How about 24 shows in 7 days?! That was me at the end of August (23-29)! I was a delegate at the British Council Showcase 2009 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and man-oh-man, this was an amazing infusion of theatre. I popped across the Atlantic to scout out performances that could possibly be brought to Purdue, and I'm incredibly pleased to say that there are some likely candidates amongst the bunch. In the coming months, I'll be working out the details to see what we can make happen, but suffice it to say, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is a theatre lovers dream. Ok, truth be told, it can also be quite maddening. There are over 250 venues and literally thousands (I kid you not) performances from which to choose. The great part for me is that the British Council produces a "best of" showcase that really does do a great job of winnowing down the massive array of choices and thanks to being one of their international delegates, I had a remarkable slate of theatre filling my daily calendar.
Through these visits to Edinburgh over the years, I've come to know the work and aesthetics of a good number of both established and emerging theatre companies, collectives, and individual artists. I also have the great fortune of meeting theatre producers and presenters from around the globe since this is truly the Mother of All Festivals, ergo a magnet for those of us who do this work.
One of the destinations that deserves a distinct callout is the Traverse Theatre. This is unquestionably the home of new writing for the theatre in Scotland and serves as an important platform for Scottish authors (including David Greig who is one of the important names you should know). Check this place out at: http://www.traverse.co.uk/
Edinburgh is a magical city. Even when it rains. And it always does. Of course, when you're in the theatre for hours and hours each day, the weather is largely irrelevant. Nonetheless, what is always staggering for me to contemplate is that there are tens of thousands of people who are taking vacations to go to a city for a week TO SEE THEATRE! I've always known people who have done this, but to experience it on this massive scale simply makes me giddy. Let's import just a little bit more of THAT here to the States, ok?! ...And just in case you want to know what the secret formula is to see between 4-6 shows a day, it's spelled: e-s-p-r-e-s-s-o.
Great photo moment (but a poor photo on my part): a man riding a "piano-bike" stops to serenade a group of us on the sidewalk briefly before riding down a very steep hill on cobblestones. This is the multitasking strategy of the future: earn money, practice your instrument, and get a workout all at once.
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