Full Circle Fringe

Mel Bahniuk has worn almost every Fringe hat. Now she’s bringing a long-held dream to the stage with the Westbury Family Fringe Theatre Award.

Mel Bahniuk is a Renaissance Person: a highly versatile individual who is vastly knowledgeable and adept in a wide range of areas. Gazing at her through a theatrical prism, this describes Mel to a tee.

“I’ve performed in the Fringe Festival, directed a show, produced a show, and I’ve worked as Staff,” she explains. “I also did a show in the Fringe Season. Does that count?” she asks.

It definitely counts! In fact, Mel has been surrounded by all things Fringe for a very long time.

“My first Fringe was in 2008 when I was 14. My first time as an Artist was in 2015 when I was 20!”

“I love the Fringe community,” she continues. “It’s one of the only opportunities in our city where we get to connect with national and international Artists. I’ve made some meaningful friendships. Would our paths have crossed without Fringe? Doubtful.”

“I started out wanting to be a performer, and that’s all I wanted to do. So, I went to school to study theatre,” Mel continues. “That opened up a broader viewpoint of what theatre consists of.”

Fringe was a big part of that learning process.

“It’s a launch pad for Artists to experiment and explore. Fringe helped me figure out how to find work in theatre beyond performing,” says Mel.

When asked what’s next on her creative agenda, Mel explains: “when I was in the Theatre program at Grant MacEwan University, a teacher handed me a play and said: ‘You should read this.’ It was The Drowning Girls by Beth Graham, Charlie Tomlinson, and Daniela Vlaskalic. The play is based on a true story of this guy in 1900s England who married three women because they were from wealthy families and ended up murdering them in the same exact way in a bathtub.”

“Since reading it, I’ve been passionate about performing and producing it,” continues Mel. “I’m tired of leaving it up to fate and other people. I have a lot to offer and I’m excited to get more into producing.”

“When I reached out to co-author Beth, she was so happy to hear it, because the show started at Fringe in 2008,” says Mel. “The fact that it’s making a full circle back to where it all began is super cool and exciting.”

So, Mel applied to the Westbury Family Fringe Theatre Award, an annual prize honouring Drs. Robert and Marilyn Westbury for their lifelong generosity toward theatre arts.

And she was successful! Exciting news. For Mel. For her cast and crew. And for all the future patrons of The Drowning Girls.

“Since Covid, statistics for intimate partner violence across Canada have skyrocketed. This show raises awareness in a theatrical context. And it’s a way of giving back to community.”

Mel will produce and act in the The Drowning Girls presented by The Redheads & Queers Collective, March 23 – April 3, 2027 as part of Fringe Theatre’s Season.

Perhaps Renaissance Person, Mel, will be scanning the tickets and serving up popcorn as well.