Greetings arts enthusiasts!
I’ve been making a concentrated effort over the last few months to restrict this newsletter to only 10 events per issue. However, this month there is so much happening (and I promised so many people I would include their events…) that I had to raise the limit to 12. I also cheat sometimes and include two events under one heading. Oops!
Be sure to read to the bottom this time for AUDITION information and news about the Ottawa Theatre Network.
October 1 to 3
Tara Players and Ottawa Little Theatre present ‘Women on the Verge of HRT’
http://www.ottawalittletheatre.com/
This Irish coming-of-a-certain-age story looks pretty adorable. Two 40-something women trapped in loveless marriage go on an adventure to see Daniel O’Donnell in concert, and much more. All the charm of Thelma and Louise, minus the rape and murder. Directed by Sarah Hearn, this show features local actors Lori Jean Hodge, Irish O’Brien (could they have picked a better name?), and Kevin O’Reilly.
October 2
Ottawa Storytellers presents ‘Gossip, Tales and Yarns: A Collage of Canadian Stories’
http://ottawastorytellers.ca/SC-CC.htm
Tales, yarns, stories, recounted by some of Canada’s premier storytellers: Dale Jarvis, Cindy Campbell, Mariella Bertelli, Pearl-Ann Gooding, Mary Gavan, and Moira Cameron. Check the website, also, for information about the monthly story swaps!
October 2 to 4
The Inséparable Collective presents ‘Inséparable’
http://ossd.com/
Blending French and English theatrical styles, this piece depicts a comical (and fictional) chance encounter between Wolfe and Montcalm in the early morning of September 13, 1759, sometime before the fateful Battle of the Plains of Abraham. Both playwright Louis Lemire and director Matthew Romantini act in the show, joined by local actor Jerome Bourgault.
Other plays closing this weekend include ‘The Syringa Tree’ (GCTC), ‘Old Times’ (Third Wall), and ‘The Pillowman’ (Vision Theatre).
October 3
Danielle K. L. Gregoire launches ‘Optimism is a Constant Struggle’ at Capital Slam
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/group.php?gid=102457898755
Aside from being just about the sweetest person I know, Danielle is also a talented poetess with a refreshing fascination with all the things that make our world beautiful. She is launching her very first CD that contains her impressive repertoire, the stuff that will brighten your day and inspire you to take positive action. She has invited a number of poets (myself included!) to join her onstage for certain poems. It should be a phenomenal evening.
October 3
The AB Series Third Season Launch
http://abseries.org
The AB Series presents performance poetry ensemble The Be Blank Consort at Gallery 101. The series is also hosting a reading by poet/fiction writer Margaret Christakos on October 14. Check out the website for more details on upcoming events!
October 3
Negative Theatre presents Gogol’s ‘Diary of a Madman’
http://negativetheatre.org/
This is a brand new Ottawa-based theatre company looking to produce challenging works and reach out to multilingual audiences. If I weren’t performing in another show this evening, I would definitely check out this company’s inaugural production. Adapted/Directed/Performed by Ozgur Cinar, this show is performed in Turkish with English Surtitles.
October 8
isme(e) performance cabaret at the Saw Gallery
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2344143106&ref=ts
Weird, wacky, and wild. Expect the unexpected. From spoken word to performance art to interpretive dance to stand up to rock bands and everything in between. Lovingly hosted by Scott Florence and Annie Lefebvre.
October 12
Toto Too Theatre presents ‘The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later’
http://tototoo.ca/
I first saw the original Laramie Project at Canterbury High School when I was a student there. It is powerful stuff: verbatim interviews with inhabitants of the town where Matthew Shepard was murdered for being gay. Toto Too Ottawa’s Gay and Lesbian Theatre is one of the many companies around the world that is presenting this reading of a new series of interviews, ten years after the hate crime occurred. Directed by Teri Rata Loretto, this reading features local actors Lawrence Aronovitch, Chris Bedford, Simon Bradshaw, Janne Cleveland, Nancy Clue, Lawrence Evenchick, Lori Jean Hodge, Nathan Ings , Kris Joseph, Margo MacDonald, Jim McNabb, Kel Morin-Parsons, Chantale Plante, Garrett Quirk, Kelly Rigole, Denis Schryburt, and Matt Smith. Tickets are FREE, but you have to reserve!
October 14 to 24
Evolution Theatre presents ‘Arabian Night’
http://evolutiontheatre.ca
This erotic urban thriller (nice wording, Nancy!) is directed by Natalie Joy Quesnel and features some of my favourite local actors: Stewart Matthews, Richard Gelinas, Kate Smith, Brad Long (recently seen in The Pillowman), and Emily Pearlman. I read this script in my dramaturgy class last year and loved it: sexy, mysterious, mind boggling, and gives the director a lot of creative freedom. I’m looking forward to seeing what Evolution does with this one.
October 19
Newstalgica Poetry Series featuring Jessica Ruano and Poem de Terre
http://jessicaruano.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/my-next-performance/
Well, you already know who I am. So I’ll just tell you a little about my co-feature for this Newstalgica event (which, by the way, happens once a month on a Monday at Cafe Nostalgica at the University of Ottawa, hosted by Devin Zane Shaw and JF Lafleche): Poem de Terre is a multi-disciplinary ensemble melding live folk music and spoken word with contemporary and more established musical forms. And they have their own t-shirts. Check us out!
October 14 to 31
The National Arts Centre English Theatre presents ‘ The Drowsy Chaperone’
http://nac-cna.ca/en/theatre/index.cfm
Don’t miss this extraordinary Canadian musical that made it big on Broadway after starting out at a local Fringe Festival. My sister saw it in New York City and loved it, therefore highly recommended!
ALSO: ‘The Ark: The Theatre of Ancient Greece’ on October 24
October 29 to November 14
The Gladstone presents ‘The Final Twist’
http://thegladstone.ca
The Gladstone continues its second season with a classic thriller – by Ken Whitmore and Alfred Bradley, directed by local artist John Koensgen – about a playwright who is offered an unusual commission that treads the line between fiction and reality.
And now a message from Sterling Lynch:
The Ottawa Theatre Network is born!
Are you involved in professional theatre in Ottawa? Would you like to assist in its growth?
The Ottawa Theatre Network wants to know who you are! Please read this call to action and find out how you can help: http://sterlinglynch.wordpress.com/the-ottawa-theatre-network/
These are exciting time for professional theatre in Ottawa. Find out why!
Also, AUDITIONS!
Auditions for J.M. Barrie’s classic fairy tale Peter Pan will take place on Saturday October 3 & Sunday October 4 at Carleton University. To book an audition time email snbtheatre@gmail.com, or call (613) 520-3770
Auditions for the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat will take place October 6 and 7 at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre. To book an audition, please contact Sue Walker at 613 725 3519 ext 113
If you have any more events to add for this month, please post a comment on my website: http://jessicaruano.wordpress.com/blog
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful month!
Artistically yours,
Jessica