Best show: The Elephant Girls: this original show was the result of historical research which could possibly become an important text in the Canadian repertoire. Margo Macdonald’s excellent interpretation took the actor into an area of solo performance that was uncharted for her and could be the beginning of a new orientation of her own stage work.
photo, Andrew Alexander. http://ottawafringe.com/?gclid=CIrqve_Ul8YCFRCoaQodd68AuQ for more info…
Highlights: 40 solid weeks of theatre August 27 – May 28) 12 companies, 18 shows: musicals, award-winners, family shows, premières, Canadian & local works and tons o’ comedy!
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ewcomers: the Canadian tour of Menopause The Musical®, Theatre Kraken with the real Steve Martin’s The Underpants, Ottawa legend Pierre Brault with his new solo show WIll Somers, and more! www.thegladstone.ca and call 613-233-4523, email boxoffice@thegladstone.ca or drop in at 910 Gladstone Ave.
The Shows
The 2015-16 season consists of the 3-show Norman Conquests trilogy, several stand-alone offerings, and the 8-show 2016 Subscription series. In 2015, we have the Norman Conquests mini-season and several stand-alone offering:
The Norman Conquests comedy trilogy by Alan Ayckbourn, Aug 28-Oct 10, consisting of Table Manners Aug 28-Oct 10; Living Together, Sept 11-Oct 10 and Round and Round the Garden, September 25 – October 10.
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Die Schauspieler Lars Eidinger (Tartuffe) und Regine Zimmermann (Elmire) saßen bei der Fotoprobe des Theaterstücks "Tartuffe" am 17.Dezember 2013 auf der Bühne der Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz in Berlin. © dpa
Die Schauspieler Ingo Hülsmann (Organ – l) und Lars Eidinger (Tartuffe) saßen bei der Fotoprobe des Theaterstücks "Tartuffe" am 17.Dezember 2013 auf der Bühne der Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz in Berlin.
Martin Morrow writes to the CTCA
Dear CTCA members,
It’s a rare occasion when members of both the Canadian Theatre Critics Association and our sister (brother?) organization, the Association Quebecoise des Critiques de Theatre, get to meet and debate. It’s happening this month, courtesy of Montreal’s Festival TransAmeriques, which is hosting a joint critics’ panel on Saturday, May 23 at 5 p.m. EST.
Published on: April 27, 2015
THE OTTAWA CITIZEN
NOTE: This opinion by Patrick Langston does not represent the opinion of the CCC site as a whole. A.R.
Maybe it’s time we just got the show on the road.
If you’re a habitué of English live theatre in Ottawa, you may be as fed up as are some other audience members by the conventions that, on opening nights, precede the moment actors actually take the stage.
Those conventions involve words of welcome, and usually not just a few, by an artistic director or other representative. The chats almost never offer insight into the show and, with the odd exception, have become so generic as to be meaningless.
At the National Arts Centre, the welcome extends to recognition of Algonquin Elder Annie Smith St. George and her family when they are in the audience. She has helped guide NAC English Theatre’s fostering of Indigenous programming. Also recognized is the fact that the NAC is on “unceded Algonquin territory.”
Photo: Bunraku puppetry…
Pontus Lidberg Dance – Written on Water and Snow
The exciting Swedish dancer, choreographer and filmmaker, Pontus Lidberg has a long list of impressive accomplishments in all the above-mentioned fields , working with theatres and companies around the world. He gives us beautiful as well as challenging creative moves with the human body. A magician who molds and choreographs his lithe corporeal instruments, most of whom appear to have serious balletic training which produces an extraordinary sense of discipline and breathtakingly supple interaction and a multitude of possibilities to be somatised on stage.
Photo: Petrus Sjovik. Snow. with dancer and puppeteer.
Written on Water was originally conceived as a pas de deux for the American Ballet Theatre. The plucking , sounds coming from Stefan Levin’s music, that seem to emanate from industrial material working overtime in an urban setting, form a powerful soundscape that accompanies the two movements of this first piece. The two male dancers, Barton Cowperhwaite and Pontus Lidberg flow together in liquid harmony as they communicate competition, domination, eroticism, submission, disdain and various emotions and competitive stances, always entwined in abstract movements where the ballet base is redefined by modern steps, gestures, and corporeal choices, all conforming to the music, much in the style of Balanchine’s work. The second part of this show brings us back to a pas de deux with a man and woman where the classical balletic style conforms to a more traditional even lyrical vision of that dance form, in keeping with the traditional vision of the mixed gender couple . Nevertheless, there was always a flowing, sweeping grace that accompanied their work that gave one the sense it was all something new.
Paul Rainville and Eric Coates in George Walker’s The Burden of Self Awareness from the 2013-2014 Season. Photo: Andrew Alexander
Artistic Director, Eric Coates, Managing Director Hugh Neilson and associated artists took to the stage at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre to introduce GCTC’s new season for 2015-2016. Eric Coates is passionate about programming Canadian playwrights and developing new works and this season is no different.
The 2015-2016 season offers up political scandal; a tribute to our veterans; a local family holiday story; international intrigue; chilling vengeance and a visit from the Queen. The new season, subscription and ticket information were posted on GCTC‘s website at the same time along with a video of Eric Coates, Hugh Neilson and staff introducing the new season. www.gctc.ca.
The 2015-16 season showcases the best dancers, choreographers, and designers from around the world, the line-up includes artists from 14 countries: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Dada Masilo: Swan Lake
Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet: Going Home Star – Truth and Reconciliation January 28-30, 2016 A star-studded collaboration between the RWB, Canadian author Joseph Boyden, choreographer Mark Godden, and Canadian composer Christos Hatzis. Going Home Star was 10 years in the making, first envisioned by late Cree elder/activist Mary Richard and RWB Artistic Director André Lewis. Searing and sensitive, this powerfully emotional classical ballet is the deeply resonant love story of Annie and Gordon, a pair of contemporary aboriginal young people coming to terms with a soul-destroying past. Without truth, there is no reconciliation. Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet was last at the NAC in January 2015, performing The Handmaid’s Tale.
Hong Kong Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty March 3-5, 2016. Embrace the timeless enchantment of one of the world’s favourite fairy-tale, The Sleeping Beauty. This sumptuous production, staged by Cynthia Harvey, features technical brilliance and bravura dancing, stunning sets and costumes by Mark Bailey, and Tchaikovsky’s magnificently seductive score. This fast-paced ballet delivers family-friendly fun with all the essential fairy-tale ingredients: storybook characters, romance, fate, good versus evil— and of course, true love! Hong Kong Ballet makes its NAC debut.
Photo: Amy Keith
Acteurs gauche à droit (left to right)
Cynthia Cantave, Charles-Smith Métellus, Vanessa Schmit-Craan
Capital Critics Circle is happy to present this excellent news about Intercultural Theatre. We reviewed “The Other Theatre’s” production of Macbeth at the Segal centre and we are very happy this company received an award. Their production was excellent and gave us a new and unique vision of Shakespeare as seen through a group of Haitian professionals of the stage, based in Montreal. All our congratulations to the winners…(note http://capitalcriticscircle.com/?s=Macbeth&x=0&y=0 for a review of Macbeth.
Encouraging theatrical dialogue between the various cultures in Montreal
Nineteen local companies awarded invaluable grants for their upcoming seasons
General Director Jeep Jeffries and Interim Artistic Director Kevin Mallon proudly introduce Opera Lyra’s bold, new expanded season of classic and contemporary works for 2015-2016.
Opera Lyra’s 2015-2016 season includes two updated classic operas at the National Arts Centre (NAC) in Southam Hall and two new partnerships to bring Ottawa additional contemporary and classic productions in smaller venues. In addition, Opera Lyra’s fall show for families and students tackles bullying through song and audience participation. This new, enhanced season includes four subscription packages and all four operas can be seen for as little as $162. The 2015-2106 season brochure, highlight video, calendar of special events and subscription and ticket information are online at operalyra.ca.