By: Caitlin Messinger

​              Hamlet in Bed is Michael Laurence’s modern interpretation of Shakespeare's Hamlet that follows Michael, a long time aspiring stage actor, through his attempts to form a relationship with his estranged mother. In doing so he creates this production of Hamlet wherein he can live out his dream of playing Hamlet, as well as get to know his mother under other pretenses. And as evident by the title of the show, the entire piece takes place around a bed. There are bits and pieces of Shakespeare spread throughout the play, balanced out by the drama of this mother and son relationship that parallels the relationship of Gertrude and Hamlet. Both actors give incredible performances, and make the piece quite suspenseful and engaging.
         This was one of the two plays written by and starring Michael Laurence that I was acting as marketing assistant on throughout the Fringe and it was an incredible opportunity to be able to work with these actors as well as the rest of their team. From being a part of production meetings to helping promote both shows across the city, I loved being a part of this team for the short while that I was. It was a completely foreign experience for me as I have never been involved in theater, but it was something that I still learned so much from that I’ll be able to apply to other aspects of my career in the future.  The Fringe as a whole offers so many opportunities that you wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere and I am so thankful for that.

By: Abby Wolanin 

          One of the most amazing things that I have seen during my time here in Edinburgh has been the Military Tattoo. At first I really wasn’t sure if I wanted to see it or not because it was expensive and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to sit for an hour and a half just to watch military bands march and play military songs, but I was completely wrong. This show brought me to tears and gave me so much joy and pride in knowing that I come from such an amazing military background.
          My parents met in the Navy, my brother is currently in the Navy, my Grandpa was in World War II, and so many of my relatives have been involved the U.S. Military. I never wanted to join the military but I have a deep respect and connection to the military through growing up being surrounded by it my entire life. I have heard nothing except excellent reviews on the Tattoo. Just by hearing the bagpipes and seeing the fireworks from Arthur’s Seat at night and from walking around the city, I knew I had to buy a ticket to see what the craziness was all about.
            The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is not like anything I excepted. I am not really sure what I expected honestly, but this performance brought me to jaw-dropping moments with dancers and motorcycle acrobats, as well as to tears as they conducted a tribute to fallen soldiers. Military bands from all over the world performed and it really brought a sense of peace and unity as there is so much violence currently happening in the world. The music was incredible and the lone bagpiper on top of the castle at the end was absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend the Military Tattoo to anyone, even if you do not have a connection to the military. It is unlike anything else and is truly a beautiful experience.

By: Marissa Brown

          I had seen posters for "The Vaudevillains" all throughout the Fringe and thought it looked interesting. When I had a free night and wanted to see a show near the end of the festival, I decided to go see it and I'm really glad I did. It was my kind of show. It all featured around a music hall with acts that would be at home in a freak show. The acts included a knife thrower, Siamese triplets, a ventriloquist, a mime, and a magician. The problem is that one of these people killed the club's owner. The resulting show is a musical storytelling of the backgrounds and potential motive for each act. Everyone has a reason to kill, but no one knows who actually did it.
          For anyone who has seen "American Horror Story: Freak Show", "The Vaudevillains" is essentially a condensed one hour musical of the TV show. From the 50s inspired costumes, to the venue itself as it takes place in a old timey looking circus tent, to the creepy music, and a plot surrounding a murder, "The Vaudevillains,” feels very similar to "Freak Show." Since I was a fan of the TV show, I was really happy to see a Fringe show like it. And, since I'm a fan of musicals, it made the experience that much better.
          Overall, with the aesthetic of not only the characters but also the venue, it made you feel like you really were at The Empire, the fictional musical hall the show takes place at. But besides the great aesthetic and interesting characters, the plot, music, and performances made for a really fun and great show. 

By: Ally Farrell

​​            One of the greatest parts of the Fringe is that you can see a wide variety of shows without ever having to actually pay. From the actual events organized under “Free Fringe,” to the bars that aren’t affiliated with the actual festival, to the street performers that can be found up and down the Royal Mile, there is always something to see. And honestly, some of the street performances that I have seen have been just as good as the shows that I have paid to get into.
            The Royal Mile, although it is packed with people, is definitely one of my favorite places to hang out. I have seen Norwegian Circus Acts, a Russian belly-dancer, and a man playing songs using only saws as his instruments, all without ever leaving High Street. Just today, I got to pet an owl that a man was holding on his arm.
            My favorite of the free shows here at the Fringe though, is hands down all the musicians that can be found on the Royal Mile. The other day I watched a 15-year-old boy play an insane guitar solo while his dad stood behind him, beaming. I saw a man named Reuben Stone making music based on what was happening around him. He even included a dog that was barking in the audience in one of the loops he was making. One of the musical highlights I witnessed was a man in one of those creepy Donald Trump masks changing the lyrics of songs to convey his distaste for Mr. Trump. All in all, having access to all those free shows is absolutely incredible and something everyone should take advantage of during their time here. 

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By: Maeve Kirk

       Our first day trip was an exceptionally anticipated one; the historic city of St. Andrews. Home to the St. Andrews cathedral, castle, and university, this city is full of Scottish history. Just driving through the town, you wouldn’t think that it is home to the oldest university in Scotland or the largest medieval church; it just looks like a quaint coast town. But, as you approach the shore, a looming stone structure appears in the distance. The closer you get the more ruins you see. The surrounding headstones almost make the area seem as if it is a graveyard for, not only the many eighteenth century people, but the ancient building as well. But, if you focus, you can visualize what the cathedral would have looked like all those years ago. It all came together after climbing the tower where you get a bird’s eye view of the small town.
          Also in sight of the tower is St. Andrew’s castle, or what’s left of it. With far less structure left of the building than the cathedral, it’s harder to imagine what the original structure would have looked like. Nevertheless, the informative plaques helped visitors determine the functions of different sections of the fortress. With some free time left before we headed back, I ventured down to the beach, where a medieval ‘wellness pool’ still remained, although submerged in water. But, as the tide went out, the pool became visible and I was even able to walk along the walls toward the end, into the North Sea.

By: Abby Wolanin

             The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has truly been an amazing experience. I have seen almost twenty shows and have been here for only two weeks. I have explored Edinburgh and it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. While exploring the Fringe, it has been very hard to pick which shows I want to see. I have seen many posters for the Ukraine show, Counting Sheep and it was not a show at the top of my list. I knew a couple people who went to go see it and raved about it. I had this past Sunday evening free, so I decided to pay eighteen pounds and become immersed in one of the most incredible shows that I have ever seen.
            Counting Sheep is about the Ukrainian student uprising in 2013 and 2014. I remember hearing about this event when I was in high school and being stunned by the pictures and videos of the violence occurring in Ukraine. Counting Sheep is an immersive show. I have seen a lot of theatre in my life, but have never attended an immersive show before. The show started with everyone participating in peaceful riots. The cast gave you traditional Ukrainian food and let you experience what it would be like in a peaceful riot with dancing, songs, and celebration. Then as the show went on, the riots became more violent and aggressive. The actors had you help build barricades, throw foam bricks, and become filled with emotion as you watched death happen right in front of your eyes. Counting Sheep was a life changing experience for me and made me realize how fortunate I am for the life I have. It really showed me the political struggles that occur around the world and how life can be changed in an instant. I highly recommend Counting Sheep to anyone who attends the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2016. It is a show and experience not to be missed.

By: Abby Wolanin
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​          As students of Fringe University, one main thing that we have to accomplish while being here in Edinburgh is that we have to go to workshops run by Fringe Central. We have gone to many workshops, some including the topics of How to Market Your Show at the Fringe, Social Media, U.S. Touring and Booking and many others. The one workshop that I enjoyed the most and thought was the most helpful for kick starting our careers in the Entertainment Industry was a workshop on the Art of Networking.
          I never really understood how important networking is until I got to college. You truly never know whom you will meet along the way and how someone can help you. In the workshop for the Art of Networking we were forced to actually meet and talk to people to help build our confidence in networking. The instructor was very outgoing and made this two-hour workshop into an interactive, enjoyable environment instead of giving us a lecture. I met three people by randomly walking around the room and they all have established careers in the Entertainment Industry. They all gave me great tips about how to get started and how networking is an extremely important part of any career.
         This workshop was my favorite one that we went to because I thought it was the most beneficial to our careers. I met people from around the world who have been very successful in the Entertainment Industry and they have motivated me to get started! I have started my networking web at this workshop and I can only hope that it will grow into something much more.

By: Ale Hedlund 

          During one of our first class meetings, Xela brought up that there was one show that was interested in having people come and dance in it.  I was immediately interested, but apprehensive—what exactly did “dancing” entail?
 
      On Sunday, I went to the Oklahoma students flat with Briana to find out.  There, the two of us and the Oklahoma students had a workshop with Mauro Paccagnella, one of the two stars of the show “Happy Hour”, a physical theatrical and dance show.  We spent most of the hour discussing the show.  He explained his friendship with Alessandro Bernardeschi and how they had come up with the show together from memories of their early years in Italy and their shared experiences of getting older. What they needed from us, he explained, were enthusiastic people who would help to get the audience involved at one point in their show.  About 2/3rds of the way through, Mauro and Alessandro invite the audience to come down from their seats and express themselves to music through movement, and they wanted to make sure that people would come down.

        I signed up to see the show on Thursday.  It was held in the Summerhall Dissection Room, which was a really cool space that I assume was once a lecture room for medical students.  The show itself was very unique.  I don’t know if I completely understood everything, but despite that, I thought it was amazing.  Mauro and Alessandro were incredible with the way they moved and danced.  It was fascinating.
 
       The whole audience was so enthralled by the performance that by the time they invited the audience down, I didn’t need to start it off because a guy in the back came straight down.  I still went down, of course, along with about seven others. Mauro signaled for the music to turn on and we danced.  It was so much fun!  It’s very freeing to just let yourself go and dance. This was truly an incredible opportunity that I did not want to miss out on.

By: Marissa Brown  
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​            When I heard I was going to a show called "Intergalactic Nemesis: Twin Infinity", I didn't know what to expect. But I at least thought of sci-fi and aliens. I didn't except it to be a radio play or based on a comic book, but in hindsight, the comic book part should have been obvious. The show itself is based on a graphic novel called, of course, "Intergalactic Nemesis".
            When you see the show, there is a projection screen showing panels of comic book illustrations designed specifically for this show, and three actors stand in front of microphones. There's also a Foley actress armed with a table full of props to make sound effects. On one side is a woman in charge of the computer controlling the projections, and on the other side is a keyboard player. Everyone involved typically reacts to the scenes going on. The only voice actress narrates the story and moves the plot along. The two men on either side of her play the other characters and it continues with additional sound effects to make a more complete experience and really bring the story to life. 
            As for the story itself, it's about time travel, a wild goose hunt, aliens, doubles, and an interrupted wedding. It's funny and entertaining to watch. The voice actors are phenomenal and the Foley actress is impressive. Altogether, the show was great and worth the watch. On top of it all is a great name, even if it left me unsure of what the show would be. In the end I was really glad I got to opportunity to see "Intergalactic Nemesis: Twin Infinity.”

By: Ally Farrell

         One of my favorite things about this trip is getting to see the “behind the scenes” things that go into making a show run smoothly in such a high pressure environment. I love watching Robert, the sound/lighting tech on both Krapp 39 and Hamlet in Bed, make sure the sets are up, then check the mics and the lights. I love getting to watch Michael Laurence and Annette O’Toole, the stars of my shows, work out their pre-show jitters. I especially loved watching Spencer, the actor who filled in for Michael, get into his characters. 
       Both of the shows I have been assigned to work with during the Fringe Festival are quite long, and both of them star Michael. Which means Spencer had some pretty big shoes to fill. I had the opportunity to watch him run through Krapp 39 and work out the nuances and mannerisms that Michael has. Then, I was lucky enough to get to run lines with him for Hamlet in Bed.  It was so exciting to be working with an established actor, especially when he was asking me for tips and pointers on the show and his character, as I had been involved with the project longer than he had. After running lines with him, I got to watch him run through the show with Annette for the first time, and I watched the chemistry between the actors unfold, and the characters really came to life right in front of my eyes. I got to see the moment where Spencer slipped into his comfort zone, and it was a moment I will never forget.