Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2006 04:30:26 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Black To: letters@mtl-mirror.com Subject: Fringe Festival 2007 It's time for my annual letter about the Fringe Festival's call for submissions. Late actually, since the notice went up over a month ago. But then, a decade ago when the Mirror had their computer BBS, Babylon, I thought we were really going to see change with the new medium, that no group so desperate for publicity could ignore making use of the online world. But no matter what I've said, it hasn't made much difference. The Fringe next year is June 7 to 17th, and the deadline for those hoping to have a slot for a show is December 4th at 5pm. Noteworthy this year is that the mix has changed. Instead of the 4 way equal split, this time it will be 30% local English, 30% local French, 20% rest of Canada and 20% international. Details are at www.montrealfringe.ca or 514-849-FEST. Hopefully this change will renew the notion that the Fringe is about more than seasoned performers. Pay the fee, win the draw later that night (long gone are the days of first come first served), and then anything goes. Take note that the Fringe, in yet another Fringe mystery, referred to itself in the program this year as a "performing arts festival", which means there's even less reason to treat it as a theatre festival. There's no reason to embed burlesque in a play, when the Fringe means there can simply be a burlesque show. Same for vaudeville. We could see Ethel Bruneau tap dancing a tribute to Cab Calloway (unlike the years when I had to leave the Fringe to attend her annual show), or local Indian dance, both of which are fringe to many. We could see some of those children's shows that seem to have disappeared for a long time. And there could be things that can't be classified. Let's not forget that a lot of hit Fringe shows over the years were things that couldn't really be classified. And, in case anyone has William Shatner's ear, I've been thinking that what Jeremy would like is to have Captain Kirk come to the Fringe. We could make him guest of honor, and even an honorary judge for the Frankies. Jeremy did stage some Star Trek shows over a decade ago, there were years when some venues were in the Shatner Building at McGill, and there was the venue in the back of the High School of Montreal (that Shatner apparently attended). Star Trek is 40 years old this year, and Shatner turned 75 this year, so why not return to the old hometown? Michael Black