They have previously collaborated on Odyssey’s original translations of Marivaux’s False Confessions, Giraudoux’s Ondine and Molière’s Don Juan.

Molière’s Scapin is about an ingenious scoundrel who casts a wide net of trickery and nearly ensnares himself in one of its many snags. The mischievous rogue Scapin employs daring schemes to outwit miserly fathers who selfishly block the union of four passionate young lovers.

Through his depiction of Scapin’s manipulation of the affairs of the powerful, Molière cleverly satirizes malevolent schemes, while leaving audiences celebrating the triumph of young love, justice and the spirit of rebellion.

The production will feature the design work of an exciting team of artists. They will draw inspiration from the world of a contemporary seaport and infuse it with the spirit of Commedia and the rough and tumble energy of a fairground. ‘Pauline McGibbon’ award-winner Karen Rodd returns for her 12th season with Odyssey to create our signature masks. Louise Lapointe, whose work was featured in our productions of The King Stag, Isabella’s Fortune and The Green Bird, and includes the puppets for The Raven, is designing the set. Montreal designer Pascale Mathèron joins us as costume designer, our inveterate music director John Armstrong will be composing original music and Ron Ward will design the lighting. The cast of nine includes perennial Odyssey performer Alix Sideris (The Wedding, The Illusion,and The Raven), Jesse Buck (The Little Square, Kamalay), Mark Huisman (The Wedding, The Illusion and The Raven), and Sarah Joy Bennett (The Little Square). We are very excited about the range and depth of talent this year’s company of artists possesses.

"...a wondrous study in irresistible deception."
Bruce Deachman - Ottawa Citizen - July 23, 2005.

Those aren’t wrinkles, they’re laugh lines! To mark Odyssey’s 20th season,
we will be holding two special events. Stay tuned for details on our 20th anniversary party in August and a special exhibit featuring photos from past productions.

MESSAGE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Join us as we celebrate our 20th anniversary this summer. This promises to be one of our most exciting seasons yet, featuring our production of Molière’s Scapin. I am delighted to return to the works of this master satirist as he has been a longtime inspiration to me. Scapin is a sly play dominated by the machinations of one of the world’s greatest scoundrels. Rich with laughter and love and yet containing a stirring censure against greed, the play exposes the power of fear in leading us down the paths of folly.

Joanne Miller and I are setting the play in today’s world to allow audiences to enjoy the full impact of Molière’s acerbic wit. We have been labouring to keep our translation faithful to Molière’s flamboyant use of rhythm and language. I hope we can offer you some of the creative joy we feel as we are beginning our journey with this marvellous work. Please see inside this newsletter for details on upcoming special events like new-play and artists development workshops.

On behalf of everyone at Odyssey, I want to thank all of our patrons for your interest in our innovative work. Your support makes our creative journey possible. I look forward to seeing you in Strathcona Park this summer!

Laurie Steven
Artistic Director