=============================================================================== The Peak Simon Fraser University's Student Newspaper since 1965 =============================================================================== Simon Fraser University | Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6 e-mail: peak@sfu.ca | phone: (604) 291-3597 fax: (604) 291-3786 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 1 -- September 6th, 1994 -- -- Arts -- ******************************************************************************* Fringe Time By Katarina Thorstrand ******************************************************************************* One of the surest signs of summer's demise is the opening of the Fringe Festival. This theatre extravaganza heralds the new season and reminds us that, in spite of Vancouver's outdoorsy splendours, there are pleasures of equal magnitude to be had indoors, especially if there's a stage at one end of the room. 1994 marks the 10th anniversary of the Fringe Fest and this year 100 theatre companies will put on 500 performances in the biggest Fringe Fest ever. The theatre companies are not selected according to any rules, but admitted on a first come first serve basis.. Furthermore, they're welcome to put on whatever they feel like staging - there are no norms or formats to follow. This makes for LOTS of surprises, which is what makes the Fringe Fest so interesting. Although most of the companies are B.C. based, others come from as far away as Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, and Sweden. The Fringe Fest is the perfect opportunity to experience theatre in all imaginable (and unimaginable) shapes and formats, without burning scant student allowances on expensive tickets. Tickets are only $7-$9, which makes it possible to savour a great variety of theatrical flavours. SFU alumni are responsible for two performances, Bert and Ernie Are Gay, a play by Dianne Fernandes, presented by Penniless Theatre, and Sex, Spies and Fire Escapes, by Precipice Productions. The theme of the former is "poor white trash goes to family therapy," and the latter is "a plethora of pieces plunging and probing the pits of passion, perversion and prophylactics." There's a bunch of classics as well, presented with various amounts of seriousness. Don Juan in Hell, byBernard Shaw, is classified as a "philosophy" about Don Juan, Satan, and the idea of Creative Evolution. The Lover, by Harold Pinter is a mature-rated comedy full of understated British wit. And of course there's a Shakespeare production, in which A Midsummer Night's Dream is taken "beyond the bounds of good taste." Fans of science-fiction will fare well in this year's Fringe Fest. The Vancouver-based company Way Off Broadway presents The Scions of Hydra, a Star Trek adventure with a sperm- induced twist. Virtually Non-existent, written and presented by Ted Cole, plays on the possibilities created by virtual reality, as his protagonist attempts to conquer the world from his basement and make the super-powers bow to his sovereignty. Hailing from Zimbabwe, Batani Dance and Storytelling presents Stories From Zimbabwe, traditional stories accompanied by drums, piano and dancing; another African company, the Aureol Players, presents The Broken Handcuff, a drama about the slave-trade, and the coming of the white man to the African continent. Again music plays an integral part of the performance, as this is "a combination of poetic rhythm and folklore, song, and linguistic sequences." Last but not least, Vertigo Theatre presents The Hind, a dark and controversial farce about true love by renowned Swedish author Goran Tunstrom. When you've browsed the program (available at Book Warehouse) you either visit the Festival Centre at 242 East 10th or phone the Community Box Office (CBO) at 280-2801 for tickets. If you're a student you get a discount, so be sure to have your student card with you. You CAN get tickets at the door, but only if the performance hasn't sold out in advance. Since many of the performances will certainly do so, it's advisable to get your tix beforehand. So, don't hesitate and don't be afraid of taking chances with quirky-sounding titles and nonsensical blurbs. There are gems of theatrical brilliance to be found, as well as memorable disasters, and you don't want to miss either! The Fringe Festival starts on September 8 and goes on to September 18. All performances take place at a variety of venues around Main Street. For info about the performances, call the Fringe Info Line at 873-9928.