I mean, it's a venal graveyard of art, slowly being destroyed by the cheap roll-call of bad comics and atrocious critics who are just trying to get attention...
Wendy Peace (Listen! The River): This is going to sound very corny, but when I was growing up in Canada my dad, who was my guide to all things artistic (I mean this was the man who took me to my first Kabuki Theatre when I was 7) told me about the Edinburgh Fringe. He'd never been, but he loved theater and the whole idea of all these artistic people coming together seemed absolutely amazing to him. That started, for me, an on going fascination and respect for what the Fringe is and has been for the past 66 years. Aside from my personal dream of coming to the Fringe, it seemed the perfect place for Listen! The River because of the Festival's openness toward new works and ideas that may seem less than traditional, or at least be presented less traditionally. Our play has a talking cat and a one-eyed dog. No one I have dealt with, from Charles Pamment our venue manager to any of the Fringe staff to the woman I'm renting my flat from has once made me feel that I have to explain or justify that. A festival where you can present anything from Shakespeare to politically relevant to socially provocative works to comedy and cabaret is truly rare and wonderful. I'm very excited to see other people's work. I'm coming up a week early to fit in as much as I can.
Eleanor Appleton (Rosie Thorn: The Patsy Cornish Saga): This is the second year in a row that I have come with a ‘Rosie’ show and although I found last year incredibly challenging in many ways I also found it incredibly beneficial. There are so many networking opportunities and you get a great deal of feedback on your show which helps with future development. Also through the contacts that I have built up over the last year and the response that I received from last year I have managed to secure my venue at Surgeon’s Hall for free and have also been offered a slot on the Funny Women stage.
Alexa Kelly (A Man for All Times WEB Du Bois): is the story about and African-American civil rights hero. A man, who his entire life fought for “A fair piece of the pie” for all people. Much like what Occupy stands for today! W.E.B. Du Bois demanded education for all, equal rights, and, most poignantly today: "The right to choose motherhood at her own discretion". The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the greatest festival in the world with the greatest opportunity of visibility for a story about one of the most important, influential yet sadly neglected men in the history of civil rights movement, and we want to carry his story into the world at large.
In my campaign to do as little work as possible - but cling vaguely to the idea that I give respect where it is due - I am reprinting an extract from an interview that I did with Wendy Peace about a New York based organisation that intrigued me. The following explanation is all Wendy's: I just thought it was more interestingly written than my own attempts to summarise.
"The League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW) is a great organisation for professional women involved in all aspects of the entertainment industries, but particularly theatre. It was founded by a group of women who were concerned by the lack of women playwrights, directors and artistic directors in high visibility positions. It's currently celebrating its 30th Anniversary! Its mission statement is to "promote visibility and increase opportunities for women in the arts", while also providing a support system, and a place to exchange ideas and creative skills. To become a member you must have worked in your discipline for at least 5 years, in some type of leadership role, "under standards set by the American unions and guilds". Membership is now nearly 500 strong and the League has definitely played a role in increasing the profile of women in the arts. For me it's also been a great resource of playwrights, directors, producers, etc. and they also happen to be women."
Wendy Peace (Listen! The River): This is going to sound very corny, but when I was growing up in Canada my dad, who was my guide to all things artistic (I mean this was the man who took me to my first Kabuki Theatre when I was 7) told me about the Edinburgh Fringe. He'd never been, but he loved theater and the whole idea of all these artistic people coming together seemed absolutely amazing to him. That started, for me, an on going fascination and respect for what the Fringe is and has been for the past 66 years. Aside from my personal dream of coming to the Fringe, it seemed the perfect place for Listen! The River because of the Festival's openness toward new works and ideas that may seem less than traditional, or at least be presented less traditionally. Our play has a talking cat and a one-eyed dog. No one I have dealt with, from Charles Pamment our venue manager to any of the Fringe staff to the woman I'm renting my flat from has once made me feel that I have to explain or justify that. A festival where you can present anything from Shakespeare to politically relevant to socially provocative works to comedy and cabaret is truly rare and wonderful. I'm very excited to see other people's work. I'm coming up a week early to fit in as much as I can.
