Mandate
Evolution Theatre strives to entertain our audiences with thought-provoking, emotional, and evocative contemporary theatre.
We have a reputation for stylized and daring staging, and a taste for challenging theatre.
Vision
Evolution Theatre aspires to:
- Bring innovative and risky theatre to Ottawa;
- Foster the development of local artists by providing them with a place to take risks on challenging pieces;
- Embrace the linguistic duality in Ottawa.
History
2005
- Inaugural Evolution Theatre production of Dario Fo’s We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! in the Léonard Beaulne Studio at the University of Ottawa;
- Show performed in masks that were designed and created by the cast and crew;
- Admission by donation to the Ottawa Food Bank.
2006
- Evolution Theatre founders Christopher Bedford, Linda Culbert and Nancy Kenny collaborate on an Ottawa Fringe Festival production.
2007
- Critically acclaimed productions of John Mighton’s Possible Worlds and Daniel Brooks & Guillermo Verdecchia’s Insomnia;
Reviews: “Chris Bedford works meticulpusly at pinpointing all the threads of meaning.”
– Alvina Ruprecht, CBC Radio
“Insomnia leaves you tingling, alive with questions.”
– Kat Fournier, Ottawa XPress - Evolution Theatre officially incorporated as a not-for-profit organization.
2008
- Christopher Bedford nominated for Emerging Artist at the 1st Annual Rideau Awards, which celebrate achievements in professional theatre in Ottawa for his directorial work on both Possible Worlds and Insomnia;
- Evolution Theatre nominated for Emerging Artist/Company of the Year at the Golden Cherries;
- Ottawa English-language premiere of Larry Tremblay’s The Ventriloquist, translated by Keith Turnbull;
Reviews: “(Evolution Theatre is) an important contribution to the professional theatre scene in Ottawa.”
– Alvina Ruprecht, CBC Radio
Awards: Capital Critics Circle nomination, Christopher Bedford, Best Director (Professional)
Rideau Award nomination, Lisa Twardowska, Outstanding Performance – Female
Rideau Award nomination, Joshua McMillan, Outstanding Stage Management - Sold-out presentation of Daniel MacIvor’s This Is A Play at the Ottawa Fringe Festival – remounted in November as part of Meta Schmeta: An Evening of One-Act Plays, in conjunction with local companies Gruppo Rubato and mutatis mutandis;
Reviews: “Chris Bedford is an exceptionally talented young man… (The show) is great fun!”
– Alvina Ruprecht, CBC Radio
“Comedy is hard to do well… (the cast) makes it look easy.”
– Brian M. Carroll, Theatre Enthusiast - Ottawa English-language premiere of Dominic Champagne’s Playing Bare, translated by Shelley Tepperman;
Reviews: “…shockingly moving.” – Jeremy Mesiano-Crookston, Ottawa XPress
Awards: Best Theatrical Performance nomination, Ottawa XPress
Rideau Award nomination, Joshua McMillan, Outstanding Stage Management - Evolution Theatre accepted as one of two Production Mentorship Companies through the Great Canadian Theatre Company;
2009
- Evolution Theatre incorporated as a registered charity;
- Canadian premiere of Mark Ravenhill’s pool (no water) in the Studio Theatre at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre
Company Founders
Christopher Bedford – Artistic Director
Christopher has directed (among other productions), John Mighton’s Possible Worlds, Daniel Brooks and Guillermo Verdecchia’s Insomnia, Larry Tremblay’s The Ventriloquist, and Dominic Champagne’s Playing Bare, all for Evolution Theatre. He also directed and performed in their production of pool (no water). Externally, he was the Assistant Director to Lise Ann Johnson for the Great Canadian Theatre Company’s production of The Syringa Tree. His award nominations include a Rideau Award for Emerging Artist, a Capital Critic’s Circle Award for Best Director (The Ventriloquist), and the Ontario Arts Council’s Pauline McGibbon Award. He is a graduate with Honours of the University of Ottawa’s Theatre Program, with a specialization in Directing and has studied abroad at the School of Physical Theatre in London.
Linda Culbert – General Manager
Linda fell in love with theatre at a very young age and could not imagine doing anything else. She has completed her B.A. Honours in Theatre at the University of Ottawa where her focus was theatre administration.
Linda is a Stage Manager by trade, but can often be found behind her sewing machine, creating costumes for various shows. Costume design credits include Evolution Theatre’s We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay!, Possible Worlds and The Ventriloquist, as well as Punchbag Playhouse’s Head Case. Her stage managing credits include Dancing on Water Theatre Company’s Bye Bye Bytown, The Soldier Dreams and Remembering Shanghai for Toto Too Theatre, and We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay!, This Is A Play and pool (no water) for Evolution Theatre.
Nancy Kenny – Director of Communications
Nancy delved professionally in the fields of marketing, promotions, and event planning for such institutions as the University of Ottawa, the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum, though she is primarily an artist by passion and design. She holds degrees in Theatre, Political Science and Canadian Studies from the University of Ottawa (where she met co-founders Chris and Linda) and is also working towards a degree in Conventions and Meeting Management through Algonquin College. She has also been creating press releases and other publicity materials for a variety of local theatre companies including Breathing Time Productions, Seven Thirty Productions, and The Gladstone.
As a professional actor, Nancy has performed with a variety of theatre companies around town and in many independent films. She is also an avid playwright and has seen her work produced in Ottawa, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Winnipeg. For the past four years, she has been commenting on life as an artist on her blog, So You Want To Be An Actor, and its new incarnation, So You Want To Be An Actor (Redux). In her spare time, Nancy can be found on the internet.
