It’s back!  It looks kinda sorta diff’rent!  It’s…oh, who cares, let’s look at all the cool stuff coming to Ottawa Theatres this month!!  We’re talking Undercurrents, the return of La Nouvelle Scene, and the theatrical rise of Live! on Elgin, among many other great things…

Twelfth Night at the NAC Theatre, in collaboration with Old Trout Puppet Workshop. Shakespeare good. Shakespeare with Old Trout…better. Until the 6th.

Love Letters at the Gladstone, from Plosive Productions. AR Gurney’s disarming and affecting look at a lifetime relationship through letters. Until the 6th.

Asylum at Live! On Elgin, from NW9 Collective. 4 Men raise a glass in their fav’rit pub, and I already like this new play from Doug Phillips (and director Jodi Morden, hooray!). The 4th to 6, and 11 to 13th.

A New Paradise at the Ottawa Little Theatre. From Ian Stauffer and director Kathi Langston, a new play and fundraiser for the Ottawa Mission. The 3rd to 6th.

Cat’s Cradle at the Ron Maslin Playhouse, from Kanata Theatre. A whodunit mystery from Leslie Sands. 2nd to 6th, and 9th to 13th.

Cabaret at the Kailash Mital Theatre (Carleton Campus), from Carleton Musical Theatre Society. Singing and dancing! From the 3rd to 6th.

Romantic Poetry at the Gladstone, from Black Sheep Theatre. More singing, and possibly some poetry..? Definitely an amazing cast. The 10th to 20th.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Live! On Elgin, from Suzart after Dark. Suzart returns with the greatest play about spelling bees that ever there was! The 18th to 20th.

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest at Ottawa Little Theatre. The Kesey classic gets the OLT treatment, and it should be a gooder. The 23rd to March 12.

Anton in Show Business at the Gladstone, from Three Sisters. Some of Ottawa’s finest gal-actors storm the Gladstone for this highly anticipated followup to their debut last year with Marion Bridge. The 24th to March 5.

BOOM at the NAC Studio. The 24th to March 12.

The Proposal at Studio Leonard-Beaulne, from Red Carpet Theatre Society. A little Chekhov is just what every winter needs.  The 25th to 27th.

Rope at the Kailash Mital Theatre (I think), from Sock’n’Buskin. A little Hitchcock to sharpen your winter nerves. The 25th to 27th.

24 hr Theatre at studio 311 (Ottawa U campus). A one-day adventure in new creation, with a Shakespeare theme this year! On the 27th.

Equity in Theatre Reading Series at the Gladstone. A Free evening of play readings from Darrah Teitel and Adrienne Wong, on the 28th.

Undercurrents at Arts Court (and the NAC 4th stage). From the 10th to the 20th, it’s the wintertime festival that puts the yay! In Februar-yay. Check their website for all the showtimes, but here’s thee rundown of what to expect at the 5th incarnation of this dynamite theatre showcase:

-Mouthpiece from Quote Unquote collective. ‘Harrowing, humourous and heart-wrenching’…sounds good to me.

-A Man Walks into a Bar from Circle Circle. The Smash Toronto Fringe hit from Rachel Blair takes Ottawa.

-Getting to Room Temperature from the Room Temperature Collective. Arthur Milner and Robert Bockstael team-up for a comedy about assisted suicide. Ya heard me!

-Particle from 100 Watt Productions. Kristina Watt on stage, Martha Ross directing…you don’t need any more information that that. Go.

-Moonlodge from NAC English Theatre. Margo Kane’s lauded one-woman show returns with a new star and production…this ones at the 4th stage, folks, don’t forget!

-Monstrous, or the Miscegenation Advantage from Calalou. Sarah Waiswisz stars and Eleanor Crowder directs in this tale of a woman’s search for identity in the modern world, with the weight of history all around.

-Forstner and Fillister from F&F Theatre. The Fresh Meat fav’rit returns! Watch for flying sawdust.

-Macbeth Muet from Fille du Laitier. Macbeth, silent, with 2 actors and a tableful of found objects, and 30 minutes. Unmissable, say I.

-Listen to Me from Resounding Scream Theatre, A personalized theatre experience, as the audience goes speed-dating with the cast of this one-of-a-kind show.

– Theatre Francais

Un Vent se Leve qui Eparpile at the NAC studio. The 10th to 13th (English surtitles on the 12th)

Le Lilas Africaine at Studio  Leonard-Beaulne, from Theatre de Dehors.  French adaptation of Pamela Gien’s The Syringa Tree. The 10th to 14th.

Du Domaine des Murmures at La Nouvelle Scene, from la Caraveille DPI, Mala Noche, and Theatre du Trillium. 12-13.

Avant L’Archipel at the NAC, rehearsal hall A. The French adaptation of legendary Mi Casa hit Countries Shaped like Stars, directed by Joel Beddows! On the 19th only.

Le Long de la Principale at La Nouvelle Scene, from Theatre la Catapulte. 25 to March 4.

– Improv and Other Stuff

Crush Improv continues their epic Bout Time Tournament, with a show on the 1st featuring Reunion tour taking on Bros before Shows. Then semi-finals for all the winning teams thus far take place on the 15th and the 22nd, in anticipation of the final round!

The Improv Game Show at Live! On Elgin. From Experimental Farm and Trevor Comedy, a game show for you to test your improv chutzpah for fun and profit!  On the 8th.

Eft-Up Valentine Improv Duo Show at Pressed Cafe, from Experimental Farm Theatre. On the 11th.

Let’s get Toasted at Live! On Elgin, from Toasted Theatre Company. Launch party and fundraiser for Toasted Theatre, Ottawa’s newest and spunkiest theatre company! On the 14th.

Heart-On at Live! on Elgin, from Elgin St.Improv. Valentines comedy for you to laugh your loneliness away!  You’re probably lonely, right?  On the 14th.

Smut Slam at Clocktower Brewpub in the Glebe, from Cameryn Moore. The creator of Phone Whore and Slut Revolution brings her patented open-mic slam night to Ottawa!  Bring yer smut and get slammed. On the 25th.

That’s it for now!  Let me know what I missed, and I’ll hopefully be back at the blogging sooner with an update on Strange Visitations, Fringe, and probably not much more!  Peace, love and soul,

Kevin Reid (and Winston)