Altanae jae % Fringe Festival The Second Annual Vancouver Fringe Festival of alternate theatre and performance art is set to go with over 400 perfor- mances by 100 different groups. It all takes place September 12 — 21 in the Main St. / Mount Pleasant area of Vancouver, from noon till well beyond midnight. “This is not an ordinary festival,” says producer Joanna Maratta. “It’s the Fringe. Shows are going up at the oddest times, and it’s a real minefield. You never know what you’re going to come across.” Maratta does know of a rare treat for nocturnal theatre buffs: “Persephone and Hades”, a welcome addition to the Fringe’s in- ternational schedule by the Mobius Performing Group from Bos- ton. “Persephone” is an interactive audience participation piece that starts at 12:30 a.m. and ends who knows when. Each perfor- mance differs in content as well as running time: the question is how, when, and in what manner will the audience emerge from the underworld. : As well as the exciting international shows coming to the Fringe this year, there are scores of new plays by local playwrights and performers. Maratta is particularly excited by a segment of the fes- tival called “New Realities in Canadian Video” that includes seven video shows and is being curated by Montreal’s Theatre Zoopsie; it’s in French and uses ten video monitors. The Van- couver Fringe Festival also has the classics of drama well-repre- sented: Beckett, Brecht, Shepherd, Gogol, Mayakovsky, Tremblay, Mamet. . . : Seplember 12 - 243k faprorar ie es Another late-night addition to the Fringe is the Fringe Club, downstairs at Vancouver’s Tonite at 315 E. Broadway. During the Festival, the Fringe Club will be open from 2:00 pm until 2:00 am, and it will be a place for audience and performers to meet, discuss . the shows and compare notes. Maratta stresses that detailed program information for all the Fringe performances will be available in the September 5 issue of the Georgia Straight. Other Fringe activities to watch for are: the Opening Cere- monies at Guelph Park (8th and Scotia), Saturday September 13 from 10:00 am till 1:00 pm, featuring entertainment on the Chev- ton Stage and a barbeque; street entertainment happening through- out Mt. Pleasant during the Festival; and a Fringe reading series at Kestrel Books at Main and Broadway, presenting the works of well-known and unknown Vancouver writers. Fringe Information Centres will be open from noon till 8:00 pm at three locations: Heritage Hall, 3102 Main at 15th; Kingsgate Mall, Kingsway and Main, and at 2422 Main at Broadway. “It’s going to be nuts,” says Maratta. “Be there or be normal”. Various students from ECCAD will be performing at the Fringe. One such group zs the Off Course Theatre Company. Watch for their video performance “Smash the Plates” Contact Joanna Maratta or Steve Noyes at (604) 681-0818 for more information. Dy LE RAIL FE arl’s Shakespearia Sean Thompson B86 ——— { fx, Vv You'RE ONIN a UM... GULP.» ALAS PooRYoRRick ! (>: JESSE VAMES WAS\IHE ROBBED A UNION TRAIN, a Mg PS eee Se SS HE WANTED To BECONE THE POPE.. GF LAF RAL EMA BF Another free ticket, this time at the Amega Theatre at Canada Pavilion. Reserved seat or not, I would have waited in line for this production by Carbone 14, a Montreal-based experimental theatre group. I like opening night, no preconceived ideas other than a behind- the-scenes look at the massive set the night before. The stage of Le Rail consists of an actual train track, assembled on stage, com- plete with sod and vegetation. Eighteen tons of dirt and steel and about a bucket of sweat. I’m in my seat now, waiting. People frantically lunging for empty seats. A small-confrontation erupts a few seats down. A large woman is loudly belittling a man at the end of our row for not standing up as,she passed by. “What country are you from?” she shouts. “You’re not from this country or.you’d get up.” I’m em- barrassed to think that she might be from this country. Here we are, three hundred and ninety two strong, waiting for Le Rail to take us on an unknown journey. It proved to be a peril- ous excursion and some felt so threatened that they had to disem- bark early. And so it came to pass, eighty minutes later, that only a hundred of the faithful remained. Why the sudden urge to escape you might ask. It’s all a question of communication, which, you’ll remember, is one of Expo’s themes. Some of the people just couldn’t face what was being communicated. They were offended by the.numerous four-letter words. They _ were disturbed by the re-enactments of violent scenarios. They were confused by the interwoven dialogue of English and French. A combat scene unfolds with a kind of super-realism highlighted by dream-like gestures which, though exaggerated, were devoid of that Sam Peckinpah slow-mo technique. Just hard hitting drama. Well I guess it hit a few people in the wrong place,and a small group got up to leave. Liberally dispersed among the dialogue were four-letter words and racial slurs, resulting in the rapid departure of another group. Included in this were the two women sitting next to me. The very same woman,who had earlier exhibited her racial intolerance, is now taken aback by examples of bigotry on stage. Art imitates life once again. Derogatory and graphic homosexual references, the portrayal of sexual violence, and another twenty people walk out, to go home to bed. More French dialogue is integrated with the English text, and approximately thirty more non-believers walk out in indignant confusion. Well perhaps the audience should have been warned before- hand. No doubt for tomorrow’s program a notice will be dis- played: “Caution — Objectionable reality in the form of art”. So, who’s left to ride Le Rail? About a hundred passengers waiting tensely for an end in sight. It’s hard not to look for an exit when confronted with the senselessness of war, portrayed by sol- diers charging headlong into a tree trunk, or when faced with the image of unattainable freedom, symbolized by an actor who falls fifteen feet from the scaffolding in a failed attempt to escape. Maybe the audience was running from the sexual violence, further depicted in the rape scene of a young girl. A female charac- ter reacts. She speaks a language not my own, but her pain is un- derstood. Theme one — communication. : This play was originally designed to be an experiment in theatri- cal lighting, and it does utilize some spectacular lighting tech- niques. Actors are set on fire, laser cross-hairs scan the stage, air- port running lights throw harsh beams through dense smoke. It is not the light by which I am transfixed; it is the darkness. Tonight, it appears, many are afraid of the dark and choose not to accom- pany Le Rail on this journey through the dark side of human na- ture. Theme two: transportation. Those of us who remained rewarded Le Rail for the integrity of this controversial performance with a standing ovation. Controv- ersial? The Expo crowd certainly thought so. However, in the two years that this production has toured Europe and North America no one else has chosen to walk. Le Rail will be playing at Washington House Public Gallery, 15314 4th Avenue, Seattle on September 11, 12, 13, 14. Virginia Achtem jX2 HAZ RGAE tine ae alluonae jhabe Fringe Festival The Second Annual Vancowver Fringe Festival of altemate theatre and performance art is set 10 g0 with over 400 perfor: ‘mancesby 100 different groups. Ital takes place September 12— 21 in the Main St. Mount Pleasant area of Vancouver, from noon Ull well beyond midnigh “This is not an ordinary festival,” says producer Joanna Maratta. “It’s the Fringe: Shows are going up atthe oddest times, and it’s areal minefield. You never know what you're going 0 Maratta does know of a rae reat for nocturnal theatre but: “Persephone and Hades”, a welcome addition tothe Fringe’ in {emational schedule by the Mobius Performing Group from Bos- ton. “Persephone” is an interactive audience participation piece that starts at 12:30 a.m. and ends who knows when. Each perfor- ‘mance differs in content as wel as running time: the question is how, when, and in what manner will the audience emerge fromthe underworld, ‘As wells the exiting intemational shows coming to the Fringe this year, there are scores of new plays by local playwrights and Performers. Marttais panicularly excited by a segment ofthe fs tival called "New Realities in Canadian Video" that includes seven video shows and is being curated by Montreal's ‘Theatre ‘Zoopsie; it’s in French and uses ten video monitors. The Van couver Fringe Festival sented: Becket, Tremblay, Mame has the classics of drama wel-repre Brecht, Shepherd, Gogol, Mayakovsky Seplember 12 - 2436 Fl mance. art Another late-night addition to the Fringe is the Fringe Club, downstairs at Vancouver's Tonite at 315 Broadway. During the Festival, the Fringe Club willbe open from 2:00 pmuntil 2:00am, and iw bea place for audience and performers to meet, discuss the shows and compare notes, Maratta stresses that detailed program information fo all the Fringe performances willbe available in the September S issue of the Georgia Straight ‘Other Fringe activities to watch for are: the Opening Cere- ‘monies at Guelph Park (th and Scotia) ptember 13 from 10:00 am till 1:00 pm, featuring entertainment on the Chev- ron Stage and a barbeque; stret entertainment happening through: ‘out Mt Pleasant during the Festival: anda Fringe reading series at Kestrel Books at Main and Broadway, presenting the works of ‘well-known and unknown Vancouver writers. Fringe Information Centres will be open from noon tll 8:00 pm at three locations: Heritage Hall, 3102 Main at 15th; Kingsgate Mall, Kingsway and Main, and at 422 Main at Broadway “t's going tobe nus,” says Marata. “Be thre or be normal” Various students from ECCAD will be performing. at Fringe. One such group. is the Off Course Theatre Company ‘Watch for their video performance "Smash the Plates” Contact Joanna Marata or Steve Noyes at (604) 681-0818 for more inforation, > Un Gar ALA Poonvornick! Hevew R ie ROBBED A HE WanteD To) Decove THE Pore. LE RAIL PLANET of THE ARTs VoL. 2% I Another fee ticket, Pavilion. Reserved seat or not, I would have Waited in ine for this production by Carbone I4, a Monteal-based experimental theatre group, ike opening night, no preconceived ideas other than a behind- the-seenes lok atthe massive set the night before. The stage of Le Rail consists of an actual tain tack, assembled on stage, com- plete with sod and vegetation. Eighten tons of drt and stel and About a bucket of sweat Tm in my seat now, waiting. People frantically lunging for ‘empty seats. A small confrontation erupts a few seats down. A large woman s loudly belittling aman atthe end of ourrow for not standing up 3s she passed by. "What country ae you from” she shouts. “You're not fom this county or you'd getup.” I'm em- ‘arrassd to think that she might be fom this country. Here we ar, three hundred and ninety two strong, wai Le Rail t take us on an unknown journey. It proved tobe a ‘us excursion and some felt so threatened that they had to disem- bark early. Andsoitcame to pass, eighty minutes later, that onlya hundred ofthe faithful remained. ‘Why the sudden urge to escape you might ask, Is allaquestion ‘of communication, which, you'll remember, is one of Expo's themes. Some ofthe people just couldn't face what was being communicated ‘They were offended by the numerous four-letter words. They were disturbed by the re-enactments of violent scenarios. They ‘were confused by the interwoven dialogue of English and French, ‘A combat scene unfolds with & kind of super-eaism highlighted by dream-like gestures which, though exaggerated, were devoid of that Sam Peckinpah slow-mo technique. Just hard biting ‘rama, Well I guess it ita few people inthe wrong placeand a small group got upto leave. iberaly dispersed among the dialogue were four-eter words and racial slurs, resulting in the rapid departure of another group. Included in ths were the two women siting next to me. The very ‘ame woman, who had ealier exhibited her racial intoleranc now taken aback by examples of bigotry on stage, Art imitates i ‘once again Derogatory and graphic homosexual references, the portrayal ‘of sexual violence, and another twenty people walk out, 10 50 home to bed “More French dialogue is integrated with the English text, and non-believers walk out in indignant 18 for ‘Well perhaps the audience should have hand. No doubt for tomorrow's program not played: “Caution — Objectionable reality in the form of ar" ‘So, who's left to ride Le Rail? About a hundred passengers waiting tensely foran end in sight. I's hard nt to look foran exit ‘when confronted withthe senselssness of war, portrayed by sol- ders charging headlong into a tee trunk, oF when faced with the © of attainable freedom, symbolized by an actor who falls fifieen feet ffom the scaffolding ina failed attempt to escape. Maybe the audience was ninning from the sexual violence, further depicted inthe rae scene of ayoung git. A female charac ter reacts, She speaks a language not my own, but her pain is un derstood. Theme one — communication ‘This play wa originally designed tobe an experime cal lighting, and it does utilize some spectacular light niques. Actors are set on fire, laser crosshairs scan the sage ‘ort running lights throw harsh beams through dense smoke. Itis ‘ot the light by which Iam transfixed: itis the darkness. Tonight, it appears, many are afraid of the dark and choose not to accor pany Le Rail on this journey through the dark side of human na ture, Theme two: transportation, "Those of us who remained rewarded Le Rail for the integrity of this controversial performance with a standing ovation. Controy cersial? The Expo crowd certainly thought so, However, in the to, years that this production has toyred Europe and North America no one else has chosen to Walk Le Ral willbe playing at Weshington House Public Gallery S314 4th Avenue, Seatle on September 11,12, 13, 14 BLAS LAs AS the Wide eae Roe Kee NM