Note Even back in 2001 Keir Cutler was getting his obligatory Westmount Examiner piece, and I wanted to point out that there was more to the Fringe than whatever Westmount artist was performing. So I sent the following letter to the paper, though they never published it. I recall someone saying I shouldn't write such a letter. Note the subtle general campaigning for the arts.
Late May or Early June 2001
There is more to the Fringe Festival, June 14 to 24, than Keir Cutler.
Indeed, the Fringe isn't just a theatre festival. It's a festival of things we might not see otherwise. None of the shows are selected by the festival, so the Fringe is great for people starting out or who can't get into the big venues. There's dance, usually some spoken word, comedy both improv and standup, and a show or two for children. One year there was an actual flea circus. This year, troupes are coming from Japan, New Zealand, and England, among other places, along with all the local acts.
The maximum ticket price is $9, with the actual price set by the individual company. Often there are lower prices for children or some other special group. Since show times shift around each day, one has a chance to see most shows in the afternoon as well as late at night.
One shouldn't have to spend a lot of money to see a show. But performers and creators also need places like the Fringe Festival, because it's a long step from go to Place des Arts. The flashy expensive shows may get most of the attention, but much of it wouldn't exist if artists had no place to take their first steps. It's taken for granted that musicians will play in bars before making it big, and places like the Fringe are the equivalent for theatre and dance. Audiences also need to see the early steps. Surely this is what Lucienne Robillard was talking about when she wrote in the May 17th Examiner about funding for the arts.
So people should come to the Fringe because of cheap shows, to see something unusual or foreign, to see art at it's early stages, or even just to see how a little tax money can go a long way.
Michael Black