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This wonderful monthly roundup is compiled by arts enthusiast Jessica Ruano.
For more March events, don't forget to check out our Events Listings!

MARCH 2010
Greetings arts fans! There is a lot to celebrate in the month of March: International Women’s Day (March 8), World Theatre Day (March 27), and my half-birthday (March 12). All very important occasions; and yes, I expect lots of half-presents...

In recent news: the nominees for the 2009 Prix Rideau Awards have been announced!
For a full list, please follow this link: http://wp.me/p1SoS-wQ

Once again, if I have not included any local events in March featuring Ottawa artists in this newsletter, please feel free to post them on my website in the comments section.

Enjoy!

POETRY AND SPOKEN WORD

March 6
Capital Slam featuring Elyse Maltin
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=339956817648&ref=ts

March 7
Dusty Owl Reading Series “Open Hoot”
http://dustyowl.com/whatsnew.htm

March 9
Voices of Venus featuring Ruthanne Edward
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=82921239343&ref=ts

Storyteller extraordinaire Ruthanne Edward takes the stage at this Ottawa literary series that shines a spotlight on women writers. Quickly becoming my favourite local event! See my piece on VoV on my website: http://wp.me/p1SoS-wV

March 11
Bill Brown’s 1-2-3 Slam featuring Luna Allison & The Living Sound System
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=324713271475&ref=ts

March 12
Urban Legends Poetry Slam
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Urban-Legends-Poetry-Slam/101529778283?v=wall&ref=ts

March 27
The A B Series presents Gary Barwin
http://abseries.org/node/135

THEATRE, SHOWTUNES, BOOK LAUNCHES, and MORE!

March 2 to 21
The Great Canadian Theatre Company presents blood.claat: one oomaan story
http://www.gctc.ca/

I saw this vibrant production featuring d’bi.young at the Magnetic North Theatre Festival a year and a half ago. This is a fine example of dub poetry used in a theatrical setting: totally accessible and still makes your heart sing and your fingertips dance. For spoken word and theatre lovers alike.

March 3 to 6
Toto Too Theatre presents Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
http://tototoo.ca/

Members of a James Dean fan club meet up on the anniversary of his death in small town Texas. Ottawa artist and professor Janne Cleveland directs an all-female cast in this play that features openly transsexual characters. Toto Too is passionate about bringing queer theatre to the capital, and I’m glad to see the company is producing this female focussed piece, especially so close to International Women’s Day! Woot!

March 4 (runs until the 28)
Canteen Gallery presents Two Days Slow: An Alice in Wonderland Group Show
http://canteenlife.com/artwork/1206666.html

Sure, the gallery is capitalizing on the upcoming Tim Burton movie. But I think this is a fabulous idea!
A gallery of pure nonsense, Canteen hosts Two Days Slow, an Alice in Wonderland themed show. Featuring a multitude of talented international and local artists indulging in the whimsical world of Wonderland, the show promises the irrepressible silliness of white rabbits, tea parties, wise caterpillars, Cheshire cats and wide-eyed wonder.

March 13
Show Tune Showdown 2010 – fifth anniversary!
http://www.tonecluster.ca/index.php?home

Join three teams of musical theatre performers as they compete for bragging rights and cold hard cash for their theatre company. This year, Sheridan College’s Musical Theatre program returns from Oakville to compete against Ottawa teams from Orpheus Musical Theatre Society and Zucchini Grotto Theatre Company. Judging them this year will be famed Ottawa actor and playwright Pierre Brault, CBC Radio host Kathleen Petty, and performer Erica Peck.

March 14
Von Allan launches graphic novel “the road to god knows…”
http://trtgk.vonallan.com/

This critically-acclaimed graphic novel by (the red-headed and freckled) Ottawa artist and writer Von Allan explores the struggle of a teenage girl as she comes to grips with her mother’s schizophrenia. The formal launch takes place at the independent bookstore Perfect Books on Elgin Street from 4pm. Don’t miss it!

March 14
Acoustic Waves: Ana Miura
http://www.ottawafolk.org/

Ottawa based international touring artist Ana Miura performs at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre as part of the Ottawa Folk Festival acoustic waves series. In addition to having a great voice and charming stage presence, Ana has been really involved in the Ottawa community: you might know her as the founder of Babes for Breasts, a collection of female singer/songwriters that raise money for breast cancer charities, or the General Manager of the Ottawa Folk Festival. Also, on March 20 & 27, you can check out the Ottawa Folk Festival Auditions at the Raw Sugar Café.

March 19 to 28
New Ottawa Repertory Theatre presents Cherry Docs
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96153615270

In this critically acclaimed play by Ottawa playwright David Gow, a neo-Nazi skinhead charged with murder has a Jewish legal-aid lawyer appointed to defend him. The title is an abbreviation of the phrase “cherry red Doc Marten boots”, worn by skinheads. The lawyer, Danny, insists that the young offender, Mike, help construct his own defence, to make the young man “stand up” and be accountable. Directed Paul Dervis, this production features local actors Jeff Lefebvre and Garrett Quirk.

March 23 to April 3
The National Arts Centre English Theatre presents Where the Blood Mixes
http://nac-cna.ca/en/theatre/index.cfm

Hey, I also saw this at the Magnetic North Festival a year and a half ago! Looks like my travels are catching up to me in this weird time-warped fashion. For his play Where the Blood Mixes, Kevin Loring was awarded the 2009 Governor General’s Award in Drama. Well-deserved, I think. The play looks at the effects of residential schools on the next generation of aboriginals. It is humourous, touching and original, and does not fall into the trap of being preachy or didactic. This is darn good – and important –theatre.

March 27
Ottawa Theatre Challenge on World Theatre Day
http://nac-cna.ca/en/whatson/results.cfm?EventID=6178

Join a Company of Fools at this 10th annual Contest of Creation at the National Arts Centre’s Fourth Stage for an amazing evening of creativity. Forty-eight hours prior to the Theatre Challenge, local theatre companies are assigned inspiration items and will create scenes based on these items. The results are hilarious. Eddie May Murder Mysteries took home the rubber chicken prize last year; let’s see who grabs it this time!

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to email me with upcoming events for April. Remember, this newsletter focusses on local artists and events that take place in Ottawa.

Artistically yours,

Jessica Ruano

If you have any more events to add for this month, please post a comment on my website: http://jessicaruano.wordpress.com/blog

Check out my website www.jessicaruano.wordpress.com/blog for somewhat regular updates through the month. And if I have missed any events, please do not email me, but rather feel free to write a comment with all necessary information under the post on my website.