By Johanne Adam
Students enrolled in the theatre program are starting to get to know LabO, a new theatre centre unique in Ottawa. LabO, which opened October 2, includes a black box theatre, four rehearsal and classroom spaces, and cutting-edge equipment.
We wanted to know students’ first impressions of the new facilities and the theatre program offered there. Here are some of their comments.
Mackenzie Glenn
What aspects of the LabO and the theatre program do you most appreciate?
I love it! We have two different theatre buildings and three stages. It’s an awesome experience.
What do you want to learn here?
I want to learn all the different aspects of theatre, backstage and onstage. I’m actually in a course called Fundamental Techniques of Voice and Movement, and we pretty much do a lot of singing and dancing. In our backstage class, we get to work with power tools and learn how they work to create sets. We also have a lab on costume design where we get to create costumes. I want to learn how everything works.
What are your career plans?
I know I want to teach theatre, but I also want to work as entertainment staff on a cruise ship – very different ends of the spectrum for theatre!
Noah Marcus
What are the advantages of the theatre program at uOttawa?
I like the Ottawa program because it does a good job of balancing theatre research and theatre criticism with practical “on your feet” acting and technology. There is a wide variety of classes for whatever you’re interested in, whether it’s the technical side – be it sound, lighting, costuming – or in acting or even the more academic side, like theatre research and criticism.
What do you want to get out of this program?
For me personally, it comes down to setting myself up for success as an actor in the future. Also, I just like to learn, so having that theatre research aspect gives me insight into the past, present and future of theatre and performance, and I think that makes me a better performer as well.
Alisha Cooke
What are you learning at the LabO?
We’re learning to use the new LED lighting system in this building. The old building has lighting that is more traditional and the LabO is equipped with a new LED system that allows us to create effects and change the colours instantly, so it’s nice to learn how to use both.
What are your career plans?
I’m not quite sure yet, but I definitely want to do both onstage and backstage work, so I want to learn as many things that I can, like stage management and lighting.
Sydney Goudreau-Patterson
What are the advantages of uOttawa’s theatre program?
It definitely helps you come out of your shell. I find that either backstage or onstage, you’re always interacting with a lot of people. It’s a great opportunity to put yourself out there and, even if you’re not pursuing theatre but just taking a class, it’s a great opportunity to grow as a person.
What do you want to learn here?
What I hope to get from it is just more experience in acting and also enjoying myself. I don’t know if I will pursue it after graduation, but I know that I really do enjoy the acting and the performing, so I just hope to learn a lot and grow.
Zexuan Li
What are the advantages of the LabO?
When we mention theatre, most people think about performance on a stage and acting. But here at LabO, we have the opportunity to learn about the backstage aspects with cutting-edge technology. We not only learn to interact with other actors, but we learn about script writing, lighting and about the different tools we can use. If one day you do become an actor, you will not only know about acting but also how to cooperate with the different people that you work with.
Kayleanne Leclerc
(Beginning the theatre program in January 2019)
Why did you choose the uOttawa theatre program?
To begin with, I’m from Sherbrooke and thought Ottawa would be a good choice. So I came to visit the campus and liked what I saw. But the main selling point for me was that it’s a bilingual university.
What are your career goals?
I do a lot of writing, so I’m considering becoming a playwright or an author. We’ll see where my studies take me!
Sebastien Burke
What do you like about the University of Ottawa’s theatre program?
I really appreciate the fact that I can continue my education in French and English. I have one French-speaking parent and one English-speaking parent, so I appreciate the chance to study in both languages.
What impact do you think LabO will have on the arts scene in Ottawa?
Theatre students here in Ottawa always had to go to Montreal or Toronto, but with a modern theatre space like LabO, now we can stay here and get a great education right at home.