Finding fun, direction at Fringe fest

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Stephanie Hall always imagined she would appear in the Free Press.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/06/2022 (1249 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Stephanie Hall always imagined she would appear in the Free Press.

A born performer, Hall was six years old when she started telling family and friends she was going to be famous and win an Oscar. When she learned cursive, she created a big and bold handwriting style she hoped would look beautiful when she signed autographs for an adoring public.

Hall didn’t end up hitting it big in Hollywood. The federal government employee is speaking to the Free Press about something better, she says: the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival.

Stephanie Hall’s cancer treatments are keeping her from this year’s Fringe, but next year, ‘you better believe I’m there.’ (Supplied)
Stephanie Hall’s cancer treatments are keeping her from this year’s Fringe, but next year, ‘you better believe I’m there.’ (Supplied)

“For those two weeks that it’s on, it’s home,” says Hall, 38. “I just want to see it succeed and get bigger and better every year.”

Hall was a theatre- and dance-loving teenager when she signed up to volunteer for the 2002 fringe. When the festival started that July, she knew she had made the right decision.

“There are certain places where immediately you can tell that you’re surrounded by people that are excited about what they’re doing, and they’re ready to pitch in and help and make sure the proverbial trains run on time,” she says.

“For someone just out of high school, who had flunked out of university and didn’t have a particular direction at the time, it was refreshing to see adults talk to me like an adult and treat me with respect. I got to have fun and contribute to something.”

Except for 2017 and 2018, when she worked for the Fringe, Hall has volunteered at every festival since — assisting with front-of-house duties such as ticket-taking before shows and then, once shows have started, helping count the money and fill out the accounting-related paperwork to ensure the festival has the numbers it needs and the performers are paid.

Hall was initially so consumed by volunteering she didn’t see her first Fringe show until three or four years after getting involved.

These days, she sees as many shows as she can. The opportunity to discover new things appeals to her.

“You can experience every emotion possible and walk away thinking, ‘My life just got a little bit bigger and a little bit better.’ Even if the show is bad, you can walk away feeling like you were transported.”

This year’s Fringe runs July 13-24 and will host more than 110 performing companies.

More than 400 volunteers will work to create an enjoyable experience for patrons and performers, including selling tickets, ushering performances, serving drinks, answering patron questions, and keeping the festival’s indoor and outdoor spaces clean.

To her disappointment, Hall won’t be among those volunteers. A cancer diagnosis earlier this year and the recent start of her chemotherapy treatments mean she won’t be able to participate. Still, she has a positive outlook.

“I am a firm believer that this, as far as bumps in the road go, is minor. This is a time in my life and it will pass.”

She encourages people to get involved with this year’s festival, which still needs volunteers to assist in a variety of areas (go to http://wfp.to/ocW).

Hall hopes to return in 2023.

“If there’s nothing in my way next year, you better believe I’m there with all my buttons and my lanyard and my T-shirt and my marked-up program,” she says. “I will skip through Old Market Square probably, because I will be so happy to be home.”

If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com

fpcity@freepress.mb,ca

Aaron Epp

Aaron Epp
Reporter

Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron.

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