Saturday, Aug. 6 at 9:00 p.m. is your last chance to see "The Narrow Path" at the Refinery. It's the final day of the Saskatoon Fringe Theatre Festival. Audience responses to our show have been wonderful.

If you read the article, you'll see that "The Narrow Path" (our show from Campbell & Company Returns) is mentioned as the most popular play at our venue (The Refinery). This is great news!


http://thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/local-arts/best-of-fringe-plays-announced

Tonight our Saskatoon Fringe Festival show--"The Narrow Path"--got a prolonged, heartfelt standing ovation. It was one of the best nights of my life in theatre. We (the actors, director and the playwright) truly moved the audience. This is why I write plays!

Now that the "Submit a Review" button is working again, we have our first Fringe Festival website review. Thank you to whoever posted it.


Sunday, July 31st at 7:30 pm Fine, fine acting. Beautifully written. Really well done. Absolutely satisfying to watch. Not your typical Fringe fare. Worth every penny.

News flash! It appears that the "Submit a Review" (of a show) button is working again on the Saskatoon Fringe Festival website. You can post a review of any Fringe show here:http://www.25thstreettheatre.org/tickets/ .

I'm sharing some reviews of "The Narrow Path" from Facebook because the "Review" button on the Fringe website still isn't working.
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GO SEE THIS PLAY! GO NOW!

The actors & acting are wonderful!

I was happily surprised by a serious play on serious themes that is so funny and so engaging.

This drama is nuanced and complex, compassionate and angry, and so much more than the blurb suggests. (Which apparently was the author's plan. )    -  Lauren Ansaldo

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I highly recommend this show! It is well written, particularly the clever but realistic dialogue and handling of jumps back and forth in time. The actors are impressive as well. Congratulations! - Sanae Ko
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Well done Donald B. Campbell & Co. Arthur Slade and I were at the premiere performance of THE NARROW PATH last night and thoroughly enjoyed the performances of two actors who were new to us: Damien Bartlett and Mitchell Larsen. Donald gave these two a demanding script - multiple characters for one and multiple ages for the other - all pulled together into a fast-paced dialogue and great direction from David Creelman. Don's usual wit is peppered throughout this thoughtful exploration of issues around religious fundamentalism and self-determination. Beyond the Fringe this would be a great conversation-starter for individuals or groups or churches that have been unable to welcome our LGBT2Q folks into their circles, or who are sitting on the fence about doing so. Very proud of you Don!!!  -  Brenda Baker
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Excellent, excellent job on all parts! - Arthur Slade
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Well done Campbell and Company. This THE play to see. - Bonita Lundberg
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I am so glad that I got a chance to see your play, it is so good. You are a talented wordsmith.   - Marilyn Lindsay
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 Amazeballs performance by my friend Mitchell Larsen and his co-star Damien Bartlett. Donald B. Campbell's very clever "The Narrow Path" is a can't miss! Good times, great laughs, and sobering reflection on our "modern" society. Fringe is on all week! Tickets are only $15 for The Narrow Path at The Refinery Theatre in ‪#‎yxe. - Jennifer Bezaire

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We (Bill and I) enjoyed the show very much. The actors were excellent. I could really feel the mental conflict /anguish the characters...[were] going through... We give a big applause to your writing and David Creelman's direction. Well done! - Tsering Dolma Mullens

I just saw on the Fringe website that the "review" button is temporarily not working. Thanks for your patience and your help with spreading the word about "The Narrow Path"!

Here is a review of our show by Brenda Baker:

"Well done Donald B. Campbell & Co. Arthur Slade and I were at the premiere performance of THE NARROW PATH last night and thoroughly enjoyed the performances of two actors who were new to us: Damien Bartlett and Mitchell Larsen. Donald gave these two a demanding script - multiple characters for one and multiple ages for the other - all pulled together into a fast-paced dialogue and great direction from David Creelman. Don's usual ...wit is peppered throughout this thoughtful exploration of issues around religious fundamentalism and self-determination. Beyond the Fringe this would be a great conversation-starter for individuals or groups or churches that have been unable to welcome our LGBT2Q folks into their circles, or who are sitting on the fence about doing so. Very proud of you Don!!!"

Come see the show today at 3pm!

Here are some excerpts from Heather Persson's review of "The Narrow Path" in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. [NOTE: She incorrectly listed the venue as Cosmo Centre instead of The Refinery. She also wrote that I'm the director, but David Creelman is.)

"The spirited execution and unexpected ending... save the piece from being cliché and take it to thought-provoking.

The production tells the story of Robert, a fundamentalist minister struggling with the truth of his sexuality. He is a tortured soul. Married and the son of a minister, he espouses bigoted ideas even as he hates himself for his hypocrisy.

For those who like to support the locally based shows, this fits the bill. Written and directed by Donald B. Campbell, it stars U of S drama department grad Damien Bartlett. Bartlett is called upon to play a number of roles, and he is effective in them all. Saskatoon-based artist Mitchell Kent Larsen is also convincing in the role of the uptight, unhappy pastor.

...some pretty delightful moments of grace, with a few good laugh-out-loud jokes and some lovely singing.

There is a conversion experience, but it is realistic and moving rather than over-the-top. It’s enough to make the audience believers in The Narrow Path."

Please remember that you can post reviews of any Fringe production (including "The Narrow Path") on the festival website: 25thstreettheatre.org/tickets . Thanks!

Our first performance of "The Narrow Path" went very well tonight! We had a good turnout and a very appreciative audience. I was proud of our director (David Creelman) and our actors (Damien Bartlett and Mitchell Larsen). It was wonderful to see my words come to life onstage.

If you come to one of our Fringe Festival performances and want to talk to us after the show, which would be great, please note that we won't be able to do that immediately because after most of our performances we have to clear the stage, etc. to get ready for the next company's show.  Fortunately, that doesn't take us long to do.

 

Also, please remember that you can post reviews of any Fringe production on the festival website: 25thstreettheatre.org/tickets

Thanks!

THE NARROW PATH

VENUE: the Refinery (609 Dufferin Ave.)

Fri. July 29, 6:00-7:00 PM

Sat., July 30, 3:00-4:00 PM

Sun., July 31, 7:30-8:30 PM

Mon., Aug. 1, 9:00-10:00 PM

Tues., Aug. 2, 6:00-7:00 PM

Fri., Aug. 5, 7:30-8:30 PM

Sat., Aug. 6, 9:00-10:00 PM

HOW TO BUY TICKETS:

NOTE: #1, #2 and #3 are up to the day before the performance.

1) On the website (25thstreettheatre.org/tickets) via PayPal (tickets can be bought until 9:00 p.m. on the night before any performance).

2) Over the phone (306)-664-2239.

3) In person at the box office (debit/credit/cash accepted). Box office hours will be 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. daily during the festival. (Victoria School, 639 Broadway Ave., portable classroom on south end of building)

4) ON THE DAY OF THE PERFORMANCE, tickets can only be bought AT EACH VENUE, beginning one hour before the show (and it is cash-only).

Note: We set aside a percentage of tickets for rush seating and will never sell out online/through presale tickets.

 

 

http://globalnews.ca/news/2854056/saskatoons-fringe-festival-begins-tickets-travel-and-more/

News Release
Transit great option to get to and from the Fringe Festival
For immediate release: July 28, 2016
...

The 2016 PotashCorp Fringe Theatre and Street Festival starts today, and the City urges attendees to consider Saskatoon Transit as their transportation option to and from the festival.
“The construction on and around Broadway Avenue means there will be even fewer parking options for festival-goers than usual,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit. “So, avoid the hassle, come down to the Fringe, enjoy everything the festival has to offer and leave the driving to us.”
The attached map indicates the direct transit routes that will get you closest to the festival, including the high frequency Route 8, which leaves Centre Mall and travels to the corner of Broadway Avenue and 8th Street.

“We think this is a great opportunity for people to see first-hand our commitment to renew Saskatoon Transit and to get a feel for how the high-frequency service works,” McDonald says. “Riders will be able to hop on several of our buses and get off at the festival site.”

Other direct routes include:
•Route 1 Exhibition: Downtown to Broadway Avenue
•Route 1 City Centre: Sunnyside to Broadway Avenue
•Route 6 Broadway: Travels from City Centre to Broadway Avenue
•Route 6 City Centre: Market Mall to Broadway Avenue
•Route 8 City Centre: Centre Mall to the corner of Broadway Avenue and 8th Street
•Route 8 Centre Mall: City Centre to the corner of Broadway Avenue and 8th Street
•Route 13 (only available during peak periods)

The Festival is a ten day community celebration on Broadway Avenue that features several independent theatre shows, street entertainers, street vendors and food vendors. Attendance is estimated at around 55,000 people throughout the ten days with activities happening throughout the day and into the evenings.

For more information on the transit routes above please visit saskatoontransit.ca or plan your trip to the 2016 PotashCorp Fringe Theatre and Street Festival using Google Transit.
    
For more information about Saskatoon Transit, visit saskatoontransit.ca or follow @StoonTransit on Twitter. You can also plan your route in advance using any of the following tools: Google Transit Trip Planner or the Transit App on your mobile device.

"The Narrow Path" was the first of four Fringe shows that Britainy Zapshalla mentioned on CTV Saskatoon this morning as being one of "Brit's Picks".

Please click on "Older Posts" at the bottom of this page to get more details about our show.  Thanks!

This article about me and my play "The Narrow Path" at the 2016 Saskatoon Fringe Theatre Festival just appeared in the online edition of The Sheaf. It mentions our very talented director (David Creelman) and actors (Damien Bartlett and Mitchell Larsen).[Note: In the summer, the university newspaper doesn't publish print editons.]

http://thesheaf.com/2016/07/28/fringe-theatre-festival-u-of-s-alumni-returns-with-new-play/

Here's the link to the podcast episode of  "This Night Will Change Your Life" where I'm the guest:

http://thisnightwillchangeyourlife.libsyn.com/episode-24-donald-b-campbell

You can see a two-minute excerpt from The Narrow Path at this event tonight (July 27).

http://thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/local-arts/how-to-sample-the-fringe-two-minutes-at-a-time

Britainy Robinson Zapshalla will talk about "The Narrow Path" as one of "Brit's Picks" on CTV Saskatoon at 8:20 a.m. this Thursday (July 28).

People can post reviews of shows at the Saskatoon Fringe Theatre Festival using this link, which is also where you can buy tickets (in addition to buying them by phone or in person) and get information about all of the Fringe productions: http://www.25thstreettheatre.org/tickets/ .

This article about me (in the past and present) and our upcoming Fringe Festival production just appeared on britspicks.com ("Brit's Picks"):

http://britspicks.com/2016/07/25/fringe-pioneer-shows-audiences-the-narrow-path/

facebook.com/events/525665614273617

 

THE NARROW PATH

 

 

                                                   

THE NARROW PATH

Campbell & Company Returns

2016 PotashCorp Saskatoon Fringe Theatre Festival

 

campbellandcompanyreturns.blogspot.ca

facebook.com/campbellandcompanyreturns

facebook.com/events/525665614273617

 

 

·         playwright:  Donald B. Campbell

(10 Fringe shows in Saskatoon and/or Edmonton 1982-2003)

·         director:  David Creelman

·         cast:  Damien Bartlett, Mitchell Larsen

·         60 minutes, Drama and Comedy, Mature Audiences Only

·       chosen for Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre's Spring Festival of New Plays competition 2015

 

VENUE:  the Refinery  (609 Dufferin Ave.)

Fri. July 29, 6:00-7:00 PM

Sat., July 30, 3:00-4:00 PM

Sun., July 31, 7:30-8:30 PM

Mon., Aug. 1, 9:00-10:00 PM

Tues., Aug. 2, 6:00-7:00 PM

Fri., Aug. 5, 7:30-8:30 PM

Sat., Aug. 6, 9:00-10:00 PM

 

TICKETS ($15): Available at 25thstreettheatre.org (until 9:00 PM the day before each performance), at the Fringe Office ( 3:00 - 9:00 PM during the festival - Victoria School, 639 Broadway Ave.), by phone at 306-664-2239, or at the venue beginning one hour before the performance.

  

THE PLAY

Robert is a closeted, conservative pastor who struggles with his faith and sexuality. Past and present mix as someone forces Robert to make a decision.  "The Narrow Path" is about the things that matter in life, being true to yourself, and opening the doors to possibility.  Like its portrayal of God, the play combines drama and comedy.

THE PLAYWRIGHT
 
Donald B. Campbell, a graduate of the Drama and English Departments at the University of Saskatchewan, was a member of Twenty-Fifth Street Theatre's former Playwrights Unit.  His work has also been chosen in festival competitions by the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre (three times), Regina's Globe Theatre (twice), Saskatoon's Short Cuts, and North Battleford's On the River's Edge.  He was part of the first Fringe Theatre Festival in North America (Edmonton, 1982) and the first full one in Saskatoon (1990).  One of his comic monologues is included in 2000% Cracked Wheat, an anthology of prairies humour published my Coteau Books.

THE CAST

Damien Bartlett , a graduate of the U. of S. Drama Department, has lived and traveled across Canada.  A disciple of One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre's "Wild Theatre" style, he is an actor of stage, film, performance art and burlesque. When he is not collaborating and creating more performance pieces for stage and film, he is a stage manager helping organize dance companies in Saskatoon, as well as being a local host for the 'Live Your Legend' global community.  (NOTE:  Donald B. Campbell and David Creelman were fortunate to work with Damien in their Saskatoon Fringe Festival production of  Campbell's "Fishing Buddies" and "Dancing Backwards" in 2003.)

Mitchell Kent Larsen is a multidisciplinary performance artist based in Saskatoon.  He trained in theatre arts at Grant MacEwan University and in clown under master teacher Jan Henderson.  Earlier this year he performed at the Refinery in "It's Complicated: A Stephen Sondheim Cabaret".  He is currently working with Free Flow Dance Theatre as a company dancer.  He is also a collaborating member of Contradictions Collective.  Mitchell is the son of a former pastor.

THE DIRECTOR

David Creelman is from Saskatoon but has a Drama degree from Minot State University. This will be his fourth Fringe Festival production as director, with an additional twenty community theatre productions in his resume. The theme of "The Narrow Path" is in his wheelhouse because he earned a Master's of Theological Studies degree from St. Andrew's College in Saskatoon.

THE COMPANY  (Campbell & Company Returns)

I first used  "Campbell and Company" for a 1999 Saskatoon Fringe show, a mockumentary titled "Campbell & Company Comedy Hour".  It included three people with the last name Campbell.  I kept "Campbell" in the company name to help people find out that I'm in the Fringe again (for the first time since 2003).    - Donald B. Campbell

NOTE: Our next media release will mention the talented director and actors. I thought that the "Fringe pioneer" focus of this one might interest the media.
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Media Release
June 18, 2016

(Re: "The Narrow Path", Saskatoon PotashCorp Fringe Theatre Festival)

Fringe Festival Pioneer Returns After 13 Years

Donald B. Campbell is back.  He was part of the first Fringe theatre festival in North America (Edmonton, 1982) and Saskatoon's first full Fringe festival in 1990.  From 1982 to 2003, he mounted 10 Fringe festival productions in Edmonton and Saskatoon as a playwright, director or actor.

The Saskatoon writer has had other productions of his scripts since 2003, but he feels this is the right time to return to the Fringe.  "The Narrow Path" has a running time (60 minutes), a cast size (two) and subject matter (religion and sexuality) that are perfect for the Fringe.  In 2015, the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre included it in its Spring Festival of New Plays, the third time that Campbell's work was selected for this competition.

 The play's central character is Robert, a conservative pastor struggling with his faith and sexuality.  "The Narrow Path" mixes past and present as someone forces Robert to make a decision.  As usual, Campbell works a lot of comedy into his drama.

Other festival competitions that have chosen Campbell's plays are Hardly Art Theatre's "Short Cuts" in Saskatoon (2014), the Globe Theatre's "On the Line" in Regina (2002, 2003) and Battleford Community Players' " On the River's Edge" (2009).

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"The Narrow Path" at the Saskatoon PotashCorp Fringe Theatre Festival (July 28 - Aug. 6, 2016)

Company:  Campbell & Company Returns           Venue:  the Refinery

https://www.facebook.com/campbellandcompanyreturns/

campbellandcompanyreturns.blogspot.ca                

www.potashcorpfringe.ca    (for schedule)

Please note that "The Narrow Path" has a lot of comedy mixed in with its drama, which isn't apparent from the short description of the play for the Fringe program.

There's a complete Fringe program insert in the print version of the June/July issue of Flow magazine, which is free. One of the places where you can get it is the main branch of the Saskatoon Public Library (across from the elevator on the first floor).
http://www.flowmagazine.ca/
Of course, you can also get information from the Fringe website below. Click on "Buy Theatre Tickets" to read about all of the shows (in alphabetical order by title). Then click on the highlighted name of a theatre company to go to its website.

PotashCorp Fringe Theatre Festival (Saskatoon)

June 6 at 10:31am ·

Tickets for this year's festival shows are on sale now! Go to http://www.potashcorpfringe.ca to get yours! ‪#‎yxefringe

 

Here's proof that our director (David Creelman) and I (playwright Donald B. Campbell) were thinking about "The Narrow Path" when we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge last month. We were on our way to see an incredible production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" starring Gillian Anderson (of "The X Files", etc.). By the way, rehearsals for "The Narrow Path" are going very well. I'm proud of this script and pleased with the work of our director and cast (Damien Bartlett and Mitchell Larsen).

 

 

 

 

2016 Saskatoon Fringe Festival   "The Narrow Path"

Campbell & Company Returns

actors:  Damien Bartlett ,  Mitchell Larsen director:  David Creelman playwright:  Donald B. Campbell

60 min.

performance category:  Traditional Theatre (drama and comedy)    Mature Audience Only

VENUE:  The Refinery   (607 Dufferin Ave., beside Emmanuel [formerly St. James] Anglican Church)

Friday, July 29  -   6:00-7:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 30  -  3:00-4:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 31  -   7:30-8:30 p.m.

Monday, August 1  -  9:00-10:00 p.m.

Tuesday, August 2  -  6:00-7:00 p.m.   Friday, August 5  -  7:30-8:30 p.m.   Saturday, August 6  -  9:00-10:00 p.m.   I'm very happy that our venue will be the Refinery. It's a great space where I've been involved with various performances, including our last Fringe show (2003) and the first year of the Short Cuts festival (2014).

Noted Canadian playwright John Lazarus ( http://www.johnlazarus.ca/ ) selected plays for the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre's 2015 Spring Festival of New Plays (the third time that I've had a script chosen for that festival). 
Here's part of the written feedback that he gave me about "The Narrow Path":  "I chose this play as one of my favourites from among those submitted because it addresses a very current, very hot topic, and does so with sympathy for both sides of this contentious issue. You make Robert likeable and sympathetic and you treat him respectfully."

https://www.facebook.com/campbellandcompanyreturns/

https://www.facebook.com/yxeFringe

http://www.25thstreettheatre.org/

https://donaldbcampbell.wordpress.com/

 

2016 Saskatoon Fringe Theatre Festival - "THE NARROW PATH",  Drama and Comedy, 60 minutes

Campbell & Company Returns

 

Robert is a conservative pastor struggling with his faith and sexuality.  The play mixes past and present as someone forces him to make a decision.  It was selected for the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre's 2015 Spring Festival of New Plays.  Playwright: Donald B. Campbell (10 Fringe productions in Saskatoon and/or Edmonton 1982-2003) ;  Director: David Creelman ; Cast:  Damien Bartlett,  Mitchell Larsen (in the suit in this photo)

[festival dates: July 28 to Aug. 6; our performance dates, times and venue to be announced soon]

[NOTE: These photos that I took today are related to the play's title (and thematic content) but don't literally show events in the script, which you may have already guessed. - D.B.C.]