You can forgive David Jordan if he looks awfully excited early on a summer morning.
He's just come out of a rehearsal full of singing-and-dancing young talent, and he has a huge festival getting set to unfold in front of him.
Jordan is the executive director of the Vancouver International Fringe Festival, running Sept. 8 to 18 and centred, as always, around Granville Island.
"This year is going to be a fantastic year," he said. "We're really trying to animate the whole island."
New to the festival this year is Fringe Onsite, which includes 13 shows created specifically for outdoor performance spaces around the island. Fringe artists had a chance to work for several months with mentor Kendra Fanconi of The Only Animal - a leader in site-specific theatre in Canada - to create and develop their work.
Visitors wandering around the island will be able to watch site-specific shows in such non-traditional spots as alleyways, boat and under docks.
"In every nook and cranny you'll find theatre," Jordan says, adding with a grin, "That's our 'ta-da!'"
Another highlight will be the Wild Horse Canyon Stage, where 24 eclectic independent musical acts will offer up free shows for visitors.
The festival is also offering a wide range of workshops and forums for the public, covering such varied topics as puppetry, magic and burlesque.
Jordan notes that the important thing about fringe is that it's not just a static, theatre-watching experience.
"We're really aiming to have a festival experience that's not just about going to the theatre and coming out again," he says, noting that the experience of fringe is as much about the social atmosphere as about the shows - and that makes it appealing to the audience. "They're not trapped in a theatre; they're engaged. That's what makes it so popular."
Several local artists are involved in the Vancouver International Fringe Festival this year.
Awkward Stage Productions' musical Smile! - the above-mentioned showcase of singing-and-dancing young talent - includes the talents of Burnaby's Brittany Gee-Moore, Julia Di Spirito and Ashley Siddals. Burnaby's Brian Anderson returns with his creation Arnie the Carnie's House of Fun. And two New Westminster talents, Lauren Bowler and Barbara Tomasic, are involved with the musical Goblin Market - Bowler as a lead performer and Tomasic as director.
The festival includes 600 performances by 83 artists over the 11 days.
For full details about the festival, check out its website at www.vancouverfringe.com, follow them on Twitter @vancouverfringe, or call the box office information line at 604-637-6380.
