DIRECTOR’S NOTE Kane Anderson Long have I dreamed of bringing a group of talented students to the Fringe. Over 20 years ago, my undergraduate school sent students to the Fringe to perform. Now I’m the theatre professor leading my own cohort of students from Northern State University. A milestone project decades in the making! I love developing new projects like The Canonized Club. Original projects are the lifeblood of our art and industry. They bring artists and audiences face-to-face with artistic experiments. EdFringe is easily one of the most exciting opportunities for theatre artists who love new work. The Canonized Club: The Curious Lives and Deaths of the Saints is an experiment for us as a group. Our university in Aberdeen (in South Dakota, not Scotland) is about as far from Edinburgh as you might imagine. That is why it means so much for our students to appear on this stage. The genesis of this project was, frankly, to get our students to see the world outside of the Midwest. Stepping outside of their comfort zones is setting them up for success in an industry that requires adaptability and resilience. Working with a local playwright and touring a show to the Fringe before showcasing the show back in Aberdeen (South Dakota) will be a truly formative experience for our students. PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE Deena M.P. Ronayne Saint Augustine once said, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” It was on one such occasion that I was with my husband in Melk, Austria touring the historic abbey that we came across several “unknown saints.” The notion of someone’s remains being venerated as a saint even though it is entirely unknown who the remains belong to that got the first seeds of what became “The Canonized Club” planted in my head. As I began researching the lives and deaths of various saints, it didn’t take me long to realize that these stories are outrageous, inspirational, zany, touching, and important all at once. My goal for this piece is for absolutely anyone and everyone to enjoy it. Whether someone in the audience is a lifelong atheist, a devout Catholic, any other religion, and everything in between. My hope is for audience members to come away with a smile on their face having learned a few fun nuggets of historical info by watching a story that yes is about saints but also highlighting that all saints were fallible human beings who struggle with some of the things many of us struggle with, like status, respect, insecurity, and faith. The problems they face in this story confront all of us in society today, such as the dangers of group think, jumping to conclusions, and having to work with those with different viewpoints to get things done. This was one of the most challenging projects I have ever undertaken and it truly tested my growth as both a writer and theatrical professional and I am truly honored to work with the incredibly talented team of student and faculty artists at Northern State University and I express my unwavering gratitude to those who have chosen this play to be part of their theatrical experience. Thank you and enjoy your time at EdFringe 2023!
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