In 1947 Edinburgh, Scotland was host to the Edinburgh International Festival after World War II. It was supposed to reinvigorate cultural life in Europe after all the turmoil of the past several years. As the story goes, 8 theatre troupes showed up unannounced and were not given a place as part of the main festival. They did not give up, and decided to set up their shows on the “fringe” and a new phenomena was born. Starting in 1958, the Fringe Festival became official in Edinburgh, inviting performers from all over to bring whatever stories they wanted to tell. One main policy of the society that puts on the festival in Scotland is this: No vetting whatsoever. “We’re proud to include in our programme anyone with a story to tell and a venue to host them.”
Well, this idea took off. Soon, Fringe Festivals were popping up all over the world. There is even a US Association of Fringe Festivals. One of the main draws to a Fringe is that tickets are relatively cheap. 15 or so dollars gets you in to a show. Another draw is that you may see something awful, but you may see something amazing. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead made it’s premiere at Edinburgh Fringe in 1966. As the mother of a percussionist I would be in trouble if I did not inform you that Stomp made its debut at Edinburgh Fringe in 1991. And the now worldwide sensation Six was born at Edinburgh Fringe in 2017.
Well, in a fun turn of events, Utah Theatre Bloggers will be sending several of our critics to our own Great Salt Lake Fringe this weekend. Turning ten years old, the Great Salt Lake Fringe started as a group of volunteers from Westminster college wanting to recreate what they had seen in other locations across the country. This year there will be 22 different productions hosted at Trolley Square. Most shows are original works by local artists. Ratings are listed on the website to help you understand if it is the right type of show for you, and most shows last about 60 minutes. Because these are newer, often works in progress, you may be able to say you saw a production in the grassroots stage. Be sure to watch UTBA over the next coming days to see what new performances and art is being developed right here in Salt Lake.
And then, as president of UTBA and in my capacity as a mental health therapist and Drama Therapist in training, I will be getting on a plane and traveling to Edinburgh to experience the 66th official Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Not only will I see several shows and give our readers a taste of what it is like to experience being an audience member, but through a special experience with the Dramatherapy Institute of Los Angeles, I will be performing in Dissent, a narradrama experimental performance, which premiered at the Los Angeles Fringe Festival, and will be able to write a first hand experience of what it is like to be a performer at the Fringe.
I highly encourage you to seek out theatre wherever you are, especially those performers on the “Fringe” in the next couple of weeks.
The Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival Starts July 26th. For information see https://www.greatsaltlakefringe.org/. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival starts August 2nd. For information see https://www.edfringe.com/
