Guest blog post by Leila Raye-Crofton
Off the Top Theatre Projects, a company started by Ashleigh Hicks and myself, came together all the way back in Drama 150 at the University of Alberta. Ashleigh and I were in this class together, led by Jan Henderson, and we became fast friends. We both were very interested in working together and doing a Fringe production, so we went to work! Over the years, we tried several times to get into the Fringe but we unfortunately were never picked in the lottery.
Nevertheless, we persevered, and this year (our third time in the lottery), we finally got in! We are so excited to finally get to work together in a professional capacity for the Fringe and we would love for you to come see our production, Tempting
This production has been a thrilling challenge for me because it marks my first time directing anything outside of a school setting. My background is more in acting, as I am currently a student in the University of Alberta’s BFA Acting program. I wrote and directed a one-act play in high school, I’ve assistant directed a couple of shows, and I took Drama 383 (Introduction to Directing), but this is my first time digging into any directing without a teacher or professor looking after me.
Luckily, the cast and creative team of Tempting have made this a total non-issue. They’ve made me feel incredibly supported and I am very happy with all we’ve been able to do in the process so far. It’s been a wonderful collaboration with a brilliantly talented group, and I couldn’t be more excited to share our work with you!
An earlier version of the script was produced at the University’s New Works Festival, and we are ready to bring the new production to the Edmonton Fringe Festival! The play involves a confrontation between a skeptic and a psychic over a deadly prediction, and it is a gripping forty-minute dispute over love, loss, trust, and truth. We hope that it is a production that opens up perspectives and really gets audiences talking about vital issues, such as spirituality and medically-assisted death.
We think this play is very important right now, not only because of the issues within it, but because our creative team is entirely made up of women! We are incredibly proud to be part of #fringefemmeyeg, and we hope that the Fringe audience will look to support female-driven theatre.
Tempting will be playing at the Westbury Theatre, a wheelchair-accessible venue, during the Edmonton Fringe Festival August 17-27, 2017. Tickets are $10 for students/seniors, $12 for general admission. Our showtimes are August 17th 8:00pm, August 19th 12:15pm, August 21st 2:30pm, August 24th 11:30pm, August 26th 8:00pm, and August 27th 4:15pm.
If you’re able to fit us into your Fringe-ing, we would absolutely love to see you!
For more information, find us on our Facebook event.
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