The F Words: WINNIPEG FRINGE FESTIVAL – COMP TICKET GIVE-AWAY!

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Leave a comment below to be entered in the WINNIPEG FRINGE FESTIVAL
COMP TICKET GIVE-AWAY!

After breaking her foot, suffering a DVT, and a brush with death in 2013,
Yvette Dudley-Neuman wrote *The F Words!  *

The script, generated from her passion, is part auto-biographical, part
research, and part whimsical fantasy.

Dudley-Neuman’s excited to give voice to an under represented portion of
older women, missing from the Canadian and International theatre mosaic by sharing *The F Words *with Winnipeg Fringe Festival audiences who will

embrace the main character, Fran, because they know and are “her”. This is
not to exclude the male population, as feedback has shown that the show
resonates significantly with men, who expressed their emotional engagement
and relation to topics of body image, ageism and isolation.

*The F Words* unpacks a woman’s unrelenting compulsion to explore self

image and feeling lost by delving into topics like ageism, fattism,
sexuality, self worth, spirituality, and female friendship. Unabashed and
bitter-sweet, this poignant comedy, intermingles an exploration of how
words and our relationship to them shapes, holds, imprisons or releases us.

Yvette Dudley-Neuman is relieved to be in Winnipeg where the Fringe
Festival patrons embrace everything!  Her recent experience at RIFF was not
so welcoming.  Dudley-Neuman arrived at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum with

the poster for her show, *The F Words, *but she had no idea that she was

about to be censored.

When Dudley-Neuman asked “Why her poster could not be displayed”, she was told that the Museum Staff had censored it because it was “suggestive.”

The poster features the title of the show and an image of Dudley-Neuman waving
along with the words, “Fab, Funny, Fierce!  and the show times for the Fringe Festival.  Museum Staff said, “We have camps for children in the building and that poster can not be displayed. It says, The F Word,”to which Dudley-Neuman replied, “Actually… it says WORDS… there is an “S” there.

The show is about lots of words which begin with the letter F. “So you are actually censoring me?”  She was then told that the RSM was a government building and that as such, government buildings would not display her poster. Dudley-Neuman was confused and in-sensed.  What about freedom of speech?

Dudley-Neuman is thrilled to be performing The F Words at Venue #9 (School
of Contemporary Dancers) in Winnipeg!

Leave a comment below to be entered in the WINNIPEG FRINGE FESTIVAL
COMP TICKET GIVE-AWAY!

Censored in Saskatchewan?

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When I arrived and the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina with the poster for my fringe show,   The F Words, I had no idea that I was about to be censored.
It was about 8 pm in the evening when I approached the Regina Fringe volunteers at the table just inside the museum, and a fringe volunteer told me they were not allowed to put up my poster for The F Words.  He was very apologetic and talked in hushed tones.  When I asked why my poster could not be displayed, I was told that the Museum Staff had censored it because it was “suggestive.”
“Suggestive… REALLY?”
The poster features the title of my show and an image of me waving along with the words, “Fab, Funny, Fierce!  and the show times for the Regina International Fringe Festival.
And then the RIFF (Regina International Fringe Festival) volunteer advised me to see the Museum Staff at the front desk.  I approached the museum staff with my poster and a cheery disposition and I was told once again that my  poster was offensive and could not be displayed because of it’s suggestive title.  “We have camps for children in the building and that poster can not be displayed.
When I inquired further I was told, “It says, The F Word,” to which I replied, “Actually… it says WORDS… there is an “s” there.
The show is about lots of words which begin with the letter F.  So you are actually censoring me?”  I was then told that the RSM was a government building and that as such, government buildings would not display my poster.
Upon leaving the museum, I was gob-smacked, confused and in-sensed.  What about freedom of speech? The RIFF did not inform me that my poster would be subjected to censorship when they took my $550 registration fee.
If the government of Saskatchewan would not display her poster in their buildings, why did the Minister of Culture, Gene Makowsky attend the opening media morning of the RIFF and congratulate her on her show?
I get it about the kids… but the camps are over at 5 pm… why couldn’t my poster be displayed after 5 pm… just for the evening of shows?
I’d love to know what you all think about this?
Please leave a comment below!
xo
Yvette
ABOUT THE SHOW
The F Words features a woman’s unrelenting compulsion to explore self image and feeling lost by delving into topics like ageism, fattism, sexuality, self worth, spirituality, and female friendship. Unabashed and bitter-sweet, this comedy, intermingles with an exploration of how words and our relationship to them shapes, holds, imprisons or releases us.
The F Words features the ferociously fearless talent of Yvette Dudley-Neuman, a professional performer from Coquitlam, B.C. who has shared her work at the Edmonton, Vancouver and Theatre on the Edge Fringe Festivals.
The script, generated from her passion, is part auto-biographical, part research, and part whimsical fantasy. She’s excited by the opportunity to give voice to an under represented portion of older women, missing from the Canadian and International theatre mosaic by sharing The F Words with an audience who will embrace the main character, Fran, because they know and are “her”. This is not to exclude the male population, as feedback has shown that the show resonates significantly with men, who expressed their emotional engagement and relation to topics of body image, ageism and isolation.
Dudley-Neuman is an award winning Actor, Singer, and Writer, committed to exhibiting new and established Canadian works that encourage opportunities for Canadian artists to share and hone their talents.
Fierce, funny & fearless, follow Fran & friends on this fast-paced frolic. Experience Fran’s unrelenting compulsion to explore The F Words from Fat, Forty, Forgotten & F**cked to F??? Winner of Honourable Mention (Theatre BC Play Writing Competition) this multi-media solo-show is “lively, tough, sexy, hilarious, relatable & transformational!

Regina Fringe & The F Words!

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Yvette is coming the the Regina Fringe July 11-15, 2018 with her solo show,

The F Words: Fab, Funny Fierce!      BUY TICKETS

4 STARS This award winning show is “lively, tough, sexy, hilarious, & transformational!” “The “F” Words is an F-ing great play & the perfect show to catch at the Fringe! It’s vividly insightful, upliftingly musical, & educationally punny. I guarantee you’ll come away laughing & with an expanded vocabulary.”- Plank Magazine

Showtimes

Wednesday July 11, 2018 8:45pm
Thursday July 12, 2018 5:45pm
Friday July 13, 2018 3:00pm
Saturday July 14, 2018 7:15pm
Sunday July 15, 2018 5:00pm

Performances are at the Saskchewan Express  Musical Theatre Studio

(2272 Pasqua Street, Regina)

Yvette Dudley- Neuman is a professional Performer, Singer & Writer committed to producing work that encourages opportunities for women to share and hone their talents.

 

 

Pay to Play: Financing Your Fringe Festival Tour (Part 1)!

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I recently was lucky enough to be selected to participate in several upcoming fringe festivals with my solo show, The F Words.

51E016D0-3831-41F3-A737-4261A0764755For those of you interested in the possibilities of doing your own show, let me unpack the process for you.

A SPLASH OF CASH                                                                                                                          The first thing you need to know, is that every application will cost you money.

If you want to actually tour your show to multiple fringe festivals, then the first application you will want to do is for the CAFF (Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals). This is because, if you are selected for the CAFF then you get your pick of fringes and your tour is basically set as you will have an official festival venue in a minimum of five festivals. You can choose as many festivals as you can afford so in effect you could tour for months if you had the finances.

CAFF – $25             I wasn’t successful in the CAFF lottery draw so then I had to pay for each festival lottery draw separately.  I opted to start in WInnipeg and work my way home, so this is a list of the application fees I paid:

Regina – $25                                                                                                                          Winnipeg – $25                                                                                                                         Edmonton – $40                                                                                                                       Calgary – $35                                                                                                                       Vancouver – $50

I paid a total of $200 just to have the chance of being drawn in the lotteries.

Once the lotteries happen you have to pay the festival fees.

2018 FRINGE FESTIVAL FEES

Regina – $575                                                                                                                      Winnipeg – $750                                                                                                             Edmonton – $725                                                                                                                Calgary – $700                                                                                                                Vancouver – $750

pexels-photo-462368.jpegI did not get a spot in all the festivals, I won lottery spots for the Regina, Winnipeg and Vancouver fringes so my next outlay of cash was $2000 bringing my grand total to $2200 so far.  While you may initially pay these fees with your credit card, ideally you want to have the cash saved to pay this off because the interest will be considerable.

I contemplated filling in my “tour” by doing BYOV in Edmonton and Calgary but the fees for a BYOV are considerably more so my budget would not allow for it this year.  I did a BYOV in Vancouver in 2016 and it was very difficult to get people to the venue.  Once the lotteries are completed, you have to pay the registration fee to secure your spot in each festival, so even though I won’t be performing until the summer and fall of 2018, I had to pay all of these fees in December of 2017.

Doing a fringe festival show can be exciting and challenging at the same time.  Since I chose to write and perform a solo show, the financial burden falls to me.  Of course, if my show does well, I will also reap the benefits.

In my next blog post, I will tackle the actual production costs for a fringe festival show based on my 2016 tour.  Please subscribe if you would like to follow this series of posts.  Also, I’d love to hear your comments on this post and as always, thanks for reading!

-Yvette