Our Mission
Odyssey Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre in Ottawa that is committed to inspiring audiences with imaginative theatre. We produce plays rooted in masked performance and Commedia dell’Arte, infused with other physical arts including puppetry, clown, bouffon and dance-theatre. Our art transports audiences to heightened imaginative worlds, and provides a new lens through which to see our own. We explore meaningful themes through biting social and political satire, myth and folktale, telling powerful stories that explore and celebrate the human spirit. Our visceral productions touch audiences’ hearts, spark their creativity, and fuel reflection about our world.
We collaborate with theatre artists from diverse traditions and cultures to create work that is richly expressive and that celebrates our diversity. Odyssey is committed to developing and producing original Canadian plays and radical adaptations of classical works. We provide support to creators of new works in our field, such as new play workshops and dramaturgy and actively pursue the inclusion of culturally diverse artists and art forms in our work.
We facilitate outreach programs to introduce new audiences that don’t otherwise have access to theatre. Our ultimate goal is to provide artists and audiences with a rich and challenging creative journey and offer programs that make theatre accessible, encourage broad participation and help strengthen the local arts community.
About ODYSSEY THEATRE
Odyssey is Ottawa’s only masked physical theatre company. Join us every summer for our Theatre Under the Stars on the banks of Rideau River in Ottawa’s historic Strathcona Park. Since its inception in 1986, we have welcomed over 150,000 people drawn to our open-air stage in Strathcona Park. We draw audiences from across the region and tourists from across Canada. Periodically performing indoors, we have co-produced work with organizations including the NAC Studio Theatre, The Gladstone Theatre and the National Gallery of Canada.
We have developed a unique artistic style in Canada's theatrical landscape and are recognized for the high calibre of our work. Since 1989, we have taken 29 original plays and translation-adaptions through to production, held over 30 new play workshops, and produced three new play festivals. We have explored new performance ideas through Performance Labs and provided training to theatre artists and youth though workshops and summer programs.
Odyssey’s work is rooted in masked performance and the Italian Commedia dell’Arte, assimilated with other physical arts including puppetry, clown, bouffon and dance-theatre. We embrace collaborations with artists practicing culturally diverse traditions, including Peking Opera, Indian Kathakali, Indonesian Wayang Wong, and Sri Lankan Kolam, which evolves our theatrical language and broadens our audience.
Renowned for our imaginative productions, Odyssey Theatre has been a recipient of 11 Capital Critics and Rideau Awards and 18 nominations. CBC Radio calls Odyssey “one of the most innovative, invigorating and consistently intelligent theatre companies in Canada.” Odyssey is truly a theatrical experience like no other!
