OSSD's Spring 2008 Newsletter!
Artistic Director's Message
Amanda Lewis, Artistic Director
Welcome to OSSD’s Spring Newsletter. One of the unexpected pleasures I have had this year at OSSD has been to see our senior students take the initiative to develop and produce their own shows. Last fall, a group of musical theatre students approached instructor Emmanuelle Zeesman and myself about a new course that they wanted OSSD to offer. Thus, the “Musical Theatre Collective” was born. It’s been wonderful to watch this enthusiastic group work on material together. On April17 - 19, the Musical Theatre Collective will showcase their work in a piece called “Succession”.
“Six Degrees of Separation” is an energetic group of youth and adult students who are producing their own fundraiser for OSSD. Using skills that they have gained over years of classes at OSSD, they are acting, directing, singing and dancing in an evening that includes one act play At the Bottom of Lake Missoula, by Ed Monk. And they are devoting all of this energy to help other students at OSSD – a portion of the money raised from their fundraiser will support OSSD’s scholarship program. Six Degrees of Separation will perform at OSSD April 10 – 12.
Our first Year Pre-Performance students have an exciting project that they undertake in April. They are responsible for creating 20 minute paired “Vocal Masques”. Scenes are linked together thematically, but can come from any plays or scripted material. These masques will form the basis for their end of year presentation “Theatre Smorgasbord 2” on April 25th. It’s an evening where you can get a peek into some of OSSD’s rising stars.
But our great students aren’t the only ones chipping in. On February 29th and March 1st, the musical theatre instructors are coming together for the fundraiser If Music Be the Food of Love. This fundraiser was a smash, sold out hit last year, and brings together the talents of our great instructors Natalie Fraser Purdy, Emmanuelle Zeesman, Sylvia Larass and Theresa Cillis O’Meara and David Hersh to produce an evening of musical theatre numbers. It is a rare opportunity to see these fine performers share their talents on stage with senior students. The MC for the evening is Jerri Southcott, host of CBC television’s “Living in Ottawa”. A night not to be missed.
It is this kind of energy and enthusiasm that makes working at OSSD a privilege. It’s a place where, even on the worst snowstorm of the year, students and parents battle through snow drifts to come to performances and classes. It’s a place where in the lobby kids are filming scenes for a movie, while in studio D they are bouncing from square to square reciting poems and singing songs. A place where a group of teens in studio C create an abstract movement piece about school violence while a group of adults in studio B sing Let It Be in many parted harmonies.
Spring gives everyone a chance to share in some of this creative energy. With a host of performances and Open Houses in April, and 6 productions during May Showcase you are guaranteed to be inspired, whether you are on stage or in the audience. We look forward to sharing it with you.
Amanda Lewis
Artistic Director
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