It鈥檚 easy to understand why Uno Fest organizers chose a certain yellow, potassium-rich tropical fruit as the mascot for Intrepid Theatre鈥檚 19th annual solo performance festival.
Audiences and artists alike have gone bananas over the 10-day festival that began Wednesday, and originated in the basement of the Bedford Hotel in 1997.
While the opening-night VIP reception at the Hotel Rialto鈥檚 Veneto Tapa Lounge was more subdued than Monday鈥檚 kickoff party at Phillips Brewery, which featured a roller-skating banana, the enthusiasm was palpable.
鈥淲e have so many artists wanting to be a part of this. It has become internationally recognized,鈥� said Heather Lindsay, executive director of Intrepid Theatre.
Indeed, times have changed. In the digital era, most artists keen to fly solo during what is billed as North America鈥檚 longest-running solo performance festival submit their works online, via Vimeo links.
With the Internet鈥檚 global reach, it鈥檚 easier than ever to spread the word about the curated festival, which organizers also program by travelling to see potential shows.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great Canadian springboard to launch these artists for touring, or to be part of larger festivals or longer-running productions,鈥� Lindsay said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very intrepid, very brave new work we鈥檙e seeing. It鈥檚 the voice of now. It鈥檚 what people are thinking and throwing out there bravely.鈥�
The event attracted sponsors, donors, artists and Intrepid staffers, including award-winning playwright Janet Munsil, its longtime artistic director, who is stepping down this fall to focus more on writing.
Artists in attendance included Impulse Theatre director Andrew Barrett and Emily Piggford, back in town from her new home base in Toronto to star in ana, a production that combines movement, text, clowning and music to tell the story of its title character. She鈥檚 described as 鈥渁 multi-faceted being who has reached a breaking point and has brought an audience together in a final call for action.鈥�
Amelia Van Brunt, the San Francisco-based actor, clown and creator of In the Blue of the Evening, and her co-director Ross Travis expressed excitement over making their Uno Festival debut. Van Brunt described her solo show, inspired by a personal family experience, as 鈥渁 hilarious and heart-breaking dark comedy鈥� that uses clowning, Commedia dell鈥橝rte and surrealism to tell the story of a feisty grandmother鈥檚 battle with dementia.
鈥淲ho are we without our memories?鈥� asks Van Brunt, echoing a question asked in the show, originally produced by her theatre company Bad, Bad Bunny.
Intrepid board member Anna-Lise ter Mors said she loves the Uno Festival because 鈥渋t鈥檚 a curated festival, unlike the Fringe Festival, which is this crazy lottery. It鈥檚 about being brave onstage by yourself.鈥�
Ter Mors, senior development officer with the sa国际传媒 Cancer Foundation who organizes special events including the annual Jingle Mingle fundraiser, says being on the Intrepid board fulfils a different desire.
鈥淭here are very serious problems that we deal with, so it鈥檚 good to have a balance, with something frivolous and crazy that gives you opportunities to laugh as well as cry,鈥� she said.
Kylie Sandham, capital assets and cost-analysis officer for the Greater Victoria Housing Society non-profit that creates affordable housing, had similar reasons for getting involved.
鈥淲hen I came to Victoria five years ago, I started going to the Fringe and it鈥檚 become a staple of my theatregoing in Victoria,鈥� said Sandham, who joined Intrepid鈥檚 board after being told 鈥渉ow amazing it is.鈥�
She said she was attracted in part by the fun factor involved in applying her skill set to something completely different.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about providing governance and oversight, doing strategic planning and being ambassadors in the community and helping to keep bold theatre alive in Victoria.鈥�
For more information on Uno Fest, go to .
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