Provocative and topical, GCTC’s 2018-19 season reflects today’s issues
Provocative and topical, GCTC’s 2018-19 season reflects today’s issues
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - OTTAWA March 24, 2018– Today the Great Canadian Theatre Company unveiled programming for its politically and socially-charged 2018-19 season. Six plays comprise the mainstage season: A ghost story, an untold tale of the civil rights movement, a provocative #MeToo reference, and a sequel to a bona fide hit are just some of the things patrons will see at GCTC in 2018-19.
Kicking off the new season is The Virgin Trial by Kate Hennig, the sequel to the smash hit from the 2016-17 season The Last Wife. Next up is The Drowning Girls by Beth Graham, Charlie Tomlinson, and Daniela Vlaskalic, a haunting ghost story of three young women. Feeding theatre appetites during the holiday season will be Mark Crawford’s Bed and Breakfast, a charming comedy that turns a familiar trope on its head. Opening up the second half of the season is The Mountaintop by Katori Hall, a powerful, poetic take on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. The world premiere of Ottawa playwright Darrah Teitel’s Behaviour will follow, and the season will close with a feminist retake on a student/teacher relationship in Rose Napoli’s Lo (Or Dear Mr. Wells).
“Every year, we provide topical, provocative theatre and our audience responds to the challenge. It is so gratifying to produce art that spawns a meaningful response from our patrons,” says Artistic Director Eric Coates. “This season, we push again into territory that reflects the real issues in today’s headlines: gender equity, #MeToo, civil rights and even a bit of the old rural/urban divide. After five years at the artistic helm, I couldn’t be happier here.”
Along with the 2018-19 lineup of plays, GCTC also launched a brand new GCTC.ca. The new website was created by Toronto firm pb&j, and was designed to offer the ultimate patron experience. “As GCTC grows and diversifies its programming, it’s essential that our online presence grows along with it,” says Nicole Milne, GCTC’s Director of Marketing & Development. “The new website was designed with our audiences and artists front of mind, offering greater accessibility, simplified design, responsive interface, and beautiful photography.”
In addition to the new website, GCTC is happy to report the success of newer initiatives like Prologue, Especially for Seniors, and The Hive @ GCTC. All have experienced large gains in attendance, and participation, and have contributed to an audience that is more informed and engaged than ever.
GCTC also announced the latest recipient of The Shannon Reynolds Internship, Angela Schleihauf. An emerging sound designer and composer from Ottawa, Angela will be mentored under the leadership of a professional sound designer working on a GCTC production during the 2018-19 season. Angela will also receive support from The Shannon Reynolds Fund to be a sound designer on a future independent production.
Full details on GCTC’s 2018-19 season, along with subscription and ticket information are available online at the brand new GCTC.ca.
GCTC is proud to continue its rewarding partnerships with local arts organizations Propeller Dance and the Ottawa School of Art. Propeller Dance will return for a 5th season as Company-in-Residence, and the Ottawa School of Art will continue to curate exhibits of their visual arts students in The Lorraine ‘Fritzi’ Yale Gallery.
GCTC’s 2018-2019 SEASON
The Virgin Trial
By Kate Hennig
SEPT 11 TO 30, 2018
In this riveting sequel to The Last Wife, playwright Kate Hennig takes us on a gritty exploration of victim shaming, sexual awareness, and female empowerment as she reimagines the scandalous story of young Elizabeth I as a modern day crime drama.
The Drowning Girls
By Beth Graham, Charlie Tomlinson, Daniela Vlaskalic
OCT 23 TO NOV 11, 2018
A haunting play about three brides who share two things in common: they all married the same man, and they are all dead. Emerging from their clawfoot bathtubs, Bessie, Alice and Margaret share the evidence against a murderous man in a chilling ghost story that recounts the shocking crimes.
Bed and Breakfast
By Mark Crawford
DEC 4 TO 22, 2018
Brett and Drew are exhausted by living the life of their dreams in the big city. Opportunity knocks when Brett inherits a house in rural Ontario, prompting the decision to pack up, shift gears and open a B&B in a quaint little village. A heartwarming comedy about “being out” in small town Canada, skeletons in the closet, and celebrating your community.
The Mountaintop
By Katori Hall
JAN 22 TO FEB 10, 2019
After delivering one of his most memorable speeches, an exhausted Dr. Martin Luther King retires to his motel amidst a raging thunderstorm. When a mysterious maid arrives at his door, political discussion ensues and Dr. King is forced to confront his legacy in a poetic reimagining of the events taking place on the night before the American Civil Rights Movement leader’s assassination.
Behaviour
By DarrahTeitel
MAR 12 TO 31, 2019
Mara’s life is normal. She lives in Ottawa, has a good government job, a handsome partner, a new baby boy, and everything appears fine on the surface. Appearances can be deceiving. A world premiere about sexual assault, political expediency, and the masks we wear to carry on as if everything is as it should be.
Lo (Or Dear Mr. Wells)
By Rose Napoli
APR 30 TO MAY 17, 2019
Laura, now a grown woman of 25, has written a revealing memoir about the time she was an underage student experiencing a sexual and intellectual awakening in the thrall of her former English teacher, Mr. Wells. This gripping two-hander rewinds the clock by ten years, and explores the truth of what happened behind closed classroom doors.
For subscription and ticket information call the Box Office (613) 236-5196 or visit www.gctc.ca. Early bird deadline for renewing subscribers is April 30, 2018.
ABOUT GCTC:
GCTC celebrates its 44th season in 2018-19. We continue to foster, produce and promote excellent theatre that provokes examination of Canadian life and our place in the world. Now closing out its 3-year strategic plan, GCTC will continue to champion diversity on it stages, diversify its audiences and deepen their experience. GCTC also continues to embrace artistic risk and to ensure a wide range of theatrical experiences.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Andrew Soobrian
Marketing &Communications Manager
marketing@gctc.ca
613-236-5192 x 229
gctc.ca