Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Fringe Festival Love Letter

The St.Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival is something I have been
involved with for the last 5 years. In the weeks before graduating
Theatre School, I heard that the festival was looking for Venue
Technicians. I was about to complete a technical theatre based program
and 3 of my friends had already secured jobs as Venue Techs. I wanted
a fun summer gig regardless of how little it paid, so I figured this
could be something fun.
I contacted the Technical Director at the time and told him that I was
interested in a position on his technical team. We had met a couple
months before on a gig and had mutual friends who assured him I was
smarter than the average bear and worthy of a fringe tech position. In
the days leading up to the festival I was initiated into the Montreal
Fringe community. Meaning, I got pretty wasted and learned about the
groups I would be working with and some of the pratfalls that come
with being a technician at the fringe. The fact that I remembered the
names of my fellow crew members after our appropriately named
DisOrientation meetings was impressive enough. How I managed to
survive my first festival was a feat in mental and physical toughness
all on it's own. In that first fest, I mended a broken heart, made
life long friends and formed a great relationship with some amazing
people in the Montreal Theatre community.
It was my first paid technical job and it has opened up doors for me.
It has become a large part of my life and something I look forward to
every summer.
There are only 5 days left to go out ad catch some of the festival.

http://montrealfringe.ca/en

Go have a beer at the beer tent, see a show or hang out at the fringe
after hours party "The 13th Hour" nightly at te Studio Juste Pour
Rire, starting at 1am.

When I See You...

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