Nick Lees: Edmonton Fringe draws on history to stage COVID-era festival

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The shows must go on at the Edmonton Fringe Festival, the oldest and largest festival of its kind in North America.

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Organizers have beat COVID-19 challenges and will announce Thursday a modified version of Fringe to run Aug. 12-22.

“We’re scheming and dreaming behind the scenes to imagine all the ways we can celebrate our 40th anniversary,” says Megan Dart, Fringe Festival interim executive director.

“We plan to announce details regarding a safe, mindful return to our Fringe Festival. One thing is for sure, we’ll more closely resemble the very first Fringe Theatre event in 1982 than the festival we all knew and loved in 2019.”

In recent years the Fringe has attracted some 800,000 site visits annually with theatre lovers flocking to more than 50 venues.

“Brian Paisley founded the Fringe in 1982 and we now lovingly refer to him as ‘Father Fringe’,” says Dart.

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“His do-it-yourself, out-of-the-box, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer creativity and innovation is what birthed Fringe 40 years ago.

“It’s that revolutionary grassroots, punk-rock ingenuity that has continued to cultivate creative collisions between community and art and has kept Fringe going.”

That spirit is alive and well, but with limited time available, it is unlikely we will see productions in streets and alleys, as has become the norm. It’s more likely to resemble the five venues and the handful of shows staged during the first Fringe.

But there is exhilarating news for supporters.

“Plans for a commemorative book tracing the history of our Fringe Festival is well underway,” says Dart. “We’re digging into the researching, writing, planning and creating phase now, with the hopes of having the book available for pre-sale in August and completed in the fall.

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“The history of Fringe lives in the people who’ve built it into one of Edmonton’s, and one of the world’s, most beloved events.

“We seek to commemorate the many artists, volunteers, staff and patrons who have helped make Fringe what it has become.”

Sections of the book will celebrate the four decades of “Fringing,” with researchers digging into vast archives to source photos and stories.

Writers are now connecting with Fringe personalities for their perspectives on the past, and what the future might hold.

Bob Westbury, for whom the Art Barns are named, will be featured.

Josh Languedoc has been named the team’s inaugural director of Indigenous Strategic Planning and will be work with artists, volunteers, staff and community members to help Indigenize the theatre landscape and plan for Fringe’s future.

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Smile winner?

A strong contender for the biggest reopening smile in Edmonton might be Commerce Place custom clothier Sam Abouhassan.

“Smiling is infectious,” he declares. “I missed for some 15 months my friends and clients who regularly dropped by to see me.

“There have been some sad-looking faces around for some time, but positive people make others relax. Smiling then just comes naturally. I am pleased to report during the last couple of weeks people are smiling again.”

Downtown became incredibly quiet with so many people working from home that Abouhassan says he sometimes took extra days off work.

“Business was such I began working from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. instead of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” he says. “Like many retailers, my business was down considerably. But no question now, people are more optimistic about our economy.”

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Many charities will be pleased to hear Abouhassan is back making handmade suits and custom-made shirts.

The tailor and the Oilers’ Kevin Lowe launched the Tee Up for Tots golf tournament supporting the Stollery Children’s Hospital in 2000 and handed it over to other hospital supporters after raising more than $7 million.

While supporting many other causes, Abouhassan also became the presenting sponsor of my Zin of the River CASA fundraisers at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald.

“If I have a worry for the future,” he says, “it’s that some people are not getting vaccinated and helping prevent the spread of COVID.

“Variants, particularly the Delta, are still very much a threat. By getting a shot, you might avoid becoming severely ill. By passing it on, you might take the life of another Canadian.”

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Fewer restaurants?

Ruth’s Chris Restaurant owner Brendan Connolly says he will miss competitors who have been forced to close because of the hardship brought on by COVID-19.

“Lots of restaurants won’t now be opening their doors in the Downtown core,” says Connolly. “But even if we don’t like competition, it is better that our area be known for its many restaurant choices.”

One COVID lockdown occurred two days before Connolly had been told his restaurant would be allowed to open.

“We had just brought in fresh food and we had to either give it to staff or freeze it,” he says. “All our food arrives fresh by truck and is usually never frozen.”

It is hard to attract staff once more, says the restaurateur. But he expects business to be back to normal by September.