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Dec 23,2007-Jan 13,2007 |
Fringe Italian Style
Strong artists perform at Toronto festival to prove unforgettable
By Sarah B. Hood
Originally Published: 2004-07-04
It must be summer, because the Fringe is back. Beginning on June 30, the 16th annual Toronto Fringe Festival offers the work of 130 theatre companies, including Canadians from Halifax to Whitehorse, plus visitors from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and England. The Fringe idea is that you pay your money ($8 at the door or $10 in advance) and take your chances.
Many Fringe shows are unforgettable - which could mean unforgettably bad, or unforgettably wonderful.
Altogether, Fringe participants will present 900 shows in 10 indoor venues around the Annex neighbourhood, plus 11 site-specific works and various production at a KidsVenue. Some of the well-known names involved in this year's edition are Rosemary Dunsmore, Martha Cronyn, Shari Hollett, Chris Earle, comics Kristeen von Hagen and Laurie Elliott, and Enza "Supermodel" Anderson and Ryan Kelly from Queer as Folk.
The Fringe Club at 292 Brunswick will be a hub of festival activity. There, audience members can submit their own play reviews online at the Web Café.
The McAuslan Beer Tent hosts a Tent Talks series, and a free cabaret series runs at 9 p.m. nightly, hosted by comic duo Rick and Benny Rumoli. Advance tickets and show information are also available at the Fringe Club throughout the festival.
As always, Toronto's Italian artists have a strong presence at the Fringe. For example, Robert DiGiovanni writes and directs The Constructivist Suit, presented by Company 26 Production. One of the festival's few 90-minute shows is about 1920s Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and the collective of artists grouped around him. The story is told in a multidisciplinary style that combines sculpture, painting, poetry and performance. Rita DiGiovanni, who was seen in the films Weekend at the Beach and Viva Buddy at the Cinema in Citta festival, plays Mayakovsky's lover Lili Brik. Also among the cast members are Mario D'Alimonte and Nic Labriola. The Constructivist Suit plays at the Robert Gill Theatre, 214 College Street.
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