The Fringe: Blinking will cause memory loss

The Fringe is one of Edmonton's most, if not the most, anticipated theatre events of the year. And rightfully so as it is seamlessly organized, in high demand, and privy to critically acclaimed performances. The Fringe to some is liken to buying a condo- a life altering occasion. And if you're not willing to put in the time and effort of reading reviews or standing in lines for tickets, then you will most likely end up a) seeing a show that your little brother could have preformed in your basement in your high school band costume that you no longer fit or b) not seeing a show at all and be forced into directing your little brother's basement play that you thought was a bad idea in the first place.

Aside from the fact that it was impossible to see the shows I actually want to see at the Fringe, I did end up seeing a few things worth mentioning here. Social Sundays, put on by Rapid Fire Theatre was a hilarity to watch. What started out as a Gatsby affair soon shifted into a Wes Anderson esque absurdity at which one can't but laugh. The local actors involved proved to be of fine caliber and made their show all the more enjoyable to watch and reflect back on later. It also didn't hurt they play's success that the attractive female lead Molly Flood spent the final twenty minutes on stage in her underwear.

An outdoor shows that got my attention included the impressive ninja a capella stylings of Apocalypse Kow. My friend and I got our afternoon groove on to songs such as Paparazzi, Yesterday, and something that I think was an entire level of sonic the hedgehog background music. The best thing about seeing street performances is is that they're free -KIDDING! The best thing is that you can see some amazing talent out in the open air all the while soaking in all the wonderful carnival smells. Why is it that seeing a performance outdoors makes people jump off the health food wagon and consume a years worth of calories on elephant ears and green onion cakes?

I wrapped up fringe season by going to a show with a friend of mine "in the know" of the Edmonton theatre scene. We decided to go see Die Roten Punkte because we had heard good things about it. The two Australians cum Germans put on an entertaining show about a brother-sister punk band. The show/concert revealed the turmoils of the siblings lives in an entertaining and humorous fashion yet did not rock my world as it had been rocked in 2004 when I saw a one woman show of which I sadly do not know the name.

All in all I was disappointed by this years Fringe, not because there weren't great shows but because I didn't get to see them! I was desperate to see 7(x1) Samurai and my wounds were only minimally soothed when I got a hand bill from the one man himself (David Gaines). Wanderlust was another one that I really want to see but was sold out through the teeth by the time I heard wind of its incredulity. Hoboheme, also put on by a local group, was among those that sadly I failed to see. So for next year I've learned a few pretty intuitive things, get tickets before the shows are popular and not to wait for Todd Babiuk or Liz Nichols' two cents because, although they're ever so valuable, they pretty much come out when the festival is over.