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.]

working on revisions to "The Narrow Path" script

I'm making good progress and am really enjoying making revisions to the script of "The Narrow Path" to get it ready for the 2016 Saskatoon Fringe Festival.  I frequently go back and forth between my computer and a hard copy (here in a binder with some other plays I've been working on recently).  There's something about the physical sensation of writing notes by hand on a piece of paper that I find both helpful and comforting.

Why "CAMPBELL & Company"?

Q:  Why is your company name for the 2016 Saskatoon Fringe "CAMPBELL & Company Returns"?  Isn't that a bit egotistical?

A:  Good question!  In recent years many friends have asked me, "When are you going to do another Fringe show?"  I put my last name in the company name to help make sure that people who know my past work will notice us in the Fringe program.  Also, our second last Fringe production (1999) was "Campbell & Company Comedy Hour".  Its title partly came from the fact that three of the people in it had the last name "Campbell", although we're not related to each other. 

Great news! I'm doing something next year that I haven't done since 2003. The photo is a clue: David Creelman (director), me (playwright, actor) and Damien Bartlett (actor) while rehearsing my last Saskatoon Fringe show (my 10th Fringe production in Edmonton and/or Saskatoon). Earlier this month I applied and got into (on a first-come-first-served basis) the 2016 PotashCorp Fringe Theatre Festival (Saskatoon), which will be from July 28 to August 6.  Our company name will be Campbell & Company Returns. We're doing my play "The Narrow Path", which was selected to be part of this past May's Spring Festival of New Plays by the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre. David will be the director. Damien will be one of the actors. We don't know who the other actor (a man) will be yet, but it won't be me because I'm focussing on writing these days. I'm really looking forward to the 2016 Saskatoon Fringe!

(David Creelman, Donald B. Campbell and Damien Bartlett in 2003)