entertainment

trek to Winnipeg for great theatre this summer

To fringe or not to fringe? - is always the most asked question of summer! Expect this year’s festival to be better than ever especially with a theme like this… (ta-da) “Fringe and Beyond: Going where no Fringe has gone before!” which was recently announced. The 23rd annual Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival runs from July 14 - 25 in Old Market Square and at other venues in downtown Winnipeg.

Winnipeg’s Fringe Theatre Festival has enjoyed tremendous growth and success since its 1987 inception, and now ranks as the second-largest fringe festival (behind Edmonton) in North America. Last year’s festival broke the record for the highest overall ticket sales in Winnipeg Fringe history during its 12 day run. Paid attendance reached 81,565, up 8,843 from the previous year.

The festival presents live theatre that is informal, accessible and inexpensive as it tries to break down traditional theatrical boundaries, sometimes successfully and sometimes not, but that is what makes the fringe... well, the fringe. The overall aim of the festival is to inspire innovation and creativity. Participation in the festival is determined by a non-juried lottery. Lottery results for the 2010 Winnipeg Fringe performing companies – local, national and international - are now available on-line.

Over 800 volunteers filling a variety of volunteer positions from selling tickets and assisting performers keep the fringe’s artistic machine running from year to year. Volunteers are now being sought for Fringe and Beyond.

Check out www.winnipegfringe.com for more information on volunteering or to see which theatre companies made it in, and which are on the waiting list.

­– Barbara Abrumchuk is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer. To comment on this or any other article in Outwords, e-mail editor@outwords.ca