FRINGE BOUNCES BELKE PLAY
Participation by Edmonton playwright convicted of child-pornography offences would violate festival’s safer-spaces policies, organizers say
The Edmonton Fringe Theatre is withdrawing a play from its 2019 festival lineup due to the involvement of playwright David Belke.
The Edmonton playwright, performer and former substitute teacher was handed a six-month jail sentence in 2017 after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.
The play, titled Who Goes There, was slated for seven performances at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church during Fringe.
Belke’s participation in the play violates the Fringe Theatre’s safer spaces policies, the organization said.
They say they learned about Belke’s involvement about eight weeks ago and then began working with the church on risk mitigation for both organizations while hosting the play.
The decision to pull the show from the festival was made Friday after receiving feedback from the local theatre community.
“We took the steps to mitigate as much risk and as much perceived risk as we could. We heard from our artists and our community that that was just not far enough,” Fringe executive director Adam Mitchell told media outside the Varscona Theatre on Friday.
“In order to maintain a safe space for everyone in the festival, we can’t have this production of this show at this time.”
But, according to the play’s producers, the cancelling of the show violates an agreement signed between Fringe and the Holy Trinity church on Aug. 1.
The agreement, signed by Fringe creative director Murray Utas, provides restrictions for Belke during the festival at the Holy Trinity venue, including that he would not be allowed at the venue before 3 p.m., one hour after youth programming ends.
“We had a contract and we also worked to make this agreement that it was a safe space. We’re not glossing over anything. We went above and beyond to ensure the safety of people at this site,” said church rector Christopher Pappas.
“As Christians, we believe in rehabilitation and redemption. As long as no members of the public are put at risk, we believe there’s no reason why not to put a show on by Mr. Belke to help with his own rehabilitation.”
Mitchell says Fringe reconsidered the agreement, signed just over a week ago, after receiving a considerable amount of feedback in the last 48 hours.
“The basis of this document was an in-good-faith conversation between two organizations trying to implement risk mitigation,” he said.
“What has changed in the last two days has been the impact of our participation in an agreement like this on our community.”
While Fringe Theatre Edmonton pitches itself as a “unjuried, uncensored” festival, Mitchell says the cancellation of Who Goes There falls outside of the festival’s approach to artistic freedom.
“We are not making any assessment of Mr. Belke’s personal situation in the community,” Mitchell said. “This is about maintaining a safe space for our artists and our community.”
Belke is still allowed to attend this year’s festival as a member of the public.
Mitchell also said that he is not necessarily restricted from being involved as an artist in future years.
While Belke was added to the National Sex Offender Registry, his sentencing did not include any restrictions on his activities after release.
Once a mainstay of the Edmonton theatre community, Belke has participated in past Fringe festivals, including as a part of Kidsfringe programming.
Who Goes There was previously shown at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in November 2016, before Belke was charged.
Mitchell says the festival’s safer space policy will be revised in coming months, but wouldn’t comment on whether measures like an elevated vetting process would be implemented.
The Holy Trinity church is a longtime Fringe venue, but Pappas says that partnership has been put at risk through this conflict.
“I trust Fringe as a partner that keeps to its word,” he said.
“Now I’m certainly going to have to rethink that relationship.”
Pappas added that the entire cast and crew for the production are in support of Belke and his right to have the play performed as part of Fringe.
This episode shouldn’t wash away the partnership between Fringe and Holy Trinity, Mitchell says.
“The specifics around this show and the decisions made this week are quite separate from a very long-standing relationship with the community of artists and this venue,” Mitchell said.
Just over 50 tickets were purchased for Who Goes There. All ticket purchases will be fully reimbursed.
Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival runs from Aug. 15–25.