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Fringe News
Multiple Organism, yet even more ways to Fringe, staff and board opportunities, and more!
Boarding Site-Specific Snails
March 19, 2019
How to Cultchivate Multiple Organism
Mind of a Snail’s Multiple Organism is about to start its run at The Cultch as part of winning the Cultchivating the Fringe Award!
Since sweeping accolades at the 2017 Fringe, including the Georgia Straight Critics’ Choice Award and winning a Public Market Pick of the Fringe spot, Mind of a Snail’s Chloé Ziner and Jessica Gabriel have been busy performing Multiple Organism in festivals across North America. All these performances have fine-tuned their “gender and genre-bending surrealist comedy for adults” in time for their upcoming remount at The Cultch as part of winning the Cultchivating the Fringe Award!
“Repetition is magic… [w]e have been making small changes inside the text/words of the show as we deepen our understanding of the layers of narrative. Our puppet manipulation also gets a little more refined each time we do it,” Jessica says of Multiple Organism’s evolution from its run in the Fringe leading up to the opening night at The Cultch.
The Cultchivating the Fringe Award provides artists an opportunity to showcase their work and hone their craft beyond the Festival by giving them a run in The Cultch’s upcoming season. Jessica adds that Mind of a Snail appreciates seeing their show’s growth thanks to the Award, as well as the technical and marketing support provided to them.
“We really took risks making a show that’s just for adults, full of taboos, and that uses the nude body as a projection surface…. [Multiple Organism] has many shadow projection tricks and is full of surprises. Everyone has a body, and in this way, everybody can potentially relate. It’s definitely not a show for the faint of art,” she says.
Whether you saw the award-winning show at the 2017 Fringe or missed its sold-out run altogether, get your tickets to see Multiple Organism at The Cultch now. And, as if you didn’t need another reason to see it, Mind of a Snail will be selling glow-in-the-dark t-shirts they designed and hand-printed themselves after each show!
Fringe Even More with Site-Specific Shows and the Dramatic Works Series
Slumber Here was one of our site-specific shows in 2017! Photo by Al Ricard.
Maybe your show didn’t get drawn during the Mainstage Lottery. Maybe you missed the deadline for one (or more) of our BYOVs. Maybe you just realized now that you want to apply for the Fringe. Or maybe, you’re just waiting for us to open our applications for Site-Specific Shows and the Dramatic Works Series!
On a first come, first served basis, we’re now taking applications for these two categories! Site-Specific Shows are created for spaces outside the traditional theatre setting, and must provide their own technician, lighting, and sound. The shows must happen within walking distance of Granville Island or Havana Theatre on Commercial Drive. You can apply to showcase a Site-Specific Show through Eventotron.
Meanwhile, the Dramatic Works Series is a Mainstage category dedicated to previously published dramatic scripts featuring two or more actors. The Festival supplies the venue, a technician, and basic lighting and sound. Artists may not apply with their own script, and the shows must be 30-100 minutes in length. You can apply to this category through Eventotron.
Don’t forget that you can still apply to one of our pre-approved BYOVs, Arts Umbrella! They will be taking applications until March 30. Apply here, and make sure to read through the application form for more details about the venue to see if it’s the right fit for your show.
For more information, check out the “For Artists” page on our website.
Be Our Artist Services Coordinator!
The Fringe is now looking for an Artist Services Coordinator for the 2019 Festival!
One of the Artist Services Coordinator’s responsibilities is managing the Info Centre during the Festival! Photo by Al Ricard.
The Artist Services Coordinator is responsible for the coordination of and communication with the Festival’s artists, with a special focus on publicity and promotion, as well as the organization of the Fringe Info Centre. This is a seasonal position, beginning on May 6, 2019 and finishing on September 27, 2019. Click here to read the full job posting. The application deadline is March 31, 2019.
We’ll be posting more positions in the coming weeks and months. Be sure to visit our Work With Us page for current postings!
Come on Board at the Fringe!
We’re looking for two new members for our Board of Directors! Could it be you? Photo by Bruce McPherson.
Love the Fringe? Show your love by helping us find new board members for the Vancouver Fringe Board of Directors!
We are seeking two new board members to strengthen our board—someone with accounting expertise and someone to help us with our equity, diversity, and inclusion work.
You’ll get to see behind the curtain and help the Fringe operate, grow, and thrive. We encourage submissions from people with a broad range of backgrounds including, but not limited to: race, ethnicity, ability, gender, and sexuality.
If you or someone you know is interested in this awesome opportunity to embrace the arts, please e-mail jim.sibley[at]gmail.com.
The Theatre Scene
Just a taste of what Vancouver has to offer in the way of Theatre!
Theatre Wire alumni Hardline Productions are bringing Redpatch, which tells the story of an Indigenous soldier during The Great War, back on the stage at the Arts Club!
Redpatch
March 7-31
Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre
Theatre Wire alumni Hardline Productions are back with Redpatch! Nominated for multiple Jessie Awards including Outstanding Production, Redpatch reflects on the role of over four thousand Indigenous men who volunteered to fight and die for Canada during World War I. This play tells a part of this story through the eyes of a soldier from the Nuu-chah-nulth nation of Vancouver Island. From his childhood home to the battlefields of France, follow him as he endures the horrors of the Great War in a new play that uses dance, myth, and mask to tell both a universal and a personal tale.
Jesus Christ: The Lost Years
March 13-23
Havana Theatre
Although Easter doesn’t happen until April 21, Fringe veterans Monster Theatre will give you something to chew on until then with their show, Jesus Christ: The Lost Years! Ever wonder what Jesus was really up to between the ages 13 and 30? Or how Jesus reacted when told “Joseph isn’t your real father!”? Find out in this remount of Monster Theatre’s funniest play.
Envision
March 20-23
Performance Works
Presented by Boca del Lupo, Envision showcases nine immersive micro-excerpts of new contemporary work by Women of Colour, Multiracial, Indigenous, and Métis artists. Envision is a showcase originating from the 3.7% Initiative, envisioning a new future of representation in performance.
Pull Festival
March 27-30
Havana Theatre
SpeakEasy Theatre’s annual play festival is back for its eighth year! This festival features a repertoire of six original, un-produced plays from Vancouver-based playwrights and along with Pull’s artistic team, produces, develops, dramaturges, and supports the presentation of these new works. And for the first time in history, Pull will be presenting one National play!
Geocaching Applications and Hugs
February 20, 2019
More Ways to Fringe
FIX was one of the Site-Specific shows at the 2018 Fringe. Photo by Al Ricard.
Calling all potential Fringe Artists! Still looking for a way to be part of the 2019 Festival? We have good news for you: there’s still a few ways you can get involved!
Bring Your Own Venue (BYOV): Some of our pre-approved venues are still taking applications! Check out Arts Umbrella and our new BYOV, What Lab, who are taking applications until March 30 and February 22, respectively. Remember to note their venue specifications and seating capacities to see if they will fit your show. And don’t forget to apply to the venue first, and then to the Fringe, after the venue has accepted you!
Dramatic Works Series: Supported by the Lochmaddy Foundation, this Mainstage venue provides a space for Fringe Artists to produce dramatic work with two or more actors. Showcased at the Vancity Culture Lab, Artists may not apply with their own script. Applications will open on March 4 and will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Click here for more details.
Site-Specific Shows: Have an idea for a show that doesn’t occur in a traditional theatre setting? Is your potential venue within walking distance of Granville Island or Havana Theatre on Commercial Drive? Then apply to put on a Site-Specific show! Applications open March 4 and will be accepted on a first come, first served basis—as long as they meet our criteria and are close to the abovementioned venues. Click here for more information.
If you have questions about applying for the Fringe, please contact Samantha Kannegieter at administration[at]vancouverfringe[dot]com.
Catch You Later, Kathy!
There’s a little sadness in the Fringe office these days. That’s because our longest serving employee, Kathy Costello, is retiring from her role as Finance Manager.
Kathy started at the Fringe in 2006 during a tumultuous time in the organization’s history. The Fringe was lacking funds and according to former Executive Director, David Jordan, who started just months before Kathy did, he “didn’t know much about finance management in that first year, but Kathy taught me the basics which served me so well in years to come—she truly was a kind of artist.”
Although she always swore that “math is not my thing,” Kathy contributed greatly to getting the Fringe back on its feet, all while working here part time, and part time at a law office. The Fringe must always have been a laugh in comparison. Our Communications Director, Debby Reis, recalls the snickering that ensued after Kathy had to write off the purchase of a “Lovin’ Lamb Blow-Up Doll,” which was part of a Fringe Award.
Kathy also did a lot of crafting on behalf of the Fringe. If you’ve seen staff photos or some of our social media posts—you likely saw some of Kathy’s handiwork, including papier-mâché chickens, white “surrender” flags, hearts made from old Fringe tickets or even older Fringe Membership badges.
In the coming months, we expect Kathy to have more time for her favourite hobby—geocaching. She loves it so much, that one year, for Staff Fun Day, she created a geocache challenge just for us around Granville Island.
Kathy will certainly be missed, but our new Finance Manager, Jennifer Kasun, brings her own spark to the team! Jen has worked with the Fringe as our Count Room Manager for the last two years, so she’s no stranger to the Finance department, and we’re thrilled to welcome her in this new role! And on that note, we also want to introduce our new Marketing Manager, Zoe Zhang. She most recently worked as the Asia Marketing Coordinator for the Kay Meek Centre, where she also conducted outreach to the Chinese community! Welcome aboard, Jen and Zoe! And Kathy, we hope to see you around the Festival having fun and seeing all the shows.
Take a look at some snippets from Kathy’s retirement party below, where we sent her on a scavenger hunt to find Jimmy. And for even more photos, go check out our Instagram page!
The Theatre Scene
Just a taste of what Vancouver has to offer in the way of Theatre!
Talking Stick Festival
February 19-March 2
Various Locations Across Vancouver
Now in its 18th year, Talking Stick Festival is noted as being the premier, multidisciplinary Indigenous Arts festival in North America. With this year’s theme of hən̓əm̓stəmxw tə syəθ (“Using Tradition”), their events showcase the diversity of theatre, dance, music, film, and other artistic disciplines in traditional and contemporary formats. Check out their festival program guide here.
Poly Queer Love Ballad
March 5-10
SUM Gallery
After their successful sold out, critically-acclaimed run at the 2018 Fringe, Sara Vickruck and Anais West are back with their award-winning show, Poly Queer Love Ballad, this time as part of the Queer Arts Festival! This 2018 Fringe New Play Prize-winning show is an intimate, edgy musical merging slam poetry with catchy pop-folk tunes. Nina, a polyamorous bisexual poet, meets Gabbie, a monogamous lesbian songwriter, at Cafe Deux Soleils. With two microphones, a loop pedal, and array of instruments, they struggle to reconcile their fierce mutual attraction with their opposing perspectives on love.
A lot of exciting theatre is happening in Vancouver, including some of your Fringe favourites!
Awkward Hug
March 14-15
Havana Theatre
Winner of the BC Touring Council Award at the 2018 Fringe, this show is back for two nights only at the Havana Theatre! Directed by Linnea Gwiazda, Awkward Hug sees Cory Thibert embodying his 19-year-old self as he uncovers the truth behind what sets his family apart. This coming-of-age story with a twist explores how having parents with disabilities challenges what a ‘normal’ family can look like.
Multiple Organism
March 19-30
Vancity Culture Lab
If you missed Multiple Organism at the 2017 Fringe, don’t fret—here’s another chance for you to see this Mind of a Snail creation! Winner of many awards including the Cultchivating the Fringe Award, Multiple Organism is a genre and gender-bending surrealist comedy for adults about having a body and how our body is seen by others. Expect bizarre and hilarious nudity using the body as a projection surface, plus colourful shadow puppetry projections, and an original musical soundtrack.
