The Kent State University School of Theatre and Dance’s theatre troupe, Transforum Theatre, spent the end of their summer break performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. The students participated in the festival from Aug. 10-17.
Transforum Theatre was founded in 2014 to give theatre students more opportunities to grow their skills, create new original works and expand their understanding of the world of theatre. Every few years the troupe sends a group of students to perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest theatre festival in the world. Transforum Theatre has a working relationship with Greenside, one of the medium-sized venues in Edinburgh. Each time the troupe plans to attend Fringe, they must pitch the show to Greenside. Students who would like to attend the festival then audition for the show. In March 2024, the students held a performance at Kent as a fundraiser for the festival. The money raised from the performance covered the cost of the festival registration and extra set pieces.
“I continue to take the students to the Fringe Festival so they can be exposed to theatre outside of “commercial” theatre,” said Amy Fritsche, Transforum Theatre’s faculty advisor and associate professor of acting and musical theatre. “Here at the Fringe Festival, they get to see new and exciting theatrical genres they might not have known existed.”
This year the group performed “A Grimm Beginning,” written by students Taylor Cope, Aariahn Curls, Tom Morrell and AT Sanders. The story follows descendants of the Brothers Grimm, Ryan and Jamie Grimm, whose world turns upside down when their mother passes away unexpectedly. Having inherited their mother’s unfinished story, the siblings attempt to finish it before the new deadline.
“This experience has been a truly incredible opportunity,” said Liz Finkle, co-president of Transforum Theatre and director of “A Grimm Beginning.” “I have gotten the chance to see all different kinds of theatre and performers. This is my first time directing a show and the fact that it was a devised piece, made the whole collaboration so different than anything I had ever done before. I have met so many interesting people from all over the world who brought theatre to share at the festival. This trip has really shown me the endless possibilities for a career in theatre. I'm so grateful to Amy and my cast for believing in me and helping to create such a wonderful show.”
“The Fringe experience has been truly one of the most distinct experiences of my life,” said Srikar Bellana, co-president of Transforum Theatre. “The level of collaboration, dedication and faith it took for the group to put on a show such as this one was truly remarkable. It was possibly the most important thing to keep the group going. Without that serving as a foundation, we would have crumbled under the weight of our ambition back in January. As co-president of Transforum, I am truly proud to have such a talented group of people in our team.”
The cast of “A Grimm Beginning” includes:
Srikar Bellana as Nurse 2/Archibald/Actor 6
Taylor Cope as Nurse 1/Prince/Actor 3
Aariahn Curls as Young Ryan/Ryan
Taiya Forton as Ava/Fairy Godmother/Actor 1
Lucia Lazzara-Goodrich as Rapunzel/Actor 4
Tom Morrell as Young Jamie/Jamie
AT Sanders as Mom/Actor 2
Ellie Stark as Cinderella/Charlie/Actor 5
Brandi Thomas as Taylor/Actor 7
The crew includes:
Amy Fritsche as Faculty Advisor
Liz Finkel as Director
Alex Funk as Assistant Director/Script Supervisor
Molly Doherty as Lighting Designer
About Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is one of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture on the planet and takes place every August in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city. Artists and performers take to hundreds of stages all over the city, presenting shows for every taste. Venues can be anywhere, from existing theatres and concert halls to repurposed spaces like bars, parks, buses and shipping containers. The Fringe street events bring color, excitement and vibrancy to outdoor areas, free of charge.