June 2008: Little Lost Bicycle

Is this your bike? It has appeared just outside the foyer of the Ron Maslin Playhouse, chained to a tree. It looks very lonely, and it needs some care. If you recognize it, could you please see that it gets home?

NEWS FLASH - June 5 - This afternoon, the bicycle was released from bondage and set free by a young man and woman. We trust the bike got home, or at least went to a loving household.
 

June 2008: Kanata Theatre June General Meeting

Sunday June 1, 7:30 pm in the Ron Maslin Playhouse

City of Ottawa residents interested in becoming members of Kanata Theatre should join us for our year-end wrap-up and to learn about our exciting 40^th season and its various volunteer opportunities.

Have you ever wanted to construct or paint a set? Apply make-up or sew a costume? Design the lighting or the sound? Ever wanted to try acting?

There is something for everyone at Kanata Theatre!
 

May 2008 Kanata Theatre continues its work in
Ottawa's Green Partnership Program

The aim of the City of Ottawa program was to get people involved in beautifying their community, making neighbourhoods and open public spaces, greener, cleaner and more appealing places to live, work and play. The program awarded funding to community organizations, service groups, business improvement associations and non-profit organizations for new, one-time innovative and sustainable clean and green projects throughout Ottawa.
 

KT members nominated for Capital Critics Circle awards

Three of our members have been nominated for the annual English-language theatre awards for plays presented in Ottawa during the 2006-2007 season. Best Director: Rosemary Keneford, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Best Actor: Dorothy Beak as Alice in Happy Birthday Dear Alice. Best Actor: Brooke Keneford as Big Daddy, Cat on a Hot tin Roof.
 

October 2007: Kanata Theatre member receives award

On Thursday, October 4, 2007 Joy Forbes received the “Leadership in the Arts” award given by the National Arts Centre at the Teacher Information Night. Joy was nominated by Shelley Smith-Dale, the Arts consultant at the Ottawa Catholic School Board. The Leadership in the Arts Award recognizes generalist teachers who provide an outstanding arts education program (in Music, Theatre, Visual Arts and Dance). This award is open to all teachers in the National Capital Region. Joy involves her classes, her whole school (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Barrhaven), parents and the community in all her theatrical and musical presentations, as well as sharing her considerable expertise with teachers in the Ottawa area.

June 2007: Kanata Theatre gives high school awards

Each year, Kanata Theatre donates a cash award to a drama student at each of the six local secondary schools. The recipients are chosen by the Drama department of each school. We want to recognize the contribution that drama students make to the life of the school. The awards also provide an opportunity to show Kanata Theatre's interest in the community.
 

June 2007: Kanata Theatre joins Green Partnership Program

The City of Ottawa has a Green Partnership Program, which encourages organizations to "clean and green" public spaces. Kanata Theatre joined this program by creating flower beds alongside the Ron Maslin Playhouse. The city contributes to the cost of the plants: Kanata Theatre provides the volunteer labour. Look for the new flower beds, created by member Ann Williams, next time you visit the Playhouse.
 

November 2006: Kanata Theatre wins two awards

Kanata Theatre won two awards from the Capital Critics Circle.

The production of Noises Off by Michael Frayn, directed by Brooke Keneford, won the Best Community Theatre Production award.

Beverley Brooks won the Best Actor (Community) award for her performance in The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh, which was directed by Gwen Knight.

November 2006: Kanata Theatre nominated for Critics awards

For the Love of it.

They say that when you do something “for the love of it”, it shows. Those that create the magic that is Kanata Theatre are proof of just that. Operating solely on the efforts of 250 volunteers, this theatre, well into its 38th season, is thrilled to be nominated for 3 Critics' circle awards in the community theatre category: Brooke Keneford for Best Director for Noises Off; Noises Off for Best Production; and Beverley Brooks as Best Actor in The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Award announcements will be made November 27. While theatre members are pleased to have the critics' attention, they are even more appreciative and attentive to the feedback that they receive from their audiences. If ever climbing attendance and sold out performances are any indication, the passion that has always inspired this group to the highest level of excellence is alive and strong.

FLASH! November 27: Noises Off did win the Best Production award: Beverley Brooks won the Best Actor award.
 

October 2006: Kanata Theatre members active in Rural Root

Rural Root Theatre will be presenting Silver Dagger by David French, directed by Valerie Jorgensen, on Wednesday October 18^th through Saturday October 21^st. Curtain is 8.00 p.m. and the production will be held at the Constance Buckham’s Bay Community Centre.
There are many Kanata Theatre members involved with this play, such as Bill Horsman (actor), Shannan Collins-Vig (set design), the Giesler family, Anne Mokros and Helen and Martin Weeden. To reserve a ticket ($10.00 each), call 613 832-3204. For details and directions, check out the Rural Root website:
www.ruralroot.ca.
We also would like to publicly thank Kanata Theatre for the strong support we have received, as we continue to build up this new theatre company in West Carleton.
~Helen & Martin Weeden
 

September 2006: Hearing Assistance for our Patrons

Kanata Theatre is proud to announce the availability of the PhonicEar OnWave hearing assistance system. Small clip-on receivers permit control over listening volume levels. These units are available from the cloak room with regular headsets (or you may use your own headset with 3.5mm jack, if you prefer) or T-Switch hearing aid loops.

We hope to offer advance booking of the units later this year.

Please let us know how we can help.

June 2006: Beautifying the Playhouse

A bed of potentilla has replaced a patch of grass and weeds near the front doors of the Ron Maslin Playhouse. As part of the plan for beautifying the city, Ottawa paid for the materials and Kanata Theatre put in the labour. The project was designed by Ann Williams.

June 3, 2006: Playwright visits Kanata Theatre

Joan Burrows, the author of Staff Room, visited Kanata Theatre and enjoyed the final night (one of many sold-out performances) of our production of her play. She is seen here with Jim Holmes, the director.

March 28 to April 8: Enchanted April

Many performances were SOLD-OUT ! And there were standing ovations.
 

April 8, 2006: The KT KIDS performance

The KT KIDS are a group of children of Kanata Theatre members. They have been attending Saturday morning sessions organized by members Andrew Williams and Kareen Lively. On April 8, as part of the last session of this season, they presented CSI: Story-land, an original script (which had a slight connection to the fairy-tale of the Three Little Pigs) developed by the group. The audience at the Ron Maslin Playhouse, consisting of parents and other Kanata Theatre members, certainly enjoyed the production (see KT-Kids)
 

Officers Logan (Cameron Lively) and Mitchel (Kaitlin Williams) interview Miss Cochon (Kaylie Bourk-Wilson)

February 26, 2006: CHEO fundraiser

Kanata Theatre presented two numbers ("Making a Dragon" and "Revenge") from The Dragonslayers as part of a fundraiser for CHEO, the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, organized by the Ottawa Music Acadeny and Kanata Music Academy.

January 31 to February 11, 2006: Noises Off

All ten performances were SOLD-OUT !
 

December 17 - 29, 2005: The Dragonslayers

We had six SOLD-OUT performances plus a colour photo taking up almost half the front page of the Kanata Kourier-Standard!
 

June 29, 2005: Kanata Theatre gives high school awards

Each year, Kanata Theatre gives awards at local high schools. One Drama award was at the Earl of March Secondary School.

Read the full article

June 2005: Some members have turned professional!

Some members have enjoyed amateur theatre so much that they decided to work in professional theatre. This article appeared in several local newspapers.

Read the full article

June 2005: Summer Playreading

During the summer, playreading at Kanata Theatre takes place in the homes of individual members. As well as the pleasure of reading, this helps us consider plays that might be performed at Kanata Theatre. For further information, and to get the names of the host for each session, please email or call the Director of Plays at 271-1777.

The plays and dates for 2005 are:

• July 6   - Enchanted April

• July 13 - Diana of Dobson

• July 20 - The Constant Wife

• July 27 - Song at Twilight

• August 10 - Staff Room

• August 17 - Thirteen Hands, by Carol Shields

• August 24 - Three Days of Rain

• August 31 - The Titfield Thunderbolt 592-4108

5 June 2005: Kanata Theatre honours its founder

At the Annual General Meeting on June 5th, Kanata Theatre honoured its founder, Mary Mauger, by presenting her with a plaque and a Certificate of Lifetime Membership. Mary was also given Membership Badge no. 0001.

It was Mary's initiative that created the group that rapidly became Kanata Theatre.

Read the full article

Kanata Theatre membership badge
no. 0001

20 May 2005: Tony Bryant honoured

A  section of the Trans-Canada Trail between Stittsville and Carleton Place was dedicated in the name of Tony Bryant, a former member.

Read the full article

15 November 2004: Kanata Theatre director wins award

Rosemary Keneford, director of Kanata Theatre's production of Over the River and Through the Woods by Joe DiPietro, has been given the Best Director (Community) award, by the Capital Critics Circle. This play, which was on stage at the Ron Maslin Playhouse in March 2003, had previously won the Eastern Ontario Drama League's award for Best Production and was taken to the festival for all of Ontario, at Sault Ste. Marie.

Last year, the Capital Critics Circle award for Best Director (Community) was given to Kanata Theatre's Gwen Knight for her direction of The Snow Ball by A.R. Gurney, which opened at the Ron Maslin Playhouse on May 28, 2003.