Ottawa Theatre Guide

Ottawa's professional theatre scene is anchored by the National Arts Centre, and supported by smaller theatres like the GCTC. Ottawa also has a growing amateur theatre scene, with lots of adventurous productions.

News & blogs & event listings

Adorkable Thespian (blog by Nadine Thornhill)
ArtsAlive.ca
From the National Arts Centre: Learn about orchestral music, dance, English and French language theatre, and explore engaging archival collections.
Fully Fringed
An ambitious group blog project with a goal to review every show in the 2010 Ottawa Fringe Fest.
GCTC Artist's Blog
Kanata Theatre
"Your source for everything community theatre related in Canada's capital and the surrounding area."
Many Faces of Wayne (blog)
The Ottawa Arts Newsletter
So You Want To Be An Actor (blog by Nancy Kenny)
Struts & Frets (blog by Kris Joseph)

Venues

Alumni Theatre (Carleton U.)
Arts Court
Ottawa's centre for the performing, visual, literary and media arts.
The Gladstone Theatre
National Arts Centre
Centrepointe Theatre
GCTC
Ottawa Little Theatre

Theatre Groups & Organizations

A Company of Fools
Ottawa’s only independent professional Shakespeare company.The mandate of the Fools is to produce innovative, entertaining and accessible shows based on the works of William Shakespeare. In the summer, this group brings Shakespeare to a variety of different outdoor parks in Ottawa.
ACTRA Ottawa (Performer union)
Big Time Murder dinner theatre
Eddie May Murder Mysteries
Greely Players
Insensitivity Training (improv)
Lakeside Players
Linden House Theatre Company
Linden House Theatre Company Blog
Magnetic North Theatre Festival
Canada's national festival of contemporary Canadian theatre in English.
Odyssey Theatre
This group stages a major open-air performance July and August in Strathcona Park on the banks of the Rideau River.
Opera Lyra
Orleans Young Players
Orpheus
Ottawa Fringe Festival
Each June, this festival offers a mix of indepedent theatre. It's a highlight on the local arts calendar and one of Ottawa's most exciting festivals.
Ottawa International Children's Festival
A five-day extravaganza of theatre, dance, arts and music from highly acclaimed international and local artists.
Ottawa School of Speech and Drama
Offering courses in acting, singing, vocal production, movement, dance, sight-reading, language arts, text analysis, scene study, character development and aspects of technical theatre.
OttawaTheatre.ca
Salamander Theatre
Savoy Society
Scarlett's Dinner Theatre
Sock 'n' Buskin Theatre Company
Thespian Workshops (acting lessons)
Third Wall Theatre
Vintage Stock Theatre
Vision Theatre

Puppets

Jamie Douglas
Noreen Young
Ottawa Puppetry Club
Puppets Up!
An international festival of puppetry that attracts thousands of visitors to Almonte, a 30 minute drive from Ottawa. For kids and grown-ups alike.