Edges by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul,
August 12 – 15, 17 – 21 at the HI Edmonton Hostel – Common Room

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An interview with Ruth Wong-Miller.

Describe your show in five words.

Relationships, uncertainty, coming-of-age and personal growth

Okay, now that we’re intrigued… what’s the longer description?

Edges is a contemporary song cycle written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The show itself is about four twenty-somethings finding their way, exploring many types of relationships in the process, whether that be with a significant other, or a family member. There’s laughter, there’s tears, and a lot of self discovery along the way! Tony nominated Pasek and Paul have created some really amazing work over the past few years, including Dogfight, A Christmas Story, and James and the Giant Peach. They also have an upcoming show on Broadway: Dear Evan Hansen, starring Ben Platt (popular from Pitch Perfect). Pasek and Paul won the Jonathan Larson award (creator of Rent) for Edges.

How did you come across Edges and what made you want to produce the show?

I discovered a couple of the songs on YouTube a few years ago, and it led me to some performances of the original production from some wonderful actors. The show spoke to me, as it is entirely relatable and it has an ability to clearly communicate the journeys the characters are facing. This show is very much all about telling the story in song. Although there is very little spoken text, it is not difficult for the audience to immediately connect to the characters and the situations they are facing.

The characters in Edges are on a journey of self-discovery – can you talk about some of the situations your characters are facing?

Our four characters are all asking the questions we have asked in our twenties and beyond. The characters find themselves in a variety of situations throughout the show – there is a couple who start out on the very exciting honeymoon phase and then find out that they have some insurmountable differences, there is a young man who leaves his small town to go to the big city, only to be called back home to deal with the illness of a loved one, and a young woman putting on a facade of a party girl to hide her insecurities and fear of commitment. At the conclusion, all four of the characters discover much about themselves and realize they are no longer “afraid to be who they are, who they want to become.”

Tell us about the music of Edges – what genres, influences, or styles can audiences expect?

The music of Edges is contemporary musical theatre with rock influences. They range from up-tempo comedic to heartbreaking ballads . Audiences can expect to laugh and cry along with the actors.

Anything else you want audiences to know about the show?

This production is entirely unique to our company. Pasek and Paul allow each production to create the version of the show that they feel speaks to them out of the materials they have written. While the show is about twenty-somethings, people of all ages will enjoy the heartfelt, hilarious writing and will find a piece of themselves in the characters. It has been a joy to create this show with an amazing team of artists! Come see Edges-come enjoy an alcoholic beverage and a great patio before the show!

The 35th Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival is August 11 – 21. Get your tickets at tickets.fringetheatre.ca.