Dressing Up

Organizers of the Toronto Fringe Festival's 20th anniversary gala Wednesday night had the challenge of making the event semiformal while keeping the theatre festival's indie, eclectic tone—all on a tight budget. To do so, gala co-coordinator Miriam Fernandes said the invite-only event looked to a vintage-feeling venue—the Great Hall—and simple, Fringe-centric decor to create atmosphere.

"We had a very small budget, and we didn't want to have to pay much for decor, but we did want things like glassware and linens," said Fernandes, who worked with Adam Kirkham and Fringe executive director Gideon Arthurs to plan the event.Bob Martin, co-creator of The Drowsy Chaperone, the Broadway hit that started at Fringe, hosted the evening, which also included speeches from Mayor David Miller and NDP leader Jack Layton.  "What we wanted to do was mix and mingle politicians, artists, and people from different funding bodies," said Fernandes of the guest list, adding that the event demonstrated how important the annual festival is to the city. Former Fringe Festival performers Jan Caruana, Lisa Merchant, and Michael Healey performed for the event's 250 guests, and spontaneous dance performances by the Artists' Play Collective previewed the dance initiative debuting at this year's Fringe, which kicks off July 2.

In a nod to the white-tented beer garden areas at Fringe Festival venues, long white drapery formed a canopy from the high ceilings of the Great Hall, and vintage Fringe posters hung from clotheslines. Landscape architect Penny Arthurs contributed wooden vases filled with branches, while a slide show of old photos from the festival played on the ceiling.