Return of Saskatoon Fringe Festival like 'buds of spring coming back'
Now that the Fringe Festival has kicked off, artists are thrilled to be back on the stage and the streets after more than a year of uncertainty and cancelled shows.
Gerald Williams is no stranger to Fringe Festivals around the country, but this is his first time in Saskatoon.
He said getting the call that the show will go on was exciting after all that went on in 2020.
“I decided not to go to any because there weren’t any. In 2019 I did nine Fringes in one summer,” Williams said.
Williams said he is excited to put on his show “How I Murdered my Mother.”
“According to the Fringe rumour network, this is the best Fringe in western Canada. I’m not saying the others are bad, the others are great, but I’ve heard Saskatoon is the best place to be for a Fringe,” Williams told CTV News.
Williams said the festival falling so close to provincial restrictions being lifted is a sign of good things to come.
“This wakes up society. It’s like the bird in the coal mine, but this is an indicator of a really good thing happening. This is like the buds of spring coming back to join us,” Williams said.
The festival looks a little different this year, but Williams said he still excited to finally get back up on stage and do what he does best.
Yulissa Campos, playwright of “The Newcomer,” said she had a mix of emotions leading up to festival.
“Grateful, happy, excited. As an artists, this was a really hard year,” Campos said.
Campos said there was still uncertainty in the months leading up to the event, but after everything people have been through during the pandemic, she thinks this is just the thing to start getting back to normal.
“I think people are so ready to be out. We have been in lockdown and just hiding at home. People are like ‘you know what? It’s time to get out,’” Campos said.
“I’m sure the people will enjoy this. It’s nice to be outside, it’s beautiful weather. Enjoy live theatre, I think it’s time. People are ready for this.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.