Ottawa Arts – December 2009

Greetings arts enthusiasts!

Last week I was at the grocery store and overheard the song “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” on the sound system. Guess it’s that time again! Now I realize that many people embrace Christmas time and savour every snowfall, while other people despise the very mention of the holiday season. So I’ve divided this month’s newsletter into two sections: Christmas time joyful activities, and other stuff to distract the Grinches.

Have fun!

HOLIDAY JOY

December – January
Eddie May Murder Mysteries presents “And To All a Good Knife”
http://www.eddiemay.com

Just when I started talking about Yuletide joy, Eddie May goes and puts a knife through it! Experience interactive dinner theatre with some of Ottawa’s funniest performers, including newcomers Sterling Lynch and Michelle Leblanc. You can catch the show at the Velvet Room, or at the National Arts Centre; there’s also a show called “Survive This!” on tour.

December 3 to 19
The Gladstone presents “The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of a Christmas Carol”
http://thegladstone.ca/

Speaking of hilarious theatre, this one should be a hoot. A misfit group of ladies decide to mount A Christmas Carol, and things go horribly, horribly wrong. Features a great collection of local talent, including Kristina Watt, Colleen Sutton, and Chris Ralph. The Gladstone will be holding a food drive for families in need, so bring your canned goods to the show!

December 5
Tarts and Crafts Holiday Edition
http://www.ottawakiosk.com/event/tartsandcraft.html

Avoid the crowded malls… and hit up the crowded craft sales! But seriously, Tarts and Crafts has locally made, creative, original gifts for the whole family; you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the variety. Get there early to get the good stuff!

Thursday, December 7
Musica Viva Singers “Vespers and Carols”
http://musica-viva.pinetree.org/

Highly recommended by Brian Carroll and Barb Popel, this Christmas concert in the Glebe features Mozart’s sublime Solemn Vespers (note: not actually solemn at all!) and many other works, as well as a special appearance by the Harmonia Choir of Ottawa.

December 8 to 26
The NAC English Theatre presents “A Christmas Carol”
http://nac-cna.ca/en/theatre/0910/christmascarol/

Knowing director Peter Hinton, this will be A Christmas Carol like you’ve never seen it before. With Stephen Ouimette as Ebenezer Scrooge and local actors Kris Joseph, Matt Miwa, and John Koensgen, you can expect great things with this production. Also, this is the first time we’ll be seeing a performance from the National Arts Centre Resident Company; this company has been in the making for some time, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it pans out.

Sunday, December 13
Arts Court presents a “Holiday Helping of Christmas Soup” starring Jen Gould
http://www.artscourt.ca/

Children, aged two to six and their adult accompaniment, will delight in some of Juno award winning Jen Gould’s best-loved tunes, and may experience a Winter Wonderland after the show. I do realize that most of my readers aren’t between the ages of two and six, but sometimes kids’ activities are just what we need at Christmas time!

Tuesday, December 15
Ottawa International Children’s Festival presents “Angel Square”
http://ottawachildrensfestival.ca/

Check out this special performance fundraiser for the Children’s Festival, the second-annual staged reading of Brian Doyle’s Angel Square, adapted and directed by Ottawa writer-director Janet Irwin. This performance features actors Todd Duckworth, Mary Ellis, Andy Massingham, Sara McVie and Alix Sideris, CBC Radio’s Alan Neal, and a group of Canterbury High School students.

REGULAR JOY

December 1 to 2
Pixie Cram film trilogy release: Nature and Technology
http://artengine.ca/pixiecram/factory

The Nature and Technology trilogy will be screened in its entirety for the first time at Club SAW, and include themes of cyborgs, cloning, and artificial intelligence, with a focus on the natural world and questions of human creation and responsibility. Set in rural locations, the films are also linked by a sense of isolation and mystery.

December 2 to 5
MiCasa Theatre presents “Countries Shaped Like Stars” vs. “Inclement Weather”
http://micasatheatre.com/

Both these crowd-favourites sold out at this year’s Ottawa Fringe Festival, and now they’re back for a short run at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre before touring across the country in January. Whimsical and playful with elements of clown, these productions showcase the many talents of performers Nic DiGaetano and Emily Pearlman. Bring the kids!

December 6
Komi Olaf’s exhibit “Angels of Music”
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164452035965&ref=ts

Spoken word performer / visual artist Komi Olaf captures various Iconic Musicians through an artistic translation of portraiture. The exhibition will open at the National Arts Centre- Salon and will run throughout the month of December at the Ottawa Public Library. The paintings are accompanied with music from Dj Memetic and Musk Ox.

Saturday, December 12
GuerillaLIVE Sin+Innocence
http://getguerilla.ca

Guerilla Magazine and The Loft salon on Elgin Street invite you to a sinfully innocent night out to celebrate in high style. Don’t miss the launch of Guerilla #22 online and in print!

Wednesday, December 16
Dipna Horra in “The Colonial Times”
http://www.dipnahorra.com/
http://www.ottawafocus.com/events/The+Colonial+Times+-+Dipna+Horra.aspx

Check out this intimate sound installation where a teapot, a tea cup and a table tell stories of migration from multitalented Ottawa artist Dipna Horra.

Thursday, December 17
isme(e) Performance Cabaret – Third Year Anniversary
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2344143106&ref=ts

Catch an evening of great performances and lots of experimentation at the 3 year anniversary of isme(e) performance cabaret, one of my favourite underground events. Rumour has it: I’ll be performing. But shhh, that’s a secret.

ONE MORE THING!

For the national multimedia challenge entitled Roots/Racines, CBC Television is calling on Canadians of all stripes who have a story to tell about their roots/identity to turn their tale into a short film or web/multimedia production (film, animation, slide show, podcast) for a chance to win professional equipment (iMacs, camcorders, etc) and gain international recognition. For more information, visit www.rcinet.ca/roots

Thanks for reading! If I’ve missed anything, please post your event information on my website at http://jessicaruano.wordpress.com/blog

Artistically yours,

Jessica Ruano

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Tschüß!

Jessica Ruano
Ottawa Arts Enthusiast
Publicist, Journalist, and Theatre go-er

www.jessicaruano.wordpress.com

Transplanted prairie lily blooms in Ottawa

Photo credit: Brian Goldschmied

Torch-folk songstress Jill Zmud launches her debut album at the Black Sheep Inn

Jill Zmud has never robbed a bank. But that hasn’t stopped her from writing about it. She pens and sings songs about bank robberies, late-night rides home in winter, and how a person’s skin can sometimes feel like home. This up-and-coming Ottawa songstress launches her first full-length album entitled “as we quietly drive by” on Sunday, November 15, 2009 at the Black Sheep Inn at 420 Riverside Drive in Wakefield, Québec.

“Without a doubt, Jill Zmud is the winner of this year’s Black Sheep Favourite New Artist – Female“ – Paul Symes, The Black Sheep Inn

A bit of a late bloomer, Jill began writing and playing music in her early twenties: she alternates between keyboards, acoustic guitar, and a late 1960s Fender Telecaster that belonged to her Uncle Eddy (a member of the band Witness Inc.). Since moving to Ottawa over three years ago, this Saskatchewan native has been featured on CBC Radio, played at Westboro Village’s Westfest and performed with Ana Miura’s Babes for Breasts tour.

Recently, Jill has enjoyed sharing the stage with a number of notable musicians, including Danny Michel, Amelia Curran, Kyrie Kristmanson, and Dave Draves – who is also the producer of her new album, a collection of torch-folk pop gems.

“Not all the songs on this album are about love and romance. But I’d like to think that when people listen to the songs, they might want to abandon the edges of their beds for a warmer place closer to the middle,” says Jill.

To sample tracks from Jill’s haunting and intimate debut album, have a listen at: www.jillzmud.com

“It’s not often I’m actually moved to tears at my desk upon the first listen to someone’s MySpace page. That’s the kind of reaction Jill Zmud evokes with her perfect voice” – Amanda Putz, CBC Radio 1

Photo credit: Jeremy Sills

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Jill Zmud in the media

Ottawa Citzen – Fateema Sayani column

Ottawa Citizen – Babes on a national mission

Ottawa Focus – Spotlight

The Fulcrum – “Late Bloomer”

Apartment 613 – Featured listing

Culture Magazine – Review

This woke me up.

Joey Tremblay in Elephant Wake

Elephant Wake. For some reason, it didn’t occur to me until the end that this was a funeral reference. But not quite a funeral. This town, this unspoken elephant in the room, never reaches the stage of funeral; holding its last breath because of one last surviving resident.

How long has Jean-Claude been living alone in the Franco-Saskatchewan town of Ste. Vierge. At least twenty years, it seems, maybe more. Surrounded by papier-mache figurines. As long as he has stories to tell, memories to share, he stays.

The fiddle music invited me in, as I strolled through the walls of black curtains into the National Arts Centre studio, eagerly anticipating the design from visionary artist/director Bretta Gerecke. I already knew I loved her work in Nevermore, the show I raved about after seeing it two and a half times at the Magnetic North Festival. Who says spectacle can’t tell a story. Aristotle obviously never acquainted himself with productions like these.

I knew very little about writer/performer Joey Tremblay, except that he was good. I’ve been researching Catalyst Theatre for my master’s thesis, and of course his name comes up as one-half of that phenomenal artistic team that saved Catalyst from financial and artistic ruin about ten years ago. But what would he be like onstage…

He enters the dark stage with only a flashlight, shines it at the audience, acknowledging us, noting “Scary, eh?” We all laugh, and suddenly we all become friends.

Who knew that Ottawa audiences could relish so much in interactive theatre. What happened to us. Where did we come from. We were all children again, singing along to hymns without really knowing all the words; clapping our hands as this idiot-savant character dances on top of a white box, a true joie-de-vivre in his voice, in his body.

White. Everything is white. The stage strewn with shards of paper. Bottle-figurines represent members of the town that once were. Hints of a lively community. Small lanterns line two rows across the stage. Jean-Claude plays with the light, he plays with us; he speaks directly to an audience member named James, who seems shy but willing to join in the fun.

Admittedly, sometimes my mind wandered. I didn’t follow his every word and two hours is a long time to sit and watch one person onstage. And yet… when he left, when it was over, I so desperately wanted him to come back.

I loved this character. I loved how he struggled to speak French, his native language, and how he spoke English with such a strong accent, full of resistance. I love how he never complained, really, and always joked around. Humour is the greatest weapon, he makes this so clear.

I don’t review plays very often. But I thought this was worth mentioning. The show plays until November 14.

Ottawa Arts – November 2009

Greetings arts enthusiasts,

I have some rather exciting news! The Ottawa Arts Newsletter has been nominated for “Best local blog/website” in the Ottawa XPress – Best of Ottawa 2009.

All the nominees are pretty awesome — but hey, if you want to vote for me, then follow this link: http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/dossier/bestof/xpress2009.aspx.Section 4 right near the bottom! Please vote before the deadline on November 11.

And without further ado, here is your artistic line-up for the month of November…

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November 3 to 7
The University of Ottawa’s Drama Guild presents “Our Country’s Good”
http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/theatre/eng/season.html

Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good is set in eighteenth-century Australia and tells the story of convicts who decide to put on a production of a Restoration drama. Directed by Arthur Milner, this Drama Guild production is designed by Martin Conboy, Roy Hansen-Robitschek, and Rick Cousins, and features students from the theatre department at the University of Ottawa.

November 3 to 14
The National Arts Centre English Theatre presents “Elephant Wake”
http://nac-cna.ca/en/theatre/0910/elephantwake/

I am really looking forward to seeing this expanded production of Elephant Wake that was originally produced as a Fringe Festival production by Catalyst Theatre (a spectacular Edmonton company that I am studying for my thesis and that recently presented Nevermore here in Ottawa). Witness writer/actor Joey Tremblay’s performance as the last man left in Ste. Vierge, a defunct Francophone town in Saskatchewan, and see up close director/designer Bretta Gerecke’s remarkable papier maché townscape. Check out the website for photos!

November 3 to 22
The Great Canadian Theatre Company presents “The Children’s Republic”
http://www.gctc.ca/plays/the-childrens-republic

Hannah Moscovitch’s long awaited new play – about a Jewish orphanage in Poland that is invaded by Nazis – premieres at the GCTC this month. Directed by Janet Irwin, this co-production with the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama features several of its students in the roles of the orphans, as well as local actors Paul Rainville, Peter Froehlich, Kate Hurman, and Sarah McVie. Heather Marie Scheerschmidt has written a great article about this show: http://bit.ly/3NOA3h

November 12 to 14
Ottawa Little Theatre and Savoy Society of Ottawa present a Double Bill!
http://ottawasavoysociety.org/

Ottawa Little Theatre presents W. S. Gilbert’s one act play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The Savoy Society then presents The Zoo, a one-act comic opera by Arthur Sullivan and Bolton Rowe.  Join an incognito nobleman, an anguished pharmacist, a saucy waitress, a grumpy grocer and his captivating daughter, with a patriotic chorus of animal lovers in this opera set in the London Zoo.

November 13 and 14
AB Series presents two readings by Joe Rosenblatt
http://abseries.org/

Author of twenty books and his poems have appeared in over thirty anthologies of Canadian poetry, Joe has received major awards such as the Governor General’s Award in 1976 and the BC Book Award in 1986. Catch him in Ottawa, then in Gatineau with Ottawa poète Andree Christensen.

November 14
2^nd Ottawa Timeraiser
http://www.timeraiser.ca/en/2nd-Ottawa

This event has only recently been brought to my attention, and I think it is a phenomenal idea. Timeraiser is part volunteer fair, part silent art auction and part night on the town. The big twist is rather than bidding money on artwork, you bid volunteer hours. You can sign up by visiting the website, and the event takes place at the National Gallery of Canada. The goal is to raise 5000 volunteer hours!

November 15
Jill Zmud CD Release
http://www.myspace.com/jillzmud

Ottawa torch-folk songstress Jill Zmud is releasing her debut album at the Black Sheep Inn this month. Check out her MySpace page to experience her soothing vocals and imaginative lyrics. For her release, she will be joined by fellow musicians Dave Draves, Chris Page, Safwan Javed and more.

November 16
The Wrecking Ball
http://thewreckingball.ca/

I was sorry to have missed this event last year, that busy time of arts cuts protests before the federal election. The Wrecking Ball is back at St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities, this time bringing together members of the theatre and literary communities. Don’t miss what promises to be an evening of incredible live performance!

November 17 to 28
SevenThirty Productions presents Shining City
http://www.seventhirty.ca/

Written by Connor MacPherson, Shining City takes place in the disheveled office of Ian, a former priest turned therapist. Ian’s latest patient, John, is in trouble. His wife has just died tragically… and he is visited more than once by her ghost. John is now terrified to return home, but Ian has his own troubles, including a new baby and a crumbling relationship. Directed by John P. Kelly, this production features Richard Gélinas, Tom Charlebois, Nancy Kenny, and Garrett Quirk.

November 18 to 28
Ottawa Chamber Theatre presents “The Mechanicsville Monologues”
http://www.chambertheatrehintonburg.ca/

Written by Donnie Laflamme, this production consists of a series of monologues and is performed by ten local actors and a handful of professional musicians. As the playwright describes, “The monologues are based on things I’ve seen, things I’ve done, and things I’ve heard. The pieces are inspired by people and situations experienced in ‘hood. I call them the dirtiest tales ever told and some of them truly are. No punches get pulled. No apologies.” Well, I’m intrigued!

November 19 to 28
Sock ‘N’ Buskin Theatre company presents “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead”
http://www.carleton.ca/socknbuskin/mainstage.htm

If you haven’t yet seen this play, it’s a good one: two of Hamlet’s most underrated characters are given centre stage in this existentialist comedy that is reminiscent of Waiting for Godot, but with a modern Shakespearean twist. Directed by Dave Dawson, this production opens Sock ‘N’ Buskin’s 66^th season in Ottawa.

November 26 and 27
Ottawa Chamber Music Society presents the Wurttemberg Chamber Orchestra of Heilbronn
http://chamberfest.com/

Two wonderful concerts in one weekend! The Wurttemberg Chamber Orchestra plays at the Shenkman Centre on the first night and at the Dominion-Chalmers Church on the second. These concerts are in commemoration of the 20^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

November 28
Halabisky’s Uprising CD Release “State of Emergency”
http://www.myspace.com/halabiskysuprising

Antizario saxman Dave Halabisky releases his debut solo album at the Mercury Lounge! The CD release party will be hosted by spoken word artist Ritallin and will feature a live performance by Dave and his Uprising band. The album features new music by Dave and collaborations with Moka Only (Swollen Members), Amalia Townsend (Sekoya), Atherton and Sadie Hell.

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Just a bit more house-keeping…

Youth Infringement
Deadline for applications: November 27 (for directors) and December 31 (for playwrights)
http://www.youthinfringement.ca

The Ottawa Theatre Network…

…now has a blog! Visit http://ottawatheatrenetwork.wordpress.com/ to find out more about how YOU can get involved with Ottawa’s diverse theatre community.

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Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to vote in Best of Ottawa 2009!

Artistically yours,

Jessica

The Drowsy Chaperone: Far from a lullaby

The Drowsy Chaperone: Canadian Company

Review by Jennie Barnes

Sprightly, frenetic, and utterly ebullient, the National Arts Centre and Citadel Theatre’s co-production of The Drowsy Chaperone is certainly not what its wearisome title suggests. Originally conceived as burlesque stag party entertainment by playwrights Don McKellar, Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison and Bob Martin, this Tony award-winning Canadian show makes its Ottawa debut and runs in the NAC Theatre until October 31. Branded as a musical within a comedy, Drowsy ushers in the 40^th season of English Theatre at the NAC with an apt fusion of wistfulness and mirth.

Even before the curtain rises, uproarious laughter seizes the audience. “You know what I do when I’m sitting in a darkened theatre waiting for the show to begin? I pray. Oh, dear God, please let it be a good show,” sighs Man in Chair (Jay Brazeau) a jittery, Zoloft-addicted divorcee seated at stage-left. But he need not fret; the cast of this vaudeville pastiche are anything but lackadaisical. As the middle-aged recluse sets his record player to his favourite 1920s revue, kaleidoscopic lighting (Gerald King) transforms the stage into a histrionic universe teeming with song, spit-takes and tap-dancing.

The Drowsy Chaperone, the musical to which the Man in Chair introduces us, mainly centres on Janet (Debbie Timuss) an ostentatious showgirl poised to abandon the limelight in order to marry Robert (John Ullyatt), an equally vainglorious oil magnate who spends a good part of the play blindfolded whilst roller-skating across the stage in a slapdash fashion. Scatterbrained wedding planner Mrs. Tottendale, played by veteran actor Nora McLellan, endears herself to the audience with her odd facial expressions and other such winsome foibles. Susan Gilmour skilfully portrays The Drowsy Chaperone’s eponymous heroine, an alcoholic duenna tasked with keeping the bride and groom apart prior to their nuptials.

Thom Allison steals the show as Aldopho, a stereotypical European playboy commissioned by Feldzieg (Mark Burgess), Janet’s frantic producer, to ruin the celebrity wedding. Other notable performances include Josh Epstein and Neil Minor as pastry-chef gangsters, Ryan Reid as best man, Julien Arnold as Underling the butler, Nathalie Marrable as Janet’s lacklustre successor and Lovena B. Fox as the Aviatrix.

Sumptuous stage design (Jean Claude Olivier) and flamboyant costumes (Phillip Clarkson) provide ample eye candy for the audience. In the wake of musical director Lloyd Nicholson’s untimely death days before opening, replacement Scott Davey does a superb job of conducting the on-stage band. Thirteen numbers with intentionally asinine titles such as “Cold Feets” and “Love is Always Lovely” breathe comical life into the hackneyed plotlines.

Man in Chair warns the audience that Janet’s “Bride’s Lament” is especially lame as the lead singer bemoans having put a “monkey on a pedestal” after a ludicrous argument with her fiancé. Admittedly, Man in Chair’s caveat could apply to the entire performance, which is largely satirical. In any event, director Max Reimer has categorically succeeded in staging a show “so bad that it’s good.”

Jennie Barnes is an undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa.

Ottawa Arts Newsletter gets nominated!

Ottawa XPress

The Ottawa Arts Newsletter has been nominated for “Best local blog/website” for the Ottawa XPress – Best of Ottawa 2009.

I’m pretty thrilled! I have been writing this newsletter for approximately 3 and a half years now. Getting to know Ottawa’s incredible artistic community has been so rewarding, and it seems that the online media has made a concentrated effort to focus on local content over the last few years. It is very encouraging.

All the nominees are pretty awesome — but hey, if you want to vote for me, this is the link. Section 4 right near the bottom! Please vote before the deadline on November 11.

Thanks so much for your support!

Arabian Night evokes dreamlike scene

Photo by Tim Ginley (LtoR: Emily Pearlman, Richard Gelinas, Kate Smith, Stewart Matthews)

Review by Erika Morey

Evolution Theatre finishes off its 2009 season this week with Roland Schmimmelpfennig’s Arabian Night (in an English translation by David Tushingham) directed by Natalie Joy Quesnel. Nominated Play of the Year by six German critics in 2001, this sensual urban thriller tells the intricate tale of five individuals who unwittingly cross paths in an apartment building one night as they each struggle to realize their own most personal fantasies.  In discovering these desires through series of dreamlike events, each character undergoes a transformation that culminates with the revelation of the play’s central message – “We simply can’t stop revealing our true natures”.

Overcoming the inevitable challenges that come with working in a non-traditional theatrical space (Evolution chose to use the Cube Gallery as its playing space), the production offered a simplistic yet versatile setting that mirrored Quesnel’s illiteral approach to the play. Six translucent curtains and two white sliding staircases were drawn back, flipped and removed by actors to create a surreal environment that contrasted with the very literal nature of text, which is essentially a collection of stage directions spoken aloud. Striving to be evocative rather than illustrative, the production is unique in its intention as well as in its set (John Doucet), lighting (Pierre Ducharme), and costume design (Mishka Lavigne).

Quesnel’s fresh interpretation was matched by the work of an exceptionally talented ensemble, all of whom brought a distinct energy and individuality to their roles. A reliably comical Richard Gelinas delighted the audience as the indecisive apartment building superintendent Lomeier , and Bradley Cunningham Long brought an unexpected  whimsicality to Kalil, a moped-driving young man who visits this same building to visit his girlfriend Fatima. Stewart Matthews was also exceptional in his portrayal of a curious and infatuated Karpati, who is drawn into the building at the sight of a beautiful woman on the 7th floor.

Most noteworthy, however, was Kate Smith’s riveting performance as Franziska, a narcoleptic blonde-haired beauty whose memory slips into obscurity each day as morning fades to night. Drifting around the stage as if sleepwalking for the first few minutes of the play, she later becomes both active and aware as she describes the images that come to her while in a deep sleep. Effective in her ability to engage the audience, Smith chillingly portayed her character’s shift from vulnerability and confusion in reality to the confidence and understanding she finds within in her dreams.

In attempting to stage such an ambitious piece, Evolution took some major risks for a relatively young company emerging into the Ottawa arts scene. Luckily, with so many creative minds on board, Evolution is certainly living up to its mandate to entertain audiences with thought-provoking, emotional, and evocative contemporary theatre. Theatre-goers in Ottawa should take advantage of the opportunity to see high-calibre experimental theatre right here in the city, and should expect to be both entertained and challenged by what Evolution has to offer.

Erika is a first year theatre student at the University of Ottawa.