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
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
New Canadian study could be a lifesaver for thousands suffering from CTE
A first-of-its-kind Canadian research study is working towards a major medical breakthrough for a brain disorder, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries, that can only be detected after death.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.