Conflicting Notices

Regarding “In Edinburgh, All the City’s a Stage” (April 2): That article was fantastic. It was a lot more lively and fun to read than most travel articles. They seem to usually be dry and boring. Thomas Curwen is a good writer, and he got me very excited to see the festival someday.

LAURA McCOY

Redondo Beach

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As an actor and writer who performed at the 1999 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, I was dismayed by s Curwen’s misrepresentation of the Fringe as “a playground for comedians, musicians and street actors.”

The Fringe includes all of the above, but its central attraction is great theater written, performed, directed and produced by serious artists from all over the world.

In addition to performing my solo play daily, I attended other Fringe events two, sometimes three times a day over a three-week period, and witnessed disturbing, hilarious, brilliant theater from England, Ireland, New Zealand, Russia, Poland and the United States. Some productions will move to Broadway or the West End or tour the world.

Edinburgh in August becomes a planet where artists and audiences hungrily participate in theater from 10 a.m. until 2 the following morning because we value its ability to transform our lives. The Fringe is joyous, raucous and divinely serious.

STEPHANIE SATIE

North Hollywood