GCTC launches a 2010-11 season full of character(s)
The GCTC is calling the 2010-11 season of drama (its fourth season at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre) “Theatre with Character.” You might as easily call it “Theatrical stew” for the melding of ingredients. The season includes a singularly appropriate play for this time, Vern Thiessen’s Vimy; two plays translated from French texts (“The List” by Jennifer Tremblay and translated by Shelley Tepperman and “Strawberries in January” by Evelyne de la Chenelière and translated by Morwyn Brebner), “The Shadow Cutter,” a new two-man production by Ottawa-based force of nature Pierre Brault about Ottawa-born magician Dai Vernon, and a play called “The Middle Place”, taken from source material gathered from homeless youth in Toronto, and a play by Canadian favorite Daniel McIvor.
In fact, theatergoers in Ottawa can see “The List” in September at the GCTC, then see “La Liste” en francais at the NAC in March. How often do you get to do that?!
Mix in to that co-productions with Theatre Passe Muraille, the NAC English Theatre (the first such collaboration between the two organizations ever), and Magnetic North, season sponsorship by Domicile Developments, which is putting a new condo tower up across from the GCTC’s home base, and the new “Undercurrents” festival in the smaller Studio Theatre and you have what promises to be a tasty gumbo.
The season launch featured excerpts from a number of the plays being produced read by a number of actors familiar to Ottawa Theatre audiences — including Pierre Brault, Annie Lefebvre, John Jonathan Koensgen (oops — too used to seeing and thinking of John!) and Kelly Rigole. Author of “The Middle Place” Andrew Kushnir Skyped in from Edmonton to talk about his play.
The graphic look for the season is a bold one, and one that some more conservative theatergoers may find childish. The GCTC asked graphic novelists from across the country (Ray Fawkes, Ethan Rilly, Faith Erin Hicks, Jeff Lemire, Salgood Sam, and Sadax) to render the plays in their own style. My only worry is that if I spend the year looking at graphics for a play, will the graphic look be so strong as to colour my perception of what actually happens on the stage.
Let’s hope this stew tastes as good in a few months as it smells now. But for now, let’s just enjoy the aroma and anticipate…
(The next play in the current season is Arthur Milner’s Facts, a “politically-charged murder mystery”, opening April 13.
Tags: Comedy, drama, GCTC, Pierre Brault, Theatre, undercurrents
