theatre poll voted Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot as “the most significant English language play of the 20th century.” Don’t miss your chance to see it! Info and tickets.

It’s the final email of the 5-day campaign… You got off to a really strong start (thanks!), but donations have slowed down. Everyone knows that Vancouver is a last minute sort of town—so, if you’re thinking about donating or renewing your support, now’s the time!
This is the last day to reach the $5,000 goal!

Donate Now!

The Fringe really expanded its physical and artistic presence this year, spreading the Fringe out to all corners of Granville Island. We had site-specific theatre with Fringe Onsite, Art (Is)Land installations peppering the Island, and expanded programming at the Fringe Bar that kept Railspur Alley bustling every night.

A busy night at the Fringe Bar. Photo by Skot Nelson.

These site innovations are just the sort of evolution the Fringe wants to continue into the future. Your contribution helps build exciting Fringe projects like these each year.

Monthly support of $5, $10, $20, or more is the best way to help us plan the 2012 season with confidence—all normal Fringe Benefits apply and can be made by either direct deposit or credit card.

You can also make a one-time donation online, by mailing a cheque (payable to “First Vancouver Theatrespace Society”), or by phoning us at 604.257.0350 (Ex. 107) for personal service.

Lost in Place: 2011 Onsite show. Photo by Thorsten Gohl.

A Poem about the Fringe

Future of the Fringe

What will the next time feel like?
What nooks and crannies will we squeeze into?
What surprises will we find between
show times, on wooden walkways,
or deep  in curious conversation
with our fellow lovers of theatre
under  the stars on Granville island?
I’m  already dreaming.
And you’re there.

Robyn Williams Dann: From the tips of her toes to what’s under her pants

During the Festival you probably saw Robyn Williams Dann running around with her radio headset, solving problems for volunteers. Or maybe you saw her surrounded by the Frunks at the Fringe Bar. She is a major fan of the Fringe and it all started with a free pair of underwear.

Robyn Williams Dann even got a Fringe chicken pedicure!

“It was 2005, [the Fringe was] giving away Ginch Gonch underpants as part of the curtain speech and I won a pair! … I just remember thinking ‘this festival is where I belong,’” Robyn shares. Since then she’s become a superstar volunteer, dedicating 40-plus hours during the Fringe. You’d think that after giving so much she wouldn’t feel a need to do more—but you’d be wrong.

“It is my grown up summer camp. It’s where I spend 11 days hanging out with my theatre peeps, drinking beer, dancing, laughing, riding my bike, and seeing some amazing shows,” Robyn explains. “When I learned about Canada Helps and how easy it was to become a monthly donor, I thought ‘why not?’ I donate $25 a month, automatically, and while I don’t even notice it coming out of my account I end up donating $300 a year! Can you imagine if everyone set up an account to donate $1 monthly? What about $5 or $10? It’s staggering what a small amount from a lot of people adds up to.”

We couldn’t agree more! Thanks Robyn!

We’re halfway there—only three more days to reach $5,000!

Donate Now!

And thank you so much to those of you who’ve already donated! If you’re on Facebook, tag yourself in this fun image and share it with your friends!

A world without artists, especially Fringe artists, would be boring—you know it’s true! The Fringe makes it easy and affordable for artists to develop and share their craft. Your donations support emerging artists before and during the Fringe through valuable workshops, artist promotion, and mentorships.

In particular, the Fringe Onsite mentorship program, led by The Only Animal, gave artists the chance to develop skills in producing site-specific theatre. “The Onsite program opened my straight edged box and let my brain out to play,” says artist Kyla Ferrier, of The Selkie Wife. We were so excited by Fringe Onsite that we asked our good friend Michael Sider to create this amazing video about the project.

Your contributions to the Fringe will help increase artist development by supporting the Onsite program, as well as the Fringe Playhouse Award, and other mentoring awards. Donate today so we can continue to support emerging artists in significant ways.

Monthly support of $5, $10, $20, or more is the best way to help us plan the 2012 season with confidence—all normal Fringe Benefits apply and can be made by either direct deposit or credit card.

You can also make a one-time donation online, by mailing a cheque (payable to “First Vancouver Theatrespace Society”), or by phoning us at 604.257.0350 (ex. 107) for personal service.

Artist Development through Awards

Marisa Smith winning the Joanna Maratta Award at the 2010 Fringe Awards Night. Photo by Thorsten Gohl.

On the last day of the Festival, we present a series of awards that help emerging artists develop and refine their work.

In 2009 the Fringe partnered with the Cultch to create the Cultchivating the Fringe Award. The winner is presented with a run at the Cultch and time to develop their show (2010’s winner, Alley Theatre’s Wicked Shorts, just wrapped up their run).

The success of this award inspired a similar award with the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company (The Fringe Playhouse Award), and 2011’s Little Orange Man was the inaugural winner.

On top of these awards, we also present the Joanna Maratta Award. This award honours the Fringe’s founder and offers a year-long mentorship to the chosen artist, providing guidance to the emerging artist as they become a established.

“The best thing about the Fringe and the Fringe Awards is that they have practical and pro-active components that help carry artists forward in their careers,” says Alley Theatre’s Marisa Smith, winner of the 2010 Joanna Maratta Award. “Along with having the status of winning … I was given a year long mentorship that I was able to apply to an up-coming project.”

Marisa recently learned that she’ll be the assistant director for the Electric Company’s production of All The Way Home, which will be presented at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in January! “If I had never given a platform to explore my art form at the Fringe then I may never have discovered how much I love directing,” Marisa explains. We’re glad we could play a part!

Susan Freedman: This time, she’s not lying

Susan Freedman’s affair with Fringe began at the Edmonton Fringe in 1984. At the time, she was working for CBC Radio, a major sponsor of the Festival. “I’d been acting on and off for much of my life so, of course, fell in love with the Fringe,” Susan says of her first experiences. The love intensified when Susan moved to Vancouver in 1994 and became the Vancouver Fringe’s Director of Marketing.

Susan Freedman's promotional photo for her show Sixty Four and no More Lies.

“I quit to do my first one-woman Fringe show in 1999 and have been doing shows since then,” Susan discloses. That show was Fifty Seven and Still Lying About My Weight, which she then took on the Fringe circuit. “I had never written a show before performing in the Fringe and I’ve learned so much from the process,” Susan shares. “Where else could I have had the opportunity to create my own show (so I was certain to get the lead!), have so much support, a venue, and—most importantly—an audience? Mounting a show is hugely expensive … [but] the Fringe has the built in audience and excitement waiting for any artist who wants to do a show.”

The support Susan experienced is the reason she decided to contribute to the Fringe and why she still donates today. “For young writers, actors, producers, and technicians, the Fringe provides an opportunity to learn and hone their skills,” Susan explains. “For more seasoned performers the Fringe allows them to take risks and try things they’d be unable to do anywhere else.” Susan is currently working on her next show, which she hopes to debut in the 2012 Fringe.

This is it! We’ve got 5 days to raise $5,000!

What a Festival! Our attendance was amazing, the diversity of performances was dazzling, and the artistic energy that buzzed around Granville Island for 11 days and nights was fantastic! And none of our successes would have been possible without donor support.

Martin Dockery tells stories at the Fringe Bar. Photo by Lachlan McAdam.

Donate Now!

October 17-21 is the time to show your love for the Fringe: we’re having a 5-day campaign to raise $5,000 in new and increased donations. We’ve got an annual fundraising goal of $70,000 and we’re over three-quarters of the way there! But we need your help to push us towards the finish line.

Your investment pays huge dividends, so if you liked what you saw this year, and want to see even more next year, support us with a donation this week. Monthly support of $5, $10, $20, or more is the best way to help us plan the 2012 season with confidence—all normal Fringe Benefits apply and can be made by either direct deposit or credit card.

You can also make a one-time donation online, by mailing a cheque (payable to “First Vancouver Theatrespace Society”), or by phoning us at 604.257.0350 (ex. 107) for personal service.

Let’s make these next five days something spectacular and make sure the Fringe continues to be the most supportive and vibrant arts festival in Vancouver!

Fringe Boxing Day

Grim and Fischer wander the Fringe Fest. Photo by Wendy McAlpine.

It’s hard to believe the Festival closed a month ago! It is such an exhilarating time to be surrounded by fellow theatre geeks, theatre virgins, theatre artists, and of course theatre itself! 2011 was an exceptional year—I often refer to the Festival as “Fringe-mas.” Twelve days full of theatrical gifts! It was so much fun to unwrap such wonderful surprises like last minute additions Grim and Fischer, fresh new work like Little Orange Man, and seasoned work like Giant Invisible Robot. Like Christmas dinner, I left the Festival satiated but wanting more at the same time. We did grow a little, but unlike holiday pounds, we’re happy we maintained the massive growth we created in 2010 and we’re feeling pretty comfortable with our new pant size thank you very much!

I often get asked if my job is a year round job, which makes me laugh because there is always more work to do than time in which to do it! It’s a hard question to answer because what the small permanent staff team and I do on a year round basis is not at all like what we do during the Festival. In the off-season we evaluate the Festival (living in the past) and plan (living in the future). During the Festival we do (living in the present)! What makes it such a satisfying job is this dynamism. For 11 months a year, the public is unaware of what we’re doing in our Fringe workshop (like Santa’s!) and then all of a sudden (seemingly) we are running a huge Festival of theatrical delights. To be able to arrive (like Santa) once a year is so enormously satisfying—to see the presents (the shows), to get family together (at the Fringe Bar!), and to revel around the fireplace of theatre. So now we head back into the workshop and see what type of mischief we can build for next year.

— David Jordan, Executive Director

Jim Sibley: He’s No Puppet!

Jim Sibley has been a fan of the Fringe for some 10 odd years. A director at UBC’s Centre for Instructional Support (“I teach teachers how to teach,” Jim explains), Jim was attracted to the diversity of entertainment he could only find at the Fringe—especially the shows that give priority to storytelling or puppetry. A favourite of Jim’s was 2009’s Cam and Legs, a tale of a break dancing puppet in search of a head.

Jim Sibley, one of the Fringe's monthy donors, in his UBC staff photo.

Jim has been donating time to the Festival for the past three years as an usher, ticket seller, and on site-crew. It’s the camaraderie he found here that inspired him to give more. “Once you start being involved and getting to know everyone involved, you want to help out,” Jim says. “It’s really important to support things that are happening in your community.” Jim has been a monthly donor since 2009 and he’s recently increased his monthly pledge. Plus, he donated a camera to us so we could take photos whenever we want!

“You’re unlikely to give money to any other group that is as appreciated, and will be as well used, as when you donate to the Fringe,” Jim explains. That, combined with the Fringe’s mandate to provide all artists the opportunity to present their work, is why Jim thinks donating to the Fringe is valuable. “It’s so important that there are these kind of spaces and events,” Jim says.

Thanks Jim!

More Pick Mini-Profiles

As promised in our previous newsletter, here are the profiles on upcoming Pick shows!

The Shakespeare Show
Friday, Sept. 23 at 7:00pm
Monster Theatre spends ages researching the history they bring to life in their productions. And the source of the company’s name comes from improv guru Keith Johnstone, who described monsters as “strange and twisted on the outside, but they always have a good and pure heart.”

The Slipknot
Saturday, September 24 at 7:15pm
Writer, performer, and director TJ Dawe has wowed Fringe audiences since the late ‘90s. And The Slipknot, which came out in 2001, could be called his magnum opus. On top of that he blogs about food (and other stuff) and podcasts about heros.

Jon Lachlan Stewart in Big Shot.

Big Shot
Saturday, Sept. 24 at 9:30pm
Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Jon Lachlan Stewart left the treacherous cold behind to study theatre at Langara’s Studio 58. It was there that Jon would create a 20 minute grad piece that explored what can happen when the right people meet at the right place at the right time. Now full length, Big Shot sees Jon take on six characters with the utmost ease and precision, solidifying his place as an up-and-coming star.

Ingrid Hansen in Little Orange Man.

Little Orange Man
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 4:55pm
When Ingrid Hansen’s not touring or running around Hawaii with SNAFU Dance, she teaches theatre classes to the inmates at William Head Federal Prison.

Peter ‘n’ Chris
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 6:55pm
The dynamic duo, Peter ‘n’ Chris, met while attending theatre school at the University of Victoria. Their humorous vibes meshed instantly but people still can’t tell who’s who, but that doesn’t seem to matter much since they’re Fringe heartthrobs.

Sweet Success

The Sweet on the Fringe Festival campaign introduced Festival-goers to the 12 Reasons to Support the Fringe and new “Giving Galleons” accompanied the terrifyingly ridiculous return of the “Camino Chickens.” Thanks in part to the matching donation of Leonard Schein (on Leonard Schein Day), we saw a 13% increase in donations—bringing us within only a few hundred dollars of our $10,000 goal!

Even Vancouver's Mayor, Gregor Robertson, visited the Camino Lounge. (Photo by Lachlan McAdam.)

This campaign also introduced thousands of folks to the Camino Lounge, which was located outside the Fringe Bar.  Audience members with vouchers from special Sweet on the Fringe performances and other donors sampled new and irresistible Camino fair trade, organic products, including glasses of juice and gourmet candy bars! In addition to tasting thousands of candy bars and juices, Camino Lounge visitors donated almost $600 to the Fringe!

The Camino Lounge also featured Flaunt Your Fringe! buttons. These four buttons were also available to advance ticket purchasers who included a “top-up” contribution in their ticket orders. This campaign brought in about $700 and populated the Festival with some of our coolest buttons yet!

The biggest buttons celebrated those individuals and groups who contributed a $1,000 or more and got to own a day at the Festival. This year saw five personalized Fringe days—a very healthy increase over last year!

Your Chance to Win a 2012 Super Pass

Yep, you read that right! If you answered our audience survey on an iPad with the volunteers that mingled with patrons during the Festival, you’ll be entered to win a Super Pass to the Festival in 2012! If you didn’t get to do the survey with one of our volunteers though, you can do the survey right now! You’ll still be eligible to win!

Interns Are the Best!

Well, the Festival has come to an end and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without our huge team of volunteers. But there’s a special set of volunteers that we want to give a special thanks to. Our fantastic team of interns!

Just four of our lovely interns. From left to right: Nicole, Katia, Hannah, and Lara. (Photo by Eddie Hung)

Our interns volunteer their whole summers with us, working part-time or full-time. We seriously would not be able to accomplish all that we have without their dedication, drive, and skills! We want to thank them by telling you more about them and what they did to make the Fringe possible.

Two ladies you may have met, Kaylin Metchie and Theresa Hamilton, helped in the Info Centre and Box Office by answering questions from patrons in person and on the phone.

Raising money for the Fringe was boosted by Susanna Laughlin, who organized auction items for our Opening Night, and Bex Shindler, who coordinated the Flaunt Your Fringe campaign that included those nifty buttons.

Christy Hill and Lukas McCormick were kept busy with signage, outdoor lighting, and painting—basically making the Festival site pretty.

Anita Huang coordinated distribution of the Festival program guide. Samantha Clark and Wendy De Pauw shared the VanFringe iPhone app duties as well as writing pieces for our newsletters. And if you talked to us via Facebook or Twitter, that was likely Sam too.

And of course there was our roster of Volunteer Team Leaders and Assistants: Katia Tynan, Hannah Graham, Nicole Ebert, Julia Mauro, Samantha Quon, and Lara Roessler. These ladies phoned and emailed back and forth with our 500 plus volunteers, making sure that schedules were confirmed and that whenever a shift was dropped, it got picked up by somebody else.

Thanks to all of you! Hearts and stars and reference letters to all of you!

Other Fun Theatre Things

The Fringe Fest is over and before you know it the Pick will be too. But there’s still lots of other theatre in the city:

The Light in the Piazza
Sept. 15-Oct. 9 at the Norman Rothstein Theatre
Patrick Street Productions presents the Tony Award winning Broadway musical, The Light in the Piazza! As a thank you to our Fringe audience we have arranged a special rate for Fringe friends and family: only $25 a ticket (at the door only)for the Saturday, October 1 matinee at 2:00pm at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre. Show your Fringe membership or say “I Love the Fringe” and get your ticket for only $25. Click for more show details.

Wicked Shorts
Sept. 21-Oct. 9 at The Cultch
Alley Theatre, winner of the 2010 “Cultchivating the Fringe Award” transforms The Cultch’s Vancity Culture Lab into a fully functioning “Culture Café.” From blind-dating to monster-mating, these four short, sweet, and delectable plays are altogether hilarious, poignant, and sure to surprise. Tickets and info.

The Birdmann and Things That Never Happen
Sept. 24 at Havana
Two popular Fringe shows, one night only! And cheap too! Click for info, tickets at the door only.

Ride the Cyclone: The Musical

Ride the Cyclone: A Musical
Sept. 28-Oct. 15 at the Revue Stage
From Victoria’s Atomic Vaudeville, creators of the classic Fringe show, Legoland, Ride the Cyclone spotlights a teenage chamber choir from Uranium, Saskatchewan who died in a roller coaster accident at a traveling fair. It looks really creepy and they’re offering Fringers a discount! Just enter the promo code “FRINGE” and performances in the first week plus matinees are just $20!

Charlie: A Hockey Story
Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Havana
Missed it at the Fringe? You can catch it now! Tickets are $10 and available at the door only. Info here.

Here Be Monsters Festival
Oct. 27-30 at Performance Works
Featuring new play creation, performance and community development; as well as artist workshops, forums, mentorship, networking, and opportunities for theatre artists to collaborate with artists of other disciplines. Info and tickets.

Making a Scene Conference
Nov. 4-5 at Croatian Cultural Centre
Whatever your connection to theatre—whether you are a patron, a thespian, a volunteer, a theatre student, an arts manager, an administrator, a critic, a technician, an artist of any shape, size, or discipline, or simply a theatre lover, you’re invited. Info and online registration.

Waiting for Godot
Dec. 27-Jan. 21 at the Cultch
Here’s one worth waiting for: Blackbird Theatre’s Waiting for Godot. You should see their flyer. Seriously. You can pick it up at the Pick of the Fringe this week—and even though you’ll have to wait till December to see it, tickets are available now.

Catch Up on the Fest and the Picks!

Why yes we did break last year’s attendance record, thanks for asking! We had an attendance of over 29,000 and we still have the Pick of the Fringe yet to add to the score sheet! Of course our achievements are not only numerical. We transformed Granville Island into a stage with performances popping out of every pore of the pavement and we partied like pets in perpetual motion. So whether you need to wean yourself off or catch up on missing out, the Public Market Pick of the Fringe and the Pick Plus are here for you! Here’s some tid-bits on the first half of the shows that will be presented at the Waterfront Theatre from Sept. 21-25.

The Power of Ignorance 
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8:00pm
Chris Gibbs presented The Power of Ignorance at the 2009 Fringe and the Georgia Straight’s Kathleen Oliver said, “Performer Chris Gibbs (who co-wrote the show with TJ Dawe) continually injects doses of childlike silliness into his sophisticated satire.”

The Holy Land Experience 
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7:15pm
Martin Dockery has wowed audiences around North America with his wild tales and wicked humour. He won the Pick of the Fringe in 2010 for Wanderlust. This is the Vancouver premiere of The Holy Land Experience, an exploration of the theme park in Orlando where Jesus is crucified daily and his real trip to the real holy land.

Grim and Fischer (Photo Credit: Emily White)

Grim and Fischer 
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9:00pm
Friday, Sept.23 at 8:50pm
A late-comer to the 2011 Fringe, Wonderheads creates theatre using amazing masks. And they make some pretty fun videos too.

This Is Cancer 
Saturday, Sept. 24 at 3:15pm
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8:30pm
Cancer survivor Bruce Horak stars in and co-wrote this play that lets us laugh at the disease that has affected us all. Cancer himself was even interviewed by CNN.

Progressive Polygamists (Photo Credit: Thorsten Gohl)

The Progressive Polygamists 
Saturday, Sept. 24 at 5:30pm
Pippa Mackie and Emmelia Gordon attended the Supreme Court proceedings on the Bountiful polygamy case in preparation for their show, but it is far from a dry report.  Join these two “sisterwives” from a BC polygamist society in this satirical comedy as they travel across Canada trying to convince audiences that polygamy is progressive, positive, and wonderful!

 
Check out our newsletter on Sept. 23 for mini-profiles on the rest of the Pick and Pick Plus shows!

Fringe Awards Night!

The 27th Vancouver Fringe Festival came to a close at Performance Works on the evening of Sept. 18, where awards were given out to a few of this year’s standout performers. Excitement ran high as artists, volunteers, staff, and theatre lovers came together to celebrate the end of a fantastic Fringe. Executive Director David Jordan summed it up nicely when he spoke to the audience about the ever growing Fringe family.

Over the past 11 days we’ve come together to celebrate the creative and artistic achievements of individuals from all over the globe. At times we were brought to tears, forced into hysterics, and perhaps even moved to create something Fringe worthy for next year. We’d like to thank everyone who made this possible and congratulate all of our award winners, including the six productions chosen to participate in this year’s Pick of the Fringe.

2011 Public Market Pick of the Fringe Awards - Winners will have a post-festival run at Waterfront Theatre running from September 21-25.
Big Shot, The Progressive Polygamists, Grim and Fischer, This is Cancer, Peter ‘n’ Chris, and Little Orange Man.

But the Pick weren’t the only Awards presented! Here are the winners:

Little Orange Man won several awards last night, including the coveted Volunteer Choice Award (Photo Credit: Rachelle Jones)

Fringe Playhouse Award
The Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company and the Fringe reward a single outstanding show with a spot in a future Playhouse season.
Little Orange Man 

Cultchivating the Fringe Award
The winner receives a run at the Cultch in an upcoming season.
Grim and Fischer 

Joanna Maratta Award
This award honours those who best exhibit the original founding spirit of the Vancouver Fringe Festival: determination! The winner receives mentorship from our Executive Director, David Jordan.
Awkward Stage Productions

The Georgia Straight Critics Choice Award
Chosen by Colin Thomas and Kathleen Oliver, the Georgia Straight’s theatre critics.
Giant Invisible Robot

Talk of the Fringe Award
Plank Magazine recognizes the show that generates the most online and in-person buzz and PrintPrint.ca awards them with a $500 printing credit!
Siddhartha

Volunteer Choice Award
As voted by our legions of dedicated volunteers!
Little Orange Man 

The SOFA (Spirit of the Fringe Award)
This award goes to the artist who most exemplifies perseverance and camaraderie throughout the chaos of the festival.
Cameryn Moore from Phone Whore

Sanctioned Graffiti All Over the Fest

A Fringe volunteer uses our Buzz Boards to comment on her favourite show. (Photo Credit: Rachelle Jones)

If you ever need to get something really big printed, like the banners you saw all over the Festival, Speedpro Imaging is the way to go. Not only do they sponsor us, but they also sponsor Variety, the Children’s Charity and the BC Cancer Foundation, so you know they’re good folks.

Speedpro once again printed the amazing Buzz Boards! These fun spaces for sanctioned graffiti were located at all Mainstage venues at the Vancouver Fringe. Did you get to write on one?

Not only did people write reviews of the shows they saw, but they also had fun adding to our illustrations of Jimmy and our many chickens!

Reason #12 to Donate To the Fringe:

You Love the Fringe!

You love what happens at the Fringe and whether this was your first or your 27th Fringe you know you want more!

Do you love the Fringe?

Buy a Mac and Give Back

Mac Station has a big heart! Not only do they help bring the Fringe to fruition year after year, but now they are making computer accessibility a reality in developing countries. When you purchase a Mac from Mac Station, you will be invited to participate in the “Buy a Mac, give a Mac” campaign. How this works is quite simple. Buy a Mac at Mac Station—then send three friends a postcard inviting them to “Buy a Mac, Give a Mac.” If someone you know then decides to purchase a Mac from Mac Station, a refurbished Mac will be sent to Guatemala and given to a child in need. Talk about a win-win situation.

Check out this video of the kids they’re helping:

Grim and Fischer, This Is Cancer, The Progressive Polygamists, Big Shot, Little Orange Man, and Peter ‘n’ Chris.

“But that’s six,” you say. That’s right! In true Fringe fashion, we couldn’t keep our numbers down. We’ve chosen six shows instead of four! Here’s a little more about them and when they’re playing:

Grim and Fischer 

Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9:00 pm

Friday, Sept. 23 at 8:50 pm

Mrs. Fischer isn’t ready to follow Death just yet—and it results in a fantastical showdown! Don’t miss the wide range of expressions that these amazing masks are capable of in this sweet story that’s been described as live-action Pixar.

This Is Cancer

Saturday, Sept. 24 at 3:15 pm

Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8:30 pm

Meet Cancer, a delusional, egotistical ass who’s just begun to realize that everyone hates him. Cancer survivor Bruce Horak stars in this cabaret that brings a fresh perspective to a disease that too many of us will face and that so many of us could use a good laugh at.

The Progressive Polygamists

Saturday, Sept. 24 at 5:30 pm

What if your best friend was also your sister-in-law and your husband’s fifth wife? This satirical comedy takes on polygamy through character mash ups, jump rope, song, and Polygamist research (including visits to the Bountiful court case dates)!

Big Shot 

Saturday, Sept. 24 at 9:30 pm

 A 12-year-old boy witnesses a tragedy on the SkyTrain and pitches it as the most exciting movie ever. Jon Lachlan Stewart transforms himself, taking audiences into the tainted minds into six characters in this gripping thriller.

Little Orange Man 

Sunday, Sept. 25 at 4:55 pm

Twelve-year-old Kitt’s world-view has been informed by her grandfather’s gruesome folktales and she’s undertaking a massive dream experiment—which requires access to the audience’s subconscious.

Peter ‘n’ Chris and the Mystery of the Hungry Heart Motel 

Sunday, Sept. 25 at 6:55 pm

The comedy duo BFFs stumble upon the Hungry Heart Motel and the murderous rampage happening there. This hysterical, flashy-jacket wearing, spooky performance is sure to give every mystery lover a laugh.

And Don’t Forget the Pick Plus!

During the Public Market Pick of the Fringe the Fringe will also host the Pick Plus: four special fundraiser performances with partial proceeds going to the Vancouver Fringe Festival.

Power of Ignorance

Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8:00 pm

Chris Gibbs returns as Vaguen, Master of Ignorance and motivational speaker ordinaire.

The Holy Land Experience

Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7:15 pm

In this Vancouver premiere, Martin Dockery wrestles with his own lies and infidelities as he makes an ineptly comic journey to Bethlehem on Christmas Day.

The Shakespeare Show

Friday, Sept. 23 at 7:00 pm

How did an illiterate son of a Glover become the Greatest Playwright in the history of the World? He got someone else to write the plays! Known for their history based plays, Monster Theatre’s Tara Travis and Ryan Gladstone tell his story.

The Slipknot

Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7:15 pm

Fringe favourite TJ Dawe tells intertwining stories of three horrible jobs (pharmacy stock boy, dumpster deliverer, and Canada Post parcel tracker) in this 10th anniversary remount of his most acclaimed and popular show.

All Public Market Pick of the Fringe shows and Pick Plus shows will be presented at the Waterfront Theatre, located at 1412 Cartwright Street on Granville Island. Tickets are $18 and are available at vancouverfringe.com or at the door 45 minutes before show time