Students participate in Festival Fringe

Eight UVU students had the opportunity to travel to Scotland to perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which is the world’s largest arts festival, held annually in Scotland.

The students performed “Flies in the Snuffbox,” which consists of four comical one-act plays composed by playwright Anton Chekhov. The festival featured genres such as drama, comedy, dance and music, and it encouraged genres from dance to contemporary.

“It was an incredible opportunity for students to be a part of this international festival,” said Christopher Clark, UVU’s assistant professor of theatrical arts. “It’s difficult to travel a show — especially when you are taking it overseas. We had to be smart and economical about costuming, sets, and props, as well as rehearsal space. One evening we had to rehearse in a Scottish alleyway!”

Regardless of limited resources, UVUís performance received compliments and good reviews and was spotlighted and praised as a must-see on the “Best in the Fest” Web site associated with the festival.

“In the end, the experience was absolutely rewarding, and our show was well-received,” said Clark. “This was a hard-working, talented group of actors who care about their education and their craft. I look forward to our students getting more opportunities like this in the future.”

The students were Joe Spear (Provo, Utah); Scott Stringham (Springville, Utah); Alta Stringham (Springville, Utah); Jana Grass (Springville, Utah); Jacob Squire (West Valley City, Utah); Anne Mangum (Salt Lake City, Utah); and Jaclyn Hales, (North Salt Lake, Utah).