Ottawa Little Theatre presents Marvin's Room
Shaun Toohey & Cindy Beaton from Ottawa Little Theatre provide details on their production of Marvin's Room.
Ottawa Little Theatre presents It’s a Wonderful Life
Actors Steve Love & Cooper Dunn provide details on Ottawa Little Theatre's upcoming production of It's a Wonderful Life.
Mending Fences at Ottawa Little Theatre
By: Norm Foster
Director: Barbara Kobolak
Genre: Comedy
Running May 29-June 15
Video by: Tina Prud'homme at ClariText.
Harry Sullivan hasn’t seen his son Drew in thirteen years, and now Drew is coming to Harry’s Saskatchewan ranch for a visit. This poignant comedy tells the story of two men who are too stubborn to give in to feelings of the heart.
Gaslight at Ottawa Little Theatre
By: Patrick Hamilton
Director: Joan Sullivan Eady
Genre: Classic Thriller
Running: October 23- November 9, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Matinee: October 27 & November 3, 2019 at 2:30 p.m.
Video by: Tina Prud'homme at ClariText
Now that “gaslighting” has made its way into popular vocabulary, it’s time for a revival of the classic stage thriller that originated the term – and became an Oscar-winning film! In the London of Queen Victoria, Bella’s husband has convinced her that she is losing her mind; but then a mysterious stranger appears with an even more terrifying explanation.
Tickets are available online at ottawalittletheatre.com or by calling the box office at 613-233-8948.
Of Mice and Men at Ottawa Little Theatre
Cast Members Dan DeMarbre & JT Morris tell us about the upcoming Ottawa Little Theatre production Of Mice and Men.
Unnecessary Farce at Ottawa Little Theatre
Geoff Gruson & Lindsay Laviolette from Ottawa Little Theatre provide details on the upcoming production of Unnecessary Farce as well as their summer camp programs.
REVIEW: Beyond a Joke, presented by the Ottawa Little Theatre
What did you think? Did Beyond a Joke have you laughing in the aisles? What's your favourite British farce? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion over on our website where you can find tons of other local coverage.
Beyond a Joke runs at the Ottawa Little Theatre until May 19th. Full show times and how to buy tickets online can be found at
And if you haven't seen our preview yet, check it out and see interviews from the cast of Beyond a Joke as well as a sneak peek at the show:
For lovers of the written word, here's the review script in print form:
In Derek Benfield's British farce, Beyond a Joke, Jane and Andrew are an upper-class couple with a beautiful estate. But to their misfortune, their house is, shall we say, accident prone and has already claimed a small handful of lives. One fine weekend, the dumb-as-a-post boyfriend of their daughter overhears Jane and Andrew discussing the previous deaths and the upcoming and potentially life-threatening visit from the new town Vicar. This causes the poor boy, who didn't know of the house's history, to think his future parents-in-law are serial killers. In step with most good British Farce -- and this *IS* good British Farce -- the miscommunication plays itself over the course of the play, people often run frantically from scene to scene, there's a couple of dead bodies, a lot of surprises and mini-twists and a *LOT* of great laughs.
Going in, from what we'd seen in our preview video, the expectation was for that dumb-as-a-post boyfriend, played by Seamus O'Brien to come across as a bit over the top. Happily, we can say that our concern was misplaced and O'Brien was great as the poor, confused and vastly prone to grand overreactions Geoff. Not only that, his strong physical presence and his ability to use it to hilarious result made for a lot of the fun in Beyond a Joke. Especially his early scenes with the Vicar who - don't forget - he thinks is about to be murdered.
While the rest of the main cast, particularly Jane Morris as Jane, and Sarah Hearn as Andrew's sister Sarah, were strong in their roles, the actor who really elevated Beyond a Joke, even more than O'Brien did, was Mike Kennedy as Andrew. Watching him play out the various emotional states, from confusion over how strange Geoff -- who he never really liked anyway -- has been acting, to him just trying to keep everything from coming apart, was a joy and a pleasure.
Laughs aside -- and it would take a while to actually move all the laughs aside -- one other cool aspect of the play is the duality of the set which has a garden taking up one side of the stage and the interior taking on the other side. This creates a neat illusion of two different sets, sometimes, both in use at once, where there's really only one.
So if you need some laughter in your life -- and, really, who doesn't - get out to see The Ottawa Little Theatre's presentation of Beyond a Joke.
Show producer: Allan Mackey
Review by: Allan Mackey
On camera presentation: Matthew Champ
Show produced by Valley Wind Productions for Production Ottawa
TAGS: Beyond a Joke, Ottawa Little Theatre, OLT, British, farce, Seamus O'Brien, Mike Kennedy, Sarah Hearn, Jane Morris, Dorothy Ann Gardner, laughter, jokes, funny, Ottawa, Theatre, accidental deaths, dead bodies, wheelbarrow rides, Matthew Champ
OTTAWA THEATRE - Dr. Cook's Garden opening @ Ottawa Little Theatre
Check out the Ottawa Little Theatre website for full info.
OLT 2018 - 2019 SEASON - Preview
September 12 – 29, 2018: Sylvia by A. R. Gurney
Director: Chantale Plante
Comedy/Drama
When Sylvia, a beguiling stray dog, is rescued from Central Park by a New York financial trader in full mid-life crisis, his wife is not amused by the disruption. This is for everyone who has ever loved, disapproved of and/or talked out loud to a dog!
October 17 – November 3, 2018: Cliffhanger by James Yaffe
Director: Joe O’Brien
Comedy/Thriller
This ingeniously plotted and humorous thriller follows many unexpected twists and turns when a mild-mannered professor is driven to extremes to protect his reputation and retirement plans aided and abetted by his devoted wife.
November 28 – December 15, 2018: It’s a Wonderful Life by Philip Grecian based on the film by Frank Capra
Director: Josh Kemp
Christmas/Holiday
Based on the most beloved holiday classic of all time, this is the story of George Bailey who on Christmas Eve, convinced that his life has been a failure, wants to end it all. Clarence Oddbody, Angel Second Class who has been trying for 200 years to earn his wings, is sent to the rescue.
January 9 – 26, 2019: Ripcord by David Lindsay-Abaire
Director: Riley Stewart
Black comedy
A seemingly harmless bet between two elderly ladies in a retirement home quickly escalates. It’s a dangerous game of one-upwomanship that reveals not just their tenacity, but also deeper truths that each would rather remain hidden.
February 13 – March 2, 2019: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Director: Sarah Hearn
American classic
Based by Steinbeck on his own powerful Depression-era novella, this is the story of two migrant California farm workers – George and his long-time companion Lenny, a gentle but dangerous man-child – who dream of a homestead of their own where they can live free off the “fat of the land”.
March 20 – April 6, 2019: Marvin’s Room by Scott McPherson
Director: Shaun Toohey
Dramedy
A wondrous and hilarious account of one woman’s commitment to loving others first. Bessie has been caring for her ailing aunt and father, but now it's her turn to seek help from her long-estranged sister and teenage sons.
April 24 – May 11, 2019: A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie adapted by Leslie Darbon
Co-Directors: Venetia Lawless, Nicole Milne
Mystery
The Queen of Mystery presents a classic puzzle of murder, mixed motives and concealed identities. After an announcement in the local paper states the time and place when a murder is to occur, the legendary Miss Marple relentlessly follows the twists and turns!
May 29 – June 15, 2019: Mending Fences by Norm Foster
Director: Barbara Kobolak
Comedy
Harry Sullivan hasn’t seen his son Drew in thirteen years, and now Drew is coming to Harry’s Saskatchewan ranch for a visit. This poignant comedy tells the story of two men who are too stubborn to give in to feelings of the heart.
July 3 - July 20: Unnecessary Farce by Paul Slade Smith
Diretor: Geoff Gruson
Farce
Two cops. Three crooks. Eight doors. Go! In a cheap motel, two inept undercover cops are trying to catch the embezzling mayor in the act of committing a crime. But who’s in which room, who pilfered what money, and who hired the Scottish hit-man with the bagpipes?
REVIEW: Translations @ Ottawa Little Theatre
Is the subject matter of Translations too far removed to be appreciated by modern Canadian audiences? Tell us what you think below or join the discussion on
For full details including showtimes:
And for those of you who occasionally like to take things by reading the words, here's the review script:
Brian Friel's play, Translations, is the story of a small Irish Parish in the 19th century which is on the brink of a cultural invasion and assimilation on two fronts. One with the upcoming opening of a national school that will offer free education to everybody, but only in the King's English. Two, the arrival of British redcoats whose job is to map the countryside and effectively anglicise the place names. The script is both funny and tragic and the world premiere of Translations starred the amazing Liam Nissan, Stephen Rea and Mick Lally.
I enjoyed Ottawa Little Theatre's presentation of Translations for the most part. I've read the script and think it's hilarious. The problem was the direction. There's a three-act, four-scene breakdown to the play, and the pacing in the first act was way off. There's a lot going on here between setting up the world and the coming storm and introducing ten characters each with their individual quirks -- and it all came across rather rushed. There's little time spared for the jokes to come across or the information being given to audiences to settle.
Fortunately, several of the actors, namely Jack Allan Meltzer, Dan Baran, and Lawrence Aronovitch, do excellent work and manage to carry the play forward. It's through Aronovitch's Owen specifically that the conflict of Translations is really felt. Owen is translator and facilitator for the British soldiers as well as himself a resident of the Irish town, meaning his loyalties are being constantly put to the test.
Going into the second act, the pacing corrects itself and has very strong moments on all fronts and from all actors, but when we reach the third act and final scene, the pacing issue comes back in reverse with this one being too slow and leaving the big heartfelt climax not achieving the resonance it needs to.
The crowd on the night we were there was small, and fairly non-responsive. I even noticed that several people left at intermission. This might be in part due to the pacing problems I just mentioned but it may just as well be a commentary on the audience. My thinking is that, rooted in Irish culture and British imperialism, Translations is a play that just might not do much for a modern Canadian audience.
Show produced by Valley Wind Productions for Production Ottawa
Show Producer: Allan Mackey
Reviewer: Matthew Champ
OTTAWA THEATRE: Dangerous Liaisons @ Ottawa Little Theatre
For the full preview:
The Production Ottawa Review: (coming soon)
Running now through June 24.
TAGS: Ottawa Little Theatre, Ottawa, Theatre, Preview, Dangerous Liaisons, Geoff Gruson, John Muggleton, Sara Duplancic, Production Ottawa, Mature Content, OLT.
Marvin's Room at Ottawa Little Theatre
By: Scott McPherson
Director: Shaun Toohey
Genre: Touching Comedy
Running: March 20 – April 6, 2019
Video by: Tina Prud'homme at ClariText.
A wondrous and hilarious account of one woman’s commitment to loving others first. Bessie has been caring for her ailing aunt and father, but now it’s her turn to seek help from her long-estranged sister and teenage sons.
It's A Wonderful Life at Ottawa Little Theatre
It's A Wonderful Life runs November 28 to December 15 at Ottawa Little Theatre.
Based on the most beloved holiday classic of all time, this is the story of George Bailey who on Christmas Eve, convinced that his life has been a failure, wants to end it all. Clarence Oddbody, Angel Second Class who has been trying for 200 years to earn his wings, is sent to the rescue.
By: Philip Grecian based on the film by Frank Capra
Director: Josh Kemp
Video by: Tina Prud'homme at ClariText.
Capital Facts: The little theatre that keeps on going
In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, the Citizen is rolling out one fact each day for 150 days until July 1, highlighting the odd, the fascinating and the important bits of Ottawa history you might not know about.
At more than 100 years old, the Ottawa Little Theatre is one of the oldest ongoing community theatres in North America. Founded in 1913 by the Canadian Federation of University Women, the theatre has experienced more than a century of (mostly) ups, but has also had to get creative when the time called for it. During the Second World War, for example, the Ottawa Drama League (as it was known then) tried to donate all the proceeds of its performances to the war effort — but with fewer productions organized due to the shortage of men, the theatre had to rent itself out as a cinema.
— Spencer Van Dyk
Published on: April 9, 2017 by the Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA THEATRE REVIEW - Dr. Cook's Garden @ Ottawa Little Theatre
Dr. Cook's Garden, written by Ira Levin, directed by Jim McNabb. Running at the OLT until November 5th. Check it out.
For lovers of the written word, here's the script in print form:
Let's say you could create the perfect community. The perfect town. Weed out the bad; keep the good, garden until you have perfection. What would the limits be? How would you choose who to keep and whom to remove? Ottawa Little Theatre's latest production: Dr. Cook's Garden attempts to answer that question.
Written by renowned playwright Ira Levin, Dr. Cook's Garden follows Jim Tennyson, a young 27 year old Doctor fresh out of medical school who returns to visit the small Vermont town where we grew up. Upon arrival though, Jim begins to suspect that his happiest little town in possibly the whole world might owe their happiness to the gardening and removal of bad weeds in the town by his old mentor and almost father, Doctor Cook.
Ira Levin knows how to write a thriller, he penned Deathtrap, Rosemary's Baby, & The Stepford Wives -- but what he really pens here is his own moral compass on issues like capital punishment and vigilante justice. While the script itself is by far one of Ira Levin's weakest, Director Jim McNabb is able to grab the audience right off the bat and hold their attention through the hour and 45 minute run time -- largely through spot on casting with Cameron Preyde and Barry Daley playing Doctor's Tennyson & Cook respectively. Without the proper leads this play would have fallen into the dredges that can sometimes kill community theatre.
Ottawa Little Theatre has been running for almost 100 seasons and, largely based on its great reputation, there are high expectations to be maintained. From the casting to the art direction and, especially, the set design. Honestly, the Ottawa Little Theatre has some of the finest and greatest sets I have ever seen; so much so that it rivals professional companies like the NAC. Dr. Cook's Garden keeps in line with that tradition.
Ignoring a couple of false beats in the second act like a somewhat awkward feeling fight scene, Dr. Cook's Garden will bring you you to the edge of your seat, and give you plenty to think about. Many people, including my producer and I, left the theatre discussing the merits of the justice system and capital punishment.
You have until November 5 to check it out. Check out their website for ticket information.
Pardon Me, Prime Minister at Ottawa Little Theatre
Pardon Me, Prime Minister runs July 12 - 29, 2017 at Ottawa Little Theatre. For tickets call 613-233-8948 or ottawalitttletheatre.com.
When the Prime Minister and Chancellor start preparing a puritanical budget taxing amusements such as bingo, gambling and nightclubs out of existence – many cover-ups (and un-coverings) ensue! This hilarious British farce is “a fun and frivolous poke at the world of politics” – A Younger Theatre.
Written by: Edward Taylor & John Graham
Directed by: Josh Kemp
Video by: Tina Prud'homme at ClariText.
OTTAWA THEATRE REVIEW - I Hate Hamlet @ The Ottawa Little Theatre
Join the discussion: Show info:
I Hate Hamlet Preview:
More from the cast and director of I Hate Hamlet:
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For lovers of ye olde written word, here's the review script:
Andrew Rally is a washed-up TV-actor who finds himself cast in the role of Hamlet for the Shakespeare in the Park troupe in New York City and visited by the ghost of one of the most prolific Hamlets of all time: John Barrymore, whose job is to help get him ready. Only problem? Andrew doesn't really want to play Hamlet and Barrymore can't leave until he does.
Paul Rudnick's I Hate Hamlet is in part, an homage to the bard's character Hamlet, who when you get down to brass tacks is just kind of a spoiled brat, with a temper. Being set in the 80s, it's also part period piece and it explores the ever growing gap between art and entertainment. By art, I of course mean art, like at the theatre, where entertainment is dropping down in front of a TV.
The play is witty in its exploration of the contrasting forms of art -- but when the play really gets started is with the entrance of the character, John Barrymore, played by John Eric Ladd. Ladd's entrance --suitably grand and dramatic- sets the tone for his character in the rest of the play --suitably grand and dramatic- and comes up after a long scene of necessary set up with other characters who felt almost over excitable and in a rush to get to that point.
Now I don't want you to think that I'm being harsh on the actors because Michael McSheffrey, Cathy Nobleman, Julie Horner, Ann Scholberg, and Josh Sparks were all good. They were. But it's like eating ice cream. Vanilla is good... but once you add something like butterscotch or fudge it becomes great. The play was good... but once you added Ladd it became... GREAT!
His bravado and over-the-top-yet-believable Shakespearean acting is everything that I Hate Hamlet needs to be a success. Plus, he's a natural when you put a sword in his hand and let's be honest, the man looks good in tights. On his performance alone I urge you to see this play that runs through December 17, 2011 @ The Ottawa Little Theatre but if you want to know a bit more about the play first, check out our video preview of the show where we talk to the director Sarah Hearn plus actors Eric Ladd and Michael McSheffrey about the play plus check out our longer bonus video where they talk about what it was like to work on the play plus some of the unique challenges. Both are linked down below in the description.
Marion Bridge at Ottawa Little Theatre
Marion Bridge runs March 22 - April 8, 2017 at Ottawa Little Theatre. For tickets call 613-233-8948 or ottawalittletheatre.com.
Marion Bridge is a quirky, funny, and touching play about three sisters – a failed actor, a nun with doubts, and the oddball who never left home. These women, now in their thirties, come “home” to the East Coast to be with their dying mother. Each in their own way tries to deal with the painful loneliness brought about by the lives they have chosen for themselves.
“a sensitive, beautifully written and frequently very funny play – in a sharply witty and down-to-earth kind of way” – Calgary Herald.
Written by: Daniel MacIvor
Directed by: Chantale Plante
Video by: Tina Prud'homme at ClariText.
OTTAWA THEATRE: Hay Fever, presented by the Ottawa Little Theatre
Full preview
Review: (after Sep 19)
Full show details:
TAGS: andrew stewart, dianna renee torke, gail malloy, jeremy piamonte, katie kaufman, katie volkert, klaas van weringh, olt, ottawa little theatre, penu chalykoff, tim ginley, zoe tupling
Fully Completely (Tragically Hip cover) by Little Bones from Ottawa, Canada.
Recorded live off of the sound board at the 2018 Spencerville (Ontario, Canada) Fair. Little Bones opened for Sass Jordan.