Brilliant Brault on Breau in 5 O’Clock Bells

 If there is anyone who can pull off a one-man show playing seven (kind of eight – it is complicated) different characters, it is definitely Ottawa acting superstar Pierre Brault. Not only is he an amazing actor, he is a fantastic playwright who lyrically tackles subject matter that is always

Cottagers and Indians at the GCTC: Brilliant and Beautiful

 You might think that there is something comforting about seeing a Canadian production about life on a lake, especially as nostalgia for dock days and warm summer afternoons sets in as the cold winds of December arrive. However, as the play begins you are immediately confronted with difficult issues on

A Mesmerizing Maze of Memory Awaits in ELLE-MOI. D’un bout du monde à l’autre

 Photos by Nicolas Ruel  SERIES DANCE 10 SEASON 2017-2018 Production KATIA GAGNÉ / Les Créations Ozar et Danse Cité February 22, 23 & 24 2018 / 7:30 pm ODD BOX Studio, Arts Court ___ As it is in the oasis of the mindscape where memories weave and intertwine around reality,

Crazy for the Fools

 Ottawa Life’s Festival City Series is back! We'll provide a unique look at some of your favourite events. We’ll go beyond the music with artist interviews, volunteer profiles, concert reviews and spotlights on the tastes, sights and sounds of the festival season.  Your city! Your festivals and events! Like a good sunscreen,

Q & A With National Ballet’s Artistic Director Karen Kain – My Personal Reverence To You Karen

 Photo credits: Karolina Kuras and Cylla von Tiedemann Meeting Karen Kain always excites me. Her thoughtful choice of words, her very ladylike stateliness, and gentleness coupled with her own personal discipline not to mention her immense mesmerizing beauty always intrigues me.  I initially met Karen over 10 years ago, and the most startling

Canada’s Stage to Shine Brighter Than Ever in 2017!

 This morning inside the National Arts Centre the message rang out as loud as a 1st of July firework: in 2017, the NAC will be Canada’s stage. Though the NAC has always celebrated the diversity of Canadian arts since opening its doors back in 1969, next year’s big 150th birthday

Theatre Thrives at the 1000 Islands Playhouse

 All photos/graphics courtesy of 1000 Islands Playhouse. The 1000 Islands Playhouse sits where local culture and some of Ontario’s most breathtaking views meet. Right now, the Gananoque theatre is gearing up for its 35th season and 10 performances that promise love, mystery, music and unforgettable performances. The playhouse operates out of

Hit the Links with the Ladies’ Foursome at Hudson Village Theatre

 Summer is here and that means that the Hudson Village Theatre (HVT) season has finally arrived. It is one of the true joys of summer because without fail, the HVT offers up stellar theatre. Ottawa Life will feature more about the HVT in the days to come, but for now

‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike’ at the Gladstone

 Chris Ralph as Vanya, Mary Ellis as Sonia and Teri Loretto-Valentik as Masha. Promotional photos by David Whiteley.  It is going to take a lot to convince people that on a beautiful sunny, warm day that the place to be is inside a theatre watching a play.  However, that is

The Ottawa Improv Festival: Making It up as They Go Along

 Quest of the Dragon King. All photos courtesy of the Ottawa Improv Festival.  Before we had the movies, Broadway, opera, Shakespeare and even the ability to write scripts, our early ancestors were thespians of perhaps our oldest form of entertainment, improvisational theatre. It may surprise you that the first documented

The Fantastic Phoenix Players

 Now in their 14th season, the Phoenix Players have been thrilling audiences with their entertaining and thought-provoking productions since 2001. The Players are a community theatre group on a mission to produce quality and an accessible theatre experiences for all. The group offers the opportunity for anyone to join the

The Undercurrents Festival Showcases Innovation in Contemporary Independent Theatre

 Sarah Waisvisz in Monstrous. Photo by Christopher Snow. The undercurrents theatre festival is well-known in Ottawa for bringing socially and politically relevant, contemporary independent plays to the stage.  The festival, which started at GCTC and moved to Arts Court in 2015, has cultivated a history of originality throughout its six

Ho! Ho! Head to the Theatre!

 A scene from Anne and Gilbert, The Musical. Photo courtesy of the NAC.  Christmas is always a great time to grab the kids and head to the theatre for a family outing.  There are two shows on in Ottawa right now that fit the bill perfectly. Anne and Gilbert, The Musical

Theatre: ‘The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God’

 All photos by Andrée Lanthier. There are two days left to catch The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God at the NAC.  If you have the chance, it’s definitely worth it. Book your whole night off thought because the show is very long. It runs two hours

Bringing the Inside Out

 All photos by Skylan Hill Since 2007, The Ottawa LGBT Film Festival has been the talk of the town. Now in its eighth year in Ottawa, the festival is among the top five LGBT film fests in Canada. Its aim is to showcase the best and most diverse films by,

Chatting with the NAC’s Jillian Keiley

 Photo credit: David Leclerc If the federal election already has you wanting to look elsewhere for theatrics, cast your eye to the National Arts Centre. Have you wondered how the plays at the NAC are chosen? I have so I jumped at the chance to ask the NAC’s English Theatre

‘The Creation of the World’ is Worth Your Time

 All photos by Andre R. Gagne. When The Creation of the World and Other Business opened in 1972, the New York Times reviewer said “…the whole thing has the air of a comic-strip version of Genesis.” As the years went on, Creation’s press didn’t get much better. 20 years later

Feel the Love with Odyssey Theatre

 All photos by Maria Vartanova. Odyssey Theatre, the open-air theatre in Strathcona Park that specializes in telling stories with the use of masks, opened its 30th season on Sunday night, and this year’s theme is love. With a nod to three Spanish literary giants, (Cervantes and Tirso de Molina from

OAG on the Verge of Expansion

 The view of the future gallery's south side. Rendering by Barry Padolsky Associates Inc. Architects / KPMB Architects. After spending a quarter century in the historic Arts Court on Daly Avenue, the Ottawa Art Gallery is set to expand into a brand new building with four times the gallery space

This Glass Menagerie Shines and Glows

 All photos by Michael Green Photography. Tennessee Williams’ classic play, The Glass Menagerie, is not what you would call upbeat. In fact, it is downright depressing, and what makes it all the more sad is the fact that much of what happens is autobiographical. However, when the brilliantly written play

O God Brings Spirituality to the Stage at the Ottawa Fringe Festival

 Audiences are encouraged to turn their phones off at most Ottawa Fringe festival but at O god they’ll be told to keep them on. Cast members of the interactive play, put on by Ottawa Faith and Arts, encourage the audience to tweet their thoughts on heaven and prayer before and

Head to Hudson for a Great Blind Date

 It takes an incredible combination of wit and talent to create what Rebecca Northan has ingeniously done in her play Blind Date. It is an innovative piece of theatre that brilliantly mixes improvisation with traditional theatre. It has had successful runs in London, New York, Toronto and across Canada for

The NAC’s Needles and Opium Mesmerizes

 Photo credit: National Arts Centre Spectacular is the only way to describe Robert Lepage’s reproduction of his 20-year-old play Needles and Opium, currently playing at the NAC. Photo Credit: NAC The play centres around three characters. Jean Cocteau shares his thoughts and impressions on his first visit to the U.S.

The Kids are Alright

 Photo credit: David Hawe There is only one place you should be on Sunday night at 8 p.m. and that is at the National Arts Centre to catch the only Ottawa performance by Kids in The Hall (KITH). Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson have

Let Propeller Take You to New Heights

 Above: (left to right) Liz Winkelaar, Rob Chartier, Moni Hoffman, Julia Gutsik, Jessie Huggett Photo by Erica Ferrarin.   Dancer Sylvain Bouchard in rehearsal for Flesh and Spokes. Photo Guillaume Grau. While the Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) on Wellington Street offers up phenomenal, eclectic theatre productions every year, it also