This weekend my partner Theo and I had an opportunity to catch a play in Granville Island. We were among hundreds of others flocking that way throughout the Fringe Festival, a annual play festival that brings together some of Canada’s budding actors and actresses.

That day we decided to take in the one man show Limbo. Written and performed by Andrew Bailey, Limbo tells the story of a tortured young man dealing with a mild mental illness and struggling to do good while searching for the answers to some more profound philosophical questions. It started cheeky and ended thoughtful, with some particularly beautiful prose around suffering and how all such roads (including the one awkward Andrew was travelling) eventually lead to compassion for others. Particularly intersting and powerful is how Bailey allows us to peer into the soul of someone suffering from mental illness and anxiety. I walked away with a new appreciation of it all.

This was the third play I’d seen at the Fringe (I also got to see TJ Dawe last year). It was a treat, leaving me feeling like I certainly got my $12 worth! But bang for your buck wasn’t the only thing I appreciated about the Fringe.

It also provides a great reminder of the unique community such dramatic events tend to light each time they come to town. The intimacy of this community is one of my favorite things. While we were waiting in line for Limbo, no less than half a dozen performers came by to talk to us about why we should consider attending their particular show. Each person had their own unique little pitch and it was refreshing to actually talk one on one with the performers about their piece. Kind of like theatrical salesmanship, up-close and personal. It also was a great reminder there are plenty of cheap, intelligent and funny theatre opportunities out there for people like me. In fact there is a whole community of Kurts out there who only tend to surface when the Fringe comes to town in October. I like seeing people like that. People who aren’t on a first name basis with any of the performers and who “like” or “dislike” the plays they watch (but who if pressed, couldn’t tell you why they “like” or “dislike” said theatre).

It’s also a great foray for those souls who are new to the whole scene or looking to break in and make it big. It’s a great characteristic of the whole Fringe circuit and an additional reason to check it out the next time it comes to a medium or large sized city near you.