Excerpts taken from article originally published in Ottawa Citizen Style magazine. Read the full story and more here.
 
 
In keeping with the theme of Odyssey Theatre’s show The Game of Love and Chance, our blog will be celebrating love in all its facets. Odyssey is grateful to the Ottawa Citizen, our major media sponsor, for allowing us to share with you some interesting stories on romance and loving couples.
 

CONNIE BERNARDI is a music blogger and a radio announcer on Majic 100. She’s married to “Stuntman” Stu Schwartz, PA announcer for the Ottawa Senators, morning show host on Majic 100 and celebrity emcee and auctioneer. They also have two children.
Ideal date night: An ideal night would involve a dinner out where we don’t talk about the kids for at least 45 minutes, followed by a movie. We’ve been to two movies in a theatre since our kids were born. That’s right — two.

Keeping it real: “Never go to bed mad at each other” was one of the best pieces of advice we ever got. It’s so simple, but it works. Also have fun, laugh a lot, be spontaneous and give space when space is needed.

Favourite time together: When the kids are miraculously asleep by 7:30 p.m. and the house is quiet. We catch up on all of the TV shows on our PVR or watch the Food Network. We can sit and watch and talk uninterrupted. It’s bliss.

Biggest challenge: The juggling of our schedules. We rely on my parents and babysitters a lot and sometimes we can go a whole week without really seeing each other, except for saying a quick “Hi” as we pass each other going out the door. It can be overwhelming, sometimes, but you make it work. The balancing act is hard and there is a lot of sacrifice, but in the end it’s what works for us.

Next week Erin Phillips and Chris Phillips

 
“The students are very excited and energized to work on the new play Steampunk Golem. It has wonderfully realized characters and great connection to futuristic tales of which they are familiar. The chance to work with a professional company is a pleasure for which they are very grateful.” – Paul Griffin, Canterbury Teacher

 
“It was wonderful today to hear their voices reading my script, and to hear their reaction to the characters and the themes. Some of them had seen our shows when they were kids. It was kind of a thrill to imagine kids from audiences ten years ago growing up to make their own shows, and participate in theatre. In some ways the play is about how the past will affect the future, and vice versa, and there they were – kids from the past, now grown up and taking their art into the future.” – Kathy MacLellan, guest writer

 
Futuristic Story Helps Budding High School Artists Learn from Innovative Residency Program
Odyssey Theatre will offer students of Canterbury High School a special opportunity to be uniquely involved in the writing process of new works developed by the Company. Kathy MacLellan, Odyssey’s current writer-in-residence and a principal with Rag and Bone Puppet Theatre is this year’s guest artist. From April 30 to May 15, students in Odyssey’s Canterbury Residency Program will workshop this new play which will culminate in a reading performance open to the public on May 16 at 7:00 PM.

Now in its third year, the Residency connects established theatre professionals with aspiring high school artists who might be considering a career in the performing arts. Past artists include Jan Irwin, Bill Bhaneja, and Laurie Steven. This year’s play is Steampunk Golem, a dystopic tale set in the alternate universe of Ottawa, circa 2060. Steampunk explores the tension between the desires of the ‘human’ heart and acceptance of other ‘intelligences,’ other ways of ‘thinking,’ and how they find a place in our society.

The workshop will begin with Company Dramaturge and Associate Artistic Director, Janet Irwin, moderating a series of discussions with students and MacLellan that will cover such things as her vision for the play, take on characters and her work as a writer. MacLellan will share the intricacies of script writing for the stage, and model the artistic disciplines required in putting together a play. Students will then be invited to express their ideas through the course of the workshop about the steampunk movement, the play as it currently exists, and their ideals for humanity.

A public reading of the workshopped material will be held on Wednesday, May 16 – 7 PM at Canterbury High School. For more information contact Odyssey’s office at 613.232.8407 or by emailing us at info@odysseytheatre.ca.

Excerpts taken from article originally published in Ottawa Citizen Style magazine. Read the full story and more here.
 
 
In keeping with the theme of Odyssey Theatre’s show The Game of Love and Chance, our blog will be celebrating love in all its facets. Odyssey is grateful to the Ottawa Citizen, our major media sponsor, for allowing us to share with you some interesting stories on romance and loving couples.
 

JULIAN ARMOUR is artistic and music director of Music and Beyond, artistic director of The Chamber Players of Canada and principal cellist with The Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra. He’s married to violist Guylaine Lemaire, who performs regularly as a chamber musician and orchestral player. They have two young boys.
 
Ideal date night: Dinner and drinks with just the two of us in a cosy, casual pub — no cellphones allowed!

Keeping it real: It’s important not to let what happens in the outside world affect how we are with each other — but easier said than done.

Favourite time together: Any time we’re alone together, whether it’s taking a break at a rehearsal, travelling to a concert, meeting up for lunch, grocery shopping, or even being stuck in a line at the bank. We’ve always enjoyed spending time together before and after rehearsals and concerts, especially when visiting other cities. Now that we have two children, we enjoy the quiet time we have together after the boys are in bed.

Biggest challenge: Making sure we rise above the huge daily challenges, tensions and pressures we face in our professional lives so that we’re
always great with each other.

Next week Connie Bernardi and Stu Schwartz

Excerpts taken from article originally published in Ottawa Citizen Style magazine. Read the full story and more here.
 
 
In keeping with the theme of Odyssey Theatre’s show The Game of Love and Chance, our blog will be celebrating love in all its facets. Odyssey is grateful to the Ottawa Citizen, our major media sponsor, for allowing us to share with you some interesting stories on romance and loving couples.
 

CATHERINE CLARK, host of Beyond Politics on CPAC, is married to Chad Schella, director of government affairs at Canada Post. They have two young children. Ideal date night: Anything that lets us be alone together for a few hours as adults, whether that’s dinner in a restaurant (where we do not have to order chocolate milk and colour on our placemats), or night skiing at Pakenham. The best date night of all gets us home by 9 p.m. so that we can collapse into bed by 9:30.

Keeping it real: Marry someone with a good sense of humour. If you do, that person will never let you take yourself too seriously, and you’ll never be able to stay mad for too long.

Favourite time together: We have two favourite times, one rare, one not. The rare ones are when we get away, just the two of us. Those are the trips that remind us of why we got married, which, as most married parents of young children (know), is something you forget. The second is a daily occurrence, when we fall, shell-shocked, onto the couch after our kids go to bed. This usually involves romantic accessories such as an iPad, an all-sports channel, a good book and a very large glass of wine.

Biggest challenge: Trying to be good role models for our children as we attempt to also be a good husband and wife to each other. That, and not eating all of our kids’ Halloween candy.

Next week Julian Armour and Guylaine Lemaire

Congratulations to David S. Craig for bringing home the Award for Outstanding Adaptation last Sunday evening at the Prix Rideau Awards. David could not make the Awards and it was accepted on his behalf by Alix Sideris. Alix read this statement for David:
 

I would like to thank Carlo Goldoni, the capo commedia, who sat on my left shoulder throughout the writing process and advised me on every change and edit.  After 250 years, his story still has the power to entertain.  I would also like to thank Laurie Stevens for giving me the opportunity and the Ottawa Theatre community  for giving the production such a warm reception.  I wish I was there!

 

We’ve christened our campaign the Thweatre_fund Raiser. Thanks to generous donors, Odyssey is half way there. Our goal is to raise $1000.00 via social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Donations can be made online. To catch us on Twitter simply look for #thweatre_fund. Also, consider becoming a “Friend of Odyssey.”

When you donate:

$50 - Bronze Mask
Supports an imaginative costume design.

• You will also receive:
• Invitation to our annual Friends Night*, to meet the Artistic Director and cast.

$100 - Silver Mask
Supports one exotic costume.
You will also receive:

• Invitation to our annual Friends Night*, to meet the Artistic Director and cast; and,
• Invitation to “Work in Progress” performances of new plays and the chance to participate in the creative process.

$250 - Gold Mask
Supports one original handcrafted mask.
You will also receive:

• Invitation to our annual Friends Night*, to meet the Artistic Director and cast;
• Invitation to “Work in Progress” performances of new plays and the chance to participate in the creative process;
• Invitation to Opening Night; and,
• Invitation to attend an open rehearsal for a behind the scenes look at the company.

$500 - Platinum Mask

Supports one day of a workshop to create new works for future seasons.
You will also receive:

• Invitation to our annual Friends Night*, to meet the Artistic Director and cast;
• Invitation to “Work in Progress” performances of new plays and the chance to participate in the creative process;
• Invitation to Opening Night;
• Invitation to attend an open rehearsal for a behind the scenes look at the company;
• Four tickets to a performance in Strathcona Park;
• A Season Poster signed by the company; and,
• Reserved seating at the Park – avoid the lines!

Excerpts taken from article originally published in Ottawa Citizen Style magazine. Read the full story and more here.

In keeping with the theme of Odyssey Theatre’s show The Game of Love and Chance, our blog will be celebrating love in all its facets. Odyssey is grateful to the Ottawa Citizen, our major media sponsor, for allowing us to share with you some interesting stories on romance and loving couples.

We’ve often heard that Ottawa is overflowing with smart, single ladies desperately searching for the love of a good man. But 2006 census figures show there are slightly more single men than single women in the nation’s capital. But love connections seldom happen in the produce aisle. Finding the perfect match involves a strategy, an open mind and a willingness to look at past missteps.

“People make the same mistake over and over again,” says Sue McGarvie, the sex and relationship therapist who wrote Quivering Jello: How to Have Mind-Blowing, Toe-Curling Orgasms. “You get stuck in a pattern and don’t do what it takes to connect with a (partner) and be abundantly happy.” She offered these tips:

1. Understand your values. What truly makes you happy and what characteristics are you seeking from a potential partner? Make a definitive list of what will make you happy and understand the deal breakers. To find the right match, McGarvie says you need to spell out what’s important to you. Maybe he/she must like your dog, follow hockey, behave appropriately at your company Christmas party, enjoy travel, be kind, for example.
2. Take a good look at yourself. Do you have that je ne sais quoi that people are attracted to? Or are you crushed from a previous relationship? Do you like what you see when you look in the mirror? Or have you gained 25 pounds since your last break up? If you’re in a rut, do something about it. Spring is the time to get your mojo back. Get fit, tweak your image, improve your libido and flirting skills and reclaim your confidence.
3. Analyse past experiences. This is important to figuring out what went wrong. Maybe infidelity and being abandoned made you unwilling to trust? Break old patterns, start fresh and you will begin to heal your wounds.
4. Meet your match. Market yourself with a smart, safe, effective strategy. Develop a personal branding statement and an enticing online dating ad.
5. Be realistic: George Clooney won’t whisk you away to his Italian villa. But while you won’t get what you want, the Rolling Stones would tell you, if you’re clear, you just might get what you need.

Next week Ottawa couples on lasting love

Excerpts taken from article originally published in Ottawa Citizen Style magazine. Read the full story and more here.
 
 
In keeping with the theme of Odyssey Theatre’s show The Game of Love and Chance, our blog will be celebrating love in all its facets. Odyssey is grateful to the Ottawa Citizen, our major media sponsor, for allowing us to share with you some interesting stories on romance and loving couples.
 

Even your love life needs a spring cleaning occasionally. Janet Wilson polled experts on how to get the lustre back. After a long winter of hibernating, spring gives us a chance to reconnect with our partners and make sure we’re still on the same page. Shannon Lawless, a couples and family therapist, recommends being open to new experiences, enjoying an activity together outdoors and getting the dialogue flowing. “During the winter months, a lot of us sit on the couch and watch TV. It’s time to break out of the same old routine and reconnect. If you are frustrated about something, write a letter and then read it to your significant other.” She also shared the following tips:

1. Make time for each other. Plan a date night once a week. Get off the couch and outside.
2. Unplug your gadgets. Turn off cellphones, TVs and computers for an hour a week and spend time together going for a hike, playing a board game or simply chatting over coffee.
3. Get a healthy balance in all aspects of life. Tune up your relationship, diet, fitness and intimacy in the bedroom. People who are active often enjoy a more romantic love life.
4. Spice up your relationship by adding some adventure. Do something you’ve never done before, such as an art or dance class, cooking lessons or a weekly round of golf.
5. Make each other a priority. No relationship can sustain the honeymoon stage forever. Pay attention, and check in with your partner and really listen to what they are saying. Everyone likes to feel validated.

Tune in tomorrow for an excerpt on Finding a mate.

The Game of Love and Chance is this year’s Theatre under the Stars summer production. Director, Andy Massingham and Company Dramaturge and Associate Artistic Director, Janet Irwin say a few words on the progress of the play after this past weekend’s workshop.