User:Mturcott/Odyssey Theatre

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Odyssey Theatre
Odyssey Theatre is a professional theatre company based in Ottawa, Canada specializing in the production style of Commedia dell’Arte as well as Asian fusion. Award-winning director, writer and dramaturge Laurie Steven established Odyssey Theatre in 1986. Plays are held in each summer at Strathcona Park in the downtown Ottawa neighbourhood of Sandy Hill. Odyssey’s main summer event is Theatre Under The Stars, an open air show in the northeast corner of the park, by the banks of the Rideau River (wikipedia link) on a fully built stage, in and amongst the trees. In addition, Odyssey Theatre has a youth matinee running in conjunction with the Theatre Under the Stars series.

Since its conception, Odyssey Theatre has produced a wide array of plays, ranging from Moliere (wikipedia link) to Edgar Allen Poe (wikipedia link) to original works by Steven herself, as well as other writers in residents Janet Irwin, Kathy MacLellan, ???. Notable plays include The Raven, They All Do It, The Game of Love and Chance, The Wedding, and A Guy Named Joe, Odyssey Theatre’s first indoor performance in 2009. As of 2013, Steven is still in production of Odyssey’s next indoor play entitled, The Handless Maiden.

Odyssey Theatre used to only produce classical Commedia dell’Arte plays but soon shifted to contemporary settings while still retaining the Commedia dell’arte dramatic technique of pageantry, buffon, physicality, and masked performance. Italian Commedia master Alberto Fortuzzi (link) was asked to come in from Italy to assist with the transition.

In 1995, Odyssey Theatre began incorporating mask-movement techniques such as Peking Opera, Kathakali and Indonesia Wayang Wong, all of them originating from Asian, South Asian, and Indian cultures.

Odyssey Theatre is known for running plays with social class, satire, individuality, and romantic love as significant themes.

The Ontario Arts Council (wikipedia link) designated Odyssey Theatre as “a key organization” due to its “significant impact on: the art form, the artists, their audiences and community.”

Odyssey Theatre offers a Youth Apprenticeship Program (link) every season in which young people between the ages of 14-21 are involved with either the performance, technical, or administrative aspects of the company. In addition, Odyssey also provides other youth programs such as ‘Artists in the Schools’ and a residence in Canterbury High School (wikipedia link).

The Ottawa Citizen said Odyssey Theatre is “imbued with stage smarts and an artistic sense of space, and powered by a dynamic gang of skilled performers, it is bright, boisterous summer theatre.”

CBC Radio called Odyssey Theatre “one of the most imaginative, intelligent, incisive, and accessible theatre companies in our area.”1

For the 2013 season, Odyssey Theatre will be producing a masked performance of George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man directed and adapted by Andy Massingham.

Past Productions:

The Game of Love and Chance, 2012 The Fan, 2011 They All Do It (original work), 2010 A Guy Name Joe (original work), 2009 Bungsu and the Big Snake, Scapin, The Wedding, The Illusion, The Raven, 2000 Kamalay, The Miser, Ondine, Turandot, Don Juan, Others – not on website