Anita Smith is wearing purple work gloves and has a walkie talkie clipped to shirt when I meet her at W.E. Graham Park a few days before the Saskatoon Fringe Festival is set to begin. She and her team of staff and volunteers are setting up for the festival and are not letting city construction get in the way of hosting another wonderful festival.

It has been another busy year for Anita. As Artistic and Executive Director of Saskatoon's 25th Street Theatre Company, she has overseen a year of innovative and engaging theatre productions. She also found time to direct a Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan production of Much Ado About Nothing this summer. Anita is pulled in many different directions, and I am always grateful for the time she makes to appear on the podcast.

This year's Fringe Festival is bringing theatre productions from across North America, around the world, and in our own backyard, to four theatres in the Broadway neighbourhood from July 30th to August 8th. The festival is also creating community through innovative programming including a local theatre company made up of teens who are producing their own fringe play!

Anita shares stories and details about this year's festival, along with the challenges posed by another year of construction in the Broadway neighbourhood, in our conversation. She also shares why this will be her final year at the helm of the Fringe Festival.

I hope to see you at one of the plays during the festival and thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon! Don't forget that Season 9 of YXE Underground launches on September 10th wherever you find your favourite podcasts!

Cheers...Eric

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis