Great Fringe shows like Chainmail Bikini would draw more of an audience if they weren’t alienated
This year’s Fringe Festival bursting with art but lacks inclusive attitude
This year’s Calgary Fringe Festival tagline was “Calgary needs more fringe.” Sure Calgary does need more non-mainstream theatre. But the Calgary Fringe Festival is attracting it the wrong way. In its second consecutive year after previously unsuccessful attempts the festival continues its journey towards becoming a fully-realized fringe that can stand on its own beside established festivals such as those in Winnipeg and Edmonton. However it seems to have taken a wrong turn somewhere and if it continues down this road its latest reincarnation might end just as abruptly as its predecessor did in 2002. Calgary’s art and theatre community recognizes the necessity of the interest and participation of corporate Calgary with buildings like Art Central and The GRAND and events like First Thursdays that revitalize the culture of the downtown core. By embracing the conservative and the liberal in equal measure the art community must constantly navigate the overlap between corporate interests and cultural programs. Our burgeoning theatre community however still has a ways to open up. For a large portion of Calgarians it doesn’t exist at all or seems so impenetrable that the effort to discern and decide what shows to see and where outweighs the hour-and-a-half commute back home to the suburbs. These corporate commuters make up the bulk of the population of Calgary. They’re the hoi polloi the uninitiated the sports fans and the sitcom-watchers. They’re the arts scene’s untapped market. Don’t tailor art to appeal to their sensibilities don’t change impetus to attract clientele but for Jesus in Montana’s sake don’t push them away. From the often standoffish volunteers to the cynical ad campaign seemingly designed to ostracize corporate Calgarians who clip their cell phones to their belts the Fringe Festival discourages patronage disguising mockery as satire. “Do you suffer from the following symptoms?” demands the cover of Urbane the publication exclusively providing Fringe program information. An advertisement depicts a faceless figure in a golf shirt and pants with ironed pleats talks on a cell phone and ostensibly experiences “sexual arousal from third quarter results.” The caricature suggests no one at the Festival finds Phil Collins’s Genesis redeeming or updates their voicemail daily both erroneous generalizations that reject rather than include. The ad perpetuates the underlying elitist sentiment of a self-contained festival scoffing “If you’re not one of us and you don’t know the rules don’t bother coming.” With a sentiment based on exclusion the ad campaign contradicts the inclusive festival tagline repeated before every show: “Calgary needs more Fringe.” The performances and films are top-notch and there is truly something for everyone: the conservative and the avant garde the uninitiated and the immersed the shit-disturbers and those who toe the line. The Fringe gathered cross-continental acts representing a mélange of cultures and viewpoints through a range of media but the festival isn’t only about pushing boundaries. It certainly can be but that’s to the artists’ discretion. Patrons who profess a low tolerance for offensiveness should expect to be directed to shows with a “general” rating without fear of being judged for not understanding what the Fringe is supposedly about. If the Fringe Festival wants more Calgarians to attend then it needs to encourage patronage not pledge elitism. Volunteers knowledgeable about the content descriptions and ratings of shows will keep the audience informed and help patrons make informed choices especially if they’re not sure what to expect. Actively soliciting people who might not otherwise take the time to find out what the festival has to offer is key in helping patronage grow. Judging people based on their like of Phil Collins or willingness to sit through politically incorrect sketch comedy will only serve to keep the festival self-contained. Calgary’s population wants more fringe they just need to be informed and know they will be welcomed into the fray without having to leave their cell phone holsters at home.
