Part speak-easy, part soap-box, part art-experiment, the Fringe Club is the beating heart of the Fringe Festival. Located behind Honest Ed’s, the Fringe Club is abuzz with excitement from early afternoon until the wee hours of the morning. Visual artists hock their wares at the Fringe Artist Alley, local musicians showcase their talents on the Artist Alley Outdoor Stage (from 6pm to 7pm nightly), micro-plays bring tents and sheds to life as part of the AlleyPlays series, industry types argue “Theatre is dead…Long Live Theatre!” at the Tent Talks Series, drinks are on ice and you are in the middle of it all. ALL EVENTS ARE FREE. Food service and bar service will be available every evening.
Thurs July 5th: Theatre is Dead
5:00-6:00pm
Panel:
- Sky Gilbert (playwright/director/actor)
- Shannon Litzenberger (dancer/arts policy advocate)
- Host = Matt Baram (National Theatre of the World)
- Daniel Brooks (writer/director)
Theatre is Dead. Prove us wrong. A panel of cultural programmers and industry VIP “pessimists” dissect exactly what’s broken in the theatre community.
Friday July 6th: TAPA & The Audience Project
5:00-6:00pm
Panel:
- Host = Jacoba Knaapen (TAPA)
- Additional panelists TBD
Inspired by their immersive study on audiences, Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) curates a dynamic panel on audience development. Should we change the way we work, the way we market, the way we “sell” theatre?
Saturday July 7th: How to Talk to a Sponsor
4:00-5:00pm
Panel:
- Host = Alan Convery (TD Bank)
- Michael Jones (Metcalf Foundation)
- Additional panelists TBD
Alan Convery, National Manager of Community Relations for TD Bank, moderates a panel of potential sponsors who will share how they like to be approached by artists.
Sunday July 8th: How to Find the Best Grant for You and GET IT
4:00-5:00pm
Panel:
- Host = Margo Charlton (TAC)
- Bushra Junaid (OAC)
- Meredith Potter (Volcano Theatre)
- Aurora Stewart De Peña (Birdtown and Swanville)
Margo Charlton from the TAC, Bushra Junaid from the OAC, and local artists offer guidance on how to select the appropriate grant for your project and get your application to the top of the pile.
Monday July 9th: How Indie is Going to Save Theatre
5:00-6:00pm
Panel:
- Host = Gideon Arthurs (Fringe)
- Julie Tepperman (Convergence Theatre)
- Michael Wheeler (Praxis Theatre)
After piloting Toronto’s largest indie theatre institution for 5 years, Fringe Executive Director Gideon Arthurs leads an “Indie Producing 101” discussion, followed by an informal reflection on the indie theatre movement.
Tuesday July 10th: Healing Through Theatre
5:00-6:00pm
Panel:
- Daniel Stolfi (Cancer Can’t Dance Like This)
- Host = Brian Smith (Second City alumni)
- Zal Press (Patient Commando)
- Dr Jeremy Rezmovitz (Sunnybrook Hospital)
Panel members from the health industry, show business and patient orgs tackle the topic of “Healing Through Theatre” in a riotous discussion. This is Laugh Therapy at its best. Moderated by Brian G. Smith, presented by PatientCommando.com
Wednesday July 11th: Theatre Artists are Apathetic!
5:00-6:00pm
Panel:
- Brigid Tierney (Fringe)
- Liz Forsberg (Art Starts)
- Keith McNair (Jumblies Theatre)
- Leah Houston (MabelleARTS)
- Alexandra Draghici (MabelleARTS)
Theatre artists are self-centred. Narcissistic. Myopic. Hypocritical in their leftist, social justice veneer. Or are they? Our panel of community arts innovators and social justice advocates beg to differ.
Thursday July 12th: A Conversation with New Play Contest Winner Kat Sandler
4:30-5:00pm
Panel:
- Host = Glen Sumi (Now Magazine)
- Kat Sandler (playwright/actor)
Glenn Sumi (NOW Magazine) interviews emerging artist and Fringe New Play Contest winner Kat Sandler (of Theatre Brouhaha) about her winning play, Help Yourself, and about how to create accessible theatre for the “HBO generation.” Presented by macIDeas.
Thursday July 12th: When Do I Stop Emerging and Start Doing?
5:00-6:00pm
Panel:
- Host = Michael Rubenfeld (Summerworks)
- Julia Lederer (actor/playwright)
- Jack Grinhaus (Bound to Create Theatre)
- Elenna Mosoff (Acting Up Stage/zed.to)
- Julian Sleath (Nuit Blanche)
What exactly is an “emerging artist”? Is it a pejorative term? Or is it something to milk as long as possible? Why does it take SO LONG for theatre artists to “emerge?” Discuss. Rant. Complain.
Friday July 13th: A Smorgasbord of People You Should Know
5:00-6:00pm
Panel:
- Natasha Mytnowych (Canadian Stage)
- Robin Sokoloski (Playwrights Guild)
- Noa Bronstein (Gladstone)
- Derrick Chua (entertainment lawyer/independent producer)
- Juilan Sleath (Nuit Blanche)
- Lynda Hill (Theatre Direct)
- Lucy Eveleigh (SummerWorks)
- Stephen Colella (Young People’s Theatre)
- Laura Nanni (Rhubarb Festival)
- Christine Gresham (Theatre Isn’t Dead)
- Kendra Fry (Theatre Passe Muraille)
- Margaret Evans (HATCH/Harbourfront)
- Martin Morrow (The Grid)
- Rupal Shah (Nightswimming)
- Erica Kopyto (Nightwood)
- Tara Beagan (Native Earth)
Artistic Directors. Cultural programmers. Theatre reviewers. We introduce you to the people you need to know to succeed in this industry. Followed by an informal mix and mingle from 6:00-8:00pm. All are welcome!
Saturday July 14th: WTF? Theatre Exists Outside Toronto!?!?!?
4:00-5:00pm
Panel:
- Jem Rolls (UK)
- Brendan Murray (Ireland)
- Paul Cosentino (New York)
- Host = TJ Dawe (B.C.)
- Kirsten Rasmussen (Montreal)
A panel of touring Fringe artists come together with local artists to discuss international theatre, the challenges and successes in their communities, and opportunities for international collaboration. Followed by an informal mix and mingle from 5:00-7:00pm. All are welcome!
Sunday July 15th: Long Live Theatre!
4:00-5:00pm
Panel:
- Group Reps from The Fringe 100 (youth entrepreneur mob)
- Host = Claire Wynveen (Fringe)
100 Young Theatre Entrepreneurs present their views on the future of theatre. How will theatre look in 20 years? 50 years? How are they going to save theatre and why is it worth saving?
