I’m a little embarrassed to say I’ve neglected my blog while I’ve been on tour with my Fringe show, ‘unADULTeRATED me’.<\/p>\n
I’m currently at the Edmonton Fringe, which is drawing to a close at the end of this weekend.\u00a0 I’ve already performed five of my six slotted performances.\u00a0 My last performance is Saturday, August 21st at 2PM.<\/p>\n
Before I get into how my Edmonton Fringe experience has been, first I’m going to recap my experiences for the rest of the Toronto Fringe, Winnipeg Fringe, and Saskatoon Fringe.<\/p>\n
Overall, the Toronto Fringe was a pretty good experience.\u00a0 I mean, I had received an AWESOME 4-star review<\/a> from Toronto’s EYE WEEKLY Entertainment Magazine!\u00a0 I also had a pretty great online review<\/a> at a Toronto Theatre Review website called “Mooney on Theatre”.<\/p>\n I also had a number of standing ovations in Toronto, which is always very encouraging.<\/p>\n My second-last performance in Toronto was especially amazing for me.\u00a0 The audience was certainly not ‘huge’ (no more than 40 people), but the energy was just amazing.\u00a0 Not only did I have a standing ovation after that performance, but the audience started CHEERING and CLAPPING IN UNISON!!!<\/p>\n Afterward, when I was on my way out of the theatre, a woman who had been in the audience stopped me to tell me how she thought my show was the most daring thing she’s EVER seen on stage, and how wonderful she thought the show was; and especially how she believed I touched each and every audience member present at that performance — especially all the women present.<\/p>\n WOW.\u00a0 I felt sooo full of gratitude to hear this feedback.<\/p>\n So far, Winnipeg Fringe (2010) has been my most successful Fringe not only during this tour, but also during my entire Fringe “career”, despite my predominantly mediocre media reviews.<\/p>\n The Winnipeg Free Press review of ‘unADULTeRATED me’ had been based on my June 11th performance in Montreal. I had been in touch with the reviewer, and he himself informed me of the date. This was the very first performance of the ENTIRE tour; the show that reviewer (Kevin Prokosh) had seen was not the same show I had been performing in London and Toronto.\u00a0 I was disappointed because I felt we (<\/em>audiences and myself) deserved an accurate and up-to-date review based on the show in its current form, not one that was based on a performance from OVER a month ago.\u00a0 But, oh well…\u00a0 Thankfully, however, many audience members spoke up to express their own opinion of the show by leaving comments on the website.\u00a0 That was wonderful!\u00a0 Here are a couple of favorites that were posted on the Winnipeg Free Press review and website:<\/p>\n “In my Fringe experience, I am *always* wary of clown shows.<\/em><\/p>\n Some are very good (Izzy, Poofy DuVey), and some are very… Very… Bad. (Not mentioning names.)<\/em><\/p>\n However- Rachelle has scored a hit with Fizzy Tiff and can be added to that list of hilarious and touching clown shows. What she does in her show really could teach us all a little something about how we look with far too much criticism at ourselves and others- She performs with reckless abandon and throws caution to the wind in the finale of the show, which, without giving too much away, combines probably three of the activities humans generally fear the most. It takes a strong performer to pull off such a gutsy finish, and Fizzy does it humbly and with a touch of class despite her awkwardness preluding it in the first 45 minutes of the show.<\/em><\/p>\n Not only that, but the show is very funny. Very very funny. Don’t be afraid to get into it- Believe me, the more you give, the more you’ll get back from her, and she will give you a lot..!<\/em><\/p>\n Great show, and in my eyes deserves at least a solid four and a half stars, if not the perfect five.<\/em><\/p>\n As stated, the WFP review by Prokosh is a vast disservice to a talented Winnipeg artist who should be recognized by our community. Well done Rachelle! Fizzy Tiff: Part II next year?”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n “UnADULTeRATED me is exactly what the Fringe is all about. I loved this play because from the moment it started it kept on enfolding in ambition, realizing its potential at each turn and coming to the perfect ending with props strewn throughout the show covering the stage as if they were left there for us to savour the taste of each delectable scene. At first you think, she is going to pull off the coquette buffoon really well and it is going to be a fun but simple play. Next, you realize that the audience participation and some early risks are going to lead to a little more edge than expected. With success at each level, \u201cFizzy\u201d shifts it into overdrive with a stunning social commentary that is stinging but offered, if you can imagine, with love, tenderness, vulnerability and hope. My review is \u201cover the top\u201d because this play deserves it!”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n As for the CBC review… it was an alright review, but unfortunately for me, the CBC Winnipeg reviewer had come to review my weekday NOON show in Toronto.\u00a0 There were approximately five people in attendance at that show, and the audience was extremely closed with their energy.\u00a0 Interacting with the audience felt like pulling teeth, and I had to wonder why they had even bothered to come to a show that had “audience participation” in the warning if they were going to be so closed-off and unwilling to interact.\u00a0 I\u00a0 guess that’s the luck of the draw, though.<\/p>\n Despite the mediocre reviews, word-of-mouth (and my flyering!) spread, and I had some wonderful attendance and wonderful shows in Winnipeg.\u00a0 Again, there were a number of standing ovations, and many people would stop to tell me how much they loved the show.<\/p>\n I also received my first 5-star (equivalent) review in Winnipeg in the UPTOWN Magazine!\u00a0 Technically, UPTOWN doesn’t rate shows by stars and instead uses a letter-grade system.\u00a0 But, they gave my show an A+ rating, which is equivalent to 5-stars!<\/p>\n I never sold out a show in Winnipeg, but I came *extremely* close to selling out a show…\u00a0 I think three of my shows had attendance in the high 90’s!<\/p>\n My show also earned “BEST of FEST” for my venue!<\/p>\n So, overall, Winnipeg Fringe was a wonderful experience!<\/p>\n After the Winnipeg Fringe, it was off to Saskatoon.<\/p>\n I had a number of ups and downs in Saskatoon.<\/p>\n In terms of “ups”,\u00a0 ‘unADULTeRATED me’ received a wonderful 5-STAR review<\/a> that was published in the Saskatoon daily paper called The Star Phoenix.\u00a0 That was certainly pretty awesome!<\/p>\n The fact that Saskatoon Fringe is a pretty small Fringe Festival also proved to be an up\/pro (vs. a con) — that way, audience members have the chance to see every show if they so choose.\u00a0 This certainly would not be possible at a larger Fringe Festival like the Winnipeg Fringe or Edmonton Fringe.<\/p>\n One of the down sides of my experience at the Saskatoon Fringe was pertaining to my venue.\u00a0 It was in a school gymnasium and the acoustics were pretty lousy.\u00a0 Additionally, due to the nature of my show, my show works best when performed in a venue or space that contributes in creating intimacy between myself and the audience.\u00a0 My venue in Winnipeg was perfect for this… However, As for my venue in Saskatoon… let’s just say it’s more difficult to create a feeling of intimacy in a gymnasium.<\/p>\n …Venue-characteristics aside, there were some organizational issues that myself and other Fringe artists encountered, too….\u00a0 Without going into any specific\/boring details, let it suffice to say that it was pretty damn frustrating and annoying.\u00a0 But oh well…<\/p>\n Anyway.\u00a0 During the time of the Saskatoon Fringe, I was finding I needed a lot of personal time to myself. By this point I had been touring for a while, and additionally I missed my sweet heart terribly.<\/p>\n Saskatoon Fringe is typically known as the Fringe where all the Fringe Artists get to see each others’ shows, but unfortunately, I only saw two shows there!\u00a0 I spent most of my off-time at my ‘home’.\u00a0 Additionally, the place where I was staying in Saskatoon was a 45 minute walk away from the Fringe, so I spent quite a bit of time each day walking to and fro (unless I managed to get a ride part-way there).<\/p>\n Since I had spent a lot of down-time at home, I didn’t flyer nearly as much as I “should” have.\u00a0 But even so, I did better at the box office in Saskatoon than I had for Toronto, London, or Montreal.<\/p>\n My show received multiple standing ovations in Saskatoon, as well!\u00a0 I encountered many local audience members who told me how much they loved the show.\u00a0 Some performers who saw my show there also had great feedback for me.\u00a0 One performer who saw it in Saskatoon had even told me she felt like it was the best show she had ever seen in her life!\u00a0 A different performer told me he thought it was strikingly beautiful.\u00a0 (Aww!)\u00a0 While yet another performer told me how much she loved the show and my character.<\/p>\n Despite my 5-STAR review in the local daily paper, multiple standing ovations, and much wonderful feedback, I was a little hurt to find out how some people detested my show.\u00a0 An online blogger for a local entertainment paper\/website apparently disliked the show quite adamantly and gave it 1 star.\u00a0 Unfortunately, I know this hindered a lot of people from seeing the show, which is really unfortunate.<\/p>\n
\n<\/em><\/p>\nTORONTO FRINGE<\/h3>\n
\n<\/em><\/p>\nWINNIPEG FRINGE<\/h3>\n
\n<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em><\/p>\nSASKATOON FRINGE<\/h3>\n