The world is a stage for UNLV performers

Rebecca Malone

Friday, Aug. 3, 2001 | 4:49 a.m.

Students at UNLV are taking their talents overseas to perform in the world's largest arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.

"The Edinburgh Fringe is indeed the largest arts festival in the world, with 670 different companies performing 1,500 different productions in 175 venues across town," Charlotte di Corpo, spokeswoman for Edinburgh Festival Fringe, said. "Companies from 50 different countries play to audiences of around 750,000."

This is the third year UNLV's College of Fine Arts will be taking part in the festival, which begins Sunday. The UNLV group is one of only about 15 universities worldwide attending and performing, said Dr. Robert Tracy, associate dean for the College of Fine Arts.

Universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, both in England, participate in the festival.

"This is one of those experiences that is life-changing," Tracy said. "Students get to know other performers from all over the world, and it broadens their perspective. There is a lot of talent out there, and this school has a very good pool of it. They can stand up to the professionals over there."

The first year the UNLV students attended the festival they were invited by Frantic Redhead Productions, a production company, and sent only 25 people to Scotland.

This year Shakti Productions invited the group, which will include 45 students and 10 College of Fine Art faculty members. The festival will run through Aug. 27. The Fringe allows artists to show their new cutting-edge, experimental performances, Tracy said.

"This place really comes alive, and it is extremely exciting that every nook and cranny is being used for artistic performances," di Corpo said. "It is a huge experience for them because big TV names will be rubbing shoulders with students."

The group will perform within walking distance of the Edinburgh Castle, which is the center of the festival.

UNLV students will perform in 60- to 90-minute time slots, six days a week. They will perform eight productions at four times throughout the day.

The productions include: theater -- "Closer Than Ever"; dance -- "Dancescapes II," "Joe in Winter," The Color of Your Eyes;" musicals -- Jazz Live Performance, "Nextet"; and film -- UNLV Filmmakers Showcase, "Medio Tiempo."

On their off-days Tracy hopes students will watch and learn from other productions, though he knows some will want to travel and check out the sights.

The college received a donation from National Airlines in the form of 55 round trip tickets to Newark, N.J. The money for the flight to Scotland and room and board came primarily from college travel money and donations from the community.