The Edinburgh Society
Purpose
Each summer, actors and audience members from around the world come to Edinburgh to perform in and to watch thousands of different theatrical productions in the oldest and largest theater festival in the English-speaking world. At “The Festival,” avant-garde physical theater competes with standup comedy, circus acts, classical and contemporary drama, dance, improv, musical performances of all stripes and more for the eyes of adventuresome theatergoers. The entire affair takes place in the historic city center, famed for its winding streets and heritage architecture.
Members of the Edinburgh Society will attend the Festival two years running. In the first year they will be inundated with new ideas and inspiration as audience members, gaining exposure to all manner of performances in a condensed bout of theatergoing which will innervate their own work as actors and artists. After drinking for a week from the cultural fire-hose that is the Festival, the Society will retreat to a bucolic Scottish country manor for an intensive workshop. In a pastoral environment without the distractions of the city they will hone their craft as performers and collaborate with one another in the creation of their own piece of theater, which will reflect their unique international identities.
They will continue to work on their performance through online platforms over the following year, communicating through video and writing. Then in the summer of 2019 they will reconvene in person once more. That summer, the Society will meet up in the weeks leading up to the Festival and prepare their performance for the general public. They will also manage technical production, working with instructor oversight to assemble the necessary props, set elements and costume, and to design and implement sound and lighting. Finally, the actors will present their work as part of the Festival itself, performing daily while also putting up posters and distributing flyers to promote their show.
Theater
The Festival is in truth a festival of festivals. The Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Book Festival, the Free Fringe and more all take place at the same time, providing audiences with a wealth of options. The Edinburgh Society will focus on attending performances in the International Festival and the Fringe Festival and will perform as part of the Fringe Festival. The International Festival was established in 1947 as a way of bringing performing artists from around the world together in a bid to aid European recovery from the shock of World War II. The International Festival attracted more artists than were officially sanctioned; these uninvited actors went on to stage their own performances on the “fringe” of the festival. Over decades this fringe grew to be the Fringe Festival, and is now by far the largest of all the festivals. In 2017, the Fringe consisted of 3,398 shows in 300 venues, which range from cathedrals and assembly halls to converted classrooms and miniscule black-boxes to outdoor tents and even the occasional bus. Edinburgh Society members will take in both shows they have selected themselves and shows specifically selected by Studio instructors, seeing up to four or even five shows each day.
City
From its castle spires and subterranean passageways to its plentiful parks and picturesque cobblestones, Edinburgh is a stunning city even without the hustle and bustle of the festival season. The Edinburgh Society will enjoy touring a plethora of compelling and storied locations. Elegant Holyrood Palace, still an active seat of the British Crown, abuts the 12th century ruins of Holyrood Abbey as well as Holyrood Park, a hilly highland environment in miniature nestled inside an urban area. To the east, Carlton Hill and its columned monument to Lord Nelson rise over the medieval Old Town and the neo-classical New Town, both designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In the center of all of it, Edinburgh Castle sits dominantly atop the imposing Castle Rock, which has been the site of fortifications since at least 600 AD, possibly much earlier. Society members will draw inspiration from this rich architectural and historical legacy as well as the bevy of theatrical performances they attend.
Collaboration
In preparation for the summer, the Edinburgh Society will begin its work online in March 2018. Members will learn about the city and the Festival and begin what will be an ever-evolving discourse of what theater is and what it should be. As the 2018 Festival programs become available, Edinburgh Society members will research available productions in order to discuss and select shows of particular interest to watch in August. In Scotland, the Society will work together in an artistically and intellectually stimulating environment, beginning with group reflections on the works of theater they have seen and then moving into the practical work of acting, directing and playwrighting. During the year between Festivals, the Edinburgh Society will continue in their artistic efforts both as a group and individually.
